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claymorexpunisher · 5 months

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Don't Poke the Daddy (18+ One-Shot)

Pairing(s): Damian Priest/Fem. Reader

Summary: Reader lets it slip that she finds Drew incredibly attractive and she decides to wear his merch one night at a show. Her boyfriend Damian doesn't think it's so funny.

Tags: 18+, bratty reader, Daddy kink, light humiliation, rough sex, Dom!Damian, jealousy, posessive!Damian, dom/sub dynamic, unprotected vaginal penetration, fingering, oral sex (man and woman receiving).

Word Count: 2,005

Drew was the first person to greet me as I walked into the venue hours before showtime.

He and my boyfriend Damian have been at odds with one another for weeks now and it kinda tickled me to find out that Damian’s disdain for the Scotsman ran a bit deeper- especially after I drunkenly let slip how gorgeous and incredibly talented, I thought Drew was.

Maybe it was a bit mean of me, but the bright idea to dress in the skimpiest outfit I could think of, along with Drew's merch to show my support for Drew and ruffle my man’s feathers came to me recently and I was just now working up the nerve to see it through.

Juuust to see how Damian would react.

Drew at least seemed to think that it was a fantastic idea, if the way his face lit up and he smirked salaciously was anything to go by.

Damian, however, wasn't nearly as amused…

I had stayed behind while Damian drove to the venue earlier in the day for call time, giving me plenty of time to really plan this out.

And to be honest? I felt hot as hell as I tied up the black heels along my thighs and I slipped the black and blue plaid skirt onto my hips, finishing off with a Big Daddy Claymore crop top that I made at lightning speed.

I pretended not to notice Damian's eyes boring into me as Drew pulled me into an affectionate embrace, clearly also feeling Damian's eyes on us.

"He's pissed." Drew chuckled, knowing exactly what I was up to without me even having to say anything.

"I know." I replied, smiling innocently, and making him laugh.

I swore I practically felt the daggers Damian was now throwing at us.

But I was hellbent on waiting to see if he’d actually call me out on it.

After more idle chit chat with Drew, I finally met my boyfriend halfway, having to look up to look into his stormy dark eyes.

“Hi, baby.” I purred, smiling innocently.

Upon assessing my not-so-innocent demeanor, it was as if something clicked in Damian’s brain and my heart skipped a bit at the light smirk that graced his lips.

Not at all the reaction I was expecting.

“Hola, princesita.” He purred back, letting his eyes survey my frame from head to toe, just to watch me squirm a little.

“Thanks for coming.” He said.

“Of course! I told you I’d be here.” I replied, standing on my tippy toes to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

I grunted softly in shock as he suddenly placed a possessive hand to the back of my head, deepening the kiss and I moaned softly as his tongue momentarily explored my mouth, possessively stroking mine all while his eyes bore into my own even as he pulled away.

“Nice outfit.” By the way Damian played things off, anyone would think he was amused by my antics.

But his tone said otherwise.

I recognized that tone immediately…

I instinctively pressed my exposed thighs together, just knowing in my gut that I was in for it.

“Thanks…” I replied, hearing the breathiness in my voice.

Rather than answer, Damian left my side for a moment and he and Finn, Rhea, and Dom quietly murmured to themselves before he came back to me.

“Let’s go to the locker room.” Was all he said as he smiled softly at me and kissed my temple.

And I could do nothing except quietly obey and wonder where the hell this was going.

Surely, he wouldn’t punish me here at the venue… in The Judgement Day’s locker room…

Upon entering the locker room, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

I was shoved up against the locker room door forcefully, already feeling the slick arousal beginning to pool inside my black lace panties.

My panties were roughly yanked to the side before Damian dropped down to his knees and my hips immediately bucked at the first languid strokes of his tongue along my glistening folds.

“This morning, I thought about how good you’ve been lately. And that you deserved a little reward…” Damian stopped long enough to speak before he got back to feasting on me, and I scrunched my eyes shut and pushed my hips onto his mouth, urging him on.

“Oh my fuck…” I moaned as one of his thick fingers slid into me as he suddenly sucked firmly on my clit, causing an electric to shoot from between my legs and down to my toes.

Then I clamped my mouth shut, remembering where we were.

My hands traveled underneath my crop top, and I roughly tweaked one of my nipples, hissing at the delicious bite of pain mixed with the sensations from Damian’s mouth.

I let out a strained sound as his finger crooked inside of me, pressing against my sweet spot, and I felt the muscles in my stomach began to tighten and my legs wanted to close reflexively, signaling to Damian that I was dangerously close to cumming.

The fabric of my top and skirt rubbed softly against my sensitive body, making my back arch that much more and I felt the vibration of Damian chuckling as his tongue swirled against my clit before he brought into his mouth again.

Just as I was about to cum, Damian stood, as calm as ever, and he slid my panties back in place as if he didn’t just have his face between my legs and he hadn’t just been eagerly tasting me not even 3 seconds earlier.

“And then… you decided to piss Daddy off.” He said, dashing my hopes for release.

I gaped at him in shock, my body trembling as it slowly came back down from my impending orgasm.

“Oh, you’re shocked? You really thought I was gonna reward you after you pulled this shit?” Damian chuckled softly, the sound somehow making me feel as if he’d just flicked his tongue on my clit. “Nah, mi vida... You can watch the show from here and think about how you’re gonna apologize to me later. And then maybe you’ll get to cum.”

I continued to silently gape at him as he gently shoved me aside and he sauntered out of the locker room, leaving me behind to do as he commanded.

The rest of show time went by torturously slow as my panties only continued to dampen even more, and they rubbed against my sensitive clit.

I watched the show in The Judgement Day’s locker room like Damian asked and it felt like 1,000 years had passed before we were in his rental and making the trip onto the next town.

“So… you figure out how you’re gonna apologize yet? Because I didn’t think that was funny.” He said, his deep voice seeming to fill the car with its power that had me immediately standing at attention again.

“I think I… have an idea on how to make it up to you.” I replied tentatively, biting my lip as I looked behind us at the clear road.

Thankfully we were in buttfuck nowhere so there were no cars behind us or, anywhere, really.

So, what I had in mind was definitely possible, but we’d still have to be careful.

As I reached over and began unbuckling Damian’s belt and exposed his cock to find it hard as a rock, I gave it a few slow, tentative strokes, watching his features.

I stifled a giggle as his eyes widened and the car gave a sudden jerk as my tongue surprised him.

“Will this help?” I asked cheekily, still watching his face and enjoying the quiet struggle in his eyes, but his voice gave nothing away for now.

“Maybe.” Damian replied shortly, now staring straight ahead at the road as if he were completely disinterested.

I smirked, my hand gaining more momentum before I adjusted myself in the passenger and clicked off my seatbelt and then I brought my mouth down onto his cock, teasing the head momentarily before I thought better of it.

Gripping him firmly, I relaxed my throat, breathing calmly through my nose as I felt his length reach the back of my throat.

Staying there for a few seconds, I then slowly slid my mouth off, tracing a vein at the vase of Damian’s cock, smiling filthily as it jerked in my hand in response, and I heard a muffled groan slip out of his mouth.

“How’s it feel, Daddy?” I asked, looking up at him with devilish amusement sparkling in my eyes.

“Shut up.” Damian said sharply and without looking away from the road.

I was kinda impressed at his willpower and how steadily he was still driving us to our destination.

My tongue swirled over the head once more before I brought one of his balls into my mouth and sucked firmly, pleased to hear him groan and break off into a deep growl that made my body sing.

Then I was confused when he stopped me, just as he was about to cum himself.

“I thought this was-“ I started to say, but quickly shut my mouth as Damian held one finger up to silence me.

“Get in the back seat.” He commanded after he stopped the rental on the side of the road.

My heart pounded hard in my chest as I did as I was told, sliding into the back seat of the car before Damian followed suit.

Practically giving me whiplash, Damian flipped me onto my back against the backseat, hiked up my plaid skirt and then he teased the head of his cock against my slick entrance.

“I think you deserve this now, muñeca…” He smirked and I let out a gasp, any coherent thought in my brain snatched away as he entered me without warning.

My slick arousal helped my pussy accommodate his size quickly and I couldn’t help but rock my hips to meet his thrusts, my mouth opening in a silent moan as I felt a bead of sweat trickling down the back of my crop top.

Damian gripped said crop top, using the material as leverage and I nearly sobbed as his cock nudged against my sweet spot without mercy.

My cheeks burned as the wet sounds coming from between my legs filled the space between us and I bit my lip almost to the point of pain as I tried to shove away another impending orgasm.

My body shook with all the sensations coursing through me and I moaned loudly as Damian’s free hand gripped my hair and he pulled me into another possessive kiss.

He thrusts were relentless and I could do nothing except tell him how much I loved it through jumbled sentences and overwhelmed sobs.

“Yeah? I bet you’re not thinking about him now, are you? Huh? You remember who you and this pussy belong to now?” Damian growled and I could see several veins in his neck bulging as he fucked me.

I reached out and trailed my tongue over one of them then sucked on the skin, marking my territory as well and I felt his cock pulsate inside of me in response.

“You, Daddy! Y- you… fuck!” I yelled; my eyes scrunched shut tight as my thighs began to tremble.

Damian didn’t let up until I came hard, my juices spilling between our bodies as I shook.

I lay there, trying my damnedest to come back down, when suddenly Damian pulled out and he gripped his cock in his hand.

I did nothing but watch as an orgasm shattered him and he stroked himself with earnest, allowing the milky ribbons to paint all over my crop top, soiling Drew’s logo.

As he started to come back down, Damian smirked, his chest heaving up and down with exertion.

But he looked incredibly proud of his handiwork.

“I’m so glad you get it now, princesa.” He said, before his tongue wrestled with mine once again…

@theworldofotps @alyyaanna @moonwolfdemonprincess21 @lynswinterwonderland @mohawkmama @rollinsland

#damian priest #damian priest x reader #damian priest x female reader #wwe fic #wwe smut #wwe fanfic #wrestling smut #🫡#also- get it? Dont Poke the Daddy? Like Don’t Poke the Bear- 😭😂😂💀

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alexwritingspot · 4 months

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Hi, I’m obsessed with Jason Grace lately, so can you do #15 when he can’t stop looking at Reader any time he has the chance and Reader just asked him why and ended up in a confession. SORRY I DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH

Too beautiful to not stare…

Pairing: Jason x gn!reader

words count: 800

prompt 15: “…why are you staring at me?”

warnings: none

A day at New Rome spent with your best friend, Jason Grace, will eventually turn out as a confession by both of you.

a/n: Hi lovely! Don’t worry, I don’t speak English either 💀 And also, loved this request, I just had so much fun writing it! Hope it was what you were hoping for, as always, enjoy! (Also, I’m deeply sorry to answer this so late 😭😭 hope you can forgive me babe 🧡)

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It was a warm day. You had decided to accompany Jason to New Rome after he had told you he needed to visit camp Jupiter to show his projects about the temples. And, given the huge crush you had on the blonde boy, you used every opportunity you had to spend time with him.

You both didn’t know tho, that today the responsible people for projects like these weren’t at camp, and you had to renounce about Jason’s willingness to explain why they should build other temples, and how.

So instead you decided yo take a walk around the streets of New Rome, even stopping by to buy something to eat.

“I’m sorry about it Jason” You told him as the both of you took a seat under a beautiful gazebo, its upper part adorned by a carpet of colourful flowers.

“It’s okay, it’s not like it’s your fault” He simply answered you with a gentle smile.

“Yeah, I know, but still…”

You were really sorry for what had happened. You knew just how much Jason cared about his project and how much he wanted to onor every god around, even if it would have sounded like a crazy plan to anyone else.

Jason took a bite out of his sandwich “Really y/n, don’t worry. Besides even if I didn’t present my models at least you came with me.” He smiled again, this time a bit more genuinely.

You smiled back at him “Yeah, you’re right. At least we get to spend some time together”

You stayed in a comfortable silence for the next minute, really just enjoying your sandwiches and the view. New Rome was a spectacle.

“Do you like it here?” Then Jason suddenly asked. You turned your head to look at him, noticing that his eyes were already set on you. “Yeah, I think this place it’s amazing. As you know at camp half-blood demigods don’t really have a place to stay when they’re older, or even just- you literally have college!”

You kept on talking about why you thought New Rome was actually a clever idea, and why in your opinion camp half blood should have had something’s similar.

And he actually listened to you. That was the thing with Jason. You actually felt heard in a world where demigods couldn’t have it easy. “Sorry I just- I get too worked up” you joked with a chuckle.

“I see your point, don’t worry” he offered you a kind smile. You swore you could have melted on the spot.

You two both fell back into that comfortable silence, just enjoying the sunny day when you noticed that Jason kept staring at you. You looked at him with a small frown of confusion “…why are you staring at me?” You then started panicking “Wait, do I have something on my face? No, I know! Is an insect in my hair isn’t it? Yes it is” You ruffled your hair in attempt to get away the non-existent bug.

Jason started laughing before stopping you by gently holding your wrist and putting it back down. “Nothing like that. I just… You’re too pretty”

You stopped working in that moment. You could have sworn one of those y/n.exe stopped working appeared in your brain. “What?” Was the only reaction that you could get out of your mouth, your confused frown only deepening.

He moved a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I said you’re pretty.” He declared it as if it was no big deal. You blushed slightly, trying to hide it of course.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Jason who just chuckled back. “Getting shy, aren’t we?” He teased you, and you playfully hit his arm “Jason Grace, you can’t just tell someone something like that and after pretending that it’s the most obvious thing in the world!”

He just leaned closer to you “Y/n, do you like me?” He then asked you. This guy was a moron, but he was your moron. You ignored how fast your heart was beating at the moment and quickly cupped Jason’s face with your hands and crashed your lips against his.

He was the dumbfounded one now, he just stood there, not even kissing back. You pulled away a few seconds later “Does this answer your question?” You replied playfully. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer. He answered you with a smile plastered on his face “It does” And then he kissed you again, and you smiled in the kiss. Yep, you definitely liked this guy.

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a/n: hope this met your expectations! 🧡 (Btw I’m gonna reopen requests soon)

#Jason Grace #Jason Grace x reader #X reader #hoo #pjo #toa #percy Jackson #The lost hero #pjo x reader #percy Jackson x reader #heros of Olympus #camp Jupiter #Annabeth Chase x reader #piper McLean x reader #Leo Valdez x reader #Frank Zhang x reader #Hazel Levisque

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curi0us-gh0st · 5 months

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Seasons (Bada Lee)

pairings: Bada Lee x Fem!Reader

word count: 1.887

genre: fluffy, angst

summary: You think there are no feelings in your relationship with Bada, because you are distant, but you are completely mistaken.

warnings: nothing too big, insecure reader, distancing yourself, crying, I think that’s all? [no review]

a/n: Yes, I just wrote this and god, I've had this in my head for a long time, ignore the mistakes and if it's too confusing.

Your relationship was something you loved, especially because of the person you were with. The beginning was so magical and the chemistry you had made your heart swell with love and your mind thought it was in a book you read.

The romance with Bada began when you accompanied your friend to a practice class to test out new hobbies, and well, you couldn't help but notice the tall and sexy choreographer everyone was talking about before, during, and after the class.

The class itself was energetic and caused a lot of excitement for you and your friend. You continued going to dance classes but in the end, your friend gave up to pay attention to something else and you focused on something that was finally good, dancing.

You weren't the best or the worst, but you had a lot of fun practicing the choreographies and steps that you saw and were assigned during practices.

Until the day he was changing classes, in his rush to get to the next class, he ended up bumping into someone, his hands on the person's abdomen, on the person's waist for support, his eyes opening and looking at the familiar shirt, his eyes going up and meeting the playful gaze of her dance teacher.

“I think you can let me go now.” She giggled, removing the hand that held her from her shoulder, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, walking away quickly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” You bowed in embarrassment.

"All good." She ruffled her hair a little. “You must be late for something, so go carefully and don’t fall there.” Bada joked and left.

Since that day, when she saw you, she joked about the incident that occurred, resulting in you being as red as a tomato and a giggling Bada.

At the end of one of the classes with Bada, it was just you and her left to tidy the room, a pleasant silence until she brought up the subject, playing with you again and praising your red cheeks, after stopping laughing, she sighed and looked at you, your eyes met, a mixture of joy and confusion, until you asked what she was looking at and she asked if you would like to go out with her, of course her red cheeks became visible.

Bada Lee, your dance teacher who everyone wanted and praised your performances asking you out? Of course he caused a short circuit in his brain, accepting the invitation in a friendly way.

The meeting evolved into several other meetings, visiting and getting to know cafes, going to cinemas, the beach, festivals, dance events and many others. One of these meetings took them to the Han River, on an October night, the cold wind that blew leaving their lips, noses and ears red, their bodies warmed by the laughter and conversations they shared, their eyes meeting at different times and shining. one to another, even the atmosphere thickens to the point where their lips touch, a passionate and slow kiss, transmitting unspoken and hidden feelings.

The moment they pulled away, they looked at each other, shy and nervous now, thinking about what would happen now.

“Well… I, uh… I think I have more than friendly feelings for you, Y/N.” Bada confessed, looking shyly at her own feet. “I would like to test how far this can take me, actually us.”

She finally looked you in the eyes, their hearts beating in sync, a smile appeared on her face, honored by the confession, causing Bada anxiety for her response.

“I would also like to test how far these feelings can take us, Bada Lee.” You smiled, before the choreographer's arms pulled you into a tight hug and a kiss that made your stomach bubble.

These feelings took you to distant places, the relationship brought you to the present, your relationship with Bada had lasted more than four years, always together and supporting each other, comforting and encouraging in your times of need. Bada and you grew up as dancers, doing duets together and small appearances in some groups' music videos, Bada became famous over the course of her talent and her beauty, especially among girls, which you don't mind so much, since In the end, it was you she would sleep cuddling with after a long day. And you focused on your career as a teacher, teaching at the academy as Bada.

This was shown when Bada accepted the invitation to be a street woman fighter, to show the world her skills with the BEBE team. Bada even asked if you would like to participate with them, so you denied, you didn't like so much attention and you certainly didn't want to appear on television out of embarrassment.

From the first episode, in fact, since she received and started preparing for the program, you encouraged her to do her best, praising her effort and congratulating her because she deserved it in addition to all the stress she suffered along the way.

You watched each episode, rooting for the team and even feeling a little jealous with the battles and interactions you had and had with your girlfriend. Every time she arrived at the shared apartment, you greeted her with compliments and your playful opinions about what happened episodes always make her laugh.

But since then, it started to slow down, Bada's free time decreased, her focus on the program's missions increased, making her always arrive home late at night, spending a little bit of her free time with her team or surrounded by friends. new fans that she obtained during the episodes for her dances and her masculine and feminine aura that she had.

And your insecurity awakened, the number of Bada's followers increased, every day more people found her, complimented her and flirted with her, the thought of you disappearing and her not noticing caused nightmares and a fear grew in you, your thoughts were consuming , making you insecure and unhappy because you seemed so distant from your girlfriend, you were falling apart and no one was noticing.

Perhaps such thoughts were too trivial because it was you she would hug after a tiring day, even if you had fallen asleep, she would smell your shampoo and kiss your cheek before leaving for another day.

Little did you know that Bada was in bad shape too, she knew that you valued her privacy and her success during the program made her afraid of people invading her personal space and messing up her relationship. That's why she thought that by moving away from you, you wouldn't feel suffocated by the crowd that was behind her, she was always thinking about you, all the missions she couldn't tell you and made her cry, she wanted to run from the room practice and run to you, hug you and cry until everything is okay, because your hug was her safe haven, it always was.

When Bada heard from you that you were going to travel, fear settled in her, she thought she couldn't be without you, just as you thought you couldn't be without her, but it would leave her freer to practice and focus on the program.

The short time spent with her parents, Bada made sure she would receive notes accompanied by daisies, her favorite flower, until you returned home to her.

When you arrived at her apartment, it was almost half past midnight, nervousness taking over you, you had the plan to talk to Bada and review her feelings, if they were there.

Upon entering the room, you were greeted with Bada's tight hug involving you, saying that she missed you and that she missed you, there were only a few days left until the end of the program, she was so nervous lately that she was barely sleeping and when she heard you coming in she ran to see you.

After the long hug, you were nervous about saying something and Bada took the initiative, asking how your visit to your parents was and you responded by saying how the past few days had been. Silence took over soon after and it was you who started this time .

“Bada… I think we need to talk.” You said, looking at her sitting with her legs crossed as you shared the same couch.

"Of course dear." She adjusted herself to look at you better, she was nervous. “Is there something bothering you? Anything I can help with?”

The nickname she used reminded you of the moments together, the beginning and everything before all this snowball suffocated you.

“Do you… Do you still have feelings for me?”

The question made Bada confused, of course she was, but the confusion came because of the lack of confidence you appeared with the question.

“Why this question? Of course I do, I love you. What made you think not?” She grabbed his shaking hands.

“We seem so far away... I love you, but I feel like I don't have you anymore... I don't know, I'm feeling so confused. There are so many people complimenting you and flirting with you, of course forever, but this has intensified and I... I'm so insecure that you don't like me anymore.” The confession made Bada squeeze his hands to comfort him.

“Ah princess…” She pulled him into a hug. “Forgive me for that, I thought you would like privacy so I stayed away for the sake of the program. I didn't want to make you insecure or uncomfortable through any of these things, I thought I was keeping you safe but I think I ended up moving away from you, I'm sorry.” Bada spoke during the hug.

“I didn't want this to happen... I was praying for you, that you could be by my side, but I got caught up in it all.” She continued, pulling back to look at you.

Her eyes were teary, bright with unshed tears, realizing that she was so bad seeing only the negative side that she didn't realize Bada's intention to protect her.

“Sorry, now I feel so selfish for not seeing your point.” The tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Oh, darling. Don’t cry, don’t blame yourself for it.” Bada tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “I love you so much, I would give my life for you, you are my safe haven, my season, I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.” She whispered to you, tears threatening to fall more.

"I love you so much much much." You said as you wrapped your arms around her neck to hug her. “You are my everything, Bada. You are my favorite person and the one I love most, I’m sorry.” You asked through tears.

Bada held your face with her hands, kissing your face while whispering statements and compliments to you, after an intense session of kisses and hugs, she helped you take a shower and made you wear comfortable clothes to sleep, hugging you under the blanket, kissing your cheeks and lips, holding you close to her, as if she would lose you if she let go.

"I love you my love." She whispered, kissing his nose.

“I love you too, Bada.” You hugged her tightly, hiding in her neck, smelling her, this woman was yours, just like you were hers.

a/n: in my head, this woman is in love and doesn't know what to do lol

#👻 gh0st fic !#fluffy #angst #swf 2 #swf2 x reader #bada lee #bada lee x reader #bada x reader #Spotify

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lottesreads · 6 months

Text

Why Me? - Part 6

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse, bruises, (someone gets punched), details of panic attacks, swearing, one "daddy" joke, pining, big Rooster warning here, mommy issues, mentions of death, insecurities

Word Count: 5860

Summary: Going over flight maneuvers for the day doesn't go as everyone planned. Somethings from your past get revealed, and you grow a little closer to Bob.

A/N: PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS, this one is a little heavier and angstier, so I apologize for that. Things will get better though! Also, sorry for taking so long, I started a new job and had to take two tests so yay for me.

Masterlist

After what you are now calling the most awkward lunch ever, the day goes by… fine. The squad spends the remaining hours listening to feedback from your father, which surprisingly doesn’t ruffle anyone’s feathers too much. You pin it on the fact that it’s a Friday and everyone just wants to get out as soon as they can. You, of course, want to get out of there as well to spend time with Bob, and finally meet Sylvia. From all the pictures you’ve seen and how Bob describes her, she seems like the perfect dog.

But you’re also thinking about what Phoenix propositioned Bob with as well. It had sent you spiraling. All you can think about as Mav drones on about Payback and Fanboy’s practically perfect barrel roll, is how Bob is being set up with this woman. A woman, might you add, that he has never met or heard of before this day. You can’t help but stare straight in front of you, right at the back of Bob’s head. You’re able to see the tiniest bit of his profile, the wire frames peaking out atop his cheek. You’d like to believe you aren’t jealous. But history proves this wrong time and time again. This woman is just another thing you can add to the ever-growing list.

Bob turns his head ever so slightly, catching a glimpse of you staring out of his peripheral vision. You immediately look down at your papers, attempting to act as if you’re in deep thought about what Payback and Fanboy could have done better. Your eyes stay still on the paper as your brain moves a million miles a minute. God, Bob. Why did he have to be such an amazing person? You would have been able to move on if you had gotten to know him and realized he had a crappy personality, but unfortunately that is not the case. Now you’re stuck feeling jealous over some random woman who has no idea the implications of her attending Phoenix’s party next weekend. You chance a glance back up to Bob’s face and find that he’s already turned back to look at you.

“Mantis”, he whispers as he motions his head to the front of the room, right where your dad is staring you down.

“Sir”, you say, straightening up in your own seat. He raises his brow in a warning, as you shift your attention to the screen, seeing now that your own flights are up for critique.

“Thank you. Now that I have your attention, I have to say I am seeing noticeable room for improvement.” He turns back from the screen, pointing to where you took too sharp of a turn, or where you needed to slow down. You write down everything he says, even as the tips of your ears begin to burn in embarrassment. He is your captain, you know this. Everyone else knows this, but they also know what it feels like to get scolded by a dad. And you can’t help but see the similarities at this moment. He finally finishes after what feels like an eternity as he looks back at you, “Any questions?”

“No sir”, you respond bluntly. He was being nitpicky, for once in his life, and you weren’t sure what caused it at this moment. But you’re still a little confused at what you thought was a perfect run.

“Alright Rooster, you’re up.” You glance over to Rooster’s hard stare as he brings his gaze to the front of the room. You cannot wait to see your dad rip him a new one. It’s what he deserves, and honestly you could fly circles around this guy. “I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed with your work today.” Wait, what? Rooster’s face softens into a slight grin as your brow furrows in his direction. Folding your arms across your chest you sink back into your chair, watching as your dad gives Rooster a glowing review. An undeserved one in your opinion. And then Mav decides to tell you one of the worst ideas he’s ever had.

“Single-seaters, I’m gonna put you in groups and you’re going to go over the notes I gave you to hopefully help you execute these maneuvers better. Two-seaters, you’re going to do the same, but with your pilots and your WSO’s.” At this point, you’re just hoping you’re with Coyote or Fritz, hell, even Hangman. Mav looks down at his podium, going over the list before announcing them, “Fritz and Coyote, you’re a pair. And then we’ll have Rooster, Hangman, and Mantis as a group.”

“Jesus Christ”, you mumble under your breath. Was he trying to kill you? As the rest of the pairs move around to find places to talk, you very lazily turn your head in Rooster’s direction as he does the same to you. Hangman is standing in the aisle, looking back and forth at the both of you, very confused as to the standoff happening before him. You really don’t want to get up and walk over to Rooster. It may seem stupid, and childish, but you are not going to let him think you’re just going to waltz back over to him. Hangman breathes out a laugh, shaking his head at the two of you, ultimately taking the seat next to you. It makes you smile inside watching Rooster roll his eyes as he pulls up a spare chair.

“If any of you need me, I will be in a meeting with Cyclone and Warlock, so please direct any concerns to Hondo”, Mav announces as he points to Hondo giving a small wave in the back of the room.

“Well”, Hangman starts, “Since daddy-dearest gave Rooster a perfect score, I guess that just leaves you and me, Mantis.”

“No surprise there”, you mutter as you start looking through your notes. Rooster scoffs from the other side of Hangman, prompting you to look up at him. “What?”

“Nothing, just didn’t realize you’d be so bitter about someone on your team doing well. But then again I shouldn’t be surprised.” Adding a smile onto the end of his sentence he goes back to sorting through his notes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just think that when you have to rely on each other, you should be happy when someone does well. Especially when it’s our lives at stake here.”

“Well, I think giving someone confidence in their lack-luster abilities is dangerous, to everyone.” You say, folding your arms.

“And I completely agree”, Rooster nods, “that’s why Mav was honest with you. If he inflated that false confidence anymore than it already is, your head might have exploded.” Hangman raises his brows at the exchange before him. Why your dad thought it was a good idea to pair the three of you together, he’ll never know.

“Do you guys wanna get back to-”

“Oh, I have false confidence?”

“Or not”, Hangman finishes his sentence after being interrupted. Interrupted, not heard. It doesn’t really matter at this point while he tries to fade into his seat, waiting for this argument to be over and done with.

“He’s literally just blowing smoke up your ass, so you’ll ‘believe in yourself’”, you add in air-quotes, “or whatever bullshit he made up. Or maybe he just wants to get on your good side to make up for lost time.” You’re vaguely aware of your own voice raising as everyone else’s conversations start dwindling and they turn to your group.

“Are you still on that? I thought we were past it already.” He responds, visibly agitated by your persistence.

“No, Rooster, you two got past that. I haven’t heard a goddamn word from you on the matter, or an apology. So no, I’m not past that.”

“Oh do you really wanna start this here?” Rooster asks, daring you.

“Oh I really do.” You respond just as sure. “So whenever you’re ready to apologize you know where to find me.”

“Everything alright over here?” Hondo has since made his way over to your group as he stands to your right. You obviously hadn’t noticed being too caught up in whatever this is.

“You think you deserve an apology?” Rooster’s voice raises, caught off guard.

“Yes! Why wouldn’t I? You just left, and even though I was twelve I still tried to get in contact with you for six years after the fact.”

“And you think I should be sorry for that? For the fact that I didn’t answer the phone when you tried to rub it in my face that he just let you go to the Academy?”

“You think after you he just let me go?!”

“Of course I do! That’s the only reason you’re sitting in this room with the rest of us!” Rooster stands right as you do, now physically looking down on you between the barrier that Hangman creates. He’s pushing on Rooster’s chest, while a hand comes to rest on your shoulder.

“Is that what you’re angry about? You’re jealous of me?” You ask incredulously, still not lowering your volume.

“Why the FUCK would I be jealous of you?”

“Rooster” Phoenix warns him. He continues anyway.

“Jealous of the fact that your Navy connections bought you into the TopGun program in the first place, into the Academy? Huh?!” You almost flinch as he gets closer to your face, but you hold steady, chest heaving in anger still, but not backing down. “Or is it the fact that you think I’m jealous of your family, cause that sure as hell isn’t-”

“That is ENOUGH.” Hondo announces. “You are supposed to be professionals, how many of these meetings are going to end in fights?!” Your stony gaze falls from Rooster to the hand on your shoulder. You recognize the long fingers as Bob’s, he squeezes your shoulder lightly as if asking if you’re ok. You’re not, but the fact that he’s here and has your back has you taking a deep breath in, deeper than any you’ve been able to take since Rooster opened his big mouth.

“Ya know”, Hangman starts, “back in the olden Navy days they would have handed you boxing gloves and let you fight it out from there.” His attempt to relieve the tension falls flat as the rest of the team gauges if the two of you are actually done fighting.

“Yeah well”, Rooster responds, “From what I remember Mantis does a better job taking a punch than throwing one. Just ask her mom.” And just like that your breaths grow shallow again as your stomach drops. An audible breath leaves your mouth as everyone’s eyes fall from Rooster to you, and as much as you try to remain stoic, your bottom lip begins to wobble as your mouth falls open slightly. There’s an immediate sense of remorse in Rooster’s eyes as he realizes what he just said. But much like everything else he’s done, it’s too late. The damage has already been done.

“ROOSTER”, Phoenix scolds him. You don’t even stay to hear the rest of it, turning on your heel you leave the room, not being able to stand the looks of pity from your teammates. Once in the hallway you make your way to the women’s locker room. Each footstep seems louder than the next. The closer you get, the heavier the tears start to form on your lash line, only falling once you slam the door open and swing the curtain closed in a shower stall. Sliding down the wall of the cubicle, you hug your knees to your chest, attempting to silence the cries that are only coming naturally with the tears. It’s getting harder to breathe, even as you attempt to take large breaths.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Phoenix yells as she pushes Rooster. No one dares to stop her as she continues to berate him. Bob is absolutely stunned at the information Rooster just dropped, but is shaken out of his thoughts as he looks at the door you just fled through. By the way you rushed out of here, he thinks you’d like to be alone, but on the off chance you need someone, he slips out of the room to go find you. He passes the men’s locker room and heads to the women’s hoping that’s where you escaped. Knocking on the door, he slowly opens it.

“Hello? Is anybody in here?” He doesn’t receive an answer, but he can hear someone crying who he can only assume is you. “Mantis, are you ok?” Still no answer. “Mantis, I’m coming in” With his eyes glued to the floor he follows the sounds of your sniffling and sobs until he reaches you. “Hey, I’m opening the curtain, ok?” He slowly slides back the curtain to find you in the corner of the stall, face tucked between your knees as you attempt to take in ragged breaths. He’s immediately on his knees in front of you and his heart breaks at the sight. He thinks you know he’s there, but he can’t be sure. It’s obvious you’re in the middle of a panic attack and he doesn’t want to scare you, so he gently rests a hand on your knee.

“Mantis, can you hear me?” You raise your head at his voice, revealing a very red and splotchy face as tears continue to fall out of your eyes. Your breathing is still very ragged as you grip his hand on your knee as if he would float away if you let go. He would never dream of doing such a thing, but he grips your hand right back.

“It’s ok, I just need you to breathe for me, alright?” You nod your head at his words as he demonstrates taking deep breaths in, holding, then letting them out. You’re attempting to follow them as your head continues to swim, taking note of this he moves your hand from your knee to over his heart, pressing it against his chest. “I’m right here”, he tells you as you continue to follow his breathing. The soothing nature of his heartbeat helps to bring you back down to earth. And little by little you start to feel the rest of your body come to its senses. It starts with your fingertips, feeling the pressure of Bob’s rough hand pressing it against his steadily beating chest, as the feeling crawls up your arms and legs. The tears begin to subside and all that’s left is the dried tracks they left as they swam down your cheeks.

Bob remains in front of you the entire time, even as you realize just how close the two of you are, he doesn’t falter. You’re now acutely aware that your hand is still sandwiched between his hand and chest, your fingers instinctively wiggle against his as you finger the material of his flight suit.

“Are you gonna be alright if I leave you here for a sec?” You nod, not daring to make eye contact. “Ok, I’ll be right back.” He places your hand back against your knee as you stare at the spot he once occupied, your head beginning to ache. There are still so many emotions going on, but your body is starting to feel the after effects.

Bob’s quite literally back in under a minute as he assumes his previous position, only now holding a bottle of water. He opens it for you as you graciously accept it, taking a couple small sips to start out with. You manage a small “Thank you” as you hand the bottle back to Bob. Embarrassment begins to overtake your system as you curl back in on yourself.

“Are you feeling any better?” You nod your head slightly, still avoiding his gaze.

“Yeah, thank you.”

“Any time”, and though other people would pass it off as a way of Bob trying to say you’re welcome, you know he genuinely would help you any time you needed him. You’re still not sure what to say, so you don’t say anything. Bob moves to sit next to you against the wall, not breaking the silence.

“You don’t have to stay here with me”, you manage to croak out.

“I know.” He says so sure. “I just need to make sure you’re gonna be ok.” You let a deep sigh out through your mouth as you lean your head back against the tile wall. At this moment you’re just feeling drained. That’s what panic attacks usually do. You were just so mad at him, and then he shared one of your deepest, darkest secrets in front of all of your coworkers. You had maybe thought you’d be able to patch up your relationship with him if he owned up to his mistakes, but now? You don’t think you’ll ever be able to get past this. If your dad wants to spend so much time with Rooster, let him. You don’t want to see his face ever again, which you know is a big ask, knowing that you have to work together. Maybe you should just put in a transfer, it’s not like you see your dad a lot outside of work anyway. You’d miss most of these people more than they’d miss you.

Your thoughts are interrupted by Bob gingerly grabbing your wrist and facing your palm upwards, and reaching into his pocket he retrieves something, laying it down in your hand. He lets it go and you miss his touch as he rests his hands on his knees. Looking down at your palm, you realize that he’s left a single penny behind.

“What’s this?”

“A penny”

“I can see that”, you smile slightly, “what’s it doing in my hand?”

“This may shock you, but when I was younger, I wasn’t much of a talker. Sometimes it was like pullin’ teeth to get me to talk-”

“I know the feeling”

“Yes, well, my Grandpa noticed how it didn’t come easy to me. So sometimes when he noticed I had a lot going on he would hand me a penny, and without having to ask, I would just start talkin’”

“A literal penny for your thoughts” you realize outloud. You grasp the penny, staring as you hold it between your fingers.

“It doesn’t mean you have to say anything”, Bob rushes out, “Just- if you want, you’re free to share your thoughts with me. No judgment” This is quite possibly one of the sweetest things anyone has ever shared with you, and staring at the penny you know you’re safe with Bob. Safe to share your feelings, safe from… anything really.

“I really want to tell Rooster to go fuck himself.” Bob gives you a small chuckle.

“Well, I think Phoenix may be doing that as we speak.” Good, you think to yourself. You shift the coin between your fingers and thumb before deciding to speak again.

“I was so sad, for so many years. And now I’m just starting to feel angry. Every time I see his face, I just can’t stop myself from laying into him.” It’s quiet for a moment as Bob waits to let you continue. “I don’t think I’m asking for too much, or that I went too far. And he just- God, he just laid it all out there for everyone.” Bob notices your fist beginning to clench and he slowly reaches over to grasp your hand in his.

“I’m sorry. And if it means anything, I don’t think you’re asking for too much.” You hadn’t even realized you started crying again until Bob’s thumb was swiping a stray tear away. Your breath catches in your throat and his hand moves away quickly, as if touching your face had hurt him. He clears his throat. “Were you going to wait for your dad, or did you want me to take you home?”

“Home? I thought I was supposed to meet Sylvia today?”

“Oh, yeah”, Bob chokes back, surprise coating his features, “We can go to… my place then?”

“If that’s alright with you?”

“Of course it is”, Bob says almost too quickly. “I mean”, he coughs, “Sylvia, she would love to meet ya”. And then he gives you a smile. You know the one, it’s closed mouth but it causes his cheeks to scrunch up beneath his eyes, taking over half his face. It’s almost enough to make you forget about this whole day.

He stands, offering you his hands to help you off the ground. He doesn’t leave you immediately at first, he just stands in front of you as if assessing the situation. Weighing his options. Glancing down at his watch, he looks at the door, “I think everyone should have gone home for the day. But if you want, you can wait in here while I grab my stuff?” You nod, taken aback at his thoughtfulness once again.

He leaves for a short bit while you grab your own bag from your locker. He knocks on the door once again, signaling his return as you make your way through the halls. The setting sun illuminates the parking lot and glares at you through the glass doors. Bob opens the door allowing you to go first as you spot his truck and make your way to it. The ache in your head is starting to come back and you can’t wait to take your hair out of the tight bun it’s in now.

“Mantis!”, you turn around as someone calls your name and immediate regret fills your system. You roll your eyes at the sight of Rooster walking toward you as you turn to keep walking, Bob right behind you.

“Mantis!”, he yells again as if you didn’t hear him the first time. “Come on Bug!” You stop in your tracks, rage once again emanating from your pores. Turning on your heel, you drop your bag onto the asphalt. This catches Rooster by surprise as he stops right before you.

“Do NOT call me that”, you grit through a clenched jaw as you point your finger at him. You can’t help the way your arm shakes in anger.

“Sorry”, he lets out dejectedly, placing his hands on his hips. Even if your brow wasn’t furrowed from squinting in the sun you have a feeling you’d still be staring at him with the same expression.

“Oh, so you do know that word”, you scoff. Rooster bites his tongue as he looks down at his feet. “And I’m not in the mood to talk, so save it for someone else who doesn’t want to hear it.” In the distance you’re aware of Bob throwing his bag in the back of his truck as he grabs yours and does the same.

“I just want to-”

“I told you, I’m not in the mood”, you move to turn to Bob’s truck as Rooster reaches out and grabs your wrist.

“Mantis, c’mon-” The grip on your wrist sends your senses into overdrive as anger takes over. As he tugs on your wrist, you turn and collide your free fist into his face. It’s funny really, you weren’t aiming for anything in particular but you land it right on his cheekbone. It was enough force and surprise to knock him backwards

“Jesus Christ!” he shouts, grasping his face in his hand. Tears begin to well up in your eyes for the second time today as you shake out your hand. “What the hell is your problem?” He yells at you.

“Carole would be so disappointed in you”, you rasp out, cradling your hand. You stare Rooster down as he looks up at you in shock, until he can’t stand to anymore and tears his eyes away. Bob’s standing right behind you as you turn and bump into his chest.

“Are you ok?” he asks, lightly resting his hands on your shoulders.

“No”, you whisper, “Let’s just get out of here.” You don’t dare to spare a look back at Rooster, but Bob does as he leads you to his truck. The man is standing at his full height now with his shoulders slumped. The skin just under his eye is already starting to swell as he watches you walk away this time.

The ride back to Bob’s is quiet as you stare out the window. The radio’s humming quietly in the background and he doesn’t dare disrupt the silence, so he takes a glance at your hand. The skin around your knuckles is slightly irritated from the force you punched Rooster with, but other than that it doesn’t look too bad. He knew you were tough, but he never thought he’d see you punch someone in the face. If it had to be someone, he was glad it was Rooster though. That guy had it coming, especially after what he said today. You’re still staring out the window with a look of indifference, and you still had the penny he gave to you earlier, but you hadn’t said anything about what Rooster had revealed. So, he wasn’t going to push it until you were ready or wanted to talk about it.

You’re pulled out of your trance once the truck stops in Bob’s driveway. He grabs both of your bags before you’re able to grab yours, but he stops as he’s about to open the door.

“Just a warning, it’s probably a mess in here, so I apologize.”

“I have a feeling that your definition of a mess is my definition of clean.” He gives you a slight smile as he opens the door.

“Only one way to find out.” Opening the door you find, just as you suspected, an immaculate house. There may be a couple dog toys lying around, but that’s about it. You’re startled a little bit as Bob whistles, “Syl! Come ‘ere girl!” You smile at the accent coming through, and then the thump of something on the second floor running down the stairs. Sylvia comes barreling down the hallway as fast as her claws against the hardwood allow her. Bob is immediately on his knees in front of her, scratching behind her ears and speaking in what you can only describe as baby-talk, “Oh Syl, I’m so sorry. Daddy was gone for such a long time today wasn’t he?” You’re attempting to hold back a laugh, eyebrows shooting up at his use of the word “daddy”.

Sylvia’s tail stops wagging as she notices you standing behind her dad. Bob looks back at you and then at the dog, “Now Sylvia, this is Mantis. Mantis is a very good friend of mine, and I know she has a funny name, but you’re just gonna have to get over that, ok?” You can’t help but chuckle at how talkative he is with her, and even as you stare at her enormous brown eyes you immediately crave her approval. You start to kneel down next to Bob, but before you’re able to get on your knees Sylvia is cowering away and running back upstairs. You huff out in frustration as you stare at her retreating form.

“Hey, it’s alright”, Bob explains, “Like I said, she’s kinda skittish, and it takes a little bit for her to warm up to new people.” You nod in understanding as Bob leads you to his living room. It’s fairly simple, and again very clean. Bob tells you to take a seat as he grabs you a glass of water from the kitchen directly behind the living area.

“So daddy, huh?” The glass just about slips out of Bob’s hand upon hearing your use of the word. He swallows, taking a moment to collect himself.

“Uhm”, he coughs, “Yeah, I don’t know. It just sort of happened.”

“It’s cute”, you smile to yourself. Bob returns with a glass of water and an ice-pack wrapped in a kitchen towel. He awkwardly offers it to you as you accept it.

“For your hand”

“Oh yeah, thanks.” You lift it in appreciation before placing it on your knuckles. Wincing at first at the sensitivity. Bob sits a little farther down on the couch and watches you fiddle with something in your pocket. You tentatively reach for the penny, turning it over before handing it over to Bob. He laughs through his nose, nodding as a smile plays on his face.

“Come on, it’s your turn now.” Bob begins to chew on his bottom lip, avoiding your eyes. “If you want to ask me about it, it’s ok”, you let out more solemnly. He glances over at you, huffing out a sigh.

“How’s your hand?” He decides on, making you laugh.

“Not what I meant, but it’s ok. A little stiff.” You get the sense that he wants to know, but is getting shy with you again. And even though he doesn’t ask, you get an overwhelming urge to tell him. Taking in a shaky breath, you start in the only place you know where to, “Do you know how I got my call-sign?” He shakes his head.

“Although, I do recall you telling Hangman you’d bite his fucking head off” The two of you laugh. Sylvia, just as sneaky as her dad, pops her head up out of nowhere, resting it on Bob’s thigh. His hand instinctively goes to pet her head as you try not to acknowledge her existence, hoping she’ll make her way over to you.

“That’s what I like to tell people. But, no. When I was a kid, I was deathly afraid of insects, still am if I’m being honest. But, there was one incident”, you smile at the memory, “Where I was at the park, and I turned to look behind me and there was a praying mantis, just sitting on my shoulder. I, of course, freaked out and was trying to get it off me, but it wasn’t until Carole- Bradley’s mom, calmed me down where she was able to carefully pick it up and take it off me.” You’re laughing a little at this point, and Bob can’t help but smile at your own.

“She got me to stop crying and explained that it was just a little bug”, you swallow, staring down at your iced hand, “like me.” Bob’s face softens as he remembers Rooster’s words. “That became her nickname for me, and when she died and Bradley left, nobody called me it again until-” You cut yourself off, choked up just talking about Carole, and remembering how Bradley used to be. Before he was Rooster.

“Anyway, I hadn’t had a run-in with a praying mantis until flight school. I was out on a hike with the rest of my class, and what do I see on my shoulder when I turn around? A damn praying mantis. I screamed again, just like the first time, and everyone thought it was hilarious. So, the name Mantis stuck. It just felt like…” you struggle to find the word.

“Fate”, Bob finishes the sentence for you. You look up and find his eyes trained on you. Giving him a slight smile, you nod your head.

“Yeah, exactly.” Your eyes remain on his, and your heart beats a little faster. “So I’m not exactly bug, but that’s ok, because I don’t think anyone but Carole can call me that. Even if Bradley used to-” You look away, only to find Sylvia standing between you and Bob. Having must inched her way closer while you spoke, “I don’t want him to anymore.”

“I think that makes a lot of sense, and I also think Mantis suits you.” You smile and dare to reach your hand out to Sylvia, who simply sniffs the approaching limb. She nudges her nose closer, sniffing your palm as you very gently scratch her ear, much like Bob did earlier. She leans into it, daring to walk closer to you. Taking in a deep breath, you let it out before you lose the courage.

“It wasn’t a regular thing”, Bob’s loving gaze at Sylvia falls as he looks up at you, “Just when she got really angry, or I reminded her too much of my dad I guess.” Your hand stops petting Sylvia as you stare at the glass of water on the coffee table, the condensation dripping down onto the coaster Bob thoughtfully placed underneath it. “Carole and my dad found bruises a couple different times, but I was too embarrassed to tell them how they got there. But she knew. I guess Bradley must have known, too, or he wouldn’t have brought it up today. I think they tried to do something about it, but they wouldn’t grant full custody to my dad because of his work, and… I don’t really know what happened after that.” Sylvia’s head now rests on your thigh, much like it did earlier with Bob. You grant her a small smile, moving your hand once again to give her some attention.

You don’t have to look up to know that Bob’s staring at you. Your nose starts to tingle, alerting you to the fact that tears were starting to form in your eyes. “It got better when she remarried, her focus wasn’t on me as much anymore. She was busy with her husband and his kids.” You scrunch your nose, attempting to rid yourself of the feeling, but it’s no use. The tears start to fall and you hastily wipe them away with your free hand. “Jesus, sorry”, you say as you give him a watery laugh.

“Don’t be sorry”, your tears continue to fall, “None of this is your fault.” Bob’s words hit you deep as you stare at the ceiling, willing these tears to stop, but they just won’t. “Can- Can I hug you?” You look over at Bob and give him a fast nod of your head.

“Yes please”, you whisper. He moves along the couch to get closer to you, and then wraps you up in both his arms as you do the same. Even through both of your flight suits, Bob is warm as you melt into him. Your eyes close as you breathe him in. He smells like sweat and jet fuel from being in a plane all day, and you’re sure you smell the same. It’s comforting nonetheless.

Bob just wants to pick you up and take you far away from here. Away from everyone that dares to make you hurt. He feels you sag against him and he pulls you just the tiniest bit closer as he breathes in the scent of your shampoo. He’s realizing now it’s been a while since he’s hugged someone like this, and maybe it’s the case for you, too. His hand goes to soothe along your back and your eyes flutter shut at the motion. He remembers you saying your mom wasn’t too happy when she found out about the Naval Academy, and he doesn’t want to think about what happened after the fact.

“I’m sorry you have to go through all that”, he whispers just above your ear.

“It’s alright, things are starting to look up”, you sniffle, pulling him just a little bit tighter.

Taglist:

@lemmons1998

@itsmytimetoodream

@theamuz

#bob floyd fanfiction #bob floyd fic #bob floyd x reader #mavdad #robert bob floyd x female reader #top gun fandom #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick

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twenty-orange-balloons · 1 year

Text

Inspired by this post

----

Lan Wangji didn't know where the rumor came from or how A-Yuan had heard about it but he supposed it wouldn't harm anything to give in (It had nothing to do with his son's pleading gaze, honestly it didn't it did).

The house from the rumor, if Lan Wangji is thinking of the right one, was just a few blocks away from the usual path they took home after trick or treating. It wouldn't be that out of the way.

"Alright. We can stop by that house on the way back."

A-Yuan screeched in excitement, "Yay! Jingyi is gonna be so jealous!" He hopped up and down, the bunny ears on his head flapping.

Lan Wangji really hoped this guy was as nice as the rumors made him seem. He'd hate to see his son disappointed.

---

The man was definitely as nice as the rumors said, he was also absolutely stunning.

Lan Wangji didn't speak much on a normal day but as soon as the man, Wei Ying, he'd introduced himself as, opened the door, all words fled Lan Wangji's brain except four–

'Oh no, he's hot.'

It got even worse (better) when A-Yuan eagerly wished the man a happy birthday and gave him a bunny drawing he made, gaining a bright, beautiful smile.

(A-Yuan informed him it would be rude to wish the man a happy birthday yet not get him anything. Lan Wangji wasn't gonna spend money on a stranger. They compromised on a drawing.)

"Aw, thank you! I will put this on my fridge! Front and center!" Wei Ying beamed, gently setting the drawing down on a small table by the door, "As a thank you, why don't you take a toy as well as some candy? If your dad doesn't mind, that is." Wei Ying glanced at him with a questioning look.

A-Yuan turned wide eyes up at him, expression pleading, "Please, please, please?"

How could he possibly say no when both A-Yuan and Wei Ying were looking at him like that?

"Mn."

A-Yuan jumped up and down with excitement, turning to Wei Ying with a happy grin.

"Okay, little bunny! Pick whichever you like." Wei Ying said as he grabbed a small bucket hiding by the door, it had a bunch of colorful little toys in it. Varying from, what Lan Wangji can identify, bubble blowers, tiny skateboards, small stuffed animals, bouncy balls, and a lot more. It definitely wasn't a small amount. He wondered how much Wei Ying spends on Halloween every year, considering he also had a big variety of candy on offer as well.

A-Yuan took a long moment, seriously debating which toy he wanted, eyes flickering back and forth between items before they apparently landed on the one he wanted.

A small stuffed butterfly.

"A great choice!" Wei Ying praised, his beautiful smile once more appearing. Lan Wangji would be lucky to leave this house with his heart intact. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to.

A-Yuan grinned right back, face flushed with happiness.

Wei Ying noticed his continued staring and looked at him with a, was that flirty?, wink.

"Now, Lan-gege was it? Thank you for bringing this cute little rabbit to my door. It was a wonderful birthday present!" Wei Ying ruffled A-Yuan's hair, right in front of the hood with bunny ears he wore, "Don't tell the others kids but—" he leaned down to stage whisper, "You're costume is my favorite of the night."

A-Yuan lights up like a lightbulb, clutching onto his new butterfly shyly. Lan Wangji felt a spark of pride at the words, they spent a long time debating which costume to get. The adorable bunny costume won by a wide margin.

"Really?"

"Definitely! It reminds me of my own little bunnies." He admits brightly.

"You have bunnies!?" A-Yuan all but screeched, immediately shooting his father a sheepishly look of apology afterwards.

"I do." Wei Ying shifted the bowl in his hands, letting it rest against one hip, "Two of them. They came as a pair, I couldn't separate them even if I wanted to." He laughed, a tingle of something Lan Wangji would rather not identify, but it felt warm and sharp, shot through him at the sound.

"Woah. Can I see them?"

Wei Ying glanced at Lan Wangji, then behind him, Lan Wangji didn't have to look to know there were more kids coming up the drive. He could hear their shouting and laughter getting closer, parents calling after them to be careful, they unfortunately needed to get going.

"Maybe another time, if Wei Ying is okay with that." Lan Wangji offered before he knew it.

Wei Ying was more than okay with that. As soon as the words left Lan Wangji's mouth, Wei Ying was already nodding, "Yes! I would love that! Uhm–" he looked once more at the approaching children, "Why don't you come over tomorrow afternoon? I work from home, so it won't be a problem." He said with a soft laugh, "And you already know where I live!"

Lan Wangji was supposed to have a meeting in the afternoon. He barely had to think before he replied.

"Of course. We will be here around 12."

A-Yuan nodded as well, happily taking his dad's hand as he made way for the other kids.

"And Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji said as Wei Ying started to turn towards the children crowding his doorway, "Happy birthday." he added, earning himself a truly breathtaking smile before gently tugging A-Yuan back down the driveway.

Maybe some rumors are worth listening to after all, he thought as he made a mental note to reschedule his meeting tomorrow, this one definitely was.

#cell rambles #mdzs #cql #wangxian #cell writes #based off a post

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murmeloni · 3 months

Text

This is for the DCU Valentine's Day 2024!

Big thanks to @wait-whos-batman for organizing it!

Clark receives a card from a secret admirer on Valentine's Day. There's no signature and no way to see who it's from. It just says to come to the football game that afternoon. Clark is flattered, Bruce is concerned. But really… What could possibly go wrong?

“I'll have the story done by tomorrow, Perry, cross my heart”, said Clark, sandwiching his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he fumbled for his keys, simultaneously trying to shift his grocery bags into one hand without dropping them.

Clark's only answer was an aggravated sigh and a curt “You better”, before the line went dead.

“Good work, Kent. Make sure you get a little rest, Kent. Have a nice evening, Kent”, grumbled Clark sarcastically as he finally got the door open. Thankfully without dropping his shopping.

“Meow.”

Startled, Clark looked at the fluffy white and brown birman cat belonging to his downstairs neighbor Mrs. Hall. Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he bent down and scratched the cat's head. “At least you're happy to see me, Lady Pawlington. And happy Valentine's Day to you too.”

The cat pressed her fluffy head against Clark's fingers for a moment, meowing again, before slinking forward to inspect the grocery bags. Laughing, Clark straightened up and lifted the plastic bags out of the cat's reach. “Unfortunately, none of the stuff in there is meant for cats. If a certain friend of mine is to be believed they're not even for humans but I know you can keep a secret.”

Still smiling to himself, Clark moved up the stairs, mind now occupied with thoughts of Bruce as it so often was. Bruce would have a lot to say about Clark's shopping, that was for sure. He was almost tempted to let slip what he'd bought at the Justice League meeting tomorrow, just to hear the lecture again, but he thought that was maybe a bit too pathetic, even for him. Although… It was Valentine's Day and Clark was spending it alone with chocolates he'd bought for himself - again - so he felt he was allowed to make himself feel better any way he could.

As he stood in front of his door, once again fumbling with his keys, he suddenly became aware of the heartbeat coming from inside his apartment. A very familiar heartbeat. Clark's stomach fluttered and maybe he moved a little faster than a normal human could to shove his key into the lock. The door clicked open and a bump sounded from his kitchen, as if something had been knocked over.

Clark quickly closed the door again before he used a burst of speed to join Bruce, who was standing beside the kitchen table. He didn’t even look up when Clark came to a halt next to him, the displaced air ruffling his artfully styled hair. Clark wanted to run his hands through it, but he hastily squashed the urge before he could do something stupid.

“Hey, B. What are you doing here?” Not that Clark cared. He was always happy to see Bruce. But he was also worried that there might be something wrong. It wasn't often that Bruce dropped by his apartment, never mind in the middle of the day and without announcing himself… Clark bit his lip. “Is there something wrong?”

For an endless second Bruce didn't react, just stared down at Clark's kitchen table, his fingers fiddling with a pink envelope. “No, nothing's wrong.” He cleared his throat. ”I was just in the area and wanted to see if you'd like to be Bruce Wayne's interviewer for the night.” A small smile curved his perfect lips and a part of Clark was going feral at the sight of it. So much so that he almost didn't understand Bruce's next words. ”But I guess you already have plans…”

Bruce's smile disappeared as he tapped the pink envelope on the table and finally Clark's brain switched online again. He stepped closer, frowning a little as he studied the envelope.

“Why would I have plans?”, he asked and paused. “Is that a Valentine's Day card?”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, perfectly conveying his judgment. “What gave it away? The pale pink paper? Or the fact that it is covered in gaudy hearts and glitter?”

Clark ignored the snarky tone and carefully picked the thick envelope up. It was heavier than it looked and upon closer inspection it seemed homemade. Warmth flooded his chest, despite not knowing who this card was from. He'd hoped, for maybe a tenth of a second, that it might be from Bruce but the snark pretty much nipped that delusion in the bud. The disappointment of which Clark was studiously ignoring right now, thank you very much.

“I've never gotten a Valentine's Day card before.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Never? I find that hard to believe.”

Clark shook his head. “I was the opposite of popular in school and college.”

Crossing his arms, Bruce leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. “But you've been in relationships before.”

Clark shrugged helplessly, still not taking his eyes from the envelope. “Most of them weren't serious enough and the one that was… Well, Lois doesn't believe in Valentine's Day.”

“Hn”, made Bruce and that was apparently it for this topic because he began to busy himself with making coffee. He pulled out sugar, milk and two mugs, choosing Clark's favorite Batman mug, which was odd because he complained about the thing every chance he got. Only once the machine was happily gurgling along and there was nothing left to prepare did he turn around again to impatiently wave his hand at Clark. “Open it already.”

If Clark hadn't been so preoccupied with his very first Valentine's card ever he'd have started to wonder at Bruce's odd behavior. As it was, he swallowed thickly and gently wiggled his finger underneath the flap of the envelope, carefully prying it open without damaging it, which made Bruce huff in annoyance.

Despite the slightly gaudy envelope, as Bruce had so rudely put it, the card was really sweet. It was made from rustic looking carton and on its front were two hot air balloons, their domes made of flimsy pink paper, folded to look like hearts. A ladder was reaching from one balloon's wicker basket to the other. Opening the card, the first thing Clark saw was the ticket to the Metropolis Giants vs. Gotham Rogues football match this evening. A VIP ticket. Clark felt his mouth drop open in shock. That must've cost a fortune!

And then he noticed the poem. Written in a beautiful, looping script, it took up most of the space on the card. Heart beating a little faster, Clark ran a shaky finger along the lines as he read:

There is a silk ladder unrolled across the ivy

There is

That leaning over the precipice

Of the hopeless fusion of your presence and absence

I have found the secret

Of loving you

Always for the first time

"Always For The First Time" by André Breton

Meet me at the game tonight.

Love,

Your secret admirer

The sound of a mug being practically slammed onto the table in front of him startled Clark out of his reverie. Looking up, he found Bruce studying him with a carefully blank expression, knuckles white as he gripped his own mug a little too tight.

“Who is it from?”

Clark felt his heart clench in disappointment and realized he'd still held out hope the card might be from Bruce. He didn’t quite understand Bruce's annoyance but he chalked it up to him being like Lois in this regard. After all, why else would he be in Clark's apartment, looking to arrange an interview instead of going out on a date? He probably thought Valentine's Day was a capitalistic hoax or something unromantic like that.

Wordlessly, Clark handed over the card and while B analyzed it like it was a piece of evidence in one of his cases, Clark picked up his coffee. He realized before he'd even taken the first sip that Bruce had made it just the way he liked it: with a lot of milk and way too much sugar. For some reason that made him feel even worse.

“So what's the verdict?”, he joked weakly after the silence began to stretch, but Bruce ignored the comment. Instead, he fixed Clark with that intense, icy blue stare of his that never failed to make Clark feel weak in the knees.

“You're not seriously considering this.”

Frowning, Clark lowered his coffee. “Why not?”

The look Bruce gave him was the one he usually reserved for Hal whenever he suggested something ridiculous, like figure skating, under the guise of team building exercises.

“Clark… This envelope was already here when I let myself in. You're not currently dating anyone and you said yourself you don't know who this might be from. It sounds dangerous. Too dangerous. You're not going.”

Bruce's patronizing tone had Clark's hackles rising. Defensive, he snatched the card back and held it to his chest. “That's not your decision to make, Bruce.”

Truth be told, Clark didn't even know if he wanted to go to the game tonight. Because Bruce was right, it was weird that the envelope just appeared in his kitchen like this. But that didn't have to automatically be a bad thing. Any member of the League could have left the card there. It rankled, the thought that Bruce found him so undesirable that the only reason he'd get a card and a gift on Valentine's was to lure him into some kind of trap. Plus, Clark could be stubborn and petty, too. And right now he was sorely tempted to let that side of himself take the reins.

In the end it was Bruce's scoff and the curt “Don't be ridiculous” that made the decision for Clark. Crossing his arms, he raised his chin and glared at Bruce.

“Are you done? Because I have a date tonight I need to get ready for.”

Bruce's brows drew together, his jaw working. “You can't be serious. Be reasonable.”

But Clark only held Bruce's stare, not budging, until Bruce's eyes hardened. “Fine”, he snapped, whirling around and dumping his coffee in the sink before setting the mug down a bit harder than necessary. “Go. But don't come crying to me if you end up kidnapped!”

It was Clark's turn to scoff, but in his case it was more to cover up the hurt blooming in his chest. Unfortunately, his mouth opened before he could fully swallow back the words. “Because that's the only reason anyone would go out with me, right? Just because the high and mighty Bruce Wayne thinks I'm that unattractive doesn't mean everybody else does.”

Bruce's posture abruptly loosened, as if Clark's response had startled him. “Clark…”, he tried, but humiliation was entering the mix of emotions swirling in Clark's gut, made all the worse by the fact that, despite everything, all he wanted to do right now was cuddle Bruce. Or maybe bend him over the table and gently eat him out until he cried.

“You should go, Bruce.”

For a long moment Bruce hovered, looking like he wanted to say something else, but in the end he just… left. Clark stood in his kitchen and stared after him, stomach roiling. Maybe he really should go on that date. It seemed obvious now that Bruce would never return his feelings and maybe it was time Clark made an effort to move on. Taking a deep breath, he went into the bathroom. The game was starting in two hours and apparently he was going. The least he could do was look nice.

By now Bruce was already walking down the street outside but Clark still heard him when he whispered: “At least text me later to let me know you got home safe, Clark. And for the record? I don't want to be right about this. You deserve to enjoy a nice date.”

Clark swallowed, heart aching as he stared at himself in the mirror. “Maybe Lois is onto something with her dislike of Valentine's Day.”

<3 <3 <3

Bruce decided to walk back to his hotel instead of taking a cab. He needed to clear his head. Snapping at Clark like that… It was unforgivable. But just remembering the awed expression on his face as he’d traced the writing on that card was setting Bruce's teeth on edge. He'd come here to spend the day with Clark, following his heart's foolish impulse instead of doing what he should have done and gone on one of Brucie Wayne's famous ‘outings’. He should have planned something ridiculous to feed the gossip rags for a few weeks. Instead he'd come here and made Clark feel bad for something that was entirely Bruce's problem.

Striding into the hotel lobby, Bruce arranged his face into a lazy smile, despite the unease and jealousy still churning in his gut. He breezed past the reception and made it into his suite without anyone trying to talk to him. He'd barely taken two steps inside before he froze. There was a pink envelope sitting on the coffee table. It looked exactly like the one Clark had gotten and suddenly Bruce had a suspicion what was going on.

Setting his jaw, he stomped over and picked the envelope up, opening it with much less care than Clark had done. Just like he expected, it was the same card and there was a second ticket to the football game this afternoon tucked inside. There was also another poem:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

"How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Meet me at the game tonight.

Love,

Your secret admirer

Bruce felt the sudden urge to bang his head against the nearest wall. The poem was beautiful. It encompassed his feelings for Clark perfectly and made his chest feel tight with emotion. It had also most definitely been picked by Jason. Bruce had heard him gush about it to Waylon multiple times. Which was the reason for the headache suddenly brewing behind Bruce's eyes.

Rubbing at his temples he pulled out his phone and dialed Jason's number. He paced the length of his room as he waited for his son to pick up and when he finally did, Bruce didn't wait for him to say something.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“Hello to you too, B. Nice of you to call”, came Jason's sarcastic reply and Bruce ground his teeth.

“Don't pretend like you don't know what you did. I told you not to interfere!”

Jason scoffed. “It's not like you'll ever get your head out of your ass and do anything yourself! The pining was getting painful to witness. Besides, this wasn't even my idea. The demon brat and I only made the cards. Dickie and Tim were the ones who delivered them.”

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “What are you talking about.”

“Oh come on, B! You're supposed to be the world's greatest detective! Figure it out! I mean, have you even looked at the fucking tickets?”

“Language–”, Bruce started to admonish, brows furrowing unhappily, but Jason had already ended the call. Cursing, Bruce put away his phone and opened the card once again. He looked at the ticket still tucked safely inside and immediately felt his insides freeze in humiliation. That was Alfred's Wayne Enterprises ID at the bottom.

Bruce closed his eyes. It was just like Alfred to enact such a dramatic and intentionally obvious plan to finally get Bruce to do something about his feelings for Clark, despite Bruce telling him repeatedly why that was a horrible idea. The question now was, what was Bruce going to do about this? He couldn't very well go to the game. After their fight earlier Clark would think he was trying to sabotage him. But if Bruce didn't go… That would mean Clark would be stood up. And on his very first Valentine's Day date at that. Bruce remembered the reverent way Clark had looked at the card, how he'd so carefully traced the words of the poem. He debated calling Clark now, telling him what Alfred and the kids had done, but…

But that would mean disappointing - and quite possibly humiliating - him. It would mean the first date Clark had ever had on Valentine's Day would have been nothing more than a poor attempt at meddling from Bruce's family. Just imagining the look on Clark's face made Bruce feel a little sick.

Which meant he had to go to the game and he had to do it right.

He swallowed, heart racing and palms clammy. This could potentially ruin everything. But the thought of disappointing Clark was simply unbearable.

Pulling out his phone once more, Bruce dialed Alfred's number. He got them into this mess so it was only fair he should get them out of it too.

“Master Bruce”, greeted Alfred in a voice that was the perfect blend of polite and smug. “What can I do for you?”

Bruce ground his teeth. “You know perfectly well why I'm calling, Alfred.”

“I believe I do, Sir. Should I make the usual arrangements?” Bruce had to take a deep breath. He could practically hear the self-satisfied smirk in Alfred's voice and it was driving him up the wall.

“It's his first date on Valentine's Day. Ever. He deserves a lot more than the usual”, snapped Bruce, irritated by Alfred's cavalier attitude. This little scheme could spell the end of Bruce's and Clark's friendship. “And just so you know: if this backfires I'm holding you responsible.”

“Very well, Sir. I'll have everything delivered to you within the hour.”

Bruce hung up the phone before he could say anything he might regret and instead began to loosen his tie with a little more force than necessary. He'd have to make this the best first Valentine's Day ever to make up for the argument and his children's schemes and that meant looking his best. He glanced at his watch. One and a half hours left. Bruce went into the bathroom and got ready for his date. Probably the most important date of his life.

<3 <3 <3

Clark was late.

He couldn't help it. He'd been on his way over when he heard a mine cave in in Africa and once he'd saved the workers he'd had to deal with the ‘representatives’ of the company that owned the mine trying to cover the incident up. He'd held them off, contacted the local authorities and Lois, and surreptitiously gathered what evidence he could while protecting the miners. When help had finally arrived, Clark quickly flew back to Metropolis, picked Lois up and brought her to the scene. The journalistic equivalent of setting the bloodhounds loose. The owners of that company won't know what hit them. Which was cause for celebration, really. Except that now he was late for his date. And he felt bad for even thinking that because obviously saving people was and would always be his top priority. But it sucked that his already pretty abysmal love life had to suffer further blows for it.

Of course the whole ‘being desperately in love with your best friend’-thing didn't exactly help matters any.

All of that to say, Clark wasn't just late he was also distracted when he climbed the steps to take his seat and meet his secret admirer. Doubts had started to creep in during the past two and a half hours. Because… Because Clark didn't want it to be just anyone waiting here for him. He wanted it to be Bruce. And he felt it wasn't fair to put that on whoever it was that had gone to all this trouble for him. But he'd come this far and if his conversation with Bruce earlier had shown him anything it was that he should really start to make an effort to move on. Going on this date seemed to be a good first step in that direction.

So Clark hurried to his seat, an apology on his lips. The game had started some time ago and he felt bad for whoever was waiting for him. They had to think they were being stood up. But then he reached his seat and the words died in his throat.

“Bruce?”, he whispered, and it shouldn't have been loud enough in this stadium full of people, talking and yelling and cheering on their team but Bruce turned his head anyway. Their eyes locked and Bruce slowly got up from his seat. And it was unfair, really, thought Clark despairingly, how utterly gorgeous Bruce looked. His hair was styled to perfection, his face was freshly shaved, and a light layer of makeup covered his skin, emphasizing his already sharp cheekbones and lush lips. He wasn't wearing one of his customary suits or his trusty turtleneck-sweaters-and-dress-pants-combo. Instead he was wearing a white linen shirt, the first few buttons of which were undone, revealing a tantalizing view of his collarbones. The shirt was tucked into dark blue slacks that showed off Bruce's impressive thighs and small waist in a way that made Clark's mouth run dry and his knees feel weak. And other people might think this was Bruce dressing down but Clark knew better. He knew that Bruce never allowed himself to be this comfortable outside of his own home and even then he often stuck to his armor of formal attire. Clark was a little speechless to be honest. Especially once his eyes landed on the flowers and chocolate lying on the seat next to Bruce's.

“Clark…” said Bruce quietly, a nervous tension around his eyes. “I… I didn't think you were coming.”

Clark blinked. The sole fact that Bruce was stating the obvious like this betrayed just how nervous he really was and that settled the worst of Clark's fears, the irrational part of him that thought this might be a cruel joke of some kind. Enough so that he finally found his voice.

“There was an emergency at work…”, he explained and abruptly realized that people were beginning to pay more attention to them than the game. Cheeks hot, he gestured at the seats. “Mind if we sit down?”

Bruce's gaze flittered over the people around him and Clark swore a light dusting of pink colored his face as well. “Of course.”

A little stiffly, Bruce gathered up the flowers and chocolates and handed them to Clark. Who, as he accepted them, noticed with a dip of his stomach that the bouquet was an assortment of his favorite flowers. Chrysanthemum daisies, cornflowers and blue hyacinths. It was carefully wrapped, looked stunning and had probably cost a fortune. Much like the chocolates. They were pralinés from that really expensive chocolatier downtown that Clark absolutely adored but never allowed himself to splurge on. Or rather that he never could splurge on because he'd not have enough money to pay his rent if he did.

Clark swallowed. “Are those… are they really for me?”

Bruce averted his eyes but nodded imperceptibly and Clark's stomach did another violent flip. “Thank you. They are my favorite. And they're really beautiful.”

They lapsed into silence as they sat down. It was awkward as heck. Possibly because Clark was stuck racking his brain not only for things to say but for any kind of explanation. Bruce's words from earlier, his expression as he'd looked at the card, they were all still fresh on Clark's mind. His surprise and his concern, even his (likely involuntary) condescension had seemed genuine. It just seemed impossible that this had been his plan all along. Why not ask Clark out? Or admit to leaving the card when Clark surprised him in his kitchen? There had to be another explanation.

Finally, Clark couldn't take it anymore. He turned to Bruce, leaning closer to speak directly into his ear, not wanting to be overheard. Just as he did, however, a loud cheer suddenly rose through the crowd and the people around them started to wave excitedly. As Clark turned to look, he felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. The kiss cam. He and Bruce had been caught by the kiss cam and their faces were currently plastered all over the huge monitors around the stadium.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”, shouted the masses and the chant was interspersed by whistles and catcalls. Clark turned to look at Bruce once more, who was staring back at him with wide eyes. The stadium announcer was goading them on, the screams of the crowd got louder and Clark… Clark snapped. Without thinking, he darted forward and pressed his lips to Bruce's in a brief, but undeniably electric kiss. Not wanting to push his luck, he pulled back just as quickly, lips tingling and the need to go in for a second, more thorough taste of Bruce's pink lips burning in his veins. He couldn't help but stare. He knew he should turn away, avert his eyes and pretend he only did it to appease the crowd, but…

Bruce wet his lips, leaving them all pink and shiny, slightly parted and the embodiment of temptation. Their eyes met. And then Bruce's fingers were suddenly curled into the front of Clark's shirt, pulling him in and in and… and they were kissing again. Desperately, wantonly. Bruce's tongue darted out to tease the seam of Clark's lips and Clark was only too happy to open his mouth for him, a low moan escaping without permission as he did so.

They got lost in each other. Distantly, Clark was aware of the cheers and wolf whistles, of the stadium announcer making some lewd comments and the camera flashes going off all around them but none of it mattered. He was solely focused on Bruce. His taste, his smell, the rapid beating of his heart and the breathless, bitten-off noises he made that no one but Clark would be able to hear.

It wasn't until Bruce had to pull back for air, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated to the point that only a thin ring of blue was still visible, that reality finally came crashing in again. Clark froze, his mind instantly careening towards a full-blown panic attack.

What the hell was he doing, kissing his best friend like that? And was this even really Bruce? Or was this a trap after all, some kind of magical doppelgänger trying to trick Clark? It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen to him. It wouldn’t even be the weirdest thing this week and that thought was petrifying. Except…

…Except that was definitely Bruce's heart, pounding away in his chest not two feet away from Clark. Clark would know that sound anywhere. But if this wasn’t a trap, then what was it? None of the possible answers flitting through his mind seemed to make any kind of sense and his thoughts began to spiral.

Something of what was going on in Clark's head must have shown on his face because Bruce's expression abruptly cleared and he looked away, shoulders drawing up defensively.

“I believe I owe you an explanation”, he said, quiet in a way Clark didn’t know what to do with. Bruce, the real Bruce, was always quiet, but he was never subdued like this. It twisted something in Clark’s chest.

“I believe you do”, he answered after a moment longer of studying Bruce, but when Bruce made to stand, still not quite looking at Clark, a fresh, unexpected wave of panic rose within him and before he even knew what he was doing he quickly grabbed Bruce's wrist.

“Can we… Could we stay until the end of the game?”, he blurted and felt heat crawl up his neck. Because the pathetic truth of the matter was: Clark didn't want this, whatever this was, to end yet. Or ever really, but that wasn’t an option. And not just because it was his very first real date on Valentine's Day but because it was a date on Valentine's Day with Bruce. Clark had dreamed of something like this happening for so long he didn’t even know what it was like to look at Bruce and not want. And this right here was probably his only chance to get it. Well, a glimpse of it but it was better than nothing.

Clark took a deep breath. “I get that this date is probably just part of some plan of yours and that you actually have something better to do and this is not–”

“Yes”, said Bruce, cutting Clark's pathetic rambling short. He cleared his throat, long elegant fingers splayed on his thighs and Clark had to try very hard not to stare too much. Those thighs regularly starred in his fantasies. “I never meant to ruin your date, Clark”, Bruce continued softly, still not quite meeting his eyes. “So yes, we can see this date through and watch the game if that's what you want. I promise I'll explain everything after.”

Clark’s shoulders sagged. “Okay, yes… Thank you.”

He even smiled a little, despite being more than a bit apprehensive. The explanation Bruce owed him hung over them like a dark cloud. But he pushed all of that aside and made himself focus on the here and now instead. On his date with Bruce, the game they both loved and the fact that they were spending Valentine's together. It would later all turn out to be a scheme or a publicity stunt or something of the sort but for now Clark would pretend it was real. He only had to figure out how to go about that. After several more minutes of tense silence, awkward shuffling and even more awkward glances, Clark cleared his throat. Now that the decision was made he was determined to enjoy himself.

“If this were a real date what would you do?”

Bruce's gaze snapped to him. “What?”

“If this was actually a date”, repeated Clark, feeling utterly stupid but forging on anyway. “What would we be doing now? What uh…” he waved his hand, his neck feeling increasingly hot. “What moves would you pull?”

Bruce cracked a smile at that and for the first time since Clark arrived his shoulders relaxed. “Well, if this was a date…” Dimples showing, Bruce stretched, lifting his arms over his head. Clark stared, mouth running dry, as the move accentuated Bruce's broad chest and strong biceps and he was distracted enough that the arm coming to rest on the back of his chair was a surprise. Once Clark realized what Bruce had done, he burst out laughing.

“Very smooth, Mr. Wayne. Did you steal this move from one of your kids?”

Bruce chuckled. “If anything they're the ones who stole it from me. Besides, you can't tell me it's not working. I've got my arm around you and made you laugh.”

“Touché”, said Clark and allowed himself to lean closer to Bruce. The alluring scent of Bruce's aftershave rose around him and Clark inhaled sharply, heart pounding. He licked his lips.

“What else would you do?”

Bruce hummed, arm tightening around Clark's shoulders. “I would ask you about yourself”, he said in a low voice. “Get to know you and tell you a few anecdotes of my own. I'd try to make sure you're comfortable with me.”

Clark's heart skipped a beat, butterflies dancing in his stomach. “What would you like to know?”

Bruce met Clark's eyes, his icy blue gaze intense in a way that made Clark feel slightly breathless and said: “Everything.”

<3 <3 <3

Bruce forgot they were playing pretend. He didn’t mean to. And a part of him still was extremely aware of the fact that he owed Clark a damned good explanation once this was over. But the bigger part of him was all too happy to just let himself drown in it. To tease and flirt and soak up every blush and shy glance he could get from Clark. Every laugh and smile, every time Clark leaned into him or gave him that fond look he sometimes got… Bruce took it all and locked it away in his heart.

But then the game was over - the Metropolis Giants had trounced the Gotham Rogues and somehow that didn't feel like a very good omen - and suddenly Bruce's time was up. Abruptly, he realized that he wasn't prepared to let it go, that he wasn't prepared to go back to just being friends, but at the same time he didn't know what he could say or do to prevent the inevitable. To prevent Clark from leaving.

As if by silent agreement they stayed seated a little while longer until most of the people around them had left and the first members of the clean-up crew made their way through the rows of seats. Bruce wondered if Clark was as reluctant to put an end to this as he was. Still, things were different now that the game was over. The spell was broken, there was a distance between them again and it felt insurmountable all of a sudden. Bruce knew he should say something, start the explanation he owed Clark, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was terrified.

Clark shifted in his seat and looked around, his eyes anywhere but on Bruce. “We should probably head out, too.”

Bruce nodded stiffly and stood. Clark silently followed suit and together they left the stadium.

“Did you drive here?”, asked Bruce once they were outside and Clark shook his head.

“Ride with me?” He didn't know where that question came from. Clark didn't need a ride home. All he had to do was walk to the nearest semi-secluded alley and then he could fly the rest of the way. It was a lot faster than navigating a bike through this kind of traffic.

And yet Clark didn't say no.

He turned to look at Bruce for the first time in what felt like hours (but was more like fifteen minutes tops) and a small smile pulled at his lips. It was a little tense and didn't fully reach his eyes but it was a smile nonetheless. And then he said: “That would be lovely, thank you Bruce.”

Tongue suddenly too thick to form words again, Bruce quickly turned and led the way to the parking lot where he'd left his bike. It was only once they were standing in front of it that he realized another mistake. “I don't actually have a spare helmet with me.”

The look Clark gave him was unbearably fond that it made Bruce's knees go a little weak. Bruce didn't deserve that look. He'd been so selfish today. Clark should've hated him. And he probably would, once he knew the truth. “I don't need a helmet. Don't get me wrong, helmets are important and I don't like being a bad role model, but this once it's okay.”

Bruce didn't know what to make of that. Clark usually insisted on doing things properly, not just to blend in but to be a good example, like he'd said. Studying him a little closer, Bruce watched as two spots of color rose in Clark's cheeks, but he had no idea what that meant. So after another moment, he simply took the flowers and chocolates from Clark and placed them securely in the tankbag where they'd been stored before. Then he put on his helmet and swung his leg over.

“Hop on”, he said, patting the seat behind him. Clark hesitated, but then he climbed on behind Bruce, tentatively wrapping his arms around Bruce's middle. It took every ounce of Bruce's self-control not to react to the contact or let himself sink into the touch like he so desperately wanted to. Still, as he revved the engine and pulled out of the lot, his mind was filled with images of Clark's hands sliding just a little lower, leaving his waist behind and dipping between his legs, cupping him while he drove.

It was a miracle they didn't crash.

The thirty minutes until Bruce parked the bike in front of Clark's apartment complex simultaneously were the longest and shortest of Bruce's life and he felt the loss of Clark's arms around him so acutely it was like he was losing a part of himself. Which was so pathetic Bruce wanted to bang his head against the wall. Since he couldn't do that without alerting Clark to what was really going on, he busied himself retrieving their things from the tankbag before climbing off and following Clark to his door. Thankfully, the awkward air between them prevented Bruce's mind from wandering again, which unfortunately also meant that his anxiety was building with every step they took towards Clark's apartment.

“Meow.”

Bruce's thoughts stuttered to a halt as his eyes found the fluffy white and brown cat sitting on Clark's doormat. “Since when do you own a cat?”

“I don't.” Clark smiled and bent down to scratch the little feline gently behind the ears. “Lady Pawlington belongs to my neighbor. She just likes to visit from time to time.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Lady Pawlington?”

Laughing, Clark picked the cat up. “What? Do you not think she deserves that title?”

Bruce snorted, a smile tugging at his lips as he shook his head. “Not at all. She looks very regal.”

Giving the cat one last gentle scratch, Clark set it down at the end of the corridor before he returned to Bruce and unlocked the door. They headed inside and with the sound of the door clicking shut behind them all of Bruce's anxiety suddenly returned with a vengeance. He didn’t want to lose this, but most importantly he didn't want to hurt Clark and he feared at least one of those things was inevitable.

To stall for time, Bruce headed into the kitchen and rummaged around for the vase he knew Clark kept there. He felt Clark's eyes on him the entire time but he didn't dare turn around and instead focused entirely on filling the vase with water once he'd found it and arranging the flowers just so. His hands were trembling, his pulse was elevated and he knew it would only get worse. And yet he couldn't make himself turn around and face this.

“Are we going to dance around this all day?”, asked Clark, taking the decision from Bruce, who reluctantly turned to face him. ”Or are we going to talk about what happened?”

Bruce told himself to just get this over with and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. “I'm sorry”, he began and stopped again because the rest of the words got stuck somewhere in his throat.

Clark sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why were you at the game today?”

Instead of using his words like he should, Bruce pulled out his own Valentine's card and silently handed it to Clark. There was so much he wanted to say but he just couldn't get his tongue to move and he hated himself for it. Clark's brow furrowed in confusion as he accepted the card. “How did you…?”

“Open it.”

Wordlessly, Clark did and the furrow between his brows only grew as he stared at the card. “What is this, B?”

Bruce pressed his lips together tightly before he finally made himself explain: “It was Alfred's idea.”

Clark looked down at the card again, knuckles turning white with, Bruce guessed, the effort not to crinkle or rip the paper. He was always careful. It was one of the things Bruce loved about him. “What are you saying?”

Closing his eyes, Bruce braced himself. He tried to view this as a case report just so that he could talk but it was difficult. “The cards, the tickets… Alfred organized it all and he roped the boys in to help him.” He ran a hand down his face. “I knew as soon as I read the poem in my card. It's one of Jason's favorites. He confirmed it when I called him earlier.”

Clark was silent for a long time. “I still don't understand.”

Bruce didn't dare meet Clark's eyes. “Alfred and the kids made these cards and delivered one to you and one to my hotel room. They wanted to bring us together.”

“So what was this supposed to be? A prank? A set-up? Were all of you going to have a laugh about it later on?”

Bruce's hands curled into fists at the hurt in Clark's voice and he bit the inside of his cheek as his heart started to race in earnest. This was what he'd been terrified of. This was the part that could ruin everything. “A blind date.”

“What?”

Bruce cleared his throat. “It was supposed to be a blind date.” He turned away, feeling like he was going to throw up but he knew he couldn't leave it at that. He owed Clark more, so much more than this. And he didn't know what made him do it but a reckless part of him thought if he had to hurt Clark and ruin things between them… He might as well go all in. “Alfred knows how I feel about you, how I've felt about you for the past couple of years, really. He was always trying to make me tell you and I suppose he decided to take matters into his own hands.”

Clark fell silent once again and Bruce couldn't decipher the look on his face. Usually Clark wore his heart on his sleeve but right now he was surprisingly hard to read. Terrifyingly so. Finally, he asked, very quietly: “Your feelings for me?”

Bruce nodded, still not looking at Clark. He couldn't. He felt like an exposed nerve right now, like one wrong look or word could end him.

Clark made a soft sound. “You didn't want to ruin our friendship”, he whispered, and then he was suddenly right in front of Bruce.

“Look at me, B.”

Reluctantly, Bruce did as he was asked, because he couldn't not. He'd do anything for Clark but fear was tying his stomach into knots. Until Clark reached up and gently framed his face. “Why were you at the game today, B? Why did you go along with it? You could've just called me and told me what was going on. Why didn't you?”

Bruce swallowed hard, trembling all over now. “I didn't want to disappoint you”, he said quietly. “You should have seen the look on your face when you opened the card, Clark. You looked so happy. I didn't want to take that from you.”

A soft smile appeared on Clark's face and his thumbs began to softly caress Bruce's cheeks. “Bullshit, B. Tell me the real reason.”

A flush rose to Bruce's face and he looked at the floor. He couldn't stand to look into Clark's beautiful cornflower eyes right now. The last thing he wanted was to make himself even more vulnerable, to show his soft underbelly. But this was Clark. He wouldn't hurt Bruce, not on purpose. And he had yet to tell Bruce to fuck off. Hope swelling in his chest despite his better judgment, Bruce decided to tell the truth one more time.

“I finally wanted to know what going on a date with you would be like. I've wanted that for so long, Clark, wanted you for so long, you have no idea. When you opened that card earlier and said you'd go out with whoever sent it, I was so jealous I could hardly stand it. I wanted it to be me you were so excited about.”

Clark was so close now that Bruce could hear the way his breath hitched. “Oh Bruce”, he whispered, resting his forehead against Bruce's own. “The only reason I decided to go on that date was because I thought I couldn't have you. You're the only one I want. You always have been.”

“What?” Bruce desperately searched Clark's beautiful eyes for a hint that this was real.

“I love you, Bruce.”

An involuntary and undeniably needy sound slipped past Bruce's lips as he struggled to comprehend Clark's words and something flared up in Clark's eyes. Something hot and sharp that made Bruce's stomach flip with a mix of nerves and arousal.

“And you love me too, don't you, B?” Clark's voice was practically a purr as he leaned even closer, his grip on Bruce shifting. One hand slid to the back of Bruce's head, burying itself in Bruce's hair, while the other wrapped around his neck. The touch was so possessive that Bruce's brain immediately kissed its higher functions goodbye.

“I do”, croaked Bruce, already breathless as his body reacted to Clark's proximity, to the feel of his touch, his warmth and that intoxicating scent of his Bruce could never get enough of.

Clark's answering smile was nothing short of predatory. “Good.” And then he was kissing Bruce.

Bruce melted into the contact with a moan, instantly surrendering. Clark's hands tightened a little around Bruce's throat and in his hair and suddenly it felt like those hands were the only things keeping Bruce upright. Clark's tongue plundered his mouth and the kiss was hungry, domineering in a way Bruce didn't know Clark could be. He felt dizzy with it, overwhelmed by how utterly he was at Clark's mercy and loving every second of it.

After a moment, Clark broke the kiss and crowded Bruce against the kitchen counter. His hands drifted to Bruce's hips, grabbing them tight and in one fluid move that stole Bruce's breath, he lifted him onto the counter.

“God, B. You don't know how often I've dreamed about this, having you here at my mercy like this.” Clark nuzzled the side of Bruce's neck, sending shivers of want down Bruce's spine. Bruce tilted his head to give him better access and the approving sound that rumbled out of Clark's chest at that, instantly got him from half-mast to rock hard.

“I can hear your heart racing”, murmured Clark, leaving a trail of wet kisses along Bruce's throat as his big hands landed high on Bruce's thighs, kneading and massaging them and making Bruce feel lightheaded with lust. “I can hear your blood rushing to fill your cock.”

Clark splayed his big hands, the tips of his thumbs and pointer fingers pressing against Bruce's erection. Electricity raced through Bruce's veins and he abruptly felt like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. He couldn't quite believe what was happening, wasn't sure any of this was even real, but at the moment it didn't matter. As long as Clark kept touching and teasing him like this nothing else mattered.

“Clark”, he moaned, pleaded, really, and finally allowed himself to touch Clark as well, to wrap his arms around those broad shoulders and hold on tight.

“I've got you”, said Clark, low and intimate as he pushed Bruce's thighs apart to wedge his hips inbetween. Bruce's blood instantly caught fire and suddenly his clothes felt stifling, restricting. He needed them off. He wanted to feel Clark's skin, to finally touch every inch of it like he'd longed to do for years. Hands trembling with desperate need, he began to tug on Clark's stupid checkered button down shirt.

“Off”, he growled and the first button gave way under his fumbling fingers. “I swear those fucking shirts of yours.” He pressed a kiss to Clark's throat. “They shouldn't work on anyone but somehow, whenever I see you in one of these they drive me to the edge of reason. Every. Damned. Time.”

Clark chuckled breathlessly and squeezed Bruce's thighs, sending a jolt of lust through him. “You're one to talk. Jesus, Bruce, have you seen your legs? And you always wear these tight pants. It's been driving me crazy.”

“Then do something about it, boy scout.” Bruce continued to unbutton Clark's shirt and nearly salivated at every inch of golden skin revealed.

Clark smirked and the next thing Bruce knew a draft of cold air hit his suddenly very naked skin. “Fuck!” He gasped, arousal spiking. His clothes were folded neatly on top of the table and for some reason the sight of them, this blatant show of Clark's power, made his cock begin to leak against his naked stomach.

Grinning, Clark crowded between Bruce's legs again and the fabric of his jeans scratched along the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. Bruce's hands flew to Clark's shoulders, fisting the material. He intended to get back to working Clark's shirt open, even the score and get him naked, but then Clark's fingers were on him

On his chest, trailing over his pecs in featherlight touches, around his nipples and down his ribs, and Bruce lost the capacity for rational thought. He arched his back, pressing his skin against Clark's fingers.

“So responsive”, murmured Clark, kissing his way down the side of Bruce's neck, scraping his teeth over the delicate skin. “Makes me want to take you apart, B.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Bruce turned his head and captured Clark's lips in a kiss. Clark groaned and crowded even closer, his clothed cock rubbing against Bruce's exposed one, probably smearing precome all over his jeans as he licked into Bruce's mouth and the image of the two of them like this was so unbearably sexy to Bruce.

After a moment, Clark pulled back. His curls were sticking up every which way, his pupils were blown, his lips swollen and shiny with spit. He looked so beautiful, it made Bruce's heart ache. “Are you sure? We can take it slow, if you want, B. We have time.”

Frowning, Bruce grabbed the back of Clark's neck and drew him back in. “Don't you dare. I want you inside me, Clark. Now.”

Clark moaned and wrapped his arms around Bruce. “Hold on.”

Before Bruce could even fully process the words, everything around him became blurry. It stopped again just as fast and when he blinked his surroundings back into focus he found himself lying on Clark's bed, Clark hovering above him. Literally. But that wasn't what caught Bruce's attention. All of his focus was taken up by the fact that somewhere between one blink and the next Clark had gotten rid of his clothes and was now fully naked as well. All that golden, unblemished skin, the cut of his hips and those perfectly defined abs… Bruce swallowed thickly and lifted a shaky hand to follow the path of his eyes with his fingers.

Clark shuddered, lowering himself until his body was covering Bruce's, his weight settling on top of him. They both groaned.

“I can't believe we're actually doing this”, whispered Clark, framing Bruce's face with his hands. “I've been dreaming about this.”

Bruce's breath caught in his throat and he gently carded his fingers through Clark's hair. “Me too. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to experience this.”

Clark's gaze softened and the kiss he pressed to Bruce's lips was so unbearably tender it had tears springing to Bruce's eyes. “I love you, Bruce.”

Bruce's heart stuttered. “I love you, too”, he answered, lips brushing Clark's as he spoke. Then he grabbed a fistful of Clark's hair and tugged lightly as he spread his legs as wide as he could. “Now, I think I was promised to be thoroughly taken apart.”

Laughing breathlessly, Clark leaned back and his fond expression made Bruce squirm. “So impatient”, he said, clucking his tongue. “Maybe I should teach you a lesson and make you wait.” But even as he said that he began to slide down Bruce's body, wedging his shoulders between his spread legs. His hands slid around to Bruce's ass, lifting him up. Anticipation built in Bruce's gut and by now his cock drooled a continuous stream of precome onto his stomach.

For a long while Clark just stared, gaze fixed hungrily on Bruce's cock, and Bruce squirmed helplessly in his grip.

“So darn pretty”, murmured Clark and then he was diving forward, licking a long stripe up Bruce's cock, swirling his tongue around the head before kissing his way back down. Bruce shouted in surprised pleasure and arched off the bed. But Clark wasn't done. Not by long shot. He didn’t stop at the base of Bruce's cock and instead moved further south, laving attention on Bruce's balls.

And then he moved even further down and Bruce's brain short-circuited as he stopped breathing. Clark's big hands shifted on Bruce, spreading his cheeks as he lifted his hips like it was nothing, and then his tongue was licking a broad stripe over Bruce's hole.

Bruce's entire body twitched as if it was connected to a live wire and his heart was beating so fast he feared it might explode. The pleasure coursing through his veins as Clark licked and sucked and bit at his hole, pushing first one then two fingers inside alongside his tongue was too much for him to take. But he couldn't escape it. Clark wouldn't let him. His grip on Bruce's ass was unrelenting and Bruce was sure he'd have finger-shaped bruises there later. He was harder than he'd ever been in his life, more turned on, and if Clark didn't stop soon he'd come just from that clever mouth and fingers alone.

“Clark”, he moaned, squirming, torn between getting away from the stimulation and grinding down into it. “I'm… If you don't stop…”, he gasped, trying to warn Clark, but if anything his attempt to get Clark to slow down had the opposite effect. Because Clark slid a third finger into Bruce, pushing them all the way in while his tongue circled around Bruce's stretched hole and then those blunt fingers found his prostate.

Stars exploded in front of Bruce's eyes. He was distantly aware of the sob he let out, the way his back lifted off the mattress, but everything was hazy as the pleasure consumed him. When Bruce finally came back down, panting and boneless, he quickly became aware of the fact that Clark's fingers were still buried deep inside him. Clark's gaze was fixed on Bruce's face, a hungry look in his eyes. Once he noticed Bruce was back with him he held eye-contact and very deliberately crooked his fingers. Lightning shot up Bruce's spine and a high-pitched whine tore itself from his throat.

“I want to fuck you, B. Just like this, when you're already sweaty and overstimulated. I want to make you cry.”

A violent shudder worked its way down Bruce's spine. Clark's voice was completely shot, his mouth was bright red, spit covered his lips and cheeks and his eyes seemed almost wild with arousal.

There was no way Bruce could deny him.

Exhaling shakily, he reached down and tangled his fingers in Clark's hair, pulling weakly, but Clark didn't budge. “Say it, B”, he rasped. “Tell me you want me to fuck you till you cry.”

Moaning, Bruce squeezes his eyes closed. His spent cock did its best to rise again even though it was impossible for him to go again this soon. “Fuck me, Clark. Do it”, he gasped, wiggling his hips to finally get Clark to move.

With a low curse that sent a shiver down Bruce's spine, Clark pulled his fingers free and began to crawl up Bruce's body. Bruce was still limp and sluggish as Clark slid his arms under his legs and lifted them, positioning himself at Bruce's entrance. Bruce moaned again as he felt the wet tip of Clark's cock against his hole, Clark's precome mixing with his spit as he slowly pushed his way inside. Bruce's tired body lit up at the delicious pressure and he threw his head back. It felt like forever until Clark was fully seated inside and when he finally was, Bruce's chest was heaving for air, sweat trickling down his spine as his nerves twinged and prickled with overstimulation. Clark was just so big, filling Bruce perfectly, pressing against his prostate without even trying.

And then he started to move in earnest and Bruce's brain immediately switched offline. Each and every one of Clark's powerful thrusts hit Bruce's prostate head on, sending jolts of pleasure-pain through his entire system, robbing him of his breath and making him feel like he was drowning in it. Bruce's being narrowed down to Clark. Clark above him, surrounding him, in him… There was nothing else in existence right now.

“Look at you, B”, panted Clark, hips picking up speed as he rocked into Bruce. “You're a mess. And you're so darn pretty like this.”

He leaned down and kissed Bruce, practically fucking his mouth with his tongue and Bruce felt like he was losing his mind. Weakly, he clawed at Clark's back, tried to hold on for the ride as Clark relentlessly forced his body towards a second orgasm. The coil of pleasure in his belly was wound steadily tighter and tears were leaking from the corners of his eyes.

“There you are”, breathed Clark, his thrusts growing erratic, his kisses more desperate and when he slammed home one last time, filling Bruce with his hot seed, Bruce tumbled over the edge as well. He'd never had a dry orgasm before. He didn’t even know he could, and it honestly felt like only Clark could have torn the pleasure from his body in this way.

Afterwards, Bruce's mind went dark for quite a while. He just drifted along in a cloud of exhausted satisfaction, lethargic and completely unaware of his surroundings.

When he eventually came back to himself, he was lying on Clark's chest, wrapped up in those strong arms. He sighed in contentment and closed his eyes. “That was quite a ride, cowboy.”

Clark laughed, arms squeezing Bruce a little tighter. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me, B.”

Bruce felt himself flush and buried his face in Clark's chest. “I can't believe I actually find that charming.”

Clark began gently stroking Bruce's back. “I can't believe I'm finally allowed to have you.”

Heart stuttering in his chest, Bruce craned his neck and pressed a soft kiss to Clark's jaw. “I'm all yours.”

Clark turned his head and captured Bruce’s lips in a tender kiss. “And I'm yours.”

Smiling, Bruce settled back down. He was in the process of drifting off to sleep when Clark's voice roused him once more. “I guess that means we owe Alfred a gift basket or something.”

Bruce groaned. “They're going to be unbearably smug about this.”

Chuckling, Clark kissed the top of his head. “I'm sure I can think of a few things to make this worth it though.”

Snorting, Bruce shook his head. “You're insatiable.”

“Only for you, B. Only for you.”

<3 <3 <3

As it turned out, Clark's first Valentine's Day date was a smashing success.

#DCUValentinesDay2024 #bruce wayne #superbat #clark kent #happy valentines #valentines cards #superbat fanfiction #fanfic

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luimagines · 11 months

Text

You Ruffle/Pat His Hair Part 2

Masterlist

Part 1

Part two will include Time, Legend and Sky!

Content under the cut!

Time

You sighed for the umpteenth time with no signs of stopping. You don’t know why. It simply felt right to do so.

You were laying on the forest floor with your arm over your eyes to block the sun. Another sigh leaves you and you relax further into the soil. Maybe you’d fall asleep and that would rid you of this feeling, whatever it was.

“Why are you on the ground?” You hear Time ask from above you. He sounds tired and confused but mostly tired. Exasperated is a good word to use here.

“Feel like it.” Is your simple reply. And isn’t that the case these days? Sometimes things should be kept simple. There’s no need to complicate stuff.

Time says nothing and you’re inclined to think that he left entirely. Until you hear the earth move from your left and a something lightly brushes your shoulder. Time sighs as well, closer to your ear than you were anticipating to hear and makes himself comfortable.

You lift your arm and look at him. He’s mimicked your position. Even to the way your had your ankles subconsciously crossed over each other.

“....Why?” You ask. The dirt is going to be a killer on his armor. Not to mention it might be hard for his old man bones to get up again.

“Felt like it.” He responds easily.

You can’t think of many thing to reply to that but you can appreciate the fact that he’s not about to make a big deal of this. You simply feel gray. A little bit of nothing. And he’s willing to lay down with you while you let the funk marinate until you can do something with it.

You feel yourself smile slightly. The grayness fades for a small warmth by your heart. The action reminds you so much of your brother. He’s a little thing, but you think you can see him being older here... and doing the exact same thing anyway.

You pat Time’s head and lay back down, going back to your original position. You’re aware that it’s going to look like you were copying Time but who cares?

It’s a nice day and the boys were elsewhere and there was nothing else to do.

Slowing down for a moment was nice and a little company wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Time huffs. At least you think he does. It’s even harder to tell what he does when he can’t really see his face. “Happy?”

“It’s been better.” You say. The tones calm and you sigh once more. Time mimics the sounds and a silent, but pleasant atmosphere follows.

“Oh hey, they’re both dead.” Wind states.

The statement is startles a snort out of you but you don’t want to change your position. Time laughs quietly next to you as well and also refuses to do anythng about it.

“Such a shame.” Warrior replies to the Sailor. There’s laughter on his breath. “Who would have been able to prevent this?”

“You’re free to join us!” You call.

“No, thank you.”

“Then hush.” Time says.

You feel someone pat your head as well. You turn. It’s Time and although he’s not looking at you, he’s smiling.

Legend

“This suuuuucks!!” Legend yells into the void. “This is the worst dungeon in the history of dungeons. And I can say that because I’ve done a gazillion of them.”

You snort, brushing off some cobwebs away from the door you need to go through. “Gazillion isn’t a real number.”

“It should be.”

“Anyway-” You bite your lip to keep from laughing. “We need to figure out this puzzle or else we’re going to be here forever.”

“We will not be here forever.” Legend pouts with his arms crossed. “We can leave right now and we won’t have to worry about anything else and never deal with this place again. Or we get a hint or our brains do a thing and we solve this and figure it out.”

He kicks the wall.

You try to keep a straight face. “Did that help?”

“...No.”

“Did you hurt yourself?”

“...No...”

You poke his shoulder and Legend turns around to pout some more without you to meet him head on. You keep your tongue out on your lip, not entirely how to hide the emotions you’re currently experiencing. Part of you wants to be sympathetic and understanding. Another wants to tell him off for being so suddenly childish. But most of you wants to laughs at him.

It’s ridiculous.

You reach over and pat him on the head, trying to come off as patronizing as possible. “There, there valiant hero. We’ll figure it out eventually.”

Legend groans again, louder and more spiteful. “Fine. Any ideas?”

“A few.” You admit, smiling widely. “But you won’t like them.”

“I’m willing to try anything at this point.”

Your grin takes on a wicked streak and you step closer to Legend. “Anything?”

He looks back to you a dramatic turn of his head and drops the act when he sees the look on your face. “...I regret my words.”

“But you said them.” You poke his shoulder but drop the suspicious attitude. You pat his head again. “Unless the little hero is too scared. Then we can leave and-”

Legend throws you hand off of him and shifts his weight on his feet facing you head on and looking more like the Legend you’ve come to appreciate. “What do you have in mind?”

You beam at him once more. “Something stupid.”

“We already did that.”

“And something crazy.”

“Why do I feel like The champion would have been better for this?” Legend laments.

“Because he would have.” You link your elbow with Legend’s and cackle. “Let’s go!”

Sky

“Is someone going to wake him up?”

You look over to where the boy were pointing.

Sky was still fast asleep. You had garnered that the others were hesitant to wake up after the last time nearly had their heads taken off.

Granted, they deserved it. Anyone woken up that roughly and violently would also dive into fight or flight mode. Sky just so happened to choose fight upon awakening.

The entire day afterward was met with angry and disapproving stares from the other hero, which proved to be more than the rest of the group could handle.

“I’ll do it.” You volunteered.

The boys quickly backed away to give you space and a path directly towards the one who forged the Master Sword. It wasn’t comforting that he was asleep with the blade in his lap but you weren’t going to let Sky be harassed by any other schemes the other boys would have come up with.

You stood up and quickly made your way toward him. Many of the boys were watching to see how you’d go about it, others were praying for your safe return.

You kneeled next to Sky and had to pause to think about how you were going to go about this.

“Sky...” You call out softly. “Skkkyyy..... Link...”

Nothing.

With a huff you sit down on your knees and reach out hesitantly, eyes landing on the blade just beside you.

“Linnkkk.” You call out again, watching for any sign of movement.

Getting a little frustrated, you reach out further and shake his shoulder.

The boy startles awake and blinks his eyes open. “Hm?”

You feel bad in the end, even if it’s better than how you thought it was going to end. “Rise and shine, sleepy head. We have to go now.”

You pat his head for good measure, running your fingers over his hair experimentally before he notices. It’s soft.

“Is it time?” He turns his head to look at you right before he stretches. A yawn escapes him and he uses he back of his hand to scrub out the remaining sleep from his eyes.

“Mhm.” You hum, running your hand over his shoulder. “I came to wake you up because the others were cowards.”

“We were not!”

Sky glares in their direction- shutting them up instantly.

You gulp and Sky only pats your hand in return. “Thanks.”

“...Right. You grin. “Any time.”

Part 3

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader #lu x reader

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thebiggerbear · 1 month

Text

i need your hand but i don't want to burn it part 1 - Beau Arlen x Reader

A/N: Not going to lie, this past month has been a tough one for me. I recently lost someone and it just sucked all of the energy out of me for writing or anything else. I started this back on Feb 16th, within hours of receiving the news, because I was trying to process it as well as my feelings on it all. Beau was in my mind from the very beginning because like I mentioned before, I literally had the thought "Man, I could go for a Beau hug right about now." So this took form and even though I was blocked on everything else, this became a sort of tool of processing for me. I was going to keep this just for myself because I found it to be deeply personal, but then I thought, well, what if someone out there is also currently grieving someone they lost and a little Beau comfort might make them feel better, too? Even in this scenario? So that's why I'm sharing it.

While it is personal what I go into, I changed up things to keep it fictional and sort of tell a story. So the characters and dynamics are fictional, just not the feelings of the reader and the emotional journey/grieving process she goes through if that makes sense.

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. I attempted the graphics.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Song that randomly came out of nowhere and strangely worked was "broken" by Jonah Kagen. The lyrics just really hit home for me.

Warnings: mention of death; death notification

Word Count: 8587

Beau taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @birdiellie; @heartlessdelusions; @nancymcl; @illicithallways; @muhahaha303

It was a bright, sunny day when you got the news. The sky was this unimaginable shade of blue, not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was a comfortable one. You were on the job and the slight breeze ruffled through your hair when you saw that your aunt was calling you. A knot immediately formed in your stomach; if she was calling you, that couldn’t be good. And sure enough, it wasn’t.

“She’s gone,” she informed you matter-of-factly.

It took a moment for your brain to catch up to what she was telling you. “What?”

“She’s gone, Y/N. Happened this morning.” Again, her tone was bland, as if she was simply telling you a package had been delivered to your home.

“How?” Your mind felt as if it was running in circles but also slowing down at the same time.

Poppernak’s head snapped in your direction but you immediately walked away from the scene. You didn’t notice the deputy watch after you and then head in Hoyt’s direction.

“Stroke.” Your aunt was only willing to give you one word but that one word changed your entire world. It altered the landscape of your universe in a big way.

You nodded, forgetting that the woman couldn’t see you, and you felt a lump start to form in your throat. You forced your gaze onto some trees ahead and mentally told yourself that you would not cry. “Oh,” you choked out. So much for not allowing any emotion to bleed through.

“Yep.”

Once again, very bland, almost dry. You weren’t surprised, though. It had always been like this between you. “Um…did they say when the services will—”

“Nothing’s set in stone yet but the information will be on the obituary online. It’ll probably tell people who can’t make it where to send flowers.” And just like that, the digs began.

You ignored her attitude and quietly cleared your throat. “Okay,” you attempted to smooth over. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Ida. If there’s anything you need, please call m—”

“Oh, I’ll call you, don’t you worry. But right now, as it stands, we’re good. I have to get going. I still have to get to the funeral home and make all the arrangements. I’ll be talking to you soon.” Before you could say goodbye, she hung up.

You let out a heavy sigh before lowering your phone from your ear. You focused on the trees once more, pushing any thoughts away and stuffing your emotions back down. When you felt confident enough that you wouldn’t break, you turned to find Hoyt and Poppernak watching you worriedly from near the crime scene tape. You sighed once more and then began your walk over to answer the burning questions they appeared to have.

You were driving back home on autopilot, lost in a sea of memories that forced a single tear out onto your cheek every now and then, prompting you to wipe each one away quickly. Your phone began to ring and as you expected, Beau’s name popped up. Well, that had to be some kind of record for Hoyt. Though, you supposed in these circumstances, you couldn’t blame her and you could appreciate her difficult position. She was only supposed to call Beau if there was an emergency but if she didn’t let him know that she sent you home for the rest of the day after receiving the news of a loved one’s passing, then she’d most likely be in hot water. In trouble with you or in trouble with Beau? It wasn’t hard to see why she made the choice she did.

Beau was on vacation and you hated for that to be interrupted, especially due to this. He worked his ass off every single day and he deserved this time. He had offered to take Cassie and Kai fishing and camping, after the date passed that the two were supposed to have gone with her dad who had been killed. Kai was excited and Cassie was grateful when Beau made the offer. You and Hoyt were happy for them. Beau had even tried to entice Emily to fly up for a visit and go with them, but Carla put a quick stop to that with the mention of school and it being Emily’s senior year. To say Beau had been disappointed was a massive understatement.

And now, he was most likely spending his time worrying about you alongside teaching Kai how to catch trout and attempting to keep Cassie laughing and her spirits high. You almost didn’t answer, because you didn’t want to be one more thing he had to worry about and also because you didn’t feel like talking, but in the end you did. To reassure him if for nothing else.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he greeted back, sounding worried just like you had predicted. “You okay?”

You briefly closed your eyes in annoyance at Hoyt. Despite your initial understanding, this really wasn’t something she needed to call him about. Someone else, yes, but for you, no. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you reassured him. “Hoyt just thought it best that I take the rest of the day, clear my head, and come back fresh tomorrow. That’s all.”

A moment of quiet passed between you as he likely mulled over your answer. Accepting it, he then offered, “Do you need anything?”

You cleared your throat to keep the lump at bay. “Nope. Thanks, though.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, who passed?”

You pressed your lips together, not really wanting to answer, but he’d find out eventually. “My grandmother.”

Sure enough, his tone softened. “I’m so sorry, Y/N.” He knew how deeply this one would cut.

You swallowed past the lump again and forced out quietly, “Thanks, but it’s fine. It was expected at some point, you know?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t make it any easier though, does it?” Beau lost his parents back when you had worked together in Houston. His dad had passed unexpectedly due to a heart attack. Everyone had been shocked, of course, but it hit Beau’s mom the hardest. It wasn’t too long after that when she started developing her own health issues and began declining. Beau’s father had only been gone for a year and a half when he lost his mom as well. You and your unit were there for him, giving him your unending support, and half of the department had showed up to the funeral, just as they had the senior Mr. Arlen’s. Not only was Beau well liked and respected but his family were no strangers to law enforcement; his dad had served on the force for decades before he finally retired.

What you were feeling now in no way rivaled the loss he had endured back then. He not only had lost a parent, but he lost both in a short time frame. You couldn’t imagine how you would be feeling had that been you. You doubted you would be able to stand up much less continue to function day to day like he had. You wished you could borrow some of his strength, something you could use right about now.

“True.”

Another moment of quiet filled the car tainted by uncertainty and an almost alien awkwardness. That wasn’t the norm for the two of you but this situation also wasn’t the norm. Being your best friend and having known you for a long time, Beau knew some of your history but not all of it. What little you had told him had been enough for him to know this wasn’t a topic you liked to revisit and he needed to leave well enough alone. So he’d happily compensate and regale you with funny stories of the hijinks he and his brother used to get up to when they were younger instead. He didn’t push for more than you were willing to give and that was something you deeply appreciated about him.

And right now, you appreciated him even more for not pressing you for details or trying to make small talk around the huge elephant that was currently sitting on top of you. An elephant in the form of your grandmother, an elderly woman who helped raise you who you had a…complicated relationship with to say the least. You tried to think back to one of the last times you had seen her but you really couldn’t remember. The memory was there somewhere, on the edge of your mind, just out of reach. Instead, a memory resurfaced of a younger you holding onto her hand as you crossed a busy crosswalk in the city, wearing one of your best dresses with tights, shoes, a very proper coat with gold buttons done up, and a ribbon in your long hair. You had been on your way to see a play that she managed to get tickets for and you remembered that moment of her immediately shielding you as a car nearly hit you both, ignoring the traffic light as well as all of the pedestrians crossing. You couldn’t remember the heated exchange between her and the driver of the yellow cab, but you did remember her hurrying you to safety and then kneeling down to check that you were okay. You could see the determination in her light eyes shadowed by a layer of fear as she did up the top two buttons of your fancy coat and smoothed a hand down your hair. She had protected you and basically saved your life. The memory shocked you with its reappearance; you hadn’t thought about that one in a long time. You had to have been around six years old when that happened.

Beau cleared his throat quietly. “Listen, I’m on my way back.”

That jerked you out of your reverie. “What? No, Beau, don’t. I’m fine. You’re on vacation and so is Cassie. Kai was excited to go on this trip, don’t cut it short. I appreciate it but I’d rather your plans didn’t get interrupted.”

“I already talked to Cassie and she’s in agreement. We’re heading back. She talked to Kai and he understands. We’re going to try this again next month.”

The guilt was thick inside your chest. He had been trying for a while now to get Cassie to agree to a fishing trip with him, and he’d only just convinced her. “Beau…”

“Already done,” he assured you. “We’re packing up now actually. Besides, you’re going to need some time and Hoyt’s going to need backup.”

“I told you, I’m fine and I’ll be back to work tomorrow. You don’t have to—”

“You’re going to need the time for the services. Any idea on when they might be yet?”

You pressed your lips together and glanced in your rearview mirror. “Not yet.”

He heard what you weren’t saying. “Well, it just happened. Give ‘em some time and they’ll sort it out,” he offered gently.

“Yeah,” you muttered.

“You set up a flight yet?”

You shook your head, forgetting for a moment that he couldn’t see you. “No.”

“I should be back later tonight. I’ll come over and help you sort all of that out.”

It hit you in that moment that Beau was going to be seeing you in a few hours’ time. A part of you was relieved but another part of you wasn’t ready to let him in just yet. Not that you didn’t trust him (he was the person you trusted most actually) and not that he didn’t know how to be there for you, but something was stopping you from letting him.

“You’re going to be back late. How about you just stop by in the morning on your way to the office?”

You didn’t need to see Beau to know he was taken aback at your suggestion. “It’s not going to be that late,” he tried again. “I was thinking, if you didn’t mind, I could just stay at your place for the night. It’d be a shorter drive for me to the station tomorrow.”

You knew it would be and you knew he was just looking out for you, being there for you should you need him, but weirdly, that was the last thing you wanted right now. “I appreciate it, but it’s going to be a long drive and you still need to drop Cassie off. I’ll look up flights when I get home. You just focus on driving and let me know when you made it back okay.”

“Y/N—”

“Someone is calling me from a New York number. It could be important. I have to go. Drive safe, alright?”

“Darlin’, just—”

“Thank you for calling, Beau. It means a lot.” You meant that last part, you really did. You quickly disconnected the call before he could speak again. There was no call from New York, of course, and you know he knew that, but you just needed a second to think. You put your phone on silent and continued the drive to the small house you had put a down payment on when Beau had convinced you to move here to join him about a year or so before.

You ran a hand through your hair and sighed, feeling majorly conflicted. You wanted nothing more than one of Beau’s comforting hugs but at the same time, you didn’t want to be touched or comforted. You didn’t want anyone’s awkward condolences like Hoyt had offered you earlier after Poppernak told her you might have received some kind of bad news. You didn’t want to talk or cry or try to distract yourself from reality in any way, shape, or form. You wanted to just be.

And considering where you would be flying to in the next twenty four hours, you needed as much time to process and compartmentalize as you could get.

There was no processing or compartmentalizing happening. Your brain was a chaotic mess at best. Your thoughts were all over the place, same with your emotions, and yet somehow you still felt numb and in shock.

Not only did memories play on a loop inside your head but you could not form one single coherent thought. You had walked past your full sink of dishes at least four times before you remembered you were going to stack them in the dishwasher. You had to remind yourself that you hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning, preferring your usual coffee, and you had to eat something now that it was late afternoon so you could satiate the loudly rumbling hungry beast known as your stomach. You barely tasted the food or the beer you chose to wash it down with.

At some point, you had pulled out a shoebox you kept carefully hidden away in a closet and began to go through old photos you kept stashed alongside a few Christmas and birthday cards over the years. You studied your grandmother in each photo and whether it was a blessing or a curse, you weren’t sure which yet, you could hear her voice and even her laughter in your mind. You could hear her yelling, too, but your brain pushed those memories away, knowing you weren’t ready to deal with that just yet.

You came across one picture of the two of you. You were in high school and had just received an award. You two were standing outside of the school and neither of you were embracing or smiling too widely. One of your aunts had asked you both to take the picture, to mark the special occasion, but the truth was, you two had been arguing most of the day, practically up until the ceremony. Just one of the many arguments you both had over the years where you didn’t see eye to eye.

You dug deeper into the box until you pulled out a special group of photos in an envelope. You took a sip of beer, a deep breath, and then opened it. These were pictures of your parents, gone in a freak accident when you were barely kindergarten age. You smiled down at the photos of the two of them with a baby version of you. No matter where you were or who took the picture, all of you appeared to be happy. Sadly, you didn’t remember those times too much, the memories too hazy and existing on that fine line between reality and fantasy. You only remembered the sorrow, the pain, and the devastation their sudden absence left.

You came across a photo of you and your mother, but this time, your grandmother was also included. You must have been two years old and you were grinning widely from your mother’s lap at the older woman who smiled brightly back at you. You had even reached out your hands to her, almost as if you had been asking her to pick you up. You stared hard at the picture, almost as if trying to remember that exact moment in time so you could then remember the feeling.

Your phone ringing loudly made you jump and jerked you out of your concentration. You placed the photo down and sighed. You had put your phone back on when you arrived home a few hours ago and though he hadn’t called, Beau had sent you a few texts. It was more of him offering to come over, to be there for you, and to help with anything you needed. You had immediately swiped the notifications off of your screen; you couldn’t deal with that or anything else right now. You appreciated it but you just needed some time…some space actually. Just until you could get your head on straight.

You picked your phone up and glanced at the screen, surprised to see your cousin’s name flashing back at you.

Your brows furrowed and you immediately picked up the call. “Lucy? What’s wrong?”

“Hey,” she greeted you though her usual cheery voice lacked its usual enthusiasm. While you didn’t keep in touch with most of your family, Lucy had been the exception. You weren’t close by any means but her texts and calls didn’t always go ignored. “Aunt Ida said she called you today to tell you about Gran. How are you holding up?”

You shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I guess. How are you doing?” Lucy had been just as close with the grandmother you shared while growing up but she had also stayed within the family unit while you bolted. She and her husband, John, even purchased a home two blocks away from where your grandmother lived.

“Um, I’m okay,” she sighed into the phone. “It’s sad and not the way we expected but we all kind of knew it was coming.”

“Yeah,” you whispered, taking another sip of beer.

“I know it might sound horrible to say but it’s kind of a relief. For Gran, I mean. She’s no longer suffering. You know, after the past couple of years…”

You felt a familiar surge of guilt start up in your chest again, and a burning feeling began in the corners of your eyes. “Yeah,” you repeated. You both stayed quiet for a moment, each thinking back to Gran’s initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s more than five years ago and how it had quickly progressed, especially during the pandemic years.

Lucy finally broke the silence. “So, um, I was just wondering if you were going to be flying in tomorrow.”

Your brows mashed together again. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah. For the visitation the next day.”

Your head began to whirl. Perhaps it was the beer and you had misheard her. Though, you had only had two, maybe in conjunction with what you were feeling, you weren’t thinking straight. “Wait, wait. The visitation is the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Luy sounded unsure why you were asking. “And the funeral will be the next morning. That’s why I was thinking you would probably be flying in tomorrow.”

“Aunt Ida told me that she had no idea when the services would be yet but she would let me know.”

“Oh.”

You could practically hear her nerves through the phone. “Lucy,” you warned. “When were the plans finalized?”

“Um…”

“Lucy.”

“Yesterday?” She nearly squeaked out.

That hit you like a gut punch. “Yesterday? I thought Gran just died this morning!”

Now you could really hear the nervousness in Lucy’s voice. “She, um, she passed on Monday morning.”

The fury working its way through your veins felt like molten fire. “Today is Wednesday!”

Lucy knew better than to answer that. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. I thought Aunt Ida explained when she said she spoke to you this morning. She was dealing with a lot and—”

“--couldn’t be bothered to tell me, I get it. But why didn’t you call me?” The tears building were practically burning your pupils. Your grandmother had passed away two days ago and no one could be bothered to tell you.

“I-I wanted to, Y/N. I really did but, Aunt Ida said—”

Your jaw tensed and you nearly slammed your bottle down on the floor next to you as you got to your feet, all too certain what Aunt Ida had said. While Lucy was a kinder soul than most in your biological family, she also lacked a backbone when it came to your older female relatives.

“Forget it,” you hissed, roughly wiping away tears that had escaped down your cheeks. “I’ll be arriving tomorrow. Is the obituary up or was she bullshitting me on that one, too?”

“N-No, they just posted it today. It’s actually quite nice. I think you’ll—”

“Send me the link,” you ordered before you hung up and quickly began scanning available flights as you hurried into your bedroom to begin packing.

It was late when you landed, your flight having been slightly delayed. Not that it mattered to you; if you could have delayed the flight altogether, you would have. But that wasn’t possible and neither was you staying in Helena. As angry as you were, you refused to let it keep you from doing the right thing. Plus, when you called the station earlier to tell Hoyt you wouldn’t be back until Monday, she had insisted you take the bereavement time available to you (more like ordered you) and see to your family, wishing you well. Normally, you would have put your foot down and flat out refused, content to hole up in a corner of the office and burrow yourself into work, but you knew she was right. You had to attend the services; you owed Gran that much at least.

You nodded a thanks to the cheery but tired flight attendant as she thanked you for flying with their airlines, and ambled down the bridge towards the airport. Thankfully, due to the late hour, there weren’t many people milling about and you were unencumbered from making your way down the escalator towards Baggage Claim.

While waiting for the carousel to start up, your phone started vibrating. You glanced at the screen, sighing when you saw the name pop up that had been popping up on and off all day.

You immediately rejected the call and slipped your phone back into silent mode. But before you could hit the button, a text snuck its way through to display on your screen.

You felt bad reading the message previews and you certainly weren’t trying to ignore your best friend but you just needed some time to process all of this on your own. You had sent him one quick text earlier telling him not to come by since you wouldn’t be home. You also told him you would call him as soon as you were able. Apparently, he was ignoring that last text going by his several attempts to make contact. You weren’t trying to stonewall him, you really weren’t, but you had to go into this with a clear head. Or as clear a head as you could have in these circumstances. Wasn’t that something he always said before you two went into anything dangerous on the job?

Speaking of the job, it wasn’t that you hadn’t seen your fair share of death, mostly in ghoulish evil ways that people had come up with in order to hurt each other, and it’s not that your grandmother’s passing wasn’t expected to happen at some point like Lucy had said. But you hadn’t been prepared for how you would feel when it did and you certainly hadn’t been prepared for it to happen now.

Conflicting emotions roiled in your head and churned in your stomach. Your empty stomach from that all-too familiar discomfort you’d gotten frequently during your career. The lunch you’d eaten earlier had made a reappearance after Lucy’s phone call. You would have to get some food and soon, but where you would get that at this late hour except a greasy diner, you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Not that it mattered, either. The very thought of food made an altogether different unpleasant sensation roll in your stomach. Emptiness versus nausea…fun.

Eventually, your other suitcase made its way to you and you quickly scooped it up. You ordered a Lyft, scoffing when you noticed the wait time was a half hour, possibly more, for a pickup. How was that even possible? This was an airport! At this rate, you’d be better off taking a cab but that was bound to be pricier than the Lyft. You heaved a great sigh and plopped down on your larger suitcase, resting your chin in your hand as you waited. Eventually, you whipped out your phone and decided to mindlessly scroll through your Instagram. You weren’t a fan of the app or any social media really but Em had made an account for you one day when you had unwisely left your phone sitting on one of Beau’s deck chairs while helping him pack Pedro for a camping trip he was taking her on. You quickly got bored of any new content on your feed, since there weren't any updates from anyone you actually cared about, and swiped over to your profile.

A glimmer of a smile appeared on your face when you saw the picture Em had taken of herself and her dad, posting it for you after she saw your Houston photo and labeled it a semi-pathetic attempt at a first post. Your eyes scanned through your meager posting and the picture of Poppernak that you had taken one day near the end of your shift reminded you why you wouldn’t be working with your beloved partner the next few days. Your smile immediately disappeared and you clicked out of the app, powered down the screen, and slipped the phone into your jacket pocket.

Luckily, only a little while later, your Lyft finally arrived. After loading your suitcases into the back with the driver’s help, you were on your way to the only hotel in town. You stared out the window as the scenery passed by. Your driver, Antonio, had tried to make small talk but thankfully begged off when he noticed you weren’t too talkative, most likely chalking it up to the late flight and you being tired. Familiar landmarks came into view as he turned onto another street and memories started to flood your mind. You shut your eyes, as if to keep them out, and it miraculously held them at bay a little longer. You then settled your gaze on the back of the driver seat, refusing to look out the windows until you arrived at your destination.

You’d have time enough to wallow in memories and regret the next few days. No reason to rush it.

As soon as you checked into your hotel room, you immediately jumped in the shower. It always made you feel better after traveling and the flight had felt excruciatingly long this go around. That could have had something to do with you coming from Montana, though. The few flights you’d taken from Texas back in the day had definitely been shorter.

You wrapped yourself in a towel, your damp hair spilling down your back, and started going through one of your suitcases to find body lotion. Once you found the bottle, before you could begin lathering it up in your hands, your phone vibrated on your night stand.

You heaved a sigh and glanced over, seeing you had another missed call from Beau, and yet another text.

You nearly rolled your eyes, knowing he would make good on this threat if you didn’t check in with him at least once before you went to sleep. And that was the last thing you needed right now.

You slipped in your earbuds, hit his name, then the phone icon, and switched it over to bluetooth as you began to moisturize your skin. He answered it in two rings.

“Hey,” he gruffed out before clearing his throat. “About time you called me back.”

You ignored how hearing his voice immediately made your chest feel that little bit lighter and your shoulders release some of the tension you’d been carrying around the past day. “Yeah, well, when someone threatened to put a BOLO on my ass, I responded real quick. That’s all I need, this town’s cops pounding on my door, in addition to everything else.” You had meant it to come out teasingly but your voice had betrayed your aggravation. You regretted it the moment the words were out of your mouth. You knew Beau was just worried about you, that he cared about you, and wanted to make sure you were alright. In all fairness, you could have at least sent him a text to let him know you landed but you were tired and didn’t feel like talking. He would have understood. He wasn’t the asshole in this scenario; you were.

“I’m sorry about that,” he offered gently and you could hear the genuine remorse in his tone. “I wasn’t trying to give you a hard time but damn, Y/N, not one single text to let me know you’re still alive?”

You flinched at the last word and started applying the lotion more aggressively. You were eager to be done with this call, with everything, so you could crash and finally get some much needed shut-eye. You hadn’t slept much in the past forty eight hours, probably stress from the job (it happened sometimes), and you were feeling it.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have said that.” More remorse.

“It’s fine,” you muttered, popping the cap on the bottle closed and placing it on the nightstand. “Well, now that you know that I’m fine, no BOLO’s are necessary.”

“Y/N, I didn’t—”

You knew you didn’t really have a right to be angry with him but you also didn’t have the bandwidth for dealing with anyone or anything right now. You appreciated his concern and him checking on you, but all you wanted to do was hit the sack and evade consciousness for a few hours. “Listen, it’s super late, I just got in because it was a late flight and delayed at that. I’m exhausted. So if we could…” You left it open-ended, hoping he’d just take the hint and say goodnight.

You heard some rustling on the other end and you realized he must have been in bed already when you called. You quickly glanced at the alarm clock and thought over the time difference. It wasn’t even 10:30 yet back in Helena and Beau was already going to sleep for the night? That was odd. Then again, he was now a deputy sheriff down and Hoyt would need the backup in case something came up. Plus, you knew he had cut his vacation short to rush back to Helena. He was probably just as exhausted as you were, possibly more so. “Y/N… You’re not shutting down on me, are you?”

You practically did a double take at the question. “What? No! I’m not. What, I’m tired and want to go to sleep after the long day I’ve had and that’s suddenly me shutting down on you? Seriously? All because I didn’t answer a few texts or pick up one of your many phone calls?” You had no idea why but that question majorly pissed you off. The logical part of you knew you were overreacting to a genuinely concerned question from your best friend but your temper seemed to be off to the races; you couldn’t stop it if you tried. “I get that you’re a grade A worry-er and everything but I’m not some goddamn child you need to check up on every ten minutes for Christ’s sake!” In your rush of anger, you hadn’t even realized just how much your voice had raised. Not until there was a deafening silence in the room and on the other end once you finished your little tirade.

“I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you were, darlin’,” he spoke calmly.

“Don’t you darlin’ me. Don’t you dare patronize me with that shit, Arlen. Do you hear me? Don’t you dare.” Your chest felt immediately tight again and tension filled your body once more. You huffed out an angry breath and decided the best thing for you to do in this situation was to end the call as soon as possible. “Look, you wanted to know I’m still alive, now you know. I would appreciate it if you would stop calling me and texting me all the time while I’m here and threatening me when you don’t hear back from me right away. That’s the last fucking thing I need on top of everything else,” you snapped.

Beau remained quiet but you could still hear his breathing on the other end so you knew he was listening to your ranting.

“Now, I’m going to bed. I appreciate the check in but it’s unnecessary. When the services are over and I’m going to head back, I’ll let you know.”

Still nothing.

“Good night, Beau.” You hung up and angrily tossed your phone onto the bed with your earbuds before heading back to the bathroom so you could blow dry your hair.

You thought over the entire conversation. You felt slightly bad that you had lost your temper with him when he was just making sure you were okay but God, you didn’t need that right now. What you needed was to get through the next few days so you could return to your life, your normal routine, as fast as possible. The best way you could do that was to keep going, not allowing yourself time to think, and get this done.

A twinge of guilt surged in your chest when you had that thought. You hadn’t meant anything disrespectful towards your grandmother or to insinuate that you didn’t care that she had died when you were thinking that. It was just…things were already going to be difficult, if your Aunt Ida’s attitude on the phone had been any indication as well as her behavior so far. If it hadn’t been for Lucy’s call earlier and the obituary link she texted you, you wouldn’t have even known when the services were going to be so you could grab the first flight out. Yes, things were bound to be difficult and tense until this was over.

You unplugged your hair dryer in a huff and finished getting ready to go to sleep. Beau just needed to give you space. Your life in Montana had nothing to do with anyone or anything here and you were determined to keep it that way. Texas never did despite your few trips back over the years; Big Sky Country wasn’t going to either.

You supposed you shouldn’t have been surprised at the text message notification on your screen when you lit up your phone.

You felt that twinge of guilt again but this time in your heart. Beau hadn’t deserved what you had unleashed on him before. He was a good man and he hadn’t done anything wrong. You were mentally kicking yourself as you hurriedly dressed for bed and snuggled under the sheets. You stared at your screen, your thumb hovering over his name, the desire strong within you to call him and apologize. You yearned to hear his voice one more time, even if it was just him talking and you listening, him giving you hell for the things you had said in anger earlier. Hell, you almost wished he was here with you so you could fold yourself into his arms and burrow into his chest, letting his Texan drawl wash over your ear as he assured you everything would be alright. And you could stay there as long as you wanted, safe and comforted, not having to face the world or how it had changed so drastically for you with one phone call.

After a minute of indecision, you decided to let things be, get some rest, and then call him tomorrow to apologize when you were a little more clear-headed. And God, you hoped you would be more clear-headed. You powered down your screen and turned the light off, getting into a more comfortable position. You closed your eyes and tried to let the silence settle over you to start lulling you into sleep.

A few minutes passed by of you unsuccessfully getting your mind to stop racing, constantly replaying your phone call with Beau, the phone call from your aunt, what Lucy’s call revealed (though you shouldn’t have been surprised), what you would be facing come tomorrow, and everything that entailed. Almost as if it was a track on repeat. Finally, you let out a loud huff and reached for the TV remote, turning the television on. You channel surfed until you landed on a rerun of The Golden Girls. You tried to get into the episode; the series was an old favorite that you loved. But when you saw Sophia talking to her granddaughter, you winced and decided that the show wasn’t for you right now. You continued to click through channels until you found an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. The minute Marie walked through the youngest Barone’s household, giving her daughter-in-law a glare, you let out another wince. You finally settled on The Weather Channel and stared at the screen while the woman talked about the highs and lows expected for the next week in the area. You noticed that rain showers were being forecast for the day of the burial. How apt. And just like that, you knew your brain wasn't going to let you get any rest.

You sighed and tossed the remote away from you and rubbed your hands down your tired face. So much for sleeping.

The next day, you arrived at a familiar red-colored house with white trim, stepping up onto the old wooden porch. You could already hear a low buzz coming from inside as voices batted back and forth in conversation mixed with the sounds of young children running around and playing. One voice stuck out to you from all the rest and it made you tense up. A part of you wanted to turn around and retreat back to your hotel room.

You briefly closed your eyes and took a deep breath. No. You were not going to avoid this. You couldn’t. You wouldn’t. You could do this. You would do this. You were an adult now, you had your own life, and you were a deputy sheriff for Christ’s sake. You dealt with dead bodies, assaults, and much scarier criminals every single day. You refused to turn around and leave with your head hanging down.

As if to ensure you wouldn’t be able to leave, without your permission, your hand lifted and gave two confident raps on the front door. You could hear the chatter pause long enough that you knew they had heard the sounds. You straightened up and squared your shoulders, making sure you were holding your head high just like you did during work hours. It was a silly fleeting thought but you almost wished you were wearing your badge on your belt, having it near as some layer of invisible protection.

Before you could scoff internally at yourself, the door yanked open and there stood the older woman you hadn’t wanted to deal with. You hadn’t seen her in years and while her sandy hair was mixed with more gray and her face sported a few more lines resulting in an even harsher scowl than you remembered, the dark eyes full of contempt whenever they focused on you remained the same.

You didn’t smile, tear up, or surge forward for a hug, and neither did she. “Aunt Ida,” you greeted.

“Y/N,” she replied icily. “So you decided to show up for the services after all?”

You could feel your teeth set on edge but you schooled your features. You weren’t going to let her little digs get at you and you would be damned to let her see it if they somehow did. You weren’t fourteen anymore. “I did. Mind if I come in?”

Her beady eyes gave you a once over and she practically sneered before stepping back and opening the door a little wider. Not exactly a warm invitation but an invitation nonetheless. You gave her a nod and took it, ignoring the tiny snort of derision she let out as you did.

You sat uncomfortably on the old couch that you had hated as a kid. Aunt Ida had insisted this couch was for entertaining, not for young children to watch television on or jump on or do anything on really. The seat was practically as rigid as your aunt.

You silently wondered what Beau was up to now as a temporary means of mentally escaping this situation. You had tried to call him before you came over here but his phone had gone straight to voicemail. You would be lying if you said you weren’t a little hurt and a little let down that you hadn’t been able to speak with him. He had told you to call him anytime, that he was there for you despite the harsh words you had launched at him the previous night, but the one time you actually tried to reach out, he hadn’t been available. You hadn’t been prepared for the beep of the voicemail, signaling you to talk, and you ended up leaving him the most awkward message you had ever left someone. “Hey. It’s me. …I’m sorry. Call me back when you get this, okay? Or if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I’ll understand, but…it would be really nice to hear your voice. Well…you know what I mean. Anyway, just call me back…if you want.” That had been four hours ago. And granted, he was three hours behind you now, but you knew he would already be up, getting ready for the day. So why was his phone off?

You had chastised yourself out loud after hanging up the phone, telling yourself that he was probably in the middle of something for a case that he got called in on overnight and couldn’t be disturbed. How many times did you have to do the same? You had scowled at yourself in the bathroom mirror while putting the finishing touches on your foundation. “What the hell is wrong with you, Y/N? You need to get a fucking grip.” In perhaps an immature move that you were glad no one else was around to witness, you stuck your tongue out at yourself and shook your head, muttering “Stop being such an asshole already”, and walked out the door.

And now you were here, in the house you didn’t really want to be in, surrounded by people that you didn’t really want to be around. Well, perhaps that last thought was harsh. There was really only one person you didn’t really want to see and she had been the one to let you in the door.

You quickly glanced around the room you were in, noting not much had changed since you had been here last, when you had left this town in your rearview mirror and didn’t look back. Even the scent you hated as a child was still the same: a mix of old lady perfume and stale cookies. You could feel nausea starting up in your stomach but thankfully you hadn’t eaten anything before you came here.

Your Uncle Mason, who sat on your right, gave you a tight smile when he noticed you surveying the room.

“Still looks the same, huh?” He offered.

“Exactly the same,” you agreed without looking at him.

Your cousin, Lucy, sat in the stiff armchair on your left and looked around as well, smiling. “I like that it hasn’t changed since we were kids. A lot of good memories happened here.”

Your gaze dropped to the oak coffee table that still had the scratch in it from when you were a child and didn’t know any better. That was one of your countless infractions your aunt had held against you. “Yeah, good memories,” you muttered. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Mason tense a little and Lucy fidgeting nervously.

You all heard Aunt Ida finish up her conversation and hang up the old handset before she made her way into the room. “That was the funeral home. There was an issue with the plot next to Dad but it’s been resolved.”

“What kind of issue?” Uncle Mason asked.

“Payment,” Aunt Ida spat out as she sat down before turning a fresh glare on you. “I hope you’re not here thinking there’s any money waiting for you and that’s why you decided to show up.”

You nearly ground your teeth together but forced yourself to remain calm. “Of course not. I’m here for Gran.”

She scoffed and shook her head. “Only took her dying, right?”

Lucy struggled to her feet, her round belly acting as an obstacle, but she managed. “You know, I don’t hear the kids anymore. I’m going to go check on them and be right back.” She then hurried out of the room; if she could have run, you bet she would be sprinting towards the backyard her kids had been urged out into when you had arrived. You couldn’t blame her. You would be, too.

“Ida,” Mason attempted to admonish his sister. “Now is not the time.”

“Then when is it?” She snapped, making Mason shrink back, before she turned her scowl back onto you. “Why else would you show up? It’s not like you came when she needed help, when we all needed help with her. You didn’t visit her once while she was in the nursing home. Not once when she was in the hospital.”

Your jaw tensed and you felt the familiar twinge of guilt deep within. “You told me not to come, Aunt Ida,” you reminded her.

She barked out a laugh. “Is that how you heard it?”

“That’s how I heard it because that’s exactly how you said it.” You didn’t look away when she was slightly taken aback by your reply. You refused to back down from this one. You reminded yourself that you were no longer a child; you were a grown woman who didn’t have to take her shit anymore. You were no longer dependent on her or anyone else in this family for anything though when you were, she had only been too happy to make you feel like crap for it every single day of your existence.

The woman shook her head, laughing at you. “Right. You’re some big shot cop now, right? Too good for us lowly citizens.” She smirked over at Mason in collusion, though her brother was shaking his head, refusing to meet her gaze. That angered her further and the glare she settled on you was worse than before. “It’s obvious why you’re really here. Like I said, there’s no money for you. Anything she had left went to the payments for the nursing home and her funeral. And what she had left was pretty much nothing. So if you came here expecting a payout from her will, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

You lifted your chin slightly higher in defiance of her accusations. “And like I said, Aunt Ida, I didn’t come here for anything other than to pay my respects to Gran, and to help where I can.” Your voice softened a little at the thought of your grandmother. “She would have wanted that.”

The other woman scoffed once more but didn’t say more due to the doorbell ringing.

“I’ll get it,” Mason hurried to offer and then nearly rushed from the room, leaving you and Ida in one hell of a glaring contest.

“I’m only trying to do right by Gran,” you assured her.

“Too little, too late,” she hissed.

You unclenched your jaw and took a quiet breath. “Yeah,” you reluctantly agreed. “Suppose you’re right.” Right then and there you decided that once you were back in Montana, you would sever all ties, this time permanently. You owed nothing to this woman or to any of them, regardless of any blood you shared. The one person you might have owed something to once upon a time was no longer alive. If anything, you were being quickly reminded why you had left this house all those years ago and hadn’t come back.

Ida harrumphed and continued to shake her head.

You were about to stand and leave, having had more than enough in this one little exchange with your aunt, and tell her to call you if she or anyone needed anything before the wake, when Mason returned and a familiar figure filled the entryway to the room. Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped.

There stood the very man you had been trying to get a hold of earlier, giving you one of his warm smiles. You could see slight rings of shadow underneath his eyes that were similar to yours that you had been sporting this morning before using concealer. Exhaustion lined his face but so did relief. His green eyes that were centered on you softened slightly and in that moment, you knew everything that had happened the night before had been forgiven. He was here, for you.

You didn’t remember making the decision to move when you hurried over to him, Mason barely able to get out of your way before you launched yourself at Beau who immediately wrapped his arms around you, practically picking you up off the floor. You squeezed your eyes shut to keep any tears from coming out and burrowed into his neck, happy to breathe in the familiar scent of his cologne. No one said anything and for that you were grateful. You didn’t want anything to shatter the one good moment you’d had in the past two days.

Eventually, when you felt like you wouldn’t break down in tears and you had yourself under pretty good control, you choked out in a whisper, “You’re here.”

“Damn right I am, darlin’,” he confirmed into your ear, making you smile as you heard that Texan drawl you loved so much. The tension in his body relaxed though his hold on you did not. You felt him press a kiss to your hair before hugging you even tighter. “I’m here.”

#beau arlen x reader #beau arlen x female reader #beau arlen x you #beau arlen x y/n #beau arlen #big sky fanfiction #beau arlen fanfiction

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jettorii · 1 year

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if i got a nickel for every time your art had cole accidentally flustering someone, i'd have two nickels - which is wonderful that its happened twice (in that jay being distracted doodle, and with the kai being hugged anywhere near Tickle Spots doodle)

both those art pieces have made me headcanon that all the ninja get lee moods from Cole totally by accident, Cole does something so causally - hand on waist to pull them closer in a side hug, ruffles their hair CLOSE to their ears and neck, hand on thigh and TRACING while watching a movie - which is SUPER FLUSTERING because COLE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO TRY??? HIS VIBE JUST SENDS THE LEE RADAR OFF IN EVERYONE'S BRAIN!!!

and on the flipside you have Cole, a mega switch imo, who gets REALLYYY BIG LER MOODS and sometimes he can't help but be a little more touchy. twitching his fingers and accidental wiggles here and there, he gets Tickle Monster urges and tries to be normal whenever Kai is stretching during training or when Jay drapes himself across his lap for cuddles or when Zane leaves himself WIDE OPEN when he hugs him

neither of these two incidents usually happen at the same time, but when they do... OH BOY are the ninja in for a TREAT because if cole KNOWS he's flustering them by accident IN THE MOMENT??? they are Screwed they are simply Passing Away your honor because he see's their shoulders shaking and the Smile starting to show, and in his Best Innocent voice says, "What's wrong? Is something funny?" and the BLUSH that instantly appears because they don't wanna SAY IT and Cole is a BASTARD (affectionate) and tries to make them say it

ANYWAYS circling back to the main point, just wanted to point out its happened TWICE that cole is unintentionally flustering his fellow ninja. and i love it >:D

ive thought about this ask for SO LONG LMFAO THANK YOU FOR NOTICING AND YOUR HEADCANONS ARE SO RIGHT hes such a litte bastard i love him

please i cant even reply to how??? accurate everything is???? my brain is mush take this bam bam bam slaps you with a really messy flat colored doodle page >:]

#jettdoodles #ninja sillies #tickle art #tickle fanart #ninjago tickle #ler!cole #lee!jay #lee!zane #jettbox #these are really rough but!!’n wanted to practise expressions :]]]#ive been staring at these for a while and finally got the time to sit and draw gogogoog #thankyou for these i am rubbjgnmy hands together

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d4yl1ghts · 1 month

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hey, not sure if this request will make sense but… maybe Peeta as a bullrider/cowboy? and he gives you his cowboy hat. it’s been something i’ve imagined for a long time and it’s been stuff in my brain ever since-

cowboy

cowboy!peeta mellark x wife, fem!reader

summary: peeta gives you his cowboy hat as you share a moment of peace with him

A/N- i hope this is alright, i dont know much about cowboys so 🙏

You lived with your husband, Peeta, on a gorgeous farm surrounded by vast fields and country roads in North America. Peeta was a cowboy and usually spent his days watching over the cattle ranches and herding them on his horse. You on the other hand stayed nearer to the farm and watched over the chickens and chicks. The thing you loved the most about Peeta being a cowboy was how good he looked in a cowboy hat.

You were currently cooking some spaghetti bolognese for the two of you as Peeta was due to arrive home any minute now. You placed the two plates down on the rustic table with two glasses of red wine. Then you heard the sound of keys jangling outside the front door and knew your husband was home.

“Hey, honey.”, he whispered into your ear, hugging you tightly from behind. You turned around to kiss his pretty lips. He instantly kissed back. “I love you.”, you muttered. “I love you more.”, he responded.

“Come and sit.”, you patted the chair that was opposite to yours. “This looks delicious.”, he stated.

“Like you.”, you winked jokingly. He blushed slightly, he was so easily flustered, it was cute. You ruffled his hair slightly and then you took notice of his lack of a cowboy hat. “Where’s your hat?”, you frowned.

“It’s hanging up by the door, why?”, he questioned. “You know that’s what I look forward to seeing you in when you come back.”, you answered, almost teasingly. He suddenly rose from his seat. “Where are you going?”

“Just wait one minute.”, he said. After thirty seconds he returned in his cowboy hat. “Do I look cute, baby?”, he asked you, smirking slightly. “You know you do.”

“I do.”, he stated charmingly. “Come here, honey.”, he turned towards you with open arms. You walked over and he placed his arms gently around your waist. He took his cowboy hat off and placed it on your head. “It looks even better on you, baby!”, he said with excitement in his voice, hyping you up.

Your cheeks heated up and Peeta thought that it was adorable. He loved it when you blushed. Especially when he was the reason for it. “I’ll have to get myself another hat if you look so good in that one, tomorrow you can come and herd the cattle with me.”

“Okay.”, you sighed contentedly as you leaned into your husband’s soft touch. He rubbed his big but tender hands down your back. “I love you so much.”, he whispered as he looked up at you, his eyes full of love. You just looked down at him and kissed him, you would never be able to put how much you loved him into words. He knew this of course.

#peeta mellark #peeta mellark x reader #peeta mellark imagine #peeta mellark x you #peeta mellark x fem!reader #the hunger games #the hunger games x reader #the hunger games imagine #the hunger games x you #the hunger games x y/n #thg #thg fanfiction #thg x reader #thg x you #thg peeta #fem!reader

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mellowwillowy · 1 year

Text

Red Riding Hood

Childe our big wolfie with red riding hood reader (except that reader gon have a good time bullying him instead)

MDNI, not a full NSFW but still.., childe being a heavy maso or more(and i mean he just wants to be killed or tortured alive-), *he wants to be eaten too* kinda nasty but idk (spits,blood maybe) inspired by @koinotame 's red riding hood

Page 2 (Heat)

Page 3 (Taken Over)

Oh what's this? A girl in a red hood walking in the middle of the forest all by herself? And what's in the basket? Is it a sweet berry pie for your sick grandma?

Childe slowly stalked you from behind, waiting for the right time to pound you and eat you up

Whoops, he didn't mean to step on the branch

You immediately turn back and meets his hollow eyes, oh now he has to pound you down!

Or so he thought

What's this? Why is he on the ground now? And what's this cold and hard thing on his mouth?

A... gun? A little girl with a gun?! Oh wait, on a closer look, you don't look like the little girl all the wolves rumored to be

Are you going to shoot his brain out? Or are you going to chop his head off? Wait, why is he excited over the thought of being killed by you? His tail won't stop wagging here and there too!

Did you just tsk at him? Did you just pull your gun out from his mouth without a care in the world?

"I dare you to leap on me and I'll show you what it feels like to fall from the Heaven to Hell"

Well he certainly didn't know how it feels like to fall from up there to Hell but he surely knows how it feels like to fall into the abyss

And beside, he wants to know more about you so don't mind how he grabbed your skirt and...

And that's all it takes for you to throw him down again, this time a hairpin plunged next to his head

Oh those eyes of yours really send tons of... unknown feelings, the butterflies that were flying inside his stomach, he wants more of it!

You of course noticed how his face is red with needs, especially with how his tail is roaming around your... thigh

Oh, you can't let that go. One slap and his tail didn't retreat itself but instead, it's feeling you even more! Let's try that again, another slap. Oh? One more slap. Yeah right

"You are so disgusting, you know that right?" You spit at him. Oh he likes that too.

Childe instead tried to feel his burning cheek. Oh it feels so warm and he wants more of it now. Won't you do him a little favor before you off him?

Your eyes didn't leave his for one second until he noticed how your lips curved into a... menacing smile? He can sees how your pupil glints in excitement too. Just like how he'll usually be when he finds his prey.

You hums to yourself as your hand makes its way to his hair, gently ruffling it before you yank it up.

Childe groaned from the sudden pain from his scalp, eyes watering a bit as his breath went erratic from your grip

"Such a bad doggie you are..."

You kissed his forehead, slowly moving up toward his ears, your hand gently massaging it

Childe squirms under your touch, not there! It's one of his most sensitive spots!

"Behave"

And he didn't listen to you. Alright, let's see what this tail can do for you

Ah ah ah, Childe immediately cried out in pleasure as you won't stop feeling his ears and tail

Another slap on his red cheek and Childe immediately cried out again although this time he tried his best not to squirm under your touches

And so, Childe tried his best to stay still. And he succeeded! Well... until you start nipping on his ear as if it's a candy

Alright that's all it takes for him to buck his hips, desperate for any kind of touch on his tight pants.

He did get the touch he wants but only for a moment before you retreated yourself

Are you going to leave him now? Don't leave him alone here! Please, he wants more of you

What came next surprised him

You rubbing on top of his bulking pants? Oh it feels heavenly how you acted as you pressed it even harder, as if you are trying to rub a bubblegum off from your shoes sole!

"God you are so so dirty"

You grabbed him by his jaw before biting his lip until it bled, making Childe moaned out

You took your chances and spitted in him. Your other hand pressed his adam's apple, a warning for him to not swallow it

"Lyeht meh swahlow ith, pleashe?"

Well that was adorable, how his face is all red (either from your slaps or it's just him) and covered with tears, you wished you could kiss him right there and then!

Oh no but you can't, he misbehaved and you had to teach him a lesson for it first!

Oh you almost didn't realize him trying to kiss you, bad doggie! Another slap for him

"If I see you swallowing or spitting it out then you are as good as dead okay?" You gestured the basket that lies next to him

Well, you didn't really plan to let him live at the first place but after seeing how cute he was, you just couldn't bring yourself to off him right? Besides, you love his hollow eyes the most, how it can lights up in lust and needs despite it being dead!

Childe whimpered from your threat, but not out of fear but rather how he wishes you'd still want him even after he died!

Will you cut him up and use his meat for your dinner with your grandma?

Oh! Or will you chop his head off and place it in your house as a decoration just like how people do?

He wished you won't go easy with his death too! Inflicts more pain on him! Every cut, burn, beatings, he wants it on his skin as cleas as the day!

So please don't just kill him and let his body rots in the middle of the forest okay? Make sure to use him to the fullest, please!

"Sit"

He sits. What else? Rolls on the floor? Lick your shoes? He'll do that for you happily!

"Paw"

He places his hand on top of your palm. He's fine with being treated as a domestic pet as lobg as it's you! He's fallen head over heel for you now

You snorted at the sight of it. Looks like you won't be needing your gun anymore

Childe watched you keep your gun back into the basket. Wait wait wait, are you done playing with him now?

A growl could be heard from your behind. Nope, it's not Childe's.

Another wolf, this time a real wolf

Though it didn't last long since by the time Childe growled back at it, it immediately retreated itself

Childe hopes this will make you think twice about abandoning him now. Not only is he a good dog, he's also good for protection!

You walk toward him and pat him right on his head. Oh he knows he's a good boy now

"What would you like for a reward, good boy?"

Childe tilted his head as he thought to himself

"Ihm' fhain whit anyhthingh!"

Ah right, you still haven't let him spit it out. You bring your hand to his mouth, motioning him to spit it out. Childe shook his head over and over, not wanting to waste what you gave him

"Be a good boy and spit it out. If you won't, you are no longer a good boy"

That's enough for him to slowly opened his mouth and pull his tongue out, your spit mixed with his saliva flowing down to your hand while he looks up to you with his doe eyes. Gods, he looks so adorable even when pouting!

"Ah crap, where's my handkerchief"

You don't want to wipe it on him, let alone your skirt. Your 'grandma' wouldn't like seeing it!

Childe noticed your troubled face and initiatively licks your hand, noticing how you twitched at it and yet made no complaints from it

Well, it didn't help much but still

"Gosh aren't you adorable"

You start nibbling on his pointy ear in which tenses up immediately

Childe didn't stop licking your hand clean, it takes all of him to not let his hands fly and grab your hand into his mouth

"So good for me, I might really bring you to her you know" you didn't stop nibbling his ear, your other hand teases the other one

Childe starts moaning in ur palm, unaware how he only wets more of your hand with his drool

You also noticed how his pant is now wet, he's close now

You insert your finger inside Childe's mouth, roaming inside of him in a curious manner while you suck and play with his ears

Childe couldn't stop spasming under you and yet he was able to not make any moves, let alone touch himself without your consent

And by Archons, he's glad he didn't touch himself, for your shoe finding its righteous place again, nudging the tent over and over

Childe tried his best not to graze your finger as he moaned out shamelessly, his eyesight blurred by his own tears

"Nnnh, closhe, so closhe pleashe..." Childe pleads as he lick your fingers dilligently, hoping you'll allow him to come

You teasingly bullied him more before you nodded your head

Childe came immediately after you stepped on him even harder, his fluid even got under you shoes' sole

You let go of him and he fell front onto the ground, panting as he kisses your shoes

You went and picked your basket up, putting on your red hood

Childe whined at you until you crouched down at his lying form

Your hand caresses his fluffy hair, slowly bringing your lip to his ear again

He didn't expect you to say these words at all! He thought you were about to bully him to death again

"I think I'll bring you to grandma and see if she'll allow me to keep you~"

Oh he wishes he had the time to fix himself up before you finally drag him to your grandma's house

He hopes your grandma will not mention anything about how his pants bulk out after all the trip of you dragging him by the collar of his shirt which was choking him the whole time

He hopes he'll be killed by you and be feasted for dinner if your grandma won't allow you to keep him

You will, right?

OC notes: imagine being ZiLi seeing you dragging Childe who's panting like a bitch in heat while you just 'I want to adopt this dog!'

#childe x y/n #childe x reader #fatui x reader #genshin x reader #childe #yandere childe #childe x reader smut #childe smut

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animeniacss · 5 months

Text

So Close Yet So Far - Mingyu x Reader - Chapter 2 - Terms and Conditions

Synopsis: Your college friend, Kim Mingyu, has had a grip on your heart since the first day you met. Over the past few years, as you acquired more friendships and memories, those feelings only grew. However, recently, Mingyu has seemed a bit more distant, at least when it comes to any ideas of romance. It only gets worse when rumors fly that he's off to Japan to receive a marriage proposal! Unsure what to do, you wonder how you can keep Mingyu by your side without jeopardizing your friendship or your growing feelings. You never expected that waking up one drunken morning next to two hot angels would be your ticket into Mingyu's heart.

Genre: Romance, College!AU, Modern Fantasy, Comedy, Angsty

Length: Approx. 5k words

Feat. Mina of TWICE

Chapter 2 - Terms and Conditions

“This is a terrible idea.”

“It’s a hilarious idea.”

“This is the exact opposite of what we’re supposed to be doing!”

“Shhh, she’ll wake up!”

“Mmmm…” you groaned, nuzzling your head into the pillow. “Minnie…..” you grumbled, holding the pillow closer to you. “Is that you?” When silence was heard, you felt your brain drifting back to sleep, your lips smacking in delirious bliss. he side of your bed shook slightly, and you only nuzzled your face into your pillow further, grumbling a string of incoherent words that only you understood. It took another shift through the bed for you to finally start waking up. “Mmmm…Minnie, what are you doing?” You asked, rubbing your eyes. It was then you felt it.

Your head was pounding, and your fingers were still ringing a dull pain through them, spreading out into the palm. “Aah, fuck.” You groaned, burying your head into your pillow for one more second, hoping it would help the pain. It didn’t.

“Oh no.” A voice muttered. You cocked an eyebrow, eyes still closed as you rolled onto your side, away from the wall your bed was pressed up against. A slight ruffling was heard as you finally began to sit up. You groaned once again, your head continuing to play a symphony of drums in between your ears as you looked over to your side. When you did, your eyes widened.

Beside you lay a man. Not just any man, but an absolutely stunning man. You rubbed your eyes again, staring down at him as if that would somehow clarify the entire situation. “Oh no…” You muttered. You looked under the covers, seeing you were still fully clothed. A sigh of relief escaped your lips, but it still left you with one question– and it was a big one. “Who the fuck is this?” You muttered to yourself. You looked him over one last time. His head was on another one of your pillows, eyes closed and it seemed he was still asleep. Your eyes scanned his thin, yet pretty lips, and smooth, almost picturesque features. His brown hair barely looked messy for someone who was supposedly sleeping, and it seemed he was also fully clothed, in a white button-up and pair of jeans. The longer you examined him…the more you realized something.

He looked very familiar.

You huffed. “I cannot fucking believe I jumped into bed with the first rando I find just like that. I’ll never get married at this rate.” You groaned, rubbing your head. You reached out, tapping the guy on the shoulder. “Uhm… excuse me.” You muttered. His eyes fluttered open just a bit, and your heart began beating just a bit faster. The man sat up, ruffling his hair as he looked directly at you. You scooted back a bit; pressing yourself against the wall as you stared at him.

There was a moment of…very awkward silence between the two of you. Suddenly, another figure made their presence known. You both glanced up. Before you stood another very handsome man, wearing a white tee shirt and a pair of jeans, similar to the other male in your bed. His was a bit looser fitting, however. “Okay, okay…” he said. “Enough of this before the two of you actually start-.”

The man wasn’t able to finish, as a loud scream erupted from your mouth, causing both men's eyes to widen in absolute shock. You scrambled as far back against the wall as you could. The male standing up shook his head.

“Okay, not the reaction I was-.” Before he could finish, you grabbed something from under your pillow. Pulling it out in your wrapped-up hand, you revealed a taser, pointing it directly at the man in your bed. Now he was the one to shout in surprise, frantically falling out of bed in hopes of avoiding your weapon. “Woah!”

“Go away, and I will forget you were ever here. I won’t call the cops.” You said quickly. Neither boy did anything, and you bit your lip. “I can scream louder.”

“Please don’t!” The male in the tee shirt shouted. You looked between both men. “We’re not robbers!”

“Then why are you in my apartment?!” You asked. You grabbed a fistful of your blanket and pulled it over you, though you were fully clothed. The boys shared a glance. “No answer?” You asked.

“…Joshua.” The standing man said. “You’re going to want to uh-.” He motioned to you. You blinked, glancing as the other male – Joshua –, stood up from his spot on the floor.

“You think so? She’s already-.”

“Just do it. Then we can all talk.” You watched Joshua look in your direction, and reach his hand out. You flinched, closing your eyes in preparation for the worst. In response, however, you felt him gently put his hand on your head. You looked up, watching as he sat himself back down on your bed. You looked up at him. It was just then that you felt your body slowly start to relax, your muscles loosening and your shoulders dropping. Even your hangover headache was starting to fade away to a dull sensation in the back of your head. Joshua extended his other hand, gently taking the taser from you and setting it on your bedside table. You exhaled, still gripping the blanket close to you.

“I promise.” He said softly. “We aren’t here to hurt you like you think. Please let us explain.” You blinked.

“…Okay.” You found yourself saying, though you have no idea why. “I’ll…make coffee?”

The other male grinned, running a hand through his long black hair. “You need it.”

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

Before you knew it, you were standing in your kitchen, the coffee pot filling up as you raided your cabinet for some painkillers. Despite…whatever it was that guy did, you could feel that headache creeping back up. Grabbing a small, white painkiller, you tossed it back and chased it with a large gulp of water. Shaking your head, you pursed your lips. The sound of two men sitting at your small dining room table in the other part of the kitchen, chatting to one another.

“I told you that was a bad idea.”

“I think it was kind of funny.”

“Jeonghan, it almost scared her to death.”

“…I know, I know.” The man seemed to agree. “I really did not think she’d start screaming.”

“Well, how would you react if you woke up hungover with two random men in your house?”

“Aaah, my thoughts aren’t impure like that, Joshua.” Joshua groaned.

This is the weirdest hostage situation ever. Am I going to be on the news? Are these people on the run? I’m too young to die. You thought to yourself. You watched as the coffee pot finished brewing, and you grabbed it with an oven mitt, taking it into the other room. You poured three cups, the men watching you as the steam rose and hit their faces. You lowered the pot onto a coaster in the middle of the table, before taking a seat. You crossed your arms. “…So?” you asked. The male with the black hair – Jeonghan – took a sip of his coffee, a warm smile forming on his face as he exhaled a bit of steam. You glanced at Joshua, who was staring at Jeonghan, arms crossed. Despite his soft and delicate features, he did not look pleased.

“Well…” he motioned. “You start.” Jeonghan looked over at you.

“Okay.” He said. “I need to start by saying that what we are about to tell you will probably make no sense at first. That’s ok. We can prove everything we’re saying.” You blinked, eyebrow raised in curiosity. Jeonghan sighed. “We’re…angels.”

Silence. You blinked, looking back and forth between the boys sitting on either side of you. They were both staring at you. It was as if everyone was waiting for someone else to speak.

“…So, you’re not robbers.” You began. Both men seemed to feel their shoulders drop in relief, but you weren’t done with your sentence. “You’re scammers.”

“What?” Joshua asked. “No, no, we-.”

“Angels? Really?” You asked, standing up. “Do you think I’m that stupid?”

“I told you, we can prove it!” Jeonghan said.

“Do it, then.” You said quickly. “Prove to me that you are angels.” The men exchanged a glance with one another, and you simply crossed your arms as you waited for them to do something. Joshua and Jeonghan stood up as well, and you took a step back. You watched as Jeonghan made his way over to the windows that showed the outside world just barely waking up this early on a Saturday morning. He grabbed the blinds, pulling all of them closed. The room dimmed as much as it could with the sun creeping in behind them. The men seemed to prepare themselves for something, and you shifted in your spot. Why did you suddenly feel so…uneasy?

When they took off their shirts, that uneasiness made sense. Your eyes widened but were immediately covered by shaking hands. “WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! No!” The boys looked up. “How the hell do you prove your angels by stripping down in front of me!?”

“Well, if you open your eyes, it might make more sense.” You heard Jeonghan said. You hesitated for a minute, unsure of what would await you when your eyes finally did open. You heard a chuckle, followed by: “Come on. It’s cold.” Before you finally lift your head from your eyes. Before you stood two men, arms crossed over their chests. It took a second to register what was happening when you saw them. Behind their backs were two sets of beautiful white wings, splayed out in all of their feathery glory. It was as if you were looking at a painting, one that moved. One that spoke to you. Your eyes darted between the two men multiple times. The first thing that ran through your mind was: Costumes. They must be costumes. Jeonghan seemed to read that thought right off your face because he walked over to Joshua and tugged off one of his beautiful white feathers.

“Ow!” Joshua pouted.

“Totally real~.” He said, before blowing some air on the feather. He allowed it to flow carelessly through the kitchen as if it were being carried by an outdoor breeze, before landing in your hands. It was soft, fluffy…Real…

You blinked, sitting back down in your seat as you tried desperately to find the word to say. Nothing came, and you covered your mouth. Jeonghan chuckled. “Believe us now?” he asked. With a little shake and stretch of their shoulders, the wings retracted into their backs. Oh yeah, they were real. They scrambled for their shirts before sitting back down with you again. Jeonghan leaned forward, admiring your shocked face. He glanced at Joshua, grinning.

“Probably not what she thought when she heard of ‘biblically accurate angels’.” He teased. Joshua rolled his eyes. “Do you believe us now?”

“Uh….uhm….” you blinked. “So, you guys can fly and stuff?” you asked.

“Well-.” Joshua shrugged. “Yes, and no. We can’t right now.” Despite you being the one to ask, the answer you got did not really register in your brain as you rubbed your head, trying to shake yourself back into reality.

There was no reality. What did you just see?!

“Am I dead?” you asked curiously. “Are you here to take me to heaven? Did I drink too much last night?”

Joshua reached forward, gently taking your hand under his own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “No,” he said firmly. “You’re not dead. But….” He shrugged. “We kind of need your help with the whole ‘getting to heaven’ thing.”

“What? Me?” You asked, even more confused than before. Joshua nodded. “…Are you sure you’re not scammers?”

“Want us to take our shirts off and show you again?” Jeonghan asked, taking the hem of his shirt into his fist. Your face exploded red and you quickly covered it, hearing Jeonghan laugh a bit. “I’m kidding, kidding!” He said. “Okay.” You glanced up once more. “What do you remember from last night?”

“Well…” you pursed your lips together. “I was dropped off by Mingyu-.” You began. Just then, the entire night flashed by in small chunks, from being dropped off to waking up this morning. You held your head in one hand, a deep frown forming on your face. As the pieces formed, you remembered hearing:

You look sad. Can we take you out to dinner?

You immediately looked back at Jeonghan, who only smiled. Like a puzzle missing its final piece, you recalled their faces last night as they invited you out. “I remember you guys…asked me to dinner?” You seemed unsure.

Joshua nodded with a hopeful glint in his eye. “Right. What about after that?”

“Uh…I guess I got drunk because I don’t remember much.” You said. “But I guess we made our way back here…” You looked around the apartment for a minute, hoping to see a clue that would fill in the scattered puzzle pieces of your current memory. “I don’t know why I’d let two men take me home….”

Jeonghan grinned a bit. “I can tell you if you want.” You glanced in his direction. Jeonghan leaned back in his seat, looking as if he was about to share the story of the universe as he let out a deep exhale. You saw Joshua look incredibly unamused from across the table.

“He’s very dramatic sometimes,” Joshua muttered. You glanced back at Jeonghan, who nodded his head.

“We have a contract.”

“…What?” You asked.

-------- 8 hours earlier -----------

Jeonghan and Joshua sat on one end of the booth, watching you slurp down yet another bowl of beef ramen. They shared a confused glance as you set the empty bowl down, letting out a deep and satisfied sigh. “Wow. This place is delicious. How come I’ve never noticed it when it’s so close?” You grabbed your drink – a shot of soju that you had ordered without the men doing so for you – and threw it back, setting it down on the table. “Whew!” You huffed. Joshua blinked.

“You’re quite the drinker.” He said. When you extended your hand to him, cup clenched tightly inside, he poured another small shot into the cup. “We might not have taken you out if we knew.” His joke caused you to snort in annoyance.

“Sounds about right. I’m known to drink even the strongest of men under a table.” You seemed a bit smug at that brag as you threw back yet another shot. Jeonghan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Your boyfriend must be impressed.”

Again, you snorted, but this time, with a somber look in your eyes. “Boyfriend. Yeah, right.” You sneered. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You?” Jeonghan asked. “Unreal.” He said.

“The only guy I like is flying to Japan as we speak to get some rich, pretty girlfriend over there.” You set the drink down and covered your cheeks with your hands. “At least, that’s what I heard. I don’t know if he’ll ever come back. Doubt it….” You sniffled. “And all I’m left with is first-degree burns and a nasty hangover waiting for me.”

“Awww, don’t say that,” Joshua said, trying to quickly comfort you. You sniffled.

“Why can’t I?” You asked curiously. He watched you lay your drunken head on the table, a blubber of moans and groans escaping your muffled lips. The duo, unable to do anything else, simply looked at one another. “I just wish I could break them up and bring him back here.”

“Bring him back here?” Jeonghan asked curiously. “Do you need…help doing this?”

“Jeonghan.” Joshua hissed. You looked up.

“What? Need help?” you asked. Jeonghan nodded, smiling. “I…I guess so. But what could I do? I can’t meddle in his life.”

“That’s why I’m asking if you need help,” Jeonghan said. You blinked, obvious confusion on your face. Jeonghan leaned closer to you, whispering: “We’re angels. We can help you in ways others can’t.”

“Jeonghan!” Joshua shoved him; eyes wide in shock. “Are you crazy? What if she-.”

“Okay.” You said quickly, and both of them looked over. You had your head up fully now, but your eyes were half-lidded. You rubbed the back of your head and licked your dry lips. “I don’t know exactly what this means, but you can help me. Just promise you won’t kill anyone or anything.” Jeonghan chuckled.

“We won’t. Not very angel-like.” He said. You nodded before your head fell forward. Joshua reached his hand out, catching your forehead before it slammed onto the table.

“Goodness…” Joshua sighed. “…We need to get her home.”

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

You blinked as you looked between both men once again. Joshua shrugged.

“Then we brought you back here.” He said.

“Okay…okay. I think I get it now.” You said softly. “You’re both stalkers.”

“Oh my-.” Jeonghan sighed, rubbing his temples. “No. We’re not-.”

“Actually, we can’t deny that one.” Joshua quickly clarified. When Jeonghan looked at his friend across the table, he smiled a bit. “We kind of watched her all day at school…”

“Ah, you’re right….” He muttered.

“I knew it!” you gasped; eyes widened. “This is insane.” Realizing something Jeonghan had said before diving into his story, you looked at him. “…What do you mean ‘contract’?”

Jeonghan’s ears perked up as he reached his hand out. “I was hoping you’d ask.” He beamed. Joshua seemed to do the same. “Give us your hands.” When you hesitate, the feeling of your burns healing takes the forefront of your mind. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt.”

What do I have to lose? You thought to yourself, extending your hands into each of their grasps. You watched the duo close their eyes as if they were meditating. You watched for a moment, feeling their hands gently squeeze yours. It was…comforting? Just as you were finding a very unexpected comfort in the position you were in, you watched as your hands began glowing a gentle white hue. Your eyes widened, and you looked up at the two boys. They still had their eyes closed, focused on completing whatever it was they were doing. Just then, your hands seemed to sparkle as they were enveloped in their own before what looked to be a little signal showed above both of your hands. It was transparent right now, and you lowered your head to get a better look at them.

Joshua wasted no time explaining. “When they glow green, it means we fulfilled the contract.”

“I see…” you said. “And the contract is to-.”

“Break your boyfriend up with his girlfriend in Japan.” You blinked.

“Really?”

“Well, no.” Joshua corrected. “Technically, it’s to get the two of you together.”

“And that may include breaking up him and his new girlfriend.” Jeonghan made sure to add with a simple shrug. “We do that, make you happy, and we fulfill the contract. Easy.”

You watched them remove their hands from you, the warm glow disappearing only moments after. Your hands immediately hid under the table, obviously flustered. “And if you don’t?” Joshua and Jeonghan looked at one another. It was clear they did not expect that line of questioning from you. You repeated: “And if you don’t. If it doesn’t work?”

“That won’t happen,” Joshua said. “Besides, we already kind of set the entire thing up. Regardless of the outcome, we have to at least try.”

“Uh-huh.” You said. “Sure…” One final thought hit your mind. Honestly, you were amazed that you were this full of questions considering the two people beside you. “…Do you guys eat my soul after this or something? You know, like the movies?”

That was it. The last straw. You saw both men’s eyes widen for a second, shocked that the question was even asked. After glancing at one another, they both covered their mouths, breaking into a fit of very amused laughter. It threw you for a loop. “W-what?” you asked. “What’s so funny? I’m serious.”

“You think we eat your soul?” Joshua asked. “How silly. How do you suppose we do that?”

“W-well, I-.” You paused, not thinking that far. The men continued their very amused giggles, and you couldn’t help but pout in annoyance. “Then what, pray tell, do you do when our ‘contract’ is over?”

Jeonghan sighed, finally able to catch his breath enough to answer your question. “Well…” he began. “If we help you fulfill your wish, then we’ll finally have met the terms of our punishment.” That harsh word hit your ears pretty hard.

“…Punishment?” you asked curiously. Joshua was now the one to speak up, adding to Jeonghan’s pretty vague statement.

“What he is saying is we’ll finally be able to re-enter heaven.”

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

It was not long after you finally managed to collect yourself that you found yourself finally alone again in your apartment. You’ve lived there for your entire college run and had many college parties and late-night study sessions. However, for the first time in a long time, you found yourself exhausted when you were left alone. You sank onto the couch, the duo finally long gone after you begged them to get some more sleep despite it only being mid-afternoon. As you lay belly first on the couch, you thought about what they said as you were shuffling them out the door.

“Oh,” Jeonghan turned back to you through the door frame. “Can you snap?”

“Snap?” you asked. “It might be hard with the bandages but, yeah. Why?”

“Snap both your fingers.” Jeonghan requested. Though confused, you did so quickly. It was muffled, but a sound was heard. Immediately, you saw both of their eyes light up. It was as if they won the lottery at that moment, simply by seeing you snap your fingers.

“Wha-.”

“If you ever need us, just snap your fingers,” Joshua said, taking the bandaged hand he held earlier when showing his contract seal. “Kind of like magic.” You raised an eyebrow. “…You know, in the movies?”

“Oh.” You looked down at your fingers. “That’s pretty cute…”

Rolling onto your back, you lifted your hands into the air. Without making the actual action, you mimicked the motion of snapping your fingers several times. “I can’t believe that actually works.” Curiosity strong, you didn’t know if you wanted to test the theory so soon after they had left. The sun was just barely in the sky by now, and you pulled your legs up to your chest, resting your head in your hands.

“How did this happen to me? What self-respecting girl makes a drunk contract with two handsome angels?” You muttered to yourself. You lifted your hands to look at them silently, eyes scanning over the bandages. Parts were beginning to peel off with how long they had been on. “I guess I need to change you guys, hm?” Just as you began to unwrap your left hand, the cool air tickling your fingers and palm, your phone began to ring. Looking over, you saw Mingyu flashing on your phone, a photo of him sitting across from you at a library table. You remembered that picture well, taken mid-study session during the last term. As you lifted it, your mind flashed back to that day.

“I can’t wait for this to be over.” You grumbled.

“Tell me about it.” Mingyu sighed, resting his chin in his hand. You looked up at him, seeing him scan a piece of paper that was littered among so many others. It made you smile, and you pulled out your phone. “Hm?”

“Smile.” You said, holding the phone up.

“Wha- Like this? I’ve barely gotten any sleep and I think this is the same shirt I’ve been wearing since Monday.” You laughed a bit.

“Smile.” You simply repeated. With a sigh of defeat, Mingyu rubbed his baggy eyes before grinning, throwing up two peace signs as you snapped the picture.

“Now let me take one of you.” He said as he quickly scrambled for his phone under all of the papers.

You pressed the phone to your ear, a smile still plastered on your face. “Hey.” You said.

“Heyyy. How are you feeling? Did you just wake up?”

“Uh, no I’ve been up for a while.” You said. “Did you land in Japan alright?”

“Yeah. We got in pretty late last night.” Mingyu seemed tired by the grogginess in his voice. “I hate late-night plane rides.”

“You should get some sleep then.” You said.

“I can’t. I have some stuff to do early this morning. The earlier I do it, the faster I can come back. I really don’t want to miss school.” You chuckled.

“You’re like the only person I know who has ever said that.” You pointed out, and an amused, yet slightly tired chuckle came from over the phone. “I hope your business goes well…whatever it is.”

Mingyu was silent for a moment. “Yeah. Me too.”

You wanted to bring his focus from whatever had his voice get so faint just then. “Are you meeting any friends while you’re there? I remember you telling me there were a few.”

“Oh, yeah. I have a few plans in the works.” Mingyu said. “One of them is going to the weekend cherry blossom festival with their girlfriend, so the rest of us might join them.”

You sighed. The thought of you and Mingyu walking through beautiful Japanese cherry blossoms crossed your mind, and what an amazing idea it sounded like. “That sounds so fun.” You said.

“I’ll have to take you one day.” He said. “Maybe we can go for your birthday.”

“I’ll have to pack then.” You pointed out, and Mingy could only laugh a bit. After a moment of silence, leaving with both with the thought of if that could actually happen one day, he finally spoke: “I’ll talk to you when I’m back at the hotel, okay? Go get some rest. Change those bandages.”

“Thanks. I will. Have fun. Bye.” You said. Mingyu said his goodbyes as well before the both of you hung up. You looked down at your phone one last time as it went black, allowing your reflection to be seen just slightly.

Our contract is to break your little boyfriend up with his girlfriend in Japan.

We’ll finally be able to re-enter heaven…

You threw your entire body back against the couch, closing your eyes. With everything that happened just this morning, how on earth would you be able to go back to sleep? Rolling on your side, you reopened your phone and scrolled your message list, pulling up a group chat. It took a bit of pressing through the stinging of your fingers, but you managed to type out:

Lunch in 20? Usual spot? I’m starving.

It only took 10 seconds for the messages to flood with replies.

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

Across the waters in Japan, Mingyu was sitting in the back of his car as it drove from the hotel. He looked down at his phone, watching it pop up with messages in your group chat one after another. Seungkwan was trying to organize the time, while Hoshi simply spammed the chat with emojis and photos, much to their playful annoyance. It made him chuckle, acting as a bystander to the madness in the chat. The flood of Hoshi’s antics got interrupted by yours, which he focused heavily on.

When Mingyu opens his phone, you know he’ll make sure to strangle you the first chance he gets, right?

Always worried about me, hm? He thought to himself. He quickly responded to Hoshi’s denial of that fact with a simple pair of fist emojis. As Minnie and Seungkwan responded with amused laughter, Mingyu’s driver got his attention.

“We’re pulling up now, Sir.”

“Okay…” Mingyu said, putting his phone into his suit pocket and watching as they pulled up to a fancy restaurant on the nice side of town. It was one he and his father frequented often when they visited together. At the front of the steps stood a man in a nice suit, and Mingyu immediately recognized him as Mr. Myoui, the father and head of the house. He felt his breath catch in his throat as the car slowed to a stop, one of the servants at Mr. Myoui’s side came to open the door. Mingyu stepped out, fixing his suit jacket. He immediately approached Mr. Myoui, reaching out and shaking the man’s hand. “Hello again.” He said.

“Kim Mingyu.” He grinned. “Nice to see you again. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. I’m glad to be back.” Mingyu smiled. Mr. Myoui motioned to the inside.

“My daughter said she was just going to freshen up in the bathroom, but you can wait for her in the room we reserved.” Mingyu nodded, following him up the stairs as he heard the driver head off to park the car.

Mingyu took a seat in the lavish room. It was a single table overlooking the beautiful afternoon in Tokyo through some large glass windows. He looked around, fixing his suit jacket one last time as Mr. Myoui nodded. “I’ll go grab her. Please, wait here.” He motioned to one of the waiters. “Get him a drink, please.” He watched as one of the waiters approached, smiling kindly at him.

“Uh, water’s fine.” He said quickly. He felt his heart racing as he was then left alone in the room, silence filling his ears as the inevitable came. He put his hands in his pants pockets, walking up and down the length of the window and admiring the paintings and plants adorning the walls. What would he say this time? He had no idea how to let her down gently. Would he be able to let her down gently? Would her father cause trouble with his? All these thoughts swirled in his head.

If you’re planning to take over the law firm and its assets, then you need to have everything to be successful!

No buts.

How do you know this will be the same?

Mingyu pinched his nose for a moment and let out a soft sigh. It was another voice that popped into his head, at seemingly just the right time.

Don’t forget about us while you’re gone, okay?

Mingyu smiled to himself, taking a deep breath as he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He quickly turned to the door, bracing himself as the doors opened. When he saw the figured approach, he felt his chest tighten and his eyes widened just a bit as the woman standing before him.

“Kim Mingyu, you remember my daughter…Mina.”

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