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#tucked in the dusty corner
wekillitwithfire · 1 year
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perhaps it WOULD be useful for me to actually state like. what im interested in and what i post about but also i enjoy the fact that when you follow me you really have no idea what you’re gonna get
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hedgehog-moss · 8 months
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Various ways in which I have underestimated my chickens (callout post to myself):
cognitive abilities (memory): I dropped some pasta while making a salad earlier and Louise was nearby so I opened the door and invited her into the kitchen to come clean up. At first she just meandered round the room glaring suspiciously at furniture because she's unfamiliar with the inside of my house, then I helped her locate the pasta and she pounced, but before she could eat all of them Morille came zooming across the room with Pandolf zooming behind her, which freaked out the hen who noisily flew-ran out of the room. She stayed away long enough that when I called her inside again I expected her to have forgotten all about the pasta, and that I would have to show it to her again, but instead she went straight for it, resolutely, having clearly kept this important goal in a corner of her teeny tiny mind this whole time.
hunting abilities: before getting chickens I didn't realise they actually hunted? (sometimes.) I pictured their search for food as quiet foraging, busily scratching the dirt for worms, but a) hens are never quiet they're always chattering to each other so already that part was wrong; b) when they find a worthy prey they hunt it with the fierce determination of a mountain lion. I once saw Dru chasing a grasshopper across half the pasture, running at full chicken speed and sometimes boosting herself with her wings Mario kart-style while the grasshopper desperately hopped for its life, until eventually she pounced with her beak wide open and managed to catch it mid-jump. With an action movie soundtrack this scene would have been every bit as intense and gripping as a cheetah hunting a gazelle in a wildlife documentary.
social abilities (empathy): one time Cordélia had a little bit of grass stuck in her eye and she kept rubbing her head with her claw to try and dislodge it unsuccessfully, and then she seemingly asked Dru for help, placing her face very close to the other hen's face like "see that stupid twig?" and Dru removed it with her beak. Again that's not something I would have expected from a hen... they're very disloyal creatures, so it was fascinating to see. They would stab their grandma for a dusty rigatoni but leaving a friend with something stuck in her eye is apparently a level of antisocial even chickens won't cross.
social abilities pt.2 (romantic sensibility): sometimes when the night sky is clear and you can see the Milky Way, instead of tucking themselves in at sundown like they usually do, they'll fly to the roof of their coop and sit there for a little while to watch the stars together. Okay this one may be a tiny bit less scientific an observation than the others but I don't have an explanation for this behaviour; I've never noticed anything wrong with their coop on these particular nights, the door is open, they can go in—and the girls don't seem stressed at all, if anything they look like they're having a nice peaceful moment and I feel bad for bothering them.
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Little Paintings
Mihawk x gn!reader
Summary: surely the extremely observant and powerful warlord of the sea won’t notice your little paintings all over his castle…
Content: pure fluff, with just a hint of romance. reader is written as autistic.
A/N: I recently watched a TikTok where somebody was painting cute little designs all around their house until their spouse noticed. It made me think of this idea. Like all my stories, Mihawk is based on a mix of his live action personality and the little bit I know from watching some of the anime and reading the manga quite literally years ago. Enjoy!
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You like painting. Always have, always will.
However, you’re not sure if the fearsome Dracule Mihawk will appreciate it so much as you, not when you’re painting inside his crystal ware cabinet. Especially not when you didn’t bother to get his permission. 
Not that you’ll stop.
If anything, it makes you determined to work quicker, nudging more of the delicate wine glasses aside to you can lean in and finish the adding paint strokes to the fine wood, creating a minuscule image of a little bottle in the back corner of the cabinet.
Is it silly for a fully grown adult to be doing this? Perhaps. Yet you can’t help but smile as you add the final touch to the tiny little label on the bottle, a small swirl of purple paint to match the label of the wine he shared with you yesterday.  
Perfect.
When you extract yourself and carefully push the wine glasses back in place, the painting is completely hidden. You have just enough time to hustle back through the chilly castle halls and tuck your paints in your room before he returns inside from his sword practice.
He gives you quite the long look when you settle in the kitchen later that day, those piercing yellow eyes seeming to cut through your surface and see so deep. And though you feel your breath catch—as it often does around this formidable man—you force yourself to smile innocently.
“Yes?” you ask.
“I will be sailing out for supplies this afternoon,” he says after a long moment.
You nod and draw your knees to your chin. “Do you need me along?”
“No need for that.”
You sigh with relief, watching as he turns back to his cooking. You don’t dislike people, but you do prefer your solitude. You always have, ever since you were a child. It’s why you feel content to stay here now.
That, and how utterly delightful it is to watch him cook.
He’s terribly handsome when cooking, though you’re fairly sure the man would look handsome doing anything. His knife seem to blur as he cuts up the vegetables, then begins to prep the meat. When he reaches for the pans, his cross necklace shifting against his finely cut chest, your heart skips a beat.
Yet he simply grabs a pan and gets to work, seeming to not notice the tiny cross shaped sword painted just behind where the pots hang.
Really, it’s foolish of you to do this. Yes, art has always been a passion for you, but you are a guest here. A guest he has allowed to stay for some months, and a guest who has shared just enough casual, accidental touches that you hope it might become something more, but still a guest.
Still, you’re curious. Just how much can you paint before the great swordsman notices?
You’ve been at it for a week now, ever since you found the dusty little bottles of paint tucked away in a forgotten storeroom. You use every moment he’s out to sneak little paintings around the castle, none bigger than your thumb.
There’s the little map against the doorframe of your room, like the treasure map you were following before you stumbled on this island.
Then there’s the small ape painted onto one table leg in the dining hall, a far less fearsome version of the beasts that chased away your captain and crew when you all landed here. You recall how frustrated you were that they left you behind, a frustration that has long since faded now that you can count on the safety of Dracule Mihawk’s castle.
He walks past you now, a hand brushing briefly against your arm before he continues on to grab the spices across the kitchen.
Not an accident, surely. Nothing this man does is accidental.
That makes you think of the minuscule wanted poster you painted in the corner of your doorframe yesterday, in honor of the fear you first felt when you realized just who inhabited this place. Funny how frightened you were that first day. And the second day.
…and the third.
By the forth, however, you had figured out he likely wasn’t going to kill you.
By the fifth you’d determined that so long as you didn’t irritate him, he didn’t seem inclined to make you leave either. In fact, as days went on, you became fairly certain he didn’t mind your company.
Which is why you now play this foolish game of sneakily painting designs all around his castle.
You always considered yourself clever. Yet apparently all it takes are a few “accidental” touches and heavy looks for you to throw all your caution to the wind. Teasing a warlord, vandalizing his castle… such a perfect plan for long term survival.
Still, you do truly enjoy painting.
Your favorite are the flowers you painted along a small crack in the stones of the great hall, colored with a yellow that makes you think of his stunning eyes, the eyes that have over the last few months shifted from disinterest and disdain to… something else.
Something that makes you hope perhaps you won’t always be just a guest.
You’re not brave enough to make any moves yourself—never really have been when it comes to matters of the heart—but that won’t stop you from seeing just where these lingering glances and soft touches might eventually go.
Those same eyes stare at you again now as you make your way to the dining hall and pick at your food, separating the small bits of tomato from the rest of your meal. You bite back a smile as his gaze cuts down to your plate and he takes note of the rejected vegetable. Knowing him, he won’t use it in your meals again.
You honestly don’t know how a man so observant has not noticed your paintings yet.
“Do you need anything from the village?” Mihawk asks, startling you from your thoughts.
“I’m alright, I think,” you say. Given the nearest village is several islands away, you take a moment to think about it truly, but everything you need has been provided for you already. If anything, you’re far more comfortable here than you ever were with the crew you sailed alongside, a crew that only cared about you for your rough mapmaking skills—your least favorite thing to paint if you’re being honest—and were quick to abandon you when the first hint of danger appeared. 
He nods and turns to his own plate. You try not to stare at the wall behind him, where you‘ve recently painted a tiny little figure sitting in a tiny little chair wearing a tiny black wide brimmed hat, hidden just at the base of the dining hall floorboards.
Trying not to giggle about it keeps you distracted through most of lunch.
“I’ll be off then,” Mihawk says as you both finish your meals, rising from the table.
“Be safe.”
Ah yes, because you need to tell the strongest swordsman in the world to be safe. You mentally kick yourself, but feel better when he offers you one of his rare almost smiles, even as he pauses by your chair.
“Don’t worry yourself,” he says, that confidence that you’ve come to admire woven through every inch of his words. “I highly doubt there will be anyone to challenge me. Truly a shame. Oh, as a note…”
“Yes?”
Your breathe hitches as he reaches out, gently taking your hand and lifting it towards him. You’re hyper aware of how strong his grip is. So powerful, yet intentionally gentle. Of how piercing his gaze is, those eyes that are so hard to meet, even as they set your heart racing. He lifts your hand to his lips and presses a slow, deliberate kiss against it.
Oh.
When he lowers your hand, he’s… smiling. Not just that almost smirk, but a real smile. Your heart lurches again at the sight. When he speaks, it takes you a long moment to process his words around the pounding of your heart.
“The entry hall could use a few more flowers, perhaps, if you must paint all over the walls.”
Then he’s off, leaving you stunned where you sit. Your draw your hand close to yourself, staring at the skin he kissed.
You hadn’t noticed it until now, but on the back of your hand is just the slightest smudge of dried purple paint from earlier.
As you run a finger along the paint, you find yourself hesitating. Then before you know it, you’ve risen from your chair and are hurrying to follow, to catch Mihawk before he leaves the castle.
Perhaps you need some supplies after all.
More paints. New brushes. A proper tray for mixing your colors… and maybe even a true kiss from the warlord you’ve fallen for.
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jobean12-blog · 9 months
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A Love for the (P)Ages
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (Mob/Mafia AU)
Word Count: 1,170
Summary: Bucky might be the baddest mob boss in the city but he’s the softest and sweetest husband in the Universe. 
Author’s Note: I just love writing super soft Mob!Bucky and I love books and then I figured why not both and while this doesn’t focus on Mob stuff just keep that tucked away 🥰Thank you so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy! 🥰
Warnings: fluff, fluffs and more fluffs :)
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“Why can’t you just tell me where you’re taking me?” you ask as you walk toward him.
“Because it’s a surprise doll,” he says softly, circling his arms around your waist once you’re standing between his spread legs.
“Are you going to stay in your suit?”
He nods as he toys with the hem of the tee shirt you’re wearing.
“So should I put on one of the fancy dresses you’ve bought me? Or?”
His hand slides slowly over your hip, reverently tracing the curve of your body until his fingers wrap around the back of your neck and he pulls you down toward his lips.
“Wear anything you want doll face,” he whispers against them.
“Fine,” you pout playfully before kissing him. “Don’t give anything away!”
When you step out of your walk-in closet you find him at the mirror above the dresser fixing his tie. You meet him and reach out as if to help but instead start to undo it. He raises a questioning eyebrow but doesn’t protest.
Once his tie is off you drape it carefully over the dresser and open the first two buttons of his shirt then fix the collar. Your fingers toy with the chain that hangs around his neck, the one you gifted him, and you straighten the pendant at the end.
“There,” you say happily. “I love when you have it open like this…although, all the other women do too so I’m sure I’m going to be giving out plenty of dirty looks wherever we end up going.”
He chuckles and drags you into his chest, wrapping you up in his arms until he can run his nose along your throat with a soft inhale.
“Jealous baby doll?” he teases when he reaches the shell of your ear.
“Maybe just a little,” you admit on a gasp.  
“It’s only fair doll considering every man that lays eyes on you can’t seem to peel them away unless I punch them in the face.”
Your grin is wicked when you say, “well, I’m definitely something to look at.”
“You are the one and only thing worth looking at,” he murmurs as he steps back and his eyes sweep over you.
You soften at his words, linking your fingers with his as he tugs you out of the room.
“Now, let’s go because I have a feeling you’re going to want to spend a lot of time where I’m taking you.”
With his arm secured tightly around your waist and your eyes squeezed shut Bucky leads you toward your surprise.
“Now don’t open them until I say so, ok?”
“Ok,” you answer, digging your teeth into your bottom lip with excitement.
He opens a door to usher you inside and the moment you take that first step a wave of enchantment washes over you, carrying the aroma of aged leather and dusty pages.
His lips meet your ear and he whispers, “open up doll.”
Your eyes pop open and fill with the soft golden glow from the antique lamps that line the walls.
“Bucky!” you whisper shout, unable to take your eyes off the books but squeezing his hand tightly. “It’s amazing!”
You rush forward, tugging on his hand but he stops you with a gentle pull and you turn to look at him.
The corner of his mouth lifts into a boyish smirk and he crooks his finger. When you step into his embrace he dips his head and brushes his lips against yours.
“There’s only one rule while you’re here,” he whispers.
Your arms circle his neck and you smile. “And what’s that?”
“A kiss for every book I buy you.”
“What if I buy one hundred,” you giggle.
“Then lucky me,” he says with a wink.
You press yourself closer and pepper his face with kisses then finally find his lips. He’s reluctant to let you go but you hold his hand as you start to meander through the labyrinth of wooden shelves that are lined with books and seem to stretch on endlessly.
The old, wooden floor is worn from the traffic of numerous readers and you can’t help but run your fingertips along the spines of the books as you peruse the shelves as one of them.
“I don’t know where to begin,” you say softly, peeking over your shoulder at Bucky.
He smiles sweetly, his eyes trained on you and the joy you’re expressing.
“Take as long as you want doll.”
The urge to kiss him all over again is strong and so you grab the next book your fingers find and pull it from the shelf. As you flip through it you take slow steps toward him until your standing close enough that you can feel his warmth.
You open the book, carefully thumbing through the pages before lifting it to your nose and inhaling it’s scent.
“Oh I’m definitely getting this one!”
Without another word you hold it up for him and he takes a deep inhale. “Smells good.”
“Right!” you cheer with as much excitement as you can quietly. “And look, it’s a romance!”
He reads the title and his smile widens as he leans in for his kiss. It starts off slow and sweet, his lips a whisper against yours but when you press yourself closer and slide your hands over his chest, he closes the distance, pushing you toward the shelves until your back hits the dusty wood.
His fingers dance up your arm, tracing the curve of your shoulder and grazing your collarbone before his thumb presses under your chin and he tilts your head back to trail kisses along your throat.
“Bucky,” you breathe out, your fingers clenching the expensive fabric of his shirt. “Someone might see.”
“That’s ok baby doll,” he croons, finding your lips again. “I own the place.”
You suck in a breath and look him in the eyes.
“You…you own it.”
He nods and gathers you in his arms as he presses soft kisses to your face.
“You bought me a bookshop?”
“I did,” he states as if it’s nothing. “And don’t worry, the previous owners were perfectly happy with the agreement considering they were ready to retire and I promised I wouldn’t change anything about it other than the necessary upgrades.”
“I…” you stammer. “I just…I can’t believe it!”
“And you haven’t even seen the rest of it yet. You’re gonna love all the reading nooks and there’s a hidden attic that we can renovate into whatever you want.”
He kisses you again but before it starts to heat up you nibble his bottom lip and ask, “how many books do you think are in here?”
His smirk is wicked. “Oh there must be thousands of them doll face.”
“That’s a lot of kisses,” you purr.
He rests his hands against the bookshelf on either side of your head, trapping you in place as his face inches closer and his gaze falls to your mouth.
“It’ll never be enough,” he murmurs, brushing his lips along yours.
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@book-dragon-13 @sebstanwhore @randomfandompenguin @goldylions @late-to-the-party-81 @justkinsey @kmc1989 @beccablogsthings @laineyreads @lookiamtrying​ @hallecarey1 @hiddles-rose​
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perlelune · 2 months
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Oxytocin | Coriolanus Snow | v. {END}
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One act of kindness from a peacekeeper may be your salvation or your doom. Possibly both.
Warnings: DUB-CON, Blackmail, District 8 Reader, Stalking, Kidnapping
This is a dark story. Heed warnings before reading under the cut.
𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙
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A deep breath flows from your lungs as you examine your reflection in the cracked, stained mirror. It’s been in your family for years and you never had the heart to rid yourself of it, despite the object’s sorry state. Like everything in the small house, it harbors a plethora of fond memories.
You arrange a few unruly strands of your hair. Though you immediately feel silly for doing so.
It’s not like he cares what you look like. It never bothered him before. He always seeks you out, even when you are worn and sweaty after working a long day at the factory.
As you tiptoe across the room, your gaze settles on Tilly’s tiny form. Soft breaths lift her chest up and down. She is fast asleep, thankfully. Words are amiss to explain where you’re sneaking off to tonight, who you’re planning on meeting up with…or perhaps there are words for that, some you are too terrified to even fathom. Two young people secretly wandering the streets of District 8 at night to find each other and…
Your cheeks flare with warmth.
This isn’t what Coriolanus is to you. He is your tormentor. That is all. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be shaking like a leaf in the dark, your stomach threatening to drop to your feet.
One of the moth-eaten, dusty floorboards squeaks below your feet as you reach the exit door and nudge it open.
“Are we going somewhere?”
Startled by your cousin’s drowsy voice, you turn around so fast that your head spins. She blinks at you curiously as she sits up in her bed. A heavy sigh peals from your lips. Smiling from ear to ear, you approach her.
You hunker down in front of her.
“I am. You’re not, sweetie.”
“Where?”
Your stomach coils. Still, your smile remains intact.
“Just gotta run an errand quickly,” you lie while cupping her cheek. “We’re running out of your medicine. We have to make sure you stay healthy past the winter.”
She yawns and glances at the twinkling stars through the window.
“But it’s so late.”
Excuses dwindle in your head. You retreat to the authoritative older sibling tone you sometimes use to get your cousin to do her chores.
“I’ll be back before you know it. Just go back to sleep, okay?”
You tuck Tilly back into bed. Arranging the blanket over her gingerly, you drop a soft kiss on her forehead.
Your cousin nods and curls herself beneath her blanket. Relief swells within you. She is too little to hear about the purpose of your nightly trip. In fact, you plan on her never knowing a thing about it. With luck, all of it will end tonight. You’ll bow to the peacekeeper’s demands. One last time. Then you’ll bury the awful memory in the furthest, deepest recesses of your mind and never look back.
It’s what you hope will happen.
Cool winds skate across your skin when you step outside. The moon trails your quiet, anxious trek through the alleys of District 8, its silver beams lighting the cobblestoned path. Every time your feet hit the ground, the nervousness in the pit of your stomach grows. Perhaps you should have stayed home, risked his wrath. You are so painfully unready for whatever the peacekeeper has in store for you. Your wild, palpitating heart seems as if it’ll burst out of your chest any second now.
Suddenly, your tremulous walk is halted.
Familiar fingers snake around your wrist. You’re pulled into a dark corner and shoved against a wall. A stunned gasp hops from your throat. 
Coriolanus smirks at your reaction.
“No need to be scared, birdie. It’s just me,” he whispers, balancing his arm above your head in a way that makes you feel caged.
“Coriolanus.”
He seizes your chin, cobalt eyes drinking you in. His voice is almost soft.
“You really thought I’d let you walk on your own at night? It’s not safe.”
He parts from the wall. His hand wraps around yours. He tugs you along and you have no choice but to follow.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll recognize it.”
Indeed, you do. To your utter despair. After strolling through a vertiginous amount of dank alleyways and narrow stairs, you and the peacekeeper end up in front of a place that bears a daunting familiarity.
As the neon lights of the brothel fill your sight, your apprehension skyrockets.
Snippets of memories of what occurred the last time you were here lurk inside your mind. Your insides clutch.
Coriolanus sighs. His thumb sweeps across your palm, almost tenderly.
“It won’t be like last time. I promise. You can trust me.”
The same beautiful woman welcomes the two of you. Once again, there’s a flirting lilt to her tone, one the peacekeeper ignores. Coriolanus asks about a room. His questions about it fade amidst the uproarious drumming of your heart inside your ears. You’re a jittery wreck behind him, your gaze bouncing from wall to wall.
His deep voice yanks your attention back to him.
“Birdie?”
“Y-Yes?”
The corner of his lips quirks upward.
“Come with me.”
You nod. Is it too late to make a run for it? Though you’d rather not find out how much worse this could get, how mean Coriolanus could turn. He didn’t even hesitate to have you on your knees before, simply to make a point. He’s in good spirits now, nicer than he’s ever been to you, even humming a light tune to himself. Maybe you should aim to keep it that way. Tread the path of least resistance, as much as you loathe yourself for surrendering to him so easily.
You enter the room. Your heart leaps when you hear him lock the door behind you. The inside is nicely decorated. Candles around the canopy bed at the center of the room provide a soft, intimate light. 
Red and white rose petals are scattered over the silk sheets.
Your heart skips a beat when his breath ghosts over your neck.
“It’s pretty, right?” His hands settle over your hips, his chin resting on your shoulder. “I had it decorated specially for us.”
He shifts you so you’re facing him. Fingers sneak below your chin, tilting it upward. Your stomach flutters as you get lost in his blue eyes. They burn into you like coals in the swaying candlelight.
“Has anyone ever done something this nice for you?”
You remain silent for a while, fiddling with the scarf around your neck, the one he gave you.
“N-No,” you eke out after an eternity.
He starts pulling on your scarf. When it hits the floor, exposing your neck to his gaze, you already feel incredibly vulnerable. You tremble as Coriolanus begins to circle around you. As he does that, more articles of clothing join your scarf on the floor, turning into a growing heap at your feet.
First he unbuttons your shirt. When it’s loose on your frame, he pulls on it lightly until it slides off you. Next he unlaces your skirt. Coriolanus is slow, digits dragging over your quivering flesh as he peels every layer of fabric off you. Eventually, you are bare before him. Goosebumps peek under your skin as he spends a torturous minute simply appraising you. Lust swells his pupils, nearly drowning the blue in his eyes.
“Have you ever done this before?”
You shake your head. He seizes your jaw, angling your face upward.
“No miners? No factory worker? No one before me?”
Heat rushes to your face. Still, you shake your head again, faintly wishing you could sink inside the earth and disappear.
Satisfaction illuminates his features.
“So I’m your first.” He caresses your arm. You will yourself still, despite the itch to run away searing through you like a hot knife. His voice lowers to a husky whisper. “I wish you’d see I’m not your enemy, birdie.”
He then shocks you. Layer by layer, Coriolanus starts to shed every part of his peacekeeper uniform. Every piece of clothing falls into a heap on the floor that melds with yours.
When he peels off his boxers, your throat dries. He’s thick and long, just as you remember. Apprehension settles within you. His eyes lock with yours. “Do I look like your enemy right now?” he mumbles. Your pulse picks up as he approaches you. Your gaze drifts everywhere and nowhere, your breath caged in your lungs.
“I don’t know.”
“Do I scare you?”
“Yes.”
His mouth slants crookedly.
“But not in the way you wished, right?”
You gawk at him, wide-eyed and dry-mouthed.
The courage to answer never finds its way into your heart. Coriolanus’ lips however find their way onto yours. At first, the kiss is soft and firm. Cradling your face, he sweeps his mouth over yours without haste. Meticulously slow. As if he wishes to commit your taste to memory.
He nudges you backwards onto the bed. When your back collides with the mattress, his mouth turns more ravenous. His tongue explores the roof of your mouth while his hands wander lower, kneading at your curves. Your head spins. You keen against his tongue as a sick twinge of something you won’t name flickers in your core.
When his mouth parts from yours, you’re both equally breathless, his warm breath mingling with yours. You find yourself almost longing for the heady feeling. Almost. The blond smiles down at your dazed expression.
He traces your jaw with his thumb.
“You can scream as much as you like, you know? No one will come to your rescue.”
“I won’t scream,” you say, defiance igniting your gaze.
“Oh but you will,” he replies with confidence. His mouth ghosts over your earshell. “You’re all mine tonight, pretty bird.” His mouth tugs upwards. “And I plan on making you beg for it before the morning comes.”
As if to emphasize his point, he slithers down your body. The entire time, he corrals your gaze, his blue eyes shimmering in the darkness. He wedges himself between your thighs, meeting only meek resistance as he pushes them apart. 
Coriolanus appraises your slick folds. He drags a finger alongside your slit, mirth lighting up his face. 
“Already so wet for me, birdie,” he says.
Your face heats. You could try to contradict him but the evidence is right there between your legs. Impossible to escape or deny. You are sinfully, embarrassingly wet in front of the peacekeeper.
“I-”
Brazenness melts off your tongue when he presses his lips to your core. He feasts on your weeping folds, his unyielding fingers keeping you placid and open. His tongue teases your tender nub, drawing torturous patterns. Your muscles tighten. The air in your lungs rushes in and out faster as Coriolanus’ tragically skilled tongue sends zings of shameful pleasure through your spine. 
Meticulous and slow, he takes his time to taste you. Every second he spends unraveling you is the most sensual torture.
Your trembling fingers claw at the sheets, your eyes rolling back. You glance down. A peculiar tingle dances through your belly when you catch sight of the blond’s head bobbing between your thighs. Despite your center aching for release, you fight the urge to buck your hips into his mouth and seek more of the delectable contact. He sucks your swollen clit between his lips, pushing his tongue between your folds. You gulp down a sharp scream. Waves of pleasures sweep through your frame. Your lids flutter as your stomach tightens. A painful tension settles in your limbs, heat gathering in your core.
For a long time, you try to stay quiet. You bite yourself hard enough to draw blood as you muffle every whimper and moan struggling to break past the confines of your lips. 
Coriolanus makes his way up your body, his index and middle finger replacing his tongue. Quick exhales burst from your chest as you peer at him through your hazy vision.
“I want to hear you, birdie,” he rasps, his fingers catching on your bottom lip, forcing your mouth open. He sinks a finger inside you. Your chest lifts, brushing against his. When the digit hooks between your slick walls, grazing against your sensitive spot, you unleash a loud squeal.
The blond smiles.
“There. So much better.”
He sneaks another finger inside your core, stretching you even more. Unused to the feeling, you whine and grip a fistful of the sheets. He pumps inside you, finding a steady rhythm that has you twitching beneath him. The broken moans spilling from your tongue mingle with the wet sounds your cunt makes as he explores you with his fingers.
Embarrassment is slowly nudged aside by the storm of delectable sensations growing inside you.
The heel of his hand keeps grazing against your swollen button, eliciting spikes of pleasure through your flesh.
His forehead rests against yours, his feathery lashes falling to half-mast as he whispers,
“Come for me, birdie.”
Your breathing accelerates, his words propelling you closer to your peak. You clench around his fingers. Your legs tense. Warm tingles swirl across your flesh as your back arches. 
A lightning bolt of pleasure passes through you, quick and intense. For a few seconds, not a thought occupies your mind. You are nothing but a million nerve endings on fire.
Your boneless frame crashes over the sheets.
“Good girl,” he praises, his smile expanding. His fingers pull out of you and he brings them to his lips. You watch, sickly fascinated as he dips them into his mouth, reveling in your taste. He hums in appreciation. Your face warms. He then places those same digits over your own lips, forcing you to taste yourself. He bends over you, peppering sluggish kisses in the crook of your neck. His hand splays over your heaving chest, his thumb rubbing your nipples until they pebble under his touch. His lips trail lower on your body. 
He pauses, looming over you. Hands on each side of you, Coriolanus lines his tip with your entrance. Your eyes widen in surprise. You squirm and try to scoot away, panic rushing through you. 
He yanks you back on the bed with ease, his body pinning yours onto the mattress. When you reach for his face, hoping to land a blow, he snatches your wrists and slams them above your head.
He scoffs, “So feisty, even to the bitter end.”
Your breath falters when his thick tip stretches you open. Even that single inch of him feels like too much. Rapid breaths burst from your fluttering chest.
Tears quiver beneath your lashes.
“It hurts…”
He pushes until he’s halfway inside you. Pain shoots through you as you sob.
The tears spill. He releases one of your wrists to fondle your cheek.
“Shh, it’s okay, pretty bird. I’ve got you.” 
He shoves inside you until he grazes your hilt. Your lips part in a quiet scream, your vision flickering. For a while, Coriolanus remains still, giving you time to accommodate his thick girth. He starts moving, his thrusts slow and deep. The longer he fucks you, the more the pain morphs into something else. Something not entirely unpleasant, albeit a little terrifying. The aching stretch becomes tantalizing, your wet walls clinging to his length every time it drags against your soft spots. Little whimpers leave your throat as you cling to his bicep.
Coriolanus’ hand wraps around your jaw.
“Focus on me and only me,” he instructs.
Your eyes dive into his. Flames dance in his cobalt orbs. He smiles, his thumb sweeping  over your bottom lip.
“Such an obedient girl.”
“How does it feel now?” he grunts. You note the sweat glistening over his bare muscles, dotting at his brow. His exhales are more strained now, matching yours. 
You keen at a sharp snap of his pelvis into yours. He picks up the pace, bending one of your thighs against your chest to thrust as far as his cock will go. Your toes curl, blissful shivers creeping their way up your spine. 
“Awful,” you wheeze out. 
He snickers. “You’re a horrible liar, birdie.”
You sense him nearing the cusp of his pleasure. His cock twitches between your walls and you plead, panicked, “Corio…Coriolanus…not inside, please.”
A crooked grin spreads on his lips. 
“But wouldn’t it be wonderful, if I left you something to remember me by.”
You shudder, shaking your head. “No…”
He slips his fingers between your joined bodies, drawing a long moan from you when he starts rubbing your pulsing clit. He plays with your tender bud until you cry out. You come apart around him, slick walls hugging him snugly as he shoots his thick seed inside you. 
Dread settles in your bones, piercing through the haze of delight. You tremble as the stickiness trickles alongside your walls.
He lets out a throaty sigh, trapping you underneath him so you can’t move. 
“Yes,” he breathes out, burying his head in the crook of your neck. Your mouth opens in shock as another tear traces a blazing path down your cheek. He scatters bruising kisses along the column of your neck. His cruel words sear into your flesh. “That way you can never forget you were mine before anyone else, birdie.”
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You awake with a start, bruised and sore, in the massive bed. Your glance darts around, confusing filling you as you tuck the blanket against your frame. Your shoulders sag. You note faint sunlight pouring through the crimson curtains. All the candles from last night have been blown out. 
It’s the next day. You are alone. You shiver at the sight of the rumpled sheets, glimpses from the night before seeping through your mind. Coriolanus kept true to his word and made you sing for him the entire night. He was relentless and didn’t stop until you passed out from pleasure. In fact, you were so exhausted, you can’t pinpoint the moment he left. You simply recall him cooing soft praises in your ear as he had his way with you for the last time. 
For a moment, you held some fear that he would never leave, since he was so hellbent on making you come around him as many times in a row as he could.
What terrifies you most however, is that last night wasn’t terrible. Not entirely. Or not in the way you pictured at least. Heat creeps up in your cheeks at the thought. 
You clamber off the bed, wincing at the aching stiffness of your limbs. You collect your clothes and begin to dress. You’re eager to leave the room. It stinks of sex and shameful mistakes. 
As you climb down the stairs, the madam greets you with a wiggle of her fingers. You bristle, shame glowing inside your chest. 
She bends over the wooden handrail, her cleavage threatening to spill out of her dress.
“He said you were free to stay in the room to rest for the entire day if you wished. Paid in full before he left.”
“I don’t want to stay.” 
You hasten your pace to reach the exit faster.
She stops you in your tracks, a mischievous grin dancing on her lips.
“So the pretty boy didn’t tire you out then?” She tilts her head and pouts. “Pity. I imagined him to be a more…zealous lover.”
Your cheeks flame as you rush out of the brothel. You can’t get back home fast enough. 
You need a shower expeditiously. Never before have you longed for the freezing cold spray to hit your skin so badly.
You return home to at least a month’s worth of supplies and medicine in several bags. 
There’s even candy for your cousin, the same he brought her last time. Your cousin’s overjoyed, of course, but you remind her not to overindulge. 
Nothing else accompanies them. No letter. No card. You should feel happy at that, you surmise. Finally, you are free to live life on your own terms, return to your routine. 
Part of you is a little stunned by it however, and perhaps expect the peacekeeper to not be truly gone. For days, you keep wondering if he’ll materialize from a dark corner or surprise you as you stroll down a dank alleyway. 
None of that occurs. Still, it takes weeks for your blood not to chill anymore at the sight of a peacekeeper. After a month of tranquil, humdrum days, you’re forced to admit it. Coriolanus has granted you the peace he promised.
Your chest is a little lighter as you head to the factory everyday. You even start smiling again, which Yara and Tilly keep teasing you about.
But you can’t help it. No more feeling scared or confused. No more eyes trailing your every move. You’re relieved, happy. Life in district 8 may sometimes be uncertain but, at least, you hold your destiny in your hands once more.
Blessed freedom. Finally.
So you let yourself relax. Over time, the terror gripping your gut melts away. The tightness in your chest eases. 
Your mind is so at ease that you don’t notice the shadow creeping behind you on your way out of the factory. It’s too late when you do. 
A black cloth is shoved over your head as you turn a street corner. You’re hauled off your feet and dragged into a dim alley. Your heart races, panic flooding you as you’re tossed into the back of a vehicle. 
The engine roars to life. Every question you ask is ignored, your kidnappers frustratingly silent. You wonder if you’ll die or be sold off to traffickers. You’ve heard of district girls disappearing sometimes, the kind no one will miss or ask too many questions about. 
They often end up in sordid places. You’ve heard the stories. Some could end up in the mines, in shady brothels or even wind up as an Avox maid with their tongues cut off. Chills swirl over your skin. 
Is it to be your fate? Being carted off to some hellish place and worked to death? 
The car stops. Your pulse soars. Quick breaths pour from your mouth as you’re roughly carried to some other place. You struggle, trying to kick your assailant. You land a blind strike and hear a curse. You make a run for it, your blood singing wildly. 
It’s pathetic the swiftness with which you’re caught, as if your attempt meant nothing. 
You’re shoved into a box. As the slamming of a hammer surrounds you, sealing your fate, you begin to sob. You used to think you were just born in the wrong place, unlucky, like so many others. Now you’re starting to believe you are cursed.
Shivers wrack your frame as the box is lifted. Your stomach lurches. The entire trip is a nightmare. Dread grips you tight as questions crowd your mind about who’s taking you and why. After a while, you realize you’re on a train. Your terror swells. 
You’re being moved out of District 8. You haven’t left your district since birth. For better or worse, this was your home.
After an awful, rambunctious journey, the box is finally opened. You hear grunting above you as the lid of the box is pried open. 
The bag over your head is removed and you take in a lungful of clean air. Strong arms hoist you out of the box. You clumsily stumble to your feet. 
You whirl. 
An audible breath skips off your tongue as you take in who stands before you. He looks so different. No more peacekeeper uniform. No more buzzcut.
“Coriolanus?” you gasp.
He smiles. “Hi, birdie.” A wave of snow engulfs your veins.
He sweeps a hand over his silver curls, sounding almost bashful.
“Do you like it? I’m trying to grow it out again.”
Ignoring him, you peer at your surroundings. The white room has a vaulted glass ceiling that allows sunlight in. The pearly marble tiles are pristine. Other than that, you only find one opening. A small door on the other side. You scuttle across the room to reach it. 
The door knob shakes but doesn’t give. Still, you insist, your desperation growing. Your heart sinks as you glance down at the tiny keyhole in the door. 
Coriolanus’ deep voice approaches from behind you. 
“This is a locked cell, pretty bird,” he explains. “And I’m the only one with the key. Dr. Gaul uses it for her more…feral experiments. But she’s granted me permission to use it for an experiment of my own.”
You whip around. “Dr. Gaul?” 
You feign interest, hoping to distract him, having noted the tiny golden key dangling from his neck. Coriolanus catches you looking at it and smirks. “My mentor. Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through everything. I’m sure you’ll fit right in over time.”
He inches closer and you stagger backwards. 
“W-Why am I here?”
Instead of being offended by your attempts to shy away from him, the blond seems mildly amused, studying you as he paces around the room.
“I couldn’t let my sweet bird wither away in a filthy district, of course. I belong in the Capitol, and you belong to me.”
You gape at him. While you knew him to be some entitled rich kid from the Capitol, you never imagined he’d take it this far. Steal you away like you’re some shiny object that struck his fancy at the marketplace. Not a person with a life and desires of their own.
“You’re insane,” you hiss.
His mouth twitches, marking the first hint of displeasure at your reaction.
“We’ll have to work on that coarse mouth of yours. It will not stand here.” His tone grows chillier. “Here in the Capitol, we have discipline, order.”
“Let me go,” you shout, lunging yourself at him. You attempt to tackle him and grab the key from his neck. Unleashing a sigh of annoyance, Coriolanus seizes your wrist and twists it with hardly any effort. The sickening sound of bones snapping lands in your ears. He throws you on the floor, kicking your side for good measure. You keel over the tiles, cradling your throbbing wrist against your chest.
Coriolanus shakes his head as he considers your curling frame on the floor.
“Look what you’re making me do, sweet bird. As I’ve said, your uncouth District wench ways will not stand here. You’re going to behave…” He hunkers down before whispering, “Unless you never want to see your cousin again.”
Your head snaps up, tears filling your eyes.
“She needs me. Coriolanus, please-”
“She will be cared for. There’s a very nice orphanage south of the Capitol, one for all the children who lost their homes in the war.” He beams at you. “She’s being transported there as we speak.”
“Oh my god…”
“You want to see her again? It’s all up to you, birdie.” A slow, wicked smirk blooms on his lips. “...Or perhaps she would fare well as the District 8 tribute for the 11th Hunger Games. She may be a little young…but at least she’d increase viewership.”
“You can’t do that,” you protest, your lip quaking as tears skip over your cheeks.
A dark chuckle leaves him.
“I can and I will. You see, birdie, the world isn’t fair.” He cocks his head. “No one cares about innocent children dying. Hell, I was kicked, beaten and starved so many times during the war, I lost count. No one cared.” His blue eyes turn icier as they meet yours. “The world…it’s an arena. You’re either a predator, or you’re prey.” He lifts his hand to cup your cheek. A gesture that’d be almost tender if the words spilling from his mouth weren’t so cruel. “It’s best to just embrace your role.”
He caresses your tear-stained cheek.
“So will you be my sweet, obedient girl?”
As you sink in his empty blue gaze, a sense of defeat cloaks your frame. You come to realize, you were never meant to come out unscathed from meeting Coriolanus Snow, never meant to win. The fire in his eyes is the kind that burns all standing in its path.
There is no getting away. If you survived him, you’d be lucky.
Your chin trembles as you reply meekly, “Y-Yes, Coriolanus.”
His lips brush over yours before he gets to his feet, satisfaction glowing on his handsome features.
“Wonderful. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone, birdie.”
469 notes · View notes
fatesundress · 1 year
Text
⭑ patience, please, and thank you. tom riddle x reader
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summary. you and tom have always sought to best one another in school. it doesn’t help that upon graduating, you work for opposing shops.
tags. rivals to … rivals with benefits? lovers? there’s no real animosity just #flirting so i don’t know, SMUTT minors begone, fluff that may be ooc to some but Not Me, reader literally learns archaic latin for this man, poor boy x rich girl trope if you squint, pureblood reader (and mentions of pureblood marriage politics), explicitly f!reader this time sorry!, fem anatomy, fingering, piv, tldr tom riddle would be turned on by the culminated tension of an eight-year-long academic rivalry.
note. i was 5k words into something else (that is probably better) before this came to me and would not go away so. here it is. don't know where all the smut is coming from. head empty
word count. 6.4k
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The bell to Borgin and Burkes knells low and hollow in your ear as you enter, and there he is. Prim waistcoat and perfect hair, tucking books away with a wave of his wand. Far too pretty a thing for a dusty place like this, you think, and you smile with your head held high, pretending to take in the inventory as if that's ever been your reason for coming here.
“You mightn't consider leaving at all," Tom says, regarding you briefly before returning to his books, “if you're going to return this often."
“Oh, Riddle, but then what would you do without my company? Talk to the bones?"
“A tempting offer when considering my alternative.”
He leans against the counter to watch you as you make your way down the aisle, fingers jolting as they brush the shelves of dark paraphernalia, preemptively casting a locking jinx on a particularly nasty skeletal hand that grabbed you once last year.
“Is there anything you're looking for?"
“Nothing in particular,” you hum as you peruse, “Curiosities of your friendly competitors.”
“Friendly,” he repeats, like he’s tasting a strange flavour.
You smile with just enough polished barb that you hope it bothers him. “Most cordial. And I am nothing if not the dutiful volunteer for the task." 
It is an objective truth that you are good at many things. Tom is good at all of them and perhaps one more: being pushed significantly and never showing symptoms of breaking. You'd like to be the one to change that.
“I presume you intend to leave with something?" There's a challenge in his voice, clear as day, as he stands straighter, but — not bothered. Not bothered, just intrigued. His hands fold behind his back and his chin comes up, daring you to say a single snarky thing that isn't true — that you're here to taunt him. Not to buy a thing, and not to enjoy his company.
It was such a boring day before this. If he only knew, he might have a tad more sympathy.
“Breathe, Riddle — if you can through all the dust in here — I've plenty of money to spare; there’s no need to fret about me leaving empty-handed." You select a book at random to prove your point, waltzing closer to hand Tom four sickles from your coin purse.
You're pleasantly surprised to see him actually smile, the corners of his mouth stretching with only the slightest degree of mirth. He reaches out and takes the coins, setting both upon the counter before turning up his nose at the book in your hands. “It must be an enthralling read to capture your attention."
You smooth the cover over with manicured hands and shrug at the indecipherable title. “Well, I’m remiss not to have a clue. I believe it's in Latin."
He runs his hand along the book, thumbing the pages with a raised brow. “It’s a history text. Ancient Roman institutes of magic.” His gaze returns to you. “Will that be all?”
You roll your eyes. He would know a dead language — it's such a remarkably Riddle thing to do — probably just for the sake of knowing it. 
“Yes, if that's satisfactory enough that I may be permitted to walk the premises without causing offence."
“Of course. Though I do expect a review of it soon," he adds, “to know whether my time hasn't been entirely wasted."
“A review?" You laugh. “And I suppose you ask that of all your customers? Mind the matter of it being in a language I don't know; it would take me a few months for a crude translation at best."
“Only my best customers," he says with a small shrug, as if that isn't a completely arbitrary standard he's just pulled out of nowhere. “In that case, you've the better part of a year to read it," he adds, and the smile on his face is less thin, less restrained, more cocky.
You raise a brow, scanning over the words on the first page as if hoping something will stick out. It's all gibberish. “I'm being timed now, am I? I don't recall accepting the task."
"Do you not?"
You scoff. "Of course I do."
“Or perhaps I could translate for you?" he suggests, “It's really no bother for me."
You should be offended — he's eternally eager to see you fail — but your stomach flips at the premise of a challenge you haven't felt since you were in school together, and most importantly, you never fail. “Give me a date, Riddle.”
“I think by Christmas would be fair. Does that give you enough time, or shall I set it a bit later?"
“Christmas," you agree, shaking his hand with all professionalism you can muster (this is, after all, a very professional exchange), turning away, and smiling to yourself as the shop bell tolls again.
It’s only weeks before Christmas when it occurs to you that this isn’t even for anything. There’s no prize should you win, no one else is aware of it, it’s a great waste of time when what began as a passable weekend hobby has now drowned you in English-Latin dictionaries and histories of Ancient Rome. The shop surpasses last year’s sales and you’re dozing off into your mother’s pastry dish during the family celebration. Even your father telling a rather pitiful tale of his Polyjuiced visit to Borgin and Burkes can’t keep your attention when he drones on about how easily he fooled Mr Borgin into remembering the details of some spat twenty years ago. Your brain is in a half-scattered language. It tugs you to what might be the most depressing December 25th of your life if you’re forced to give Tom the gift of your failure.
So you double-down. Your social life is nonexistent. You’re three quarters through the textbook and dreaming about duelling Tom under the Arch of Constantine, and he wins, and he wins, and he wins each time. It only propels you more. You’re downing Invigoration Draughts like a drunkard with a cradle of firewhisky. 
And you do it. 
You finish the damn book, you think you might have actually fucking learned Latin with how deep the words have rooted in your skull, and you win.
You win, in your prettiest dinner dress, snow clinging to your hair, wrapped in a brand new coat as the shop bell tolls and you step inside.
You’re grateful you don’t say as much (which you were planning on doing — planning on slamming the door shut behind you and carolling your bloody success) because it’s Mr Burke at the counter this Christmas evening, not Tom.
“...Miss?” He regards you with perplexity behind the counter.
You blink, recollecting yourself and stepping forward to shake his hand. “Mr Burke. My family wished to extend their best wishes for the new year.”
“Quite a gesture," comes a familiar voice from behind you as Tom steps out from the staircase, dressed in a dark suit and overcoat, like he’s just been out. He’s smiling. He looks disgustingly well.
You glance between the two men, and Burke bows curtly as if made aware of something he’d previously been warned of. “To yours as well, miss.” And then he’s off to assist the only other customer, an elderly woman in fur-lined green with so many glittering pins in her hair she resembles a Christmas tree.
“Riddle,” you say, facing him, unable to hide the triumphant grin that digs into your cheeks. You hand him the book, and atop it, your three pages of articulate, edited review.
“You made it. You read it," he acknowledges, though you doubt he’s surprised, and then nods to the stairs. “Come.”
You follow him up the narrow spiral into a short corridor, taking one look back at the old woman, now clasping a shrieking bauble you gladly turn away from. The door Tom opens is unlocked, presumably where he’d just come from, and — you feel a bit overwhelmed if you’re correct, but you have no idea what else it could be — presumably his flat.
When you enter, the door shuts behind you with an empty click of the latch. The room before you is rather sparse, a kitchenette in one corner, a cramped study in the other, with books upon books and scrolls stacked high on shelves along the dark walls. There's only the barest of seating, two armchairs beneath a dim desk lamp, a small table beside the fireplace, and… a bed, of all things, separated only by a thin divider and the courtesy of enough distance not to immediately draw the eye. You, of course, can't quite help it, gaze lingering on the tidy sheets and back to him.
It isn’t a thought you do well to dwell on. Too many directions for your imagination to roam.
“Well then," you say, hanging your coat at the door and trying not to display any overt anticipation as the parchment rustles in his hand, “Shall I just sit and await your evaluation?"
He raises a brow. “I was going to ask if you’d like tea. Do sit, though.”
Oh. Yes, right, you’re rushing things. Hospitality. Decorum. Consideration. You suppose Tom Riddle would extend those things for the sake of posterity if nothing else. “Something black, if you have any, please.”
The water comes to a boil quickly under the steady heat of his magic, and you’re sinking into a shockingly comfortable armchair taking in every shape and blemish of the room while you’re in it. You don’t have to guess that he doesn’t have many guests.
“Darjeeling,” Tom says as he offers you a steaming cup, “if that’s satisfactory.”
You resist a scowl at his mocking tone, placing the tea on a glass coaster and glancing purposefully at your work (your magnum opus, really) once more. “Perfectly.”
Tom notes your look with a smile, settling into the seat opposite yours. 
You take a sip of tea and lean back. “Do go on.”
“Eager,” he mutters, but begins.
He skims over the opening line before flipping the book open as if to be sure you haven’t made it all up, and then you think you probably could have made it all up if you wanted. Read one of the hundreds of magical histories of Rome that certainly existed — probably in your own shop, at that — and gathered much the same conclusion. But you did not. Tom must know you did not. 
The silence is thick as he reads, waned only by the crackle of the fireplace and the occasional turn of a page. His brows furrow the way you always remember catching in school, like he's concentrating on a particularly hard puzzle, and you have to busy yourself with a nearly empty cup of tea to pretend not to notice the way his beauty is something almost delicate. Framed by firelight and the indigo gloss of the night shining in through the window, you imagine his hair mussed, his long eyelashes speckled with snow, his cheeks pink from the cold. You wonder about him in a nicer suit than this. You could buy him one, if you liked.
And then, at last, he looks up over the parchment, expression carefully measured. “I'm impressed.”
You put your cup down and you can’t help it. You're smiling. You're proud. His approval is like bottling the tail of a rainbow (which you’ve been told is possible), and it's a feeling that’s been absent from you for so long, it's never come from him — Merlin, you've always wanted it to come from him, haven’t you?
“You’re impressed?” you ask, as you love nothing more than to push. “Is that all?”
He loves nothing more than to keep his face impassive, but there’s a twitch there. Something you’re aware you can only spot because of how much attention you pay him. 
“I enjoyed your perspective on the Romans’ utilisation of firedrakes. It was well-thought.”
“Well-thought?”
“Quite good, yes.”
“Good," you say, grinning in the bulk of your triumph, “I suppose that means I win."
Win. You’re not winning anything but the implication that Tom is somehow losing. Still he does not break, and you think at seventeen he would have. At nearly twenty his smile just grows. “Have you ever done anything less?”
Is he pushing too? That could be fun.
“Oh, first year tribulations. Nothing since — you wouldn’t remember.”
“Hm, I do recall an unfortunate lesson with a matagot in Beasts, and that must have been, what—” He tilts his head as though to ponder it— “fourth year?”
You narrow your eyes. “Paid an ever-close watch on me, did you, Riddle?”
“As close as anyone else.”
“And by that you mean to say—?”
“Only that it’s a most fascinating custom, the matter of pureblood marriage. It was hard to avoid your name in a common room full of your particular politics.”
“Ah,” you hum, summoning the teapot from the kitchenette to pour another cup, “so my potential marital affairs are what drew your attention. And here I was thinking it was because I was the only person who could ever best you.”
He stops your tea mid-motion, and you still as he sends both the pot and the cup to the table beside you. “Can it not have begun as one and have become the other?”
“Well, your curiosity knows no end; I should be flattered by such multifaceted interest.”
“So you won’t mind my inquiring.”
“Whatever you wish, Riddle.”
“Upon the current status of your betrothal.”
You blink, and then laugh. “There is no betrothal. At present.”
“At present. Is it subject to change?”
“There’s always talk,” you offer, and it offers impressively little.
“Elaborate...”
“I don’t know that you’re in any position to be making demands,” you gibe, “considering I paid four sickles to prove you wrong and I haven’t anything to show for it but my pride.”
He smiles. “Not enough to sate your desire to make me grovel, it seems.”
“You? Grovel?” You gasp, fingers circling your knee idly. “What a fascinating concept… Wait now, I’m trying to paint the picture.”
“Is that not what you came for?” he asks, and it’s odd to see him amused by the idea. You push and push and he just continues to take. “To prove me wrong? To puncture my pride?”
You shrug innocently, even though you’d just said as much. “I’m here to wish you a Merry Christmas.”
He laughs, a warm, quiet laugh — more of a breath than anything — but true if you can read him at all, and that’s a bit alarming. “Of course. Near nine months of exhaustive translation all to bid me a nice holiday. It sounds almost like grovelling, doesn’t it? Wait, now, I’m trying to paint the picture.”
You bite back your smile. Damn him. He’s never been funny before. That’s a problematic development.
“Fine.” Your legs are already crossed and now you’re crossing your arms too, and you look very reserved compared to his relaxed stature. “A match would, of course, need to be of good title.”
“Of course,” Tom says, without even an attempt at masking his amusement.
“And he would need to be rich.”
“Naturally.”
“It would help to be from one of the Sacred Houses.”
“I should not expect anything less.”
“And I suppose age is a factor,” you go on. You push, and push, and push. Tom is impervious. He takes.
“What age would do well?”
“Near enough to my own. For health, of course.”
“For health,” he agrees delightedly.
What the hell are you talking about?
“It would be preferable that he be handsome.”
“And of his character?”
“Most agreeable.”
“Docile?”
“Hm, docile, yes.”
“It is a long list.”
“I’ve been told I’m a difficult woman to sate. Far too prideful, apparently.”
Your fingers are drawing figure-eights on your thigh now, and Tom’s eyes flash briefly to the motion. You stop as though caught, and you aren’t sure why.
“A defamatory accusation,” he says quietly.
You wonder if his voice has always had that tinge to it: the gravel underlining his polish like the crack of the fire, and — that must be why it’s so warm in here, too. It has been that way since you arrived, hasn’t it? Such polarising temperatures between your walk in the snow to this, you must have only just adjusted… an hour after arriving. It’s completely logical.
“So there are talks,” you repeat, if only because you’ve blanked on all else.
“Well,” he says, eyes boring into yours in a way that makes you feel transparent, “I wish you all the best. If it at all helps, you can now add a moderate understanding of Latin to your list of virtues.”
You drape an arm across your chair to match his easy posture. (And how is it he manages to look regal and informal at the same time?) “My list of virtues? Elaborate.”
He shakes his head with a small smile and you point an accusatory finger at him. “Ah, ah, Riddle — I won, remember? And I indulged your inquiring regardless.”
His eyes narrow. “You do want me to grovel.”
“It’s Christmas.”
“I don’t believe that’s the purpose of the day.”
“And that matters to you?”
He leans forward, looking over you as if your supposed virtues will reveal themselves upon scrutiny. It’s a bit offensive, really. You’d hope he could find more than enough with one glance.
He settles, after a long moment where you feel almost bare, on, “Your pride is agonising.”
It’s — not exactly what you were hoping for. Not quite grovelling, by any definition, but then, what did you expect from him?
“Excuse me?”
“Your stockings are ripped at the calf.”
“Riddle—”
“Your lipstick may have stained my teacup. It is a shade I’m rather fond of, but I do not wish to see a trace of it left behind.”
“Quite good,” you say through gritted teeth.
“And I should not be agonised — incautious and unfettered at a sliver of skin or the gesture of your mouth —” You realise with horror that he’s speaking through something constrained too — “and yet I am.”
It’s — is that a confession? Have you broken him? Have you won again? Your stomach flips and it doesn’t feel at all like winning. He certainly doesn’t look like a man who’s lost. In fact, he’s watching you intently, and at your lack of response, the constraint forming a taut line on his lips seems to slip back into something deliberate. Curious.
You recover to the best of your ability. “It is a short list.”
“Shall I go on?” he asks, and it’s an answer, too: no, you have most definitely not broken him. He looks a bit like he’s found a neat pathway to breaking you instead.
“I’d hate to debase you further.”
He leans in, and he might be about to stand, and that might be an irreversible thing to do. “Are you sure? I can’t imagine you’ve painted the picture yet.”
Oh, you’ve painted the picture. You’ve painted a gallery.
“I find the image regrettable half-done. No point finishing it now.”
You do not.
“And besides,” you add, “I know my virtues.”
He smiles, and he’s half orange in the firelight and half blue in the night, green somewhere in the middle, and he should be condemned for being this beautiful. “Elaborate.”
You shouldn’t. “I’m intelligent.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m a quick learner.”
“So I’ve seen,” he agrees, still leaning in.
“I’m good at my job.”
And then he stands.
It is an irreversible thing. Your heart lurches like it knows he’s going to do something that cannot be undone. Your heart lurches because it is a thing you’ve anticipated, quietly, on late nights in scrolls of Latin so you might be able to pretend to mistranslate them — you know, in your first tongue and any other, that you do not want it to be undone.
“Anything else?” he asks. You aren’t sure if you’re resentful of the proximity of his seat to yours or grateful for it, because it takes no time at all for him to be standing before you.
“I’m well-mannered,” you say, and it comes out quieter than you mean for it to. “Lettered in etiquette.”
“Etiquette," he repeats slowly, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, and you don't quite know how he manages an intonation like that, but there it is, dripping with so much contempt you’re surprised he doesn’t fall over.
It wouldn’t be terrible if he did. He’d land right on top of you and put this little game to rest.
Instead he reaches a hand to your cheek — your hair — and brushes it like it’s an absolutely standard thing to do. He pulls away just the same. As if his hand is familiar with the shape of your face because it’s been there before. You'd definitely remember if it had.
“Of course,” you breathe, “patience and pleases and thank yous.”
“In all your manners, you might provide an example.”
Fine. If he’s going to be difficult. “I’d say I’m displaying great patience right now.”
“Hm.” His hands find yours where they sit on either arm of your chair, and his figure is blocking all light now. It shines on his shoulders, casts him like an aura. “That’s one.”
You look at his lips, and don’t bother to look away. You incline forward as much as you can when you’re caged in like this, until his breath is on yours and you can smell his cologne.
“Please,” you say, and for the challenge in it you don’t feel too humbled.
He is most obliging.
His lips just barely brush yours at first, and you did say you were patient — so you wait. The feather-light touch of them stills before it deepens, his hands pressing down on yours. Your open mouth. His tongue. You're kissing him, breathlessly and frantically and completely, and it is all you want.
Tom pulls back and you instinctively push forward. You will your eyes to open and he’s still right there — he hasn’t gone anywhere (what a deranged concern that is) — lips an inch from yours, and he’s smiling.
“That’s two.”
Oh. Oh, he’s an aberration in human variance. There’s something incredibly wrong with him.
There isn’t a way of turning gratitude into a challenge, you think. It doesn’t ask for anything. It appreciates. In this case it would more closely resemble worship. Thank you for your kiss, Riddle, I’d be nothing without it.
So you search to find a way around it that still gets you what you want.
“I’ll need a bit more than a lousy kiss if you want to see me grovel, Riddle." Your voice is a bit rough. You don’t know that your confidence lands the way it typically does.
But you came here to — what was it — puncture his pride? Push him until he breaks? You’ve already made it halfway, and you are, after all, very good at it.
And you suppose he wants to earn the third, because he scowls and then he’s kissing you again and this time his hands are on your face, and perhaps they are somehow familiar with the shape because they fit around you in some inexplicably whole way, like they were made for it. With your hands free, you’re carding your fingers through his hair, hoping for that vision of him you imagined earlier, with thick, messy waves and flushed cheeks.
Tom brings a hand to your waist and tugs you in, and you’re partly pulled from the chair by his insistence and overwhelmingly pushing to get out of it yourself, lips never leaving his as you stumble past the meagre divider to his bed.
The backs of your thighs hit the footboard and your knees buckle, gasping away from Tom’s mouth as you reach for the bedpost. His breath is heavy as his hand curves to the small of your back to keep you steady, your dress bunched in his fist, and there’s a heat in him pressed against you, like a match being held to kindling. And in the flash of fire when it finally strikes, everything in his eyes is clear, singularly focused, and he's pushing you to your back, splayed across his tidy sheets as he kisses you with bruising ferocity.
There's an urgency now to his movements that wasn't there before, and it's a stark contrast to his usual calculated demeanour, but that feels like winning. That feels like breaking Tom Riddle, whittling years of practised constraint to… this. That draws the third: makes you nice and grateful like he asked, because no part of you wants his careful fortitude here. You want to ruin him.
He appears to want the very same from you, which wrecks the whole thing.
Your legs move to wrap around him and he stops you, one hand pinning you by the hip and then down, past where you think he’ll go, as he finds the hem of your dress and lifts it from your calf to your knee. He draws circles over the thinly-clothed skin and you can do nothing but lie there, panting a little, staring at him with less patience than you’d proclaimed to have. And then his fingers move upwards, and they’re drawing figure-eights, and you understand that if this isn’t a taunt, nothing is. He copies your earlier motions. He does not kiss you. His fingers trail higher and higher and they’re soft like the shadows framing his face.
Finally he finds the waistband of your stockings and begins to tug them down your hips, stopping when he reaches that sliver of skin revealed by a tear in the fabric, taking your leg and hiking it up so he can look closely. He smiles, finger sliding down the tear in such a precise, meticulous fashion you can’t help but think he’s doing it on purpose. The moment does not linger when he pulls away, shuffling your stockings down the rest of the way so your legs are unclad before him, your heels already kicked off somewhere across the floor.
He watches your sharp exhale when he ducks down to kiss the skin of your thigh. A shiver runs through you at his softness, another when you see his face, see his eyes go dark with want of you.
His constraint is back, and it’s fucking detrimental. The only silver lining you can find in it, and you hope to be correct (haven’t you been so far?), is that maybe that means Tom Riddle can be broken in litany. Maybe he amends his ruination now but you can carve it out of him again later.
“Come here,” you say, your voice ragged.
Tom frowns, one hand pursuing a dangerous path up the inside of your thigh. “And here I was under the impression you wanted me to grovel.”
“Oh,” you huff, “is that what this is? Not some feeble attempt at winning after I —”
You grip his hair as his fingers curl under the lace of your underwear, as he smiles at the dampness there, the way your argument dissipates beneath his touch. “Winning?” he derides, breathy to match your tone in a way that feels cruel rather than considerate. You nod even as your breathing accelerates and he lifts the skirt of your dress to rest over your thighs, his eyes darting between your legs and your own heavy gaze as if he can't decide which is more intriguing. And then he slides a finger across your heat and you think he’s made his choice. "Is that what you think I want?"
You blink, feeling a bit lost. "What else is there?"
“Will you thank me after this?”
Right. That. You swallow, head falling back on his pillow. “Doubtful.”
“Hm,” he mumbles, some kind of consideration that can only be answered by the movement of his fingers against you, slow as they seek to learn you.
You arrest the moan that rises in your throat, teeth clenching together as Tom climbs over you once more, his body keeping you in place to watch the sustained details of your expression as one of his fingers dips inside you. You hiss, and his gaze burns into you, his mouth parted with a degree of awe and you think perhaps this is the picture he painted — you, under him, eyebrows pinched together as your hands scramble for purchase on his chest, fighting to remain intact.
But then his thumb brushes up against your clit and you let out a sound — half a moan, half a mewl. Tom doesn't give you a second to recover as his lips come down on yours again, hard, desperate, like he's trying to inhale you. And you let him, you take the little bit of ruin he surrenders in the great expanse of yours.
Even if you could quiet your noises you stand to think Tom would feel them, taste them, bite down on them like he does your lower lip, a second finger coiling into you. Your hand smacks at his wrist, clutching his arm with such intensity you can feel every sinew of his movement as he works away at you. Your legs are trembling, pressing around his waist an act of simultaneous resistance and desperation as you push upwards for friction and conquest.
You find both. Undeniable hunger — how he groans softly against your open mouth, how the imprint against your thigh is hard under his trousers, how he wants you.
His ministrations only intensify when your hand searches for the buckle of his belt, gripping your jaw like he needs to watch you fall apart before you can find parity in your desperation. It isn’t an impossible wish; your mind is hazy at the push and pull of his fingers, curving where his thumb draws ceaselessly on the other side, and you think, as much as you’re able right now, that he could succeed. But you force your eyes open to the space where your hand is wedged between your bodies, yanking hastily at his belt and sighing into his shoulder as it unfastens.
His trousers are unbuttoned, unzipped, and you’re arching into him with laboured pants even when your hand slips past them to find skin you've never travelled before.
Tom’s motions stagger when your fingers brush experimentally over his length, and you suddenly understand his ardent focus. You can’t help but stare at the way his jaw ticks, a hiss parting through gritted teeth, and the fact that you’re doing this to him is almost enough to push you over the edge. You grip him in one hand, and his fingers move again like some act of defiance, tightening his hold on your jaw. And then you’re pumping slowly, carefully, the only way you think to with the intention of pleasing him. Of weakening him.
He turns your head so you’re gasping into the pillow, neck exposed for him to press his mouth to. His teeth and tongue are on you and your hand slips from him for a moment as you shudder. Fuck him. This isn’t enough. You won't lose like this.
You tug at his waistcoat now, snapping open the buttons until the last few are clinging on by cheap threads. You’ll buy him that suit, you think. One that you can shrug off as fervently as you like without worrying about tearing the seams.
Your removal of his shirt is not aided by the swelling fire inside you, how the attention of his fingers has remained steady through your squirming and it feels like it’s culminating to something fatal. Your fingers grow shakier but don't stop their pursuit until every button is undone and you can soothe their trembling by pressing your palms against the warm expanse of his chest.
And then they’re back in his trousers, pushing them down his thighs as he continues to chip away at you. You bite back moans and blink through your dizziness.
Tom stops, and it might be more devastating than if he hadn’t. Your body is taut, a fine, thrumming wire spared a moment before snapping.
“More,” is all you say, tracing the shape of him through his briefs.
“More?” he asks. There’s a small mercy in the rasp within in his voice, the uncertainty despite himself. “I suppose that means I win.”
“Win?” 
His gall almost, almost pulls you back to reality. But he’s — he’s pulling his trousers further down and your body, like some separate entity to your mind, is flush against him when he’s finally free of all obstructions. 
“Mhm,” he hums, and almost-reality dwindles away into fucking nothing — disappears before your eyes when he brings his finger to his tongue and tastes you.
You tear him back to your mouth with a sound that so desperate your humility shouldn’t be able to take it but that's all gone now. His lips are wet and swollen and you’re adjusting yourself so his hips are lined with yours, and your head rolls back when he positions himself against your core and stays there.
“I win,” you breathe. “Everything else is just—”
He moves, hands on your waist as he presses ever-so-slightly inside you. You clutch wildly at his arms, your eyes wrenching shut.
“Look at me,” he says softly. His thumb caresses your cheek as if any act of his acts of tenderness are at all actually tender and not depraved requests for your resignation. 
You shake your head. “It’s ju-just—”
He sinks further, unhurried, and you feel like crying, your body clenching around him as the pressure deepens.
“Just what?” he asks, peppering kisses along your jaw.
“Just… um, just…”
“Hm?”
“I win... s’just… cheating…”
You feel him smiling against your neck, and then he detaches his lips to observe you, nodding with false sympathy. “You win.”
And he shifts himself forward so he’s pushed to the hilt. 
It’s a lie. It’s a lie as Tom holds you against him, carving kisses into your skin that burn, as you shudder a moan into the thick, hot air, as he begins to move rhythmically inside you, your fingers digging crescent moons into his spine and dragging.
You don't win.
If you are steel honed over years, it’s this moment that you melt, and you think if you were to be fused again it would be in a different shape.
And you mean that. You honestly feel liquified when he splits you slow like this, rolling his hips as you cling to him for strength like he isn’t the thing shattering you. 
You rock to meet him, you bury your nails in his back, you rest your moans with your teeth in his shoulder — whatever you can think to make this fair. Make true to your word. You are going to break, it's true, but you are going to break Tom Riddle too.
“Fingers,” you mutter, far too much of a demand for the way it almost stumbles into a sob, but Tom makes a strained sound in the back of his throat as if it gratifies him that you want it enough to ask.
“Thank me,” he answers on a harsh exhale.
You bite at his collar, shaking your head, but your legs are starting to shake and you wouldn’t ask if it was something you wanted — you mask it as an order because you need it. Because you imagine what he’s doing now combined with his thumb on your clit and it’s enough to make your abdomen clench just thinking about it.
Instead one of your hands forsakes the sweet curve of his muscles every time he thrusts into you so that it can snake between your own legs, and you mimic his earlier ministrations just long enough to drive a moan from your lips before Tom’s eyes dart from your lips, the rise and fall of your chest, to the hand missing from his back.
He grabs it with a scowl, pinning one wrist and then the other above your head.
“Stubborn,” he hisses, and he buries himself inside you like it's something personal, persistent in his strokes when his fingers finally rub over you how you wanted.
And you know you’ve done it when his head falls on your shoulder and you feel yourself tighten around him. His grip on your wrists is punishing. His mouth on your shoulder is stringent. He’s hard and full inside you and his fingers slide against you in delicate, torturous contrast. You know because it all stutters a bit when you pull him into a kiss, when you know you’re about to plummet into oblivion and he’s gripping you through it like you might steady him — like you aren’t the thing shattering him.
When you do, it’s something visceral. You think you might be spinning, or floating — screaming, maybe — spilling ill-mannered expletives in strings with his name because your hands are still trapped under his and your body can do nothing else. What you know, undoubtedly, is that you’re coming down from it for a long time, in a haze when you manage to breathe the words into his ear. “Thank you.”
Tom breaks. It’s the most beautiful you think he’s ever looked; eyebrows cinched and pink mouth parted, hair mussed like you wanted, neck tense as he stills inside you and you feel every part of him let go.
Your legs are too weak to cling to him through it, and you just pant under him, blinking languidly and in awe.
You stay like that for a long time.
He leans in when he finally pulls out of you, kissing you like one form of contact must be replaced with another. It's the same with his hands. He sinks into the space beside you and releases your wrists just to cup your face instead.
Yours come up instantly and shamelessly to his hair, craving nothing more than to curl your fingers through the dark mess of it. You trace the sharp shape of his cheeks, too, like his did to yours, like you need to memorize the lines of his expression and the heat of his skin before the world outside seeps in and it all goes cold.
But you pull away and you can't imagine it will.
There’s something in his eyes that feels new. Longing like he’s shed all pretence of acting like nine years of treading the lines of this rivalry has ever been anything but a pathetic display, like he knows you've shed it too. It makes you catch your breath to think this is what it feels like to be desired by Tom Riddle; that you desire him all the same; all this time.
“You know,” you say, and your voice sticks dry to your mouth, “I still win.”
He shakes his head. He smiles. You want terribly to kiss him again.
“I’ll just have to find something else to best you in, won’t I?”
You pretend like you’re considering it and not just staring at him. 
“I think by Christmas would be fair.”
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whumpback-wail · 6 months
Text
01 - Make It Out Alive
Trial by Fire (Wriothesley x Reader) - TW/CW in masterlist
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Wriothesley growled and pressed the Fatui agent's face further into the ground "I'll only ask you one more time," fire roared on his left side, "Where is she?"
"Lowest b-basement!" The agent choked out, "the doctor kept her locked in a cage, but I'm not even sure if she's still-"
Wriothesley roughly smashed the villain's head into the ground, knocking him out immediately.
She's alive.
She has to be.
"Wriothesley."  Clorinde gestured to the dark hallway looming before him, "Go. Me and the others will clean off this place."
With a quick nod, Wriothesley shouldered past them and rushed further down the hallway, all rational thoughts abandoned.
He's getting closer now.
He ran down the stairs which lead to the basement. Even so he felt as if he's moving too slowly.
Will he make it in time before she..
He shook his head, not wanting to finish the thought. Not when he's this close to getting her back.
The basement was a stark contrast to the upper floors. While upstairs it was clean and almost hospital-like, with individual rooms for patients- he refused to call them experiment subjects, the basement area looks unkempt, as if it was simply abandoned. It was dusty with cobwebs on every corner, and the cement floor damp in some areas from dripping water.
Running through the basement, Wriothesley opened every door he passed by. Most of them revealed empty rooms, and some cluttered storage areas, but a handful of them opened to reveal rows upon rows of cages that held people in them.
They were kept in terrible conditions, as if they were imprisoned or left for dead. With each room he opened, and each cage he searched, Wriothesly felt his heart sink lower and lower.
After yet another room searched with no sign of (y/n) he gestured for his men to help the prisoners while he continued his search.
If (y/n) isn't here, there's a good chance she somehow escaped, so that should be a good thing, right?
Or dead.
Pushing the thought out of his head, the steely blue eyed duke came to a halt in front of the final door. This one had a door that sagged on its hinges, tilting in a way that did not let it fit into its frame. It was slightly open and a foul sewer stench seemed to emanate from it. Shivering, he pushed the door open and went inside.
The door opens to a long, rectangular room that resembles a prison, like the previous rooms. There were floor to ceiling bars to his left and right.
Wriothesley went further inside and peered into each of the cells.
Empty.
On the far end of the room, however, there was a smaller sized cage. Something used for an animal, big enough to hold a tiger, but too small for a human to stand upright.
The door was slightly ajar, and there seemed to be something inside it. Something dark and unmoving.
Squinting through the darkness with his heart racing in his chest, he peered inside, gasping when he found that the object is clearly a person. Someone very familiar to him.
It was female, with her hair tangled darker than its usual shade. She was only wearing the bare minimum, a sort of hospital dress, but even so, it was tattered and bloodstained, barely enough to protect her from the cold winter. She laid on the floor of the cage facing away from him, tucked into herself at the very corner as if trying to stay as far as possible from the door.
"(Y/N)!"
He quickly shoved the cage door open further, reaching inside. She was cold. Very cold.
No...
His heart plummeted down to his stomach as he reached in and pulled her broken form out the cage carefully, as if afraid she would shatter upon his touch. She was completely limp, showing no response to his voice and touch.
Now he understood why they didn't even bother to lock the door.
"(y/n)," he turned her over, feeling his heart clench at the sight of her face. Blood from a wound on her forehead covered the left half of her face, while her right eye was swollen shut. Her lips, once soft and pink, now split and cracked.
Blue eyes scanned down her body for more damage, found that it was near impossible with the way blood and dirt stuck to her like second skin.
He noticed how much more skinny she had got, nothing but skin and bones.
"Archons, what did they do to you?" he whispered, caressing her face.
Wriothesley felt tears prickling behind his eyes. Was he too late? He quickly removed his jacket and wrapped her in it, hoping it would warm her up even if just a little
"I-I'm here, you’re in my arms now, you're safe. Please open your eyes, (y/n)..." he rocked her gently, "(y/n)... come on sweetheart, it's me, I'm here. I'm right here." No reaction. She was completely unconscious, her head lolling backwards.
No…
Wriothesley leaned down to listen for her breaths, anything. He was only met with the deafening sound of silence.
“No no (y/n), please, don’t do this to me.”
As if handling glass, he placed her gently on the ground and tilted her head back. Pinching her nose, Wriothesley pressed his lips against hers and blew rescue breaths into her. Blue eyes searched her face for any hint of a reaction as he placed his hands in the center of her chest, one hand laced on top of the other. He locked his elbows and began pumping.
“Come on, breathe.” He commanded, her bruised and battered body rocked with each forceful pump.
How long since she stopped breathing?
He felt the crack more than he heard it. One of her ribs had probably cracked or worse, broken. “Fuck!” his voice came out in a breathless whimper.
Again he leaned down and blew into her some more rescue breaths.
I’m hurting her, I hurt her- No. A few broken ribs will heal, but she needs to breathe.
“Come on (y/n), breathe. Come back to me.”
Wriothesley refused to give up, not when she’s right here. His arms burned from the effort of keeping her heart beating. Even so he pushed himself to maintain his steady pace. He was about to blow more rescue breaths into her mouth when she sputtered and coughed.
“(y/n)? Can you hear me? (y/n)?" his breath shook as he gently rolled her to her side until her coughing fit subsided. (y/n)'s arm, the one against his chest, seemed to try to push him off, a feeble attempt considering his stature was like a brick wall.
Before he knew it, she had gone limp again, the arm that tried to push him rests on her stomach.
Wriothesley gritted his teeth and slowly gathered her in his arms. "I'll get you out of here, (y/n). You're going to be okay." 
He walked as quickly as he possibly could, trying not to jostle her too much. But even so it didn't seem to make any difference. (y/n) still remained motionless, her body sagging almost lifeless in his arms.
Walking out of the basement, he was greeted by Neuvilette and Aether. The two had finished battling the meks that went haywire, seeing how so much debris was strewn all about. Their hopeful expressions upon seeing him fell once their eyes landed on the bundle wrapped up in Wriothesley's arms.
"(y/n)? How-" Neuvilette cut Aether off by placing a hand on bis shoulder. Not good. Wriothesley's grim expression and watery eyes told them everything.
"She's alive," Wriothesley spoke past the lump in his throat, "but she will need immediate medical attention. I'm taking her to the hospital." He nodded towards the Aether, who knew immediately he should prepare to teleport them back to Fontaine.
In a flash, Aether, Wriothesley, and (y/n) was gone.
• • •
Neuvilette looked as if he wanted to say more to the three who had just disappeared, but then his eyes landed on Chlorinde, who had stopped beside him.
"I couldn't find her vision," Chlorinde's eyes were downcast, betraying her emotions despite the steely mask she had at all times, "they either ran off with it or destroyed it. The latter is more plausible."
She opened her hand, there rests a piece of golden metal twisted into an intricate frame. Where a glowing red pyro vision stone used to reside, it is now empty.
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.....(つ . •́ _ʖ •̀ .)つ [ ٩(×_×#)۶]
A/N
Whew first chapter! Been a while since I wrote anything so I hope that wasn't too clunky! Chapter 2 coming soon-ish!
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sleeping-sirens · 1 year
Text
moles ♡‧₊˚ lee haechan
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pairing : haechan x gn reader.
genre : established relationship, fluff.
summary : you read something on the internet that made you feel jealous of a person you didn’t even know but haechan knows just how to reassure you.
word count : 833 words.
warnings : reader and haechan are whipped for each other, pet names (sweetheart, baby), mentions of an orgasm, naked bodies but no sexual activity involved just a lot of kisses, reader is slightly possessive of haechan, mention of nipple.
a/n : i’m so in love with haechan it hurts. thoughts always full of him 😵‍💫 hope you enjoy this little drabble, requests are open <3
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warmth surrounded you like an orbit, spinning around your body and interweaving with your breaths. with every rise and fall of haechan’s chest beneath your head, your body fell into a never-ending galaxy of buzzing comfort and sparkling euphoria.
the tip of your finger danced around his skin. drawing circles on his bare chest, grazing over his flesh ever so slightly. you placed your palm flat against his heart, you were not surprised at the speed it was beating. both of you very much aware of the love you hold for the other.
and your hearts never lie.
“i read something earlier,” you replaced your palm with your head, tucking it nicely above his chest.
“yeah?” he hummed, his unusual deep and breathy voice vibrating from his body to send dusty ripples down your spine. “what was it about?”
his plump lips gravitated habitually to the top of your head. your hair slightly tickling his stubbled-chin that he hasn’t shaved for a while. he breathed in, your smell intoxicating him, his brain was full of you and every part of his body, from head to toe, was in love with you.
your response was a kiss on the spot where your ear was witnessing a symphony conducted by his heartbeats. you were his favorite song and he looked down at you with stars dancing in his eyes.
his entire body hummed with prickling goosebumps as you gently swayed your lips all over his chest. his breath hitched inside his throat when you ever so slightly teased a kiss over his nipple.
he was enchanted by the way you made him feel. and he enjoyed your sudden possessive demeanor.
you trailed your kisses up his torso, pecking his collarbones and working your way up his neck. your body moved on its own as you straddled him, lips still hot on his skin. on instinct, his hands attached to your waist. manly and slender fingers dancing across the naked skin of your waist until they nuzzled themselves into your hips.
he sighed against your temple as you placed loving kisses on his neck and smiled when he let out the tiniest whine that only you could enkindle in the loudest settings and quietest corners. and he burned in satisfaction.
you pulled away, watching him gently reach out after you. his beautiful neck, jaw and cheek on full display. all pretty and littered with moles you created constellations with inside the galaxies that your eyes held.
“you must’ve been very loved in your past life, and i’m jealous because it wasn’t me who gave you all these beautiful moles,” you pouted, your pointy finger tracing over the moles of his cheek, making out the shape of the constellation you loved so much.
“beauty marks are where your past lover kissed you the most. they sure loved your cheeks, jaw and neck,” you whispered as you kissed over his moles.
haechan laughed way out loud at your cuteness, thumbs swirling over your skin. his hands traveled up your back, settling on your head and pulling you away gently.
“where did this come from, all of a sudden?” he giggled up at you, eyes crinkling. you were sitting so beautifully on top of his body as he was leaning on the soft pillows behind him.
he wanted to engrave this moment in his heart forever.
“i’m so jealous of your past lover,” you curled your hands on his chest, head down and back slightly arched.
“you’re acting as if i just didn’t give you one of the best, most toe-curling orgasms ever, sweetheart. why are you jealous of my past lover and where did this thought even come from?” haechan was seriously so confused but amused at what you were blabbering about.
“i read it online,” you admitted, shrugging.
he wondered if you had even come down from your high. he sat up straight, holding your face with both hands until your lips pouted and he placed multiple kisses on top.
“baby,” first kiss.
“my baby,” second kiss.
“i’m all yours,” third kiss.
“there’s no such thing as a past lover,” fourth kiss.
“and even if there was,” fifth kiss.
“i can assure you that i love you,” sixth kiss.
“one,” seventh kiss.
“thousand,” eighth kiss.
“times,” ninth kiss.
“more than them,” tenth kiss.
“i love you so much, and i’ll love you as long as the stars keep shining in the night skies,” he flipped you over, snuggling you underneath his warm body. he planted multiple kisses down your cheeks and neck, setting up goosebumps to burn on your skin.
“i’ll forever be yours, forever and for a whole lifetime,” he reassured, smiling down at you and brushing his nose against yours.
“then let me kiss you,” you traced his moles again. you’ve always been obsessed with them but this time you couldn’t control your feelings with him. “let me kiss all the places you have moles on your body.”
“can’t turn down an offer like that, i’m all yours baby.”
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a/n : this drabble basically wrote itself, RIP. reader is me, i’m so whipped for haechan☹️💘 feedback is appreciated, let me know what you think of this 🫶🏼
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2K notes · View notes
sunraies · 1 year
Note
hiiii can u do rafe x reader? she is really shy and a very nice person and maybe she is jj twin and one day she is just browsing on a second habd bookstore cause obvi she cant afford to buy books all the time and rafe sees her there cause he took weezy there and he buys the books that she looked more interested at and later he approaches her and jj all protective
idk where i want it to go🤣 u can be tyr judge
thank uuuu
This is so cute! I hope this does the request justice. x
Second-Hand Books
Rafe Cameron x Pogue!Reader
Warnings - Fluff, protective JJ, Reader is JJ's sister, but no description given. Hints of Luke being a shit dad.
As requested above
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
You loved the second-hand bookstore in Kildare. It sometimes felt like a second home. Its name and sign was by no means magical "Secondhand Books" written in cursive golden letters, but the atmosphere was.
The old converted shop was a treasure trove of wonders, tucked away in a little side alley. It smelt like an old library with its shelves filled with countless stories and adventures waiting to be picked up and read. There were plants dotted all around, and even ivy tangled amongst the fairy lights on the ceiling.
Mixed matched lamps, tables, and plush armchairs were scattered around. If you caught Ms. Peggy, on a good day, she would let you sit and read until closing. The old lady enjoyed your company, often making you tea and giving you cookies.
You returned the favour by helping clean, unbox shipments, and take orders. You never accepted a penny from her, even if it was desperately needed it.
"Wheeze, why are we here?" You knew that voice as it carried through the aisles. "The store up the road has brand new books, not these dusty, old shit ones."
"They aren't dusty. Some are old. But none are shit." the youngest Cameron's voice protested. "I like it here. Plus, there is no chance of finding first editions of classics in that one"
"Just look online." Rafe sighed as you peaked around the corner.
He stood close to the door, which bell had jingled as they entered, with his hands stuffed in his shorts pockets. The backwards baseball cup gave him a boyish charm as his sunglasses were tucked into the collar of his pink tee.
He looked a little out of place, but only by his uninterested expression. Rafe Cameron would most likely fit in anywhere if he wasn't jugding his surroundings.
Wheezie, on the other hand, had a smile so bright as she practically skipped into the store. "There is no fun in that. You can't smell the books"
"You're a weird kid, Wheeze." Rafe shook his head, but you caught the small smile as he watched his baby sister happily search the shelves.
"Shut up and help look for Little Women." Wheezie called over her shoulder. "Make sure it's first edition"
You were shocked as Rafe chuckled and held up his hands before helping Wheezie look. He checked the higher shelves that she was unable to reach.
One problem with Ms. Peggy was her store had no order to it. You had offered to organise and arrange in alphabetical order, but she claimed it took away the magic of finding the perfect book.
"Here." You smiled as you approached Wheezie. Rafe had given up looking about 20 minutes ago and was slumped in an armchair, scrolling on his phone. "It's not a first edition, but the cover is beautiful."
"Oh. It's beautiful!" Wheeze smiled, taking the book and admiring the cover. "It's ok, I just said that, so it would give me more time in here." she whispered, making you laugh.
Your laugh caught Rafe’s attention as he quickly glanced up from his phone. His eyes looked you up and down.
Damn, how did you look so beautiful. He was sure he'd seen the crop top you were wearing on Kie before, but it looked so much better on you. He loved the way your shorts hugged your ass and waist. He even smiled a little at the shell anklet at the top of your greyish white Converse.
"You find it?" He asked, having shook the thoughts from his mind and tucking his phone into his back pocket.
"Yeah, Miss Maybank helped me," Wheezie smiled, remembering her manners, even if you were the same age as Sarah. "But I wanna look around some more."
Rafe sighed and rolled his eyes at her pleading look. "Alright, fine. One hour, and then we gotta go."
As Wheezie bounced around the store, he flopped back into the chair, even picking up a book from the table and glancing at it.
What you didn't realise was that as you looked away, he would glance over the top of the book every so often and watched as you moved around the store. He noticed that you would read the back of a book, flick to the first page before smiling and tucking under your arm if you like it.
"Just the one, Ms Peg." You smiled at the old lady behind the till before digging into your old, tattered, looking tote bag and pulling out your purse.
"I can put the others to the side for you, dear." She offered as you had walked up to the till with a pile of five.
"It's ok. If they are gone by next week, then it wasn't meant to be." You said as handed her the cash.
You didn't know why you even admitted to buying all five as you should have known your card would bounce. Maybe this time, you had just been hoping that Luke, your father, hadn't run up the credit bill.
You wished a goodbye to Wheezie as she walked up the counter with a pile of books and even gave Rafe a smile and wave as you left the store.
*-*-*-*
The sound of a dirt bike coming up the road broke you out of the world you were emersied in. You had been reading your new book on the creaky old porch swing on the porch outside. Enjoying the evening coolish before sunset.
At first, you thought it was JJ coming home, but then you realised he'd come home an hour ago with John B and Pope. You could hear them laughing in the house.
"JJ?!" You called into the window open as you stood up, placing your book on your blanket. "Are you guys expecting anyone?"
You were a little nervous as unplanned visits from people not in the Twinkie or Kie's car normally meant your father or JJ had caused trouble.
The rider stopped a few feet away, and your eyes widened in shock as Rafe Cameron removed his helmet. His hair tousled from the helmet and his cheeks little pink.
"Rafe?" You frowned and hugged your hoodie around your body as you hid your hands in your sleeves.
He looked a little unsure of himself as he walked over to you, a cotton tote bag in his hand. "These are for you." He held the bag out to you as he glanced around, not looking at you directly.
You took the bag, completely confused before gasping as you looked inside. It was the books you had to leave at the store.
Before you even had a chance to question it or say thank you, the screen door burst open as JJ came flying out "What the fuck are you doing here, Kook?"
You tried to pull him back as he got right in Rafe’s face "Jayj. Stop"
JJ looked between you and Rafe "What the fuck did he say to you?" He asked you before turning to Rafe again "What'd you say?"
"What's it to you, Pogue" Rafe looked like he was trying to hold back his anger but with JJ right in his personal space it was hard.
"Stay away from my sister, pretty boy" JJ pushed Rafe a little "Get the fuck outta here"
John B and Pope appeared in the doorway but before they could back up JJ, you got between the two that were squaring up to each other.
You stood with your back to Rafe as you spoke to JJ but could feel him breathing heavily behind you.
"Jayj. Go back inside" You sighed and got annoyed as he stared at Rafe over your head "JJ, go the fuck back inside. I will call if I need you"
It took you actually pushing JJ a little for him to snap out of it. He looked at you before nodding "He tries anything. We beat him. He's on our terf now"
You rolled your eyes "I'm sure, he won't. But sure, you boys can protect your territory if needed"
You knew Rafe was taking a risk being in The Cut, especially after the stunt he pulled the other week. You knew why the boys were bitter as you hadn't been too happy either after finding out he'd jumped Pope at the Country Club.
You watched JJ walk backwards and stand on the porch with the others. You sighed before turning to face Rafe.
"I can't take these." You held the bag out to him, but he stook his head.
"They're yours," He said, rubbing the neck of his neck. He seemed nervous and not because of the boys glaring at him from the porch. "Bin them, read them, do whatever you want with them."
You looked in the bag again before smiling. "Thank you, Rafe." You smiled at him.
"I better go." He sighed after nodding at your thanks. He looked like he wanted to say more but walked back to his bike
"Bye," JJ yelled. "Don't come back. The Cu- Ow!" You cut him off as you shoved into his shoulder
"You guys are fucking unbelievable" You muttered walking into the house, leaving them looking offerened at each other.
As you sat on your bed, you pulled the books out of the bag before finding a note, tucked into one of them. Your heart fluttered as you read it.
'I would buy you all the books in the world, just to see that smile - R'
2K notes · View notes
ollypopwrites · 26 days
Text
Dinner and Diatribes;
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Gale x F!Tav (she/her, AFAB) [note: references to the fact Tav is Curvy but there’s no descriptors on her appearance besides what she’s wearing]
Summary: Gale gets his perfect night in Waterdeep.
Rating: M (18+ MDNI)
CW: smut (oral sex, PiV sex, fingering, slight overstim, references to Dom!Gale but he doesn’t actually make an appearance this time), insecurity, General Mystra Warning, L-bombs
Word count: 4.5k
Notes: this was originally written with my SorcBard Tav in mind. They end up together post-game and Tav and Gale have not been with each other physically as of yet.
Read on Ao3
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Tav appraised her appearance one last time, nerves bubbling up in her when she knew there ought not to be any. She was having dinner with Gale, not a stranger.
Yet, she tugged at the lacy sleeves of her tunic, the cream colored fabric dangling off her shoulders and belling at the sleeves. Her breasts were up and out, figure tucked and smoothed by the sturdy corset she wore. The wrap skirt, slit at the leg with stockings underneath, was periwinkle, hugged her hips and showed some skin. She had wanted to veer away from the normally shapeless practicality of the protective gear she wore throughout their journey.
And she found the delicate pale blue embroidery against the white fabric of the garment to be quite pretty, the silk bows that served as sleeves made her think of romantic ballads. She felt delight at wearing something pretty without thinking of practicality for the first time since being taken by the nautiloid. There was a novelty to sitting down to take time to get ready for something fun rather than something that could potentially end with blood and death.
Her eyes drifted over to the corner of the room that until recently had housed a small altar to the Mother of Magic.
In its place was a vase of flowers, Tav’s favorite colors and blooms, which had appeared that morning. The altar itself had mysteriously disappeared the day after they first arrived in Waterdeep. Neither of them had said anything about it, but she knew he had seen her staring at the dusty offerings and long burnt incense laid at the feet of an idol of his former lover.
With one last look in the mirror she bolstered herself. She was no goddess but she had defeated a Vampire Lord, undead generals, a 200 year curse, hordes of goblins and a Netherbrain. That had to count for something.
Taking a deep breath she left through the bedroom door, and was met by Gale.
Well, Gale’s double. A projection, as he was often fond of using.
“Greetings! I am here on behalf of Gale of Waterdeep!”
“Oh, are you?” She asked sarcastically.
“I am indeed!”
Sarcasm was not translated into the projection it seemed.
“If you are ready for the evening to begin, please say so, if not, I shall await your confirmation.”
Tav smiled a little, “I’m ready.”
“Please follow me.”
She followed him down to the same level as the study, and she found herself confused. They were meant to be having dinner. The whole package, she had recalled, he wanted to wine and dine her. She expected to be escorted to the dining room, not the study.
The door was closed, and the projection gave a polite bow to signal its leave. Should she knock? Uncertain, she gripped the door handle and opened the door.
Immediately she was confronted with a wave of unfamiliar smells. Normally the study smelt like the fireplace, leather of bound books, ink and slight sea air from the terrace. Instead this smelled of savory food, crisp night air, and heavy sea spray. The entry was draped by lavish silk curtains hiding any view of the room, tassels and embroidered prints creating lovely textures.
Gale stood waiting for her arrival.
His hair was pulled back and pinned neatly in his new fashion of a small bun at the back of his head. He wore a white tunic, billowed sleeves and a jerkin of sapphire blue, embroidered intricately with bronze filigree. Dark blue breeches, and what looked to be blue shoes which matched his vest.
It also looked as if he had trimmed his beard, the lines smooth and incredibly sleek. Tav had certainly noticed how handsome he was during their travels, and even then he was always somewhat genteel despite the rugged conditions.
This was different. He seemed more in his element like this, maybe not quite so formally dressed, but she could imagine this was the Gale Dekarios which caught the eye of a Goddess. Confident, gentlemanly and remarkably good looking.
His eyes lit up at the sight of her.
“Hello,” she said, aware how nervous and jittery her voice was despite her smile.
“Hello,” Gale grinned. “You look… exquisite.”
She blushed. “And you look very good in blue.”
Gale kissed her cheek, and she gripped his face to make sure he kissed her properly. “I’ve prepared everything,” he said. “Are you ready?”
“For you? Always.”
Like a true gentleman, he offered her his arm and she accepted. They walked through the fabric barrier and Tav audibly gasped at the transformation. The study was changed, made to look like an enchanting garden. Lit up by candelabras, framed by arches made of vines and flowers of every color imaginable, it was beautiful.
The view from the terrace had been expanded, so that from every angle a clear view of the glittering lights of Waterdeep glinted. The entire mirage was topped with a star filled sky and the moon hanging at the horizon of the water. She could feel a breeze, not too cold but carrying the scent of the ocean.
A table sat at the center, intimate, and music was playing from some unseen source. Most likely the enchanted piano. Where she knew the terrace was, his couch still stood, overlooking the view. The sounds coming through beyond the music were real, she could tell. It was simultaneously an illusion and blissfully real.
He led her to the table, pulled out her chair for her and then sat across from her. The smile on her face was starting to hurt her cheeks, only emphasized by another Gale projection bringing them wine. They toasted each other and she looked out on the view of the city.
“Do you like it?” He sounded uncertain.
Her hand came out to grab his across the table. “It’s hard to describe, but like isn’t a strong enough word.” She glanced over to the projection of Gale waiting to be summoned for any need they may have, “although I think the waiter fancies me.”
“I applaud his taste.”
It was very clear how meticulously planned the night had been. From the food to the wine, Gale had an exuberant explanation for his choices. For a moment Tav wondered why she would be nervous at all; they had shared every meal together for months. But, Tav knew that this was the courtship he had wanted to offer her, this was the night he wished he could have given her when he thought it was his last back on the road to Moonrise.
Gale, if he was nervous, did not show it. Instead his eyes glinted with excitement, eagerness, and delight. His gaze was so intense on her, she felt like either the wine or something else was making her brain fuzzy.
After dinner they danced, slow uncomplicated movements to the music from the piano for a while, and then settled onto the settee looking out at the water. The night sky was clear, the breeze from the bay adding a bit of chill that balanced out the warmth she felt from the wine. It was a beautiful tapestry of midnight blue and silver of the moon and stars.
She leaned against him half draped over his lap as her legs stretched out, fingers dancing over his palm which lay in her lap. His other hand gently danced over her arm and down her side. She thought she may melt at the warmth of his lips pressed against her bare shoulder, beard softly scratching as he lingered there.
“You ought to be careful, Gale.”
“Oh? What dangers lurk that I am unaware of?”
“The danger of spoiling me rotten,” she chuckled.
“I’m not averse to such a risk,” he nuzzled behind her ear, “quite the opposite, really. You deserve it, and more.”
Her mind rolled over that, heart full at his earnestness as usual. Even if she didn’t believe it, he certainly did.
“Thank you,” she said thoughtfully after a moment. “This night has been so wonderful.”
“It’s not over yet,” he whispered.
A shiver ran down her spine. No words finding their way to her lips.
“If I may be so bold,” he went on, “I’d like to partake in dessert somewhere more private.”
“Tell me, Chef Dekarios, what is on the dessert menu tonight?”
“You,” he said, a grin evident in his voice. “I’d have laid you across the dinner table if I hadn’t promised us both a bed first and foremost. You truly are a temptress,” his hand broke from her loving grasp to run along the curve of her neck, and shoulder, fingers trailing over the tops of her breasts before cupping her chin, “you incite such an insatiable hunger, even when you are doing nothing more than sitting there across from me. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to finally have a taste.”
Tav’s head tipped back, eyes closed as her skin began to flush and her heart began to thud in her chest. “I’ll allow anything you want,” she breathed. “Name it, it’s yours.”
“Tav,” he murmured.
“Yours.” She repeated.
A tug in her stomach and the strange shift of moving through the weave happened so suddenly, she opened her eyes, confused by her new surroundings. She was on her feet, Gale behind her still, but in the bedroom, no longer shrouded by lovely blue night sky but the warmth of a candle lit room and the familiar walls.
Gale murmured something, and then spun her around to kiss her. Needy, fervent meetings of lips, and tongues. Her fists curled into the fabric of his sleeves, and his settled on either side of her face. She felt a tugging at her back, then the cool brush of an unseen hand. He had conjured a mage hand to untie her corset, the fingers pulling at the strings to loosen them.
Before it managed to get them all the way undone, she was fumbling with buttons on his vest. She shrugged the heavy corset off, the thud of it falling to the ground ignored as she pushed his own garment off his shoulders. Before he could distract her with his hands again, she untucked his shirt and pulled the fabric over his head.
Her fingers danced over his warm skin, feeling hair and scars and firm muscle beneath flesh. Gale groaned, bending to grip her by the generous flesh of her thighs to pull her up in his arms, for the quick journey to the bed where he set her down. Her tunic was tugged off, thrown aside and he grunted in displeasure at the thin cloth bandeau that still covered her breasts.
Tav chuckled, grabbing the scrap of fabric and pulling it overhead. Gale’s eyebrows hiked up at the sight of her tits out, heavy and round with already pebbled nipples, and under the scrutiny she felt doubt creep in.
“Not what you were hoping for?” It was half a joke, a deflection for the blush she knew was on her face, something to do besides wrap her arms around herself.
“Are you completely mad?” He finally met her eyes, looking offended. “May I?”
She nodded, only to be firmly guided onto her back as Gale put one knee between her thighs on the bed and leaned forward.
His hands grabbed, not fully able to grasp, even with hands larger than her own. “Soft,” he thought out loud to himself. “How are you so soft?”
“I-I don't know,” she hitched a breathy tone. “Ah, gentle please,” she gasped when he began pinching and rolling the peaks between his fingers, calloused fingers from years of spell work and a combined over-excited pinch both thrilling and overstimulating, “they’re very sensitive.”
“Very important information,” he murmured, running a thumb over one in a soothing motion that still made her gasp out loud. “I wonder…”
The thought trailed off as his mouth clasped around one nipple and Tav gave an undignified squeal as her hips rolled. Too many layers between her skirt and underclothes to provide her the relief she wanted, even with his knee between her thighs. Each brush of his finger over one, followed by a firm squeeze, made her twitch and the laving of his tongue had her letting out soft little moans.
Finally he pulled away, watching as his hands continued where he left off. One hand danced over her soft stomach, and slipped down towards the waistband of her skirt, tickling the skin there until she gasped a laugh. He pushed down her stockings, tugged her skirt off and looked one last time for approval before he slipped her under things down her legs.
For a moment, his eyes darted over her body. Despite the thrill of being at the center of such avid admiration, she felt the need to do something in the face of it. A conflicting moment of uncertainty, the apprehension of him seeing any flaw in her moving her to try distract him. Her fingers came up to grab, but he gently redirected her wrist to his lips.
“You are perfect beyond imagining,” he said.
“You’re a flatterer,” she breathed, her eyes avoiding his, as they trailed over his torso and to the bulge in his breeches.
“I reject that accusation,” he said, grabbing a pillow and tossing it onto the floor before he got to his knees upon it. “I’m an admirer of art.”
Tav rolled her eyes with a half laugh as she allowed her legs to be spread, heels set on the edge of the bed. He kissed each one as he set them where he wanted, beard scratching and tongue peaking out to taste.
She was a little in awe of him like this. His eyes dark, a slight smirk painted onto his face, softened only when he met her eyes and smiled at her. With his broad shoulders forcing her legs wider as he moved further between them, and his hair coming out of his once immaculate bun, she felt her throat run dry and a heat rush through her body as she admired him.
He stopped suddenly, and she met his look of intentional seriousness. “If you need me to stop,” he said, “say the word and we will.”
She nodded her head.
He kissed the inside of her thigh again, before his eyes slid down his hands massaging around her outer lips. She was wet, it had smeared her thighs, that she already knew. A gentle gasp pulled from her lungs as he took his time, rubbing and spreading her, the same look of deep focus on his face as when he was taken with an interesting tome.
Gale rubbed along the seam of her, before spreading her open and gently rubbing her clit. A choked sound emitted from her after he commented, “you’re soaked, my love.”
“All your doing, beloved,” she replied.
“I do love hearing that,” he grinned. “You’ll have to tell me what else I do to you.”
Any response died away when he licked a long stripe along her. The slightest groan came from him, and he began to work. It was agonizing heaven, the filthy sounds as he sucked and licked at her cunt and the way he gripped her thighs only enhancing the actual sensation of his mouth on her.
Half-formed thoughts kept slipping out of her mouth until only single words and whines were all she could muster. Her hands slid over his, and he laced them together, his efforts doubling after the gesture of affection. Her excitement was running so high, anticipation adding to arousal, that she knew she would not last long.
“Gale,” she breathed, “feels so good — so close —“
He never pulled away, just found what was making her legs writhe over his shoulders the most, what made her hips search for friction, and her breath spike. Her hands gripped his so both of them had a firm grip of her thighs, as she suddenly teetered over the edge, heavy waves of pleasure singing in her veins as he licked her through it.
Except once it passed, he did not pull away. It felt good, so she was not going to push him off, but she was sensitive. Each touch of his tongue on her clit felt like a shock through her whole being making her legs clamp around him. He let go of her hands and pushed her thighs apart again, she thought that alone had her ready to fall apart once more.
Relentless and yet somehow still controlled, he was singularly intent on making her come again. The sensation almost scared her as she greedily chanted for more, more, more in her head and maybe aloud, she couldn’t be sure. Gale was groaning into her, the firmness of his grip surprising her still. She wanted him inside of her.
“Please“ she started to beg, “fuck me.”
He gave a moan, the only time she felt him falter. “One more, my love,” he replied. A demand or a promise, maybe both. “Give me one more.”
He let his fingers work over her this time, still between her legs, watching each movement she made. For her credit, she kept her hips and legs from knocking him away, the rest of her body making up for it. Her back arched, she writhed and gripped the bedding beneath her like it was going to anchor her.
When Gale slipped a finger inside of her, easy enough that he tried a second, she went stiff. “Good?”
She nodded her head.
“Words, please, Tav,” he said gently. It occurred to her he may be asking after her wellbeing rather than to tease.
Either way, she loved the feeling in her brain at the idea of it being a demand. Of him tormenting her in the most beautiful way.
“Good!” She blurted out. “So fucking good.”
His mouth had expertly pulled her apart, but she was finding his fingers to be just as talented. She clamped down around the digits pushing in her as she felt herself falling to pieces.
“Yes,” he breathed. “Good, Tav…” when she opened her eyes, she was met with him staring at hers. As if he could read her mind, he went on talking, “come undone for me.”
Her whole being responded to the request, as if he had the ability to command her body with just a word. She writhed and rolled her hips as she came, a truly unrestrained string of cries that she knew were a bit too loud. Gale’s hand cupped her cunt, and she could feel the pulse of it against his hand — his face giving way to pure want as he moaned.
“Alright?” He asked after a moment.
“Would be better if I had you inside of me,”she teased, giddily.
“Minx,” he grumbled, coming to stand.
“Tease,”she shot back sitting up.
When she kissed him he tasted distinctly of her arousal, and somehow it made her heart skip a beat. Her tongue danced over his, hand trailing down his chest to the waistband of his breeches, untying as she went. Her hands slipped inside, grasping through his underclothes at the length of his cock, hard and tenting the fabric.
Gale gave a sinful groan, eyes shut tight and when she started to stroke his jaw went slack.
Tav chuckled, “feel good, my darling?”
“Too good,” he grunted, hand gripping her wrist tight. “It’s been… far too long since I’ve — erm, partaken in pleasure on this plane, so to speak.”
Tav frowned, contemplating that, her eyes drifting to the space where Mystra’s altar had once been then back to him. “That’s okay,” she said immediately. “I don’t care.”
“You might,” he replied, wry smile masking what she knew to be embarrassment creeping up on him, “when the night ends rather, prematurely.”
Tav shrugged. “Then we drink some wine and wait until you’re up to more,” she said casually tugging off the rest of his clothes. “I didn’t wait all this time to have you just once tonight anyway.”
Gale licked his lips, eyebrows twitching up in interest.
She tugged at his wrist, “lay back,” she guided him onto the bed, pushing him to sit with his back against the headboard. “We can go slow.”
Gale got comfortable, hands grabbing at her hips when she settled in his lap. Her fingers danced over the orbs mark, raised like a scar but looking almost inked in like a tattoo. The fervor had stalled just slightly, his cock still hard between them but no longer pulsing as it had in her hand.
“What would our friends say if they knew what you were hiding under those robes,” she mused, arms curling over his broad shoulders.
“I rather think I held my own on our intrepid journeys,” he said, sounding more like himself. “Aside from the creaky knees.”
“That you did,” she agreed. “I would have been lost without you.”
She kissed him, slowly and affectionately, as she lifted herself a bit. Her fingers danced down his body again, taking their time to admire the sturdiness he hid under his wizard robes day to day.
Finger nails scratched through the hair that trailed down his torso, and into the thicker patch between his legs. She gripped him again, and he moaned into her mouth, the kiss matching his needy grasp on the flesh of her hips.
Unable to help herself from teasing, she dragged the head of him through her folds, letting him feel how wet she was for him. His brow furrowed harshly.
As she lined him up and slowly sank down, she was torn between watching every minuscule change in his expression and closing her eyes to relish the perfect fit. He stopped kissing her, the shuddering breath he drew and the way his eyes started to roll back giving her that much more satisfaction.
Her own gasp filled the soundless space between them, walls fluttering at the intrusion. “Gods, you feel so good,” she whined.
Gale was speechless. Voice stolen by deep concentration, and then his eyes opened. For a singular moment Tav felt as if she was the only other person in the world, the pure look of awe and combined sharp focus of his attention made her feel ten feet tall.
How could anyone, goddess or not, take his sincere devotion for granted?
“Do you want me to move?”
“Not yet,” he whispered desperately. “Just — please, let me —“
He pulled her to him, bodies pressing at almost every point. His arms were a tight wrap around her, his cheek pressed against her forehead as she gave him gentle kisses along his neck. It felt not dissonant to their time in the astral, joined in every way, but this felt somehow more intimate. To hold him within her, and still have him hold her safely in his arms — a perfect balance she could hardly fathom.
“Kiss me,” Gale breathed. “Please.”
Tav did as asked, fingers tangled in his hair and very gently rocked her hips. He groaned, grip becoming bruising, pausing the kiss and then coming back to it again. Slowly she started to rock, then raise her hips and roll them forward until she was slowly bouncing, the slap of her skin meeting his filling the room.
Gale broke from the kiss, hands moving to the sides of her face. That same look, as if he had seen something beyond his wildest imaginings; focused, stunned and reverent. She never felt so loved in her life, she was certain.
As if she could will the same feeling into him, she pressed their foreheads together. She moaned, as he hit just right within her. Sensitive, eager and greedy she chased the sensation.
“I love you,” she gasped.
His expression crumpled, and he groaned grabbing her around the waist so she had to stop. She could feel his cock throbbing inside of her. “You are… you — I love you —“ he grunted. “Please, let me — feel you.”
She slowed her movements to a subtle rock, which rubbed against something in her that made her entire body seize up in intense sensation. He murmured affirmations to her, face buried in her hair, his hand grabbing at her ass to pull her back and forth.
“I have to feel it,” he said, need dripping from his tone, “buried in you, I must —“
Her mouth left sloppy kisses wherever she could leave them as she rutted against him. As another sweet peak approached she leaned back, bouncing just slightly to get what she needed. Gale’s eyes flicked down to her chest, to where they were joined, and back to her face. Her body started to pulse, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
It felt so good. The drag of him against her walls, the blunt intrusion as she rolled her hips. Whines fell from her lips, she closed her eyes to focus in on the sensation, head thrown back in ecstasy.
As she peaked her legs shook on either side of him, hips moving out of pure instinct for more as she felt herself tighten around him. Uncontrollable pulses, grabbing and sucking him as far as she could talk him and a gush of wetness that added deliciously lewd sounds.
Gale seemed to stop breathing for a moment, before something in him snapped. He grabbed her hips, and with bent knees and feet planted on the soft sheets began fucking up into her.
More ruthless than she had expected, desperate and selfish and needy. It was nearly enough to get her to the edge again. Grunts from somewhere in the back of his throat joined her shocked cries telling him ‘yes’ over and over again.
He watched as he disappeared inside of her, mouth open as he panted, and then finally he broke.
With a swiftness she didn’t expect he pulled out of her, but his arms came around in a caging embrace so he still rubbed against her wet folds. He whined, as his hips jerked without any sort of pattern, punctuated by the hot splashes of him coming. Sticky, wet and warm.
His body shuddered as it passed, but he did not let go of her as he caught his breath. When she lifted her head to look at him, his head was tilted back and eyes closed as he recovered. She kissed his cheek, and he opened one eye to look at her, a smile blooming on his lips.
“You’ve ruined me,” he muttered.
“And you enjoyed every moment.”
“‘Enjoyed.’” He repeated. “Very light way to put it.”
“Then how would you describe it?”
“Hm,” he breathed. “Having trouble thinking currently. I will get back to you.”
“Now that’s a real accomplishment,” Tav laughed. “I’ve rendered Gale of Waterdeep utterly speechless.”
He laughed, one eye peeking open again before he playfully kissed her on the cheek. As she nestled back into his arms, she knew they would have to break away soon to clean up the mess they had made. But for just a moment she cherished the sound of his heartbeat, calming down and steadying with his breath.
“The first of a thousand nights.” He murmured.
“Hopefully more.”
“I’ll have the rest of your nights, if you’ll allow it.”
“They’re yours.”
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Thank you for reading! 💜
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Note
hello💕could you write a little something with this enzo edit about a bookworm!reader who has caught enzo’s eye? assuming he’s not a reader but wants to impress 🤣 love you!
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Reading Between The Lines
pairing - lorenzo berkshire x fem!reader
warnings - fluff, kinda shy enzo I guess, bookworm!reader, one mention of y/n
a/n - my love 💕 I have been thinking about this since I saw your edit for the first time. love you!!!
wordcount - 1.7k
part one - part two
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The Hogwarts library was a sanctuary for you, a haven of quiet amidst the chaos of school life. Surrounded by towering bookshelves and the scent of old parchment, you felt at home among the rows of dusty tomes and well-worn novels.
You were always lost in the pages of a book, your nose buried in its contents as you devoured story after story. It was your escape, your solace, your one true passion in life.
And it was in the library that Lorenzo Berkshire found himself drawn to you, captivated by the way your eyes sparkled with excitement as you pored over the pages of a book. He admired your quiet confidence, your unassuming beauty, your love for literature.
Enzo wasn't much of a reader himself, but he found himself spending more and more time in the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of you. He would watch from a distance as you returned books to their rightful places, a shy smile playing at the corners of his lips.
And then, when you weren't looking, he would sneak over to the shelves and scan the titles of the books you had returned, committing them to memory. He hoped that by borrowing the same books, he could strike up a conversation with you, impress you with his knowledge of literature and your shared taste in stories.
But it wasn't easy for him. He struggled to find the same passion for reading that you possessed, often finding himself bored or distracted by the words on the page. But he persevered, determined to win your affections, even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone.
As he flipped through the pages of the latest book he had borrowed, the text on the back of the book having promised a thrilling romance between star-crossed lovers in a fantasy realm, Enzo couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. He longed to connect with you, to share in the joy you found in reading, but it seemed like an impossible task.
But then, as he turned a particularly dog-eared page, he came across a passage that made him pause. It was a passage about love, about longing, about the ache of unrequited affection. And in that moment, Enzo realized that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so different from the characters in the books you loved so much.
With a curious furrow in his brow, he carefully examined the dog-eared page, wondering if perhaps you had left it as a deliberate sign. Maybe, it was your subtle way of sending him a hint—a hint that you felt the same way he did.
As he pondered the possibility, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that you were trying to tell him something? The thought filled him with a rush of excitement, igniting a flicker of hope within his chest.
But before he could dwell on it further, his attention was drawn to something tucked between the pages. With trembling fingers, Enzo reached for the small slip of parchment, his pulse quickening with anticipation.
As he unfolded the note, his eyes widened in surprise, and a flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. The delicate script danced across the parchment, revealing your words:
‘Caught you sneaking glances, Berkshire. Don't worry, I don't mind. Maybe we can talk about books sometime? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ones you've been borrowing. – Y/n’
Enzo felt a mixture of emotions wash over him—embarrassment, surprise, but above all, a strange sense of relief. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, knowing that you were aware of his attempts to get your attention.
But as he continued to read the note over and over, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. There was a warmth to your words, a kindness that eased the embarrassment he felt.
With a newfound sense of determination, Enzo folded the note and tucked it into his pocket, his mind racing with possibilities. Maybe he didn't need to impress you by matching your passion for literature. Maybe all he needed to do was be himself.
The next day, he found himself back in the library, the note from you burning a hole in his pocket. He couldn't shake the nervous excitement coursing through him as he went to return the borrowed book, his eyes darting around in search of you.
And there you were, nestled in the back corner of the library, a book in hand and a serene expression on your face. Enzo's heart skipped a beat at the sight of you, and with a deep breath, he made his way over to where you sat.
"Hey," he said softly as he approached, internally cringing at the way his voice was tinged with nervousness.
You looked up from your book, a small smile playing at the corners of your lips as you met his gaze. "Hey, Enzo. What brings you here?"
Enzo shifted nervously, his mind racing as he tried to find the right words. "I, uh, just wanted to return this," he said, holding up the book he had borrowed the day before. "And, um, maybe take you up on your offer to talk about books?"
Your smile widened, and you gestured for him to take a seat beside you. "I'd like that," you said, patting the empty space next to you. "So, what did you think of this one?"
Enzo hesitated for a moment, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. "Honestly? I didn’t finish it," he admitted sheepishly. "But I, uh, I really liked the parts I did read."
To his relief, you laughed softly, a musical sound that filled the air with warmth. "That's okay," you said reassuringly. "We can talk about it whenever you're ready. Or we can talk about something else. It's up to you."
As you spoke, Enzo felt a wave of relief wash over him. Your easygoing nature and understanding demeanor helped to quell the nervous flutter in his chest. He settled into the seat beside you, feeling more at ease than he had in days.
"Thanks," he said, offering you a grateful smile. "I appreciate it. And, uh, I'd love to hear what you think about the books you've been reading too."
Your smile widened, and you leaned in closer, your eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'd love to tell you about them," you said eagerly. "I've been reading this really interesting series about magical creatures. Have you heard of it?"
Enzo shook his head, feeling a pang of embarrassment at his lack of knowledge. "No, I haven't," he admitted sheepishly. "But it sounds intriguing. Maybe you could lend me the first one sometime?"
To his surprise, you nodded eagerly. "Of course," you said, reaching into your bag to pull out the book in question. "Here you go. Let me know what you think."
Enzo accepted the book with a grateful smile, feeling a rush of warmth at your generosity. As he flipped through the pages and you easily continued your conversation, the hours seemed to fly by unnoticed. The library around you faded into the background as you delved deeper into discussion, sharing thoughts and opinions on various books and topics. Enzo found himself hanging on your every word, captivated by your intellect and passion. He didn’t even feel bad about not adding much to the conversation, completely satisfied with listening to you ramble about something you were clearly so passionate about.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm glow through the library windows, Enzo realized that he didn't want the day to end. He wanted to spend more time with you, to explore the depths of your mind and get to know you even better.
Summoning his courage, he cleared his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. "Hey, um," he began, his voice slightly shaky with nerves. "I was wondering if, uh, maybe you'd like to go out with me sometime? You know, like on a date?"
Your eyes widened in surprise, a soft blush creeping into your cheeks. "Oh," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I, um, I'd like that, Enzo. I'd really like that."
Relief washed over him and he leaned into your space a little closer without even realizing it. "Really? You would?" he asked, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.
You nodded, a unfamiliarly shy smile playing at the corners of your lips. "Yeah," you said, your voice filled with warmth. "I'd love to go out with you."
Enzo's heart soared at your words. He couldn't believe his luck, couldn't believe that someone as amazing as you would want to go on a date with him. And even more, he couldn’t believe that his little stunt, the one his friends had said was lowkey stalking, had worked.
"Great!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Um, how about this Saturday? We could go to Hogsmeade together, maybe grab a butterbeer or something?"
You nodded eagerly, a sparkle of anticipation in your eyes. "That sounds perfect, Enzo. And then we can go to Tomes and Scrolls and pick out a book you’ll actually enjoy. Maybe we could read it together?"
"I'd love that," he replied, a broad smile spreading across his face. "It sounds like the perfect date."
The warmth of your smile matched his own as you agreed, and for a moment, everything felt right in the world. As the two of you continued to chat, the library slowly emptied out around you, leaving just the two of you in the cozy solitude of the reading room. Time seemed to stand still as he watched you read your book.
Eventually, the librarian announced that the library would be closing soon, breaking the spell of the moment. Reluctantly, Enzo and you gathered your things and made your way to the exit.
Outside, the castle hallways were bathed in the soft light of dusk, casting a golden glow over everything it touched. The dopey smile didn’t want to leave his face he walked beside you, his heart filled with anticipation for the weekend.
As you reached the entrance to your common room, Enzo turned to face you, a little sad to let you go for the night. "So, I'll see you on Saturday, then?" he asked, his voice tinged with hope.
You nodded, smiling up at him. "I can't wait," you replied. "It's a date."
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findafight · 2 months
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For the STWG daily drabble prompt “accidental confessions” (I wrote this half in bed last night, half in bed this morning. Forgive some mistakes thanks) took it in a different direction.
It takes a full day for Steve to be released from hospital after they’ve confirmed he had broken ribs and a concussion amongst his other more minor injuries. Claudia is incredibly greatful she had the foresight to offer being the poor boys secondary emergency contact in the spring, seeing as Dustin had complained that Steve’s parents took a week to sign him out in November.
She got the call and was able to pick Dustin up and follow the ambulance to the hospital (Steve’s nervous friend had ridden with him, needing attention herself but refusing to let go of his hand). The smell of the smoke from the embers of Starcourt is something she doesn’t think she’ll forget, the stink sticking to Dustin’s hair and clothes. She’s sure it was the same for Steve.
He was under observation (and they did assist him in bathing, thank goodness) before being able to check himself out. She had swooped in and bundled him into her car as his friend’s parents ushered her away with the promise that the two could call, but needed to be home with family for a while to heal.
No one mentions that Claudia Henderson is not related to the Harringtons. If they had, she thinks she would have lost whatever composure she has been clinging to since she saw the sky burning red above the former mall and pulled up to be told her two boys had been caught in the chaos. Steve had been with Dustin when the Hargrove boy had threatened Lucas and protected them, had been coming around for dinner or to drive Dustin around, or to help him style his hair or countless other little things or no reason whatsoever. He has slotted into their lives easily, fitting into a place that neither Claudia nor Dustin realized they needed. He is her son in any way that mattered, and she needed him home. With her.
Finally pulled into the driveway, she opens the passenger door and holds her arms out, letting Steve grip her shoulders and securing a hand in his armpit. She hauls him out and supports him as he stumbles through the entryway.
“This way, sweetheart. You’re in the guest bedroom. Dusty helped air it out for you earlier, so everything’s fresh.” She says, nudging him towards the room. He nods and goes where she guides.
She helps him change into a matching pyjama set she had tucked away for him, as sometimes Dustin had horrible nightmares and could only be calmed by seeing Steve, awake and no longer visibly harmed, and he ended up sleeping on the chesterfield or Dustin’s floor. They were soft, and buttoned down the front, so everything was comfortable and he didn’t over exert or hurt himself trying to get the top over his head.
“I can do the pants myself, mrs. H.”
She smiles. “Of course. I’ll turn around and you let me know when you’re ready so I can help you get settled.”
“‘Kay.” There’s more shuffling than she would like, and more groans, but Steve gives her a “ready” before she gets too worried. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, loose pants the hospital provided kicked into the corner, looking a bit lost. His eyes are drooping, eyebrows slightly creased, and his mouth gapes a little, like he’s trying to figure out if he should speak.
Gently, she tugs the quilt out from under him, helping him lay back and tuck his feet under the sheets. She pulls everything up to his chin and kisses his forehead.
He hums contentedly and she brushes his hair further out of the way.
“Would you like me to turn the lights out?”
Steve slowly blinks his eyes at her, fingers curling around the edge of the quilt. His answer is a soft “yes please” followed by, “don’t leave?”
It’s so small, so desperate and resigned, it breaks Claudia’s heart all over again. She steps away from the bed, flicks the switch and turns right back around to sit on the edge of the bed. She’ll get a glass of water for him later, but now she just runs her hand through his hair, petting him soothingly.
He sighs, his body losing some of the tension he’s been holding, and his eyes droop. Humming, he burrows dirtying into the blankets but whines when she moves her hand away. She returns to petting. “There, there, honey. You’ll feel better after you sleep more, alright. And you don’t need to worry about anything. I’m right here.”
He nods just slightly, smacking his lips together and pressing his forehead into her palm. “Mmm. That’s good. I wish you were my mom.”
The admission is followed by another sigh and Steve losing the battle to keep his eyes open. It strikes Claudia through the heart, all this time seeing Steve as her own, trying to make sure he doesn’t feel smothered by her need to…well. Smother. And she had rarely considered that Steve would admit to wanting or needing the kind of support and warmth she was restraining (very badly) from throwing at him.
He probably only said it because of the concussion and the various pain or antibiotic drugs the hospital had given him, but it must have been true. He has asked her to stay, and whines when she moved her hand away. Over the past months he’d gotten more and more comfortable in their house and told her more about his frequently absent and disappointed parents. Steve needed support, and steady and reliable presence he trusted. And he saw that in Claudia.
If Steve wishes she were his mother, then his mother she’ll be. She’s been that for him probably since that first night they officially met in November, a beat up boy clutching her son’s shoulder in the Byers house and assuring her he didn’t let the kids get hurt, regardless of his status of also being a kid.
She leans down and kisses his forehead again, and says “well, that’s good, because you are my son.” Even if he can’t hear it. If he wants, she’ll say it everyday until he believes it. For now, she let’s him sleep as she pets his hair gently.
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frannyzooey · 1 year
Text
Silence
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Joel Miller x f!reader
Rating: Explicit
Summary: Joel makes a silent promise.
This is something quiet, something needed, something necessary.
Your lives ruled by survival these days, this is no different. It’s as needed as air, the sustenance you find in each other’s mouths.
There is a fire: a small one, the light unable to reach the far corners of the room and so your moving shadows pool there instead; a rhythmic, repetitive joining of figures on the wall.
There is little sound — only harsh panting, scrapes of boots against the worn wooden floor and softened whimpers swallowed by low groans. Just two bodies attempting to sate an ache they’ve had all day — all week — but never feeling safe enough to give in.
It’s safe now, and so you do.
Your knees dig into the unforgiving hard floor in your straddle on his lap, his own thighs cushioning your ass with every roll of your hips downward and his roughened hands grasp your skin, one sliding under your shirt to splay over your lower back, the other cradling the nape of your neck in a fierce hold.
Your fists twist and clench the soft, faded fabric of his denim shirt, seeking to anchor yourself to him as he strokes something deep inside that threatens to overcome your senses, and when you grind down on the stiff weight of his cock, the guttural groan he lets out is muffled by your hungry mouth.
The strands of his grey tinged beard slide under your palms when you cradle his cheeks, your fingers slipping up into the untidy swirl of his curls and he can feel your thighs start to tremble around his hips, your cunt clutching him wet and tight. So fucking tight still, for as many times as he’s taken you like this.
You would murmur his name brokenly into his mouth if you could form words right now, but instead your eyes shut tight in their focus on the way he feels so full inside you.
As a man of few words himself, it’s okay because he doesn’t need to hear you say it. He can feel it in the way you seek him out with a desperate need. Can feel it with every press of your mouth, with every clutch of your grip, with the way you wind your limbs around him and he takes it all, his hands reassuring in their greedy touch.
He’s got you. He always does.
The want had been a simmering thing that you tried to ignore for as long as you could remember.
He had taken you in and given you shelter, and on that very first night, while you should have been occupied with thoughts of trusting him, you couldn’t stop watching his hands.
The competent way he moved them: handling his supplies, packing his bag, loading a gun, fixing you food.
He didn’t ask too many questions and that was okay, because you had been too tired to give him any answers. After you ate, he let you curl up in his worn couch and sleep.
The first time you gave in was a night similar to this one: in a used, musty house, in a nondescript room that used to belong to someone but now belonged to no one. You had been agitated, frustrated, your need for him seeping into your every pore and coming out in harsh replies to his low drawl and so, on an instinct, he kissed you.
His mouth caught yours, his lips dry, but soft. Plush, and warm, and molding against yours with his own hidden hunger that had been growing inside him, he had backed you into the wall and his hands — marred with the marks of a recent fight — spanned your cheeks, holding in you place.
Starting with a brutal, rough kiss and ending with a slick warmth running down between your thighs as he spent himself on your skin, you laid still as he wiped it off with a dusty rag he kept tucked in his back pocket.
You had looked at each other then, unsure of what was next. This new facet of your relationship, too big for words, the weighted silence of the pressed in — and so you said nothing, and neither did he.
His breath is a humid, rapid pant into your mouth, bursts of warmth skimming between your lips and over your tongue and you’re breathing him in, your lips catching his between thrusts.
His groans are strained, taut with arousal and the need to be quiet and when he can’t, he buries his face and lets them loose into the plane of your chest, your heart thrumming right underneath the low rumble. Absorbing your stress and your adrenaline and your need, he pulls it from your body with every touch of his fingers, sliding his hand down the dip of your spine until it splays over the swell of your ass and he makes you fuck yourself on him until you’re so full that he pushes everything else out.
His muscles shake with effort, his arms squeezing you as tightly as possible to bury himself as deep as he can and you let out a sob, your face twisting with a pleading, desperate need in the dark.
“Shhhh,” he scolds tenderly, the sound a long, drawn out shaky thing as he watches where you’re joined with hooded eyes.
His knuckles are white in their grip, just like on his gun earlier today and his hands skate roughly over every inch bare skin he can find. Pushing up under your dirty clothes, you’re sweat slick under his palm as he rests it over the meat of your hip with a harsh grip.
Harder, he presses and guides. He wants it harder.
There will be a bruise there tomorrow, you can already feel it forming in the shape of his hand. It will join the rest of the battered marks on your skin; some from existing, most from him.
“Joel,” you inhale sharply, a keening whine slipping out from your chapped lips that are pressed together in an attempt to stay quiet and when you come, he knows he should pull out before he comes too, but that ship has sailed long ago.
“Fuck,” he groans, a strained, broken, husky whisper into the dark room and the two of you are momentarily locked tightly together as he swells and spills inside you; the two shadows on the wall merging as one.
The fire crackles, the fading light getting dimmer. It’s just enough to keep some of the shadows at bay, just enough to find each other in the dark.
“What’s gonna happen to us?” Your clothes buttoned back into place, you whisper the words into the crook of his shoulder and when he doesn’t reply, you aren’t sure if he heard them.
You stay silent instead of pressing him, unsure if you’re ready to think about his answer anyway.
He has heard you though. He rolls onto his side, draping his arm over you and you tuck yourself into the reassurance of his embrace, the solidness of his body one of your only comforts.
“I don’t know,” he says after a deep sigh. His thumb follows the line of your spine and you close your eyes, sleep weighing your lids.
As you sleep, he looks at you. The ache in his chest at the sight of your face is something he stopped trying to fight long ago, but it doesn’t make it less harder to live with.
His jaw sets, a tick of muscle rolling under the skin.
He can’t say the words he’s thinking. He’s felt them and failed before, the weight of those failures taking root in his very being and pulling him deeper into the darkness every day.
The flickering light dancing across your face shines through only just to the heart of it and he can’t stop himself from making a promise — a silent one.
“But if it’s bad, I won’t let it.”
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mediumgayitalian · 22 hours
Text
The crooked, creaky door of the cluttered infirmary storage room pushes open and slams shut in the span of a second, just barely allowing someone to dart through. Nico jumps, banging his head on the shelf he’s hiding under, chomping full force on his lip to bite back a shout. The shadows, on lucky reflex, bend around him and shroud his face. The rest of him he tucks further into the forgotten corner between two filing cabinets, holding his breath.
Under the unflattering light of the single swinging lightbulb, Will looks dull.
A thin headband attempts to hold back his frizzy hair, although it does very little. Curls stick out oddly and many shorter hairs are plastered to his temples and the back of his neck. His skin is unusually lacklustre, even pale, except for the high flush around his cheekbones. The bruising under his eyes rivals Nico’s. He has been wearing the same scrubs for the last two days.
With one last look at the closed door, nothing but garbled voices filtering through the heavy wood, he slumps. He drops his face into his chapped and bleeding hands, heels pressed into his eyes, and holds them there for ten seconds, twenty. Slowly, with trembles so minute they are at first glance unnoticeable, his shoulders begin to shake. The long fingers flexed and tensed around his forehead curl tightly, and he twitches, whole body trembling, teeth sunk hard into his bottom lip to stop his chin from quivering.
It does not work.
The first sob is quiet. He catches it quickly, forcing it back down, breathing heavily through his nose and out his mouth to beat it back. The second follows quickly, though, and it’s harder to choke down. When his face crumples, his resolve goes with it, and his knees hit the floor, sharp crack swallowed by the stillness of the room. He curls forward until his nose nearly hits his knees, hands sliding through his hair and over his ears and settling finally clutching together in the dip of his chest, bouncing with every heave of his chest. It’s quiet, his crying, enough that every dropped tear can be heard as it hits the dusty floor. The only time his sobs are ever audible is when he opens his mouth, trying desperately to soak up enough air to catch himself, to carry himself through.
Mute horror holds Nico’s tongue hostage.
He’d escaped in here the second Will had been called away this morning, dragged for the umpteenth time to handle a crashing patient or a complicated hymn or to soothe someone’s nerves. For the past two days he’s been doing his best to monitor Nico and a handful of other front liners who’d exhausted themselves in battle, but his focus has been split and the infirmary has been crowded. Whenever he runs off to put out whatever fire had cropped up — sometimes literally — the whispers start, the glances, the skin crawling up Nico’s back. Nico can hardly tell anymore what’s the shadows and what’s the people around him, watching him out of the corners of their eyes like they’re waiting for him to bust out a scythe and a black hooded cloak and start reaping.
The storage room is supposed to be an escape. Out of the way and forgotten as it is, it is supposed to be the place he can hide for an hour, escape the heavy gaze of the rest of the camp, collect himself before braving it all again.
Clearly, though, he’s not the only one who thinks so.
There’s something disorienting about seeing Will Solace cry. In the few times Nico has spoken with him during his visits to camp, he’s been a barely-contained explosion of energy, whether talking Nico’s ear off with updates about people he barely knows and references he hardly understands or cussing him out for overextending himself. He’s used — as much as he can be to someone he’s only beginning to really get to know — to his wildly flailing hands and widely playful grin, his loud drawling voice, his painful, constant brightness.
His hands, now, clench until they’re bloodless, trembling. There is no hint of his wide smile or twinkling eyes, because his face is hidden by all the hair that his given up on the pretence of the hairband, and the only sound from him are his gasping breaths and swallowed-back sobs. Nico watches him because he cannot look away. He flinches because every cry, every rough, scraping inhale, sounds like shattering rock, like an iceberg breaking off a glacier.
A quiet beeping startles them both.
For a stretch of time Will is motionless. The beeping continues, steady and soft, bouncing off the cluttered shelves and fading before they echo. After the third round — and Nico counts, if anything for something to do besides watch the chafed skin on Will’s hands crack and bleed with every flex — he drags himself upright, nails drawing lines in the thick dust of the floorboards, and rests back on his heels. He breathes for a moment, shuddering, hands pressed flat to his face; in, beep, beep, beep; out, beep, beep, beep. None of his breaths are ever steady, but he wastes no more time, swiping under his eyes and pinching his cheeks to restore his face to some of its usual colour. He grips onto each board of the shelf to his right as he yanks himself upwards, hand over hand, until he’s stretched, finally, to stand, although there remains a slouch to his broad shoulders.
The beeping continues, emanating from the watch on his left hand, growing softer or louder as he trails his fingers over the shelves from one end to the other, from the first, the second, the third. He pauses finally on a collection of bottles, turning them carefully to read the labels, then tucks them each gently into his already bulging pockets until he is left with what he must carry between his fingers.
The shadows bend to cover Nico again as Will turns, unknowingly facing him, and pulls himself suddenly straight-backed, chin set high, shoulders squared. He smiles, wide, fractured, squinting his eyes deliberately. The beeping stops. He breathes, in, smile, out, nod, and turns, striding, back to the door, opening it with flourish and swiping the dust off his clothes.
“Found them! Sorry it took so long, I really had to look —”
The door swings shut behind him, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
Nico stares at it with bile churning in his too-empty stomach.
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jiminiecrickets · 7 months
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jeon jungkook ♡ series masterlist
wc. 2.2k
tags. smut | dom top!m!reader, handjobs, praise, shower sex
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"you agreed. you pinky-promised. was what you wrote really that bad?"
he shifts on the couch, tucking his feet up to his chin and hiding his face behind it. his face is a very, very dark shade of red. "it's awful. horrible. you'll break up with me if you read it."
"then why'd you write it down in the first place?"
"i don't know!" he whines. "i was feeling brave!"
you set down the controller. on the large flat-screen tv, your characters circle the mario kart track behind the scoreboard. waluigi, jungkook's character, throws a tantrum in his race-car. "give me the paper."
"you'll hate me."
fourth place. fourth place. he can't believe himself. your name is highlighted at the top, neatly settled in first place. he'd been so comfortable, in the lead for the entirety of the match, and his big ego decided that an 'all or nothing' pity round would come out in his favour.
as quick as lighting, you snatch the crumpled ball of paper and unfold it, slapping jungkook's panicked hands away. your brows furrow deeper the longer you look at it.
"you're right. you were feeling brave."
jungkook slumps against your shoulder, his face pinched in embarrassment. "please don't think badly of me because of it, hyung..."
lowering the torn corner of paper, you ask softly, "would you like to do this with me, kookie? i'm interested."
his head shoots up. "what? are you serious?"
"no, i'm batman." he rolls his eyes with a huff and you grin, eyes crinkling as you pull him into your side. "yes, i'm being serious. thank you for telling me – i would never have expected something like this out of my cute little boyfriend."
if possible, his pout intensifies. he crosses his arms over his knees, staring determinedly ahead at the game. "'m not little."
you hush him, tilting his face towards you and pressing a long kiss to those pretty pink lips. he hums breathily, leaning into you with a hand on your chest. he whines quietly when you finally pull away for air, his chest heaving as he blinks at you with wide, dark eyes.
"seven days," he whispers, leaning in and throwing his leg over your lap, caging your thighs with his own. he rocks his hips slowly, savouring your low groan of pleasure. "seven days to fuck me whenever and wherever you want. that's your prize, baby – don't waste it."
eyeing his body hungrily, you grin like a beast unchained. you cradle his tiny waist, and playfully, you lift your hand against it, comparing sizes. "oh, darling, i'm not letting a single inch of you go unloved."
he nibbles on his lower lip as you tug his shirt out of the waistband of his ripped jeans. he's due for his gym session tomorrow – goes every two or three days, whatever he can fit into his schedule – and he'd made lunch for the two of you just a few hours ago. his skin is warm, his tummy soft, and it tenses with a gasp under your palms as they glide across his skin.
"mh... sorry, baby," he whispers, lashes fluttering as he blushes a dusty pink. "i should've done this on gym day..."
"hm? why?" you rock his ass against your lap with a soft exhale. you arch a brow at him. "do you think you're only attractive to me when you're hungry and dehydrated? idiot."
"hey," he whines, a protesting pout adorning his lips. he touches your hand on his stomach, fingers wrapping around yours. "'m not an idiot! just... i dunno... i wanna be handsome for you, hyung, y'know?"
you give him a look. "did i ask you out, or your abs?"
"well, me..."
"i asked you out after we finished three large pizzas at two in the morning. i think we ate about a kilo of cheese each."
he snorts. "yeah, yeah... i guess."
"uh-huh." you squeeze his hips and bring him down to kiss him, lips moving gently together. you part and bury your nose in his neck, lazily moving your hips against one another. he moans softly as you roll your palm against his bulge. "baby, you're always beautiful to me. on gym day or not – i would worship you for hours if you'd let me."
he giggles softly. "that's why i don't. you gotta be more productive than being buried between my thighs from dawn to dusk." he slips your belt free and tosses it – you barely felt him doing it, too busy engraving the sight of his sweet eyes and smile into the backs of your eyelids. "but, you know, a whole week to do whatever you want to me..."
you groan lowly at the suggestion, hastily pulling him out of his pants. you don't do it with half the grace that he does, but he seems to appreciate your enthusiasm, his cock already hard and twitching with anticipation. "mm, that does sound amazing. okay, ground rules: no touching yourself at any point. only i can get you off."
"fuck, o-okay, hyung. agreed."
you pump his cock slowly, capturing his lips hungrily. he drawls out a moan, his fingers drifting up your wrist. his other hand cradles the back of your head and he presses your foreheads together, his breath warm and quick against your cheek.
you flick your wrist and he whimpers softly, grip tightening around the base of your hand. his cock leaks as he bucks into your hand. you hush him, grazing your lips along his jawline. your hand quickens. "how does that feel, baby? good?"
"mm – mmhm," he whimpers. "it does, it does! feels really good..."
you spoil him too much. ever since you got together, he hasn't needed to touch himself – you're always right there, offering to do it for him. he's glad that you do – you can reach places so deep in him that he never knew existed, and you're always so gentle with him, making sure his pleasure is a priority.
he's dated a lot of people, but you're the first one who makes him feel so loved and important. it's almost embarrassing how much he loves you, how much he adores the way you pamper him.
he sniffles softly, burying his face in your shoulder. he grinds into your fist, cock dripping precome down your knuckles.
you hum softly, wrapping an arm around his waist. "you okay, darling? this too much?"
he shakes his head. "n-no... keep going. please. i love you."
it's sudden, and you stop moving for a half-second in surprise. "i love you, too, jungkookie. is everything alright?"
he nods, grabbing your hand and moving it up and down his swollen cock. it's cute and flushed red, twitching in your palm excitedly. "mhm. i just really love you – want you to know that."
who knew that love confessions mid-handjob could be so adorable? you smile into his hot skin and cradle him close as he gasps and jerks into your hand, spilling onto your shirt with a soft whimper.
for a long while, he remains completely lax in your arms, panting softly against your neck as he comes down from his high. when he opens his eyes tiredly, you smile down at him and kiss his cheek, tucking him back into his pants.
he whines quietly, reaching for your belt. "you didn't finish, baby... i can feel how hard you are."
you hum softly, tugging his hand away. "you need a shower, anyway. can i join you?"
his lower lip slips teasingly between his teeth. his eyes sparkle. "mm, of course. you're not getting away so easily, hyung-ah – i'm gonna eat you alive."
you smirk, letting him drag you to your feet and towards the bathroom. his eyes glint with mischief and he pulls you down by your collar to meet your lips with his, one of his hands tucked into the back pocket of your jeans. his thumb is hooked through a belt loop.
you groan into his mouth as he strokes your clothed bulge with a cheeky grin. "baby, don't test me. i'm the one with the week-long free pass to your ass."
 he winks. "why d'you think i'm doing this? last one into the shower loses!"
he wins. with the steamy water hitting your back, you cage jungkook against the glass, your arms sturdy beside him. you keep him safe, protected, from the world. not once does he feel trapped – not once does he feel confined in your love. no matter how closely you press against him, no matter how deep you are inside of him – you are his, and he is yours.
there's a certain freedom in being engulfed by your arms. he never expected it. spreading his thighs, kissing his shoulder – you love him like no other has. you love him in all the ways that matter and all the ways that don't because you're overflowing with it, that love of yours. even when you're balls deep inside him – an exciting, dirty kind of love that he blushes about in the mornings – you're smiling into his neck, murmuring about how lovely he is and how he deserves you, deserves your cock, deserves your love and deserves all that is good and bright. it's your turn to lavish him with love confessions and he can barely keep track of them all, his coherent thoughts running down the drain with each solid thrust of your hips.
"hyung," he whimpers, gnawing on his lower lip. he squeezes his eyes shut, fingers scrabbling for purchase fruitlessly against the smooth glass. your cock glides against his prostate and he grabs your hip, pulling you into him with a warbled moan. "f-fuck..."
"what's that, baby?" you murmur against his skin, hot and slick. your thrusts make him unravel, strong and hard and consistent against that spot inside him that makes him see stars. it's mind-melting. "you wanna tell me something?"
he whimpers, eyes squeezing shut as your hips shift against his ass, angling differently. your cock just grazes his prostate and he clenches around you, a warbled cry of your name leaving his lips. he feels so tiny – his feet between yours, your cock buried so deep in him he can practically taste it. he arches his back, tight ass pressing back against your pelvis, and savours your growl and the way your hand grips the opposite side of his waist, gripping the slim shelf of his hip.
"gotta use your words, pretty thing," you husk. with every thrust, it takes longer to bottom out, and eventually your hips still entirely. he whines, high-pitched and wanton, and grinds against you – you keep him at bay with one hand pressed firm to the small of his back. "easy, pretty. can you do that f'me? can you talk to me, tell me what you want from me?"
you step forward, forcing jungkook to stand straighter, pressed closer to the glass. trapped in your arms, he has no room to move, no room to argue. he shivers, chest grazing glass, and can't help the unsteady shuffle of his feet. the hot, steamy water hits your back and glides down your neck, your chest, dripping onto his shoulders.
lifting a hand, you tuck it against his upper ribs, fingers pressed into the lean muscle of his chest. the flesh – pull and push, stroking and caressing. he lets out a whisper of a moan as your warm fingers flick over his nipple, hard and pebbled.
"want you," he whines quietly, voice cracking in the middle when your hand travels down his hot, slick stomach and glides over his throbbing cock. he grabs your hip, fingers digging into you until his knuckles turn white. "w-want you – want you close to me, closer, please, want you closer—"
he breaks off with a babble as you take his hands and pin them flat to the glass. the motion draws you ever nearer – closer, as he'd say, the sweet thing – and your cock reaches so deep inside him, pressing against his stomach. he's dizzy with it, veins buzzing and head detached from his shoulders.
eventually, he hears your chuckle, like a radio knob turned slowly louder. his heart rabbits in his chest as he cracks open his eyes, temple pressed against the cold clear glass. his breath fogs it, and water trails down his cheeks from his damp hair, stuck to his skin the way it always does when you tear him apart and put him back together. his cock is wet and sticky, the heat tingling in his lower spine with a pulsing desperation.
it's all over his tummy, he thinks distantly with a soft whimper. he'd be embarrassed if he could remember the word.
when you finally finish, jungkook's legs feel like jelly. he curls his fingers around yours, lacing them together as he pants against the foggy glass, his hair damp and the air thick with the smell of sex. you kiss him over his shoulder and he moans against your lips, soft and tired. he smiles and closes his eyes as you reach for the shampoo – he leans back against your chest as you smooth your hand down his stomach, gentle and warm. he can feel your pulse through your palms and your heart through his ribs.
"i love you," he whispers against your throat. he means it in every iteration it has ever been.
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hecateslore · 23 days
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💗🎀
If you don't celebrate easter you can just ignore this, cause I know not everyone's religious (I grew up in a predominately catholic home 😃) and I'm not religious anymore soooooo ye.
"Oh my good Look at this!" You screech from excitement, The very dusty bunny costume in hand. Your mom sat next to you, baby photos in hand.
"We should put it on NovaLynn," She suggests, Your babygirl sat in her grandmothers lap playing with the small toys that used to be yours. "Simon!" You yell from downstairs, He comes prancing down the steps shortly, "Look," you smile holding up the easter bunny costume. "What's that?" He says walking over to you three. "It's my bunny costume," You hold it out to him, "It's kind of small no?" You roll your eyes at his corny joke.
"Take a look at this," Your mom hands him the photo of you as baby, wearing the exact same bunny costume, "Doesn't she look just like NovaLynn?" Your Mom, "Dead on." He looks at the photo intently.
"So what's this for?" Simon hands her the photo, taking the costume instead. "For Easter!" Your mother says, You grab Nova from her.
"You don't celebrate Easter?" Your moms brow raises exactly like yours does. "Mom," You warn her, "Uh, no." Simon chuckles awkwardly, "My family, didn't like the holidays." He nods.
"Oh I'm so sorry," She apologizes, "It's fine." he waves her off, taking Nova from your lap, "That's why we have these guys, right?" He places a kiss on her chubby cheek.
-
You stood with your camera in hand, trying to get your toddler to smile at the camera, "Look at me, Nova," you coo, holding the camera up to your face. Simon stood right next to you, doing funny faces, everything in his power to make her smile for the photo.
When you finally got a decent photo, you sat on the floor looking through all of the ones you were gonna print out on your computer. The two bins filled with your baby things tucked away in the corner of your living area.
Simon got up from where you both were sitting, "Can I have a look?" He says, pointing at the two boxes. "Mhm." you hum.
-
"I would've had a total crush on you in school." He looks over you high-school photo album. "No you wouldn't," You snort, looking through your baby photos again. "Yeah I would." He flips through the pages.
"What's this?" He holds up your old Lisa Frank notebook, that had "Sketchbook" written over pink zebra print tape. "My old drawings," you gush, Simon opens the book immediately hit with the smell of Crayola's. "That's lovely." He chuckles at the drawings of mermaids.
"How cute," You hold up your Communion dress and veil, "Tiny wedding dress?" He smiles, confused but in awe of you. "No it's my communion dress." You gush.
"Oh god, I remember being so scared this day." You chuckle, searching for the photos.
Simon watching you, "This is cool." He announces, "To have stuff like this." You stop searching, and turn to look at him, "Are you okay?" Concern on your face, "Just sometimes wished I had something like this." He brushes it off, "But I'm alright," he rubs your back in assurance. "You can start now," You say, "You can give Nova something to look back at when she grows up."
"yeah," He says quietly, "we can print out photos and make photo albums." You rattle on, "Mhm." His eyes on the veil adorned with white beaded flowers. You follow his eyes and then look to the communion dress again, "I'm so glad she doesn't have to do that." You admit, "Why?" Simon places the veil on your head, and you let him "I remember feeling so much pressure at such a young age, and feeling like you couldn't do anything because someone was always watching." You admit while he adjusts it, "I always felt like being a normal teenage girl was wrong, and oh my god when I found I was pregnant with Nova and Not married, I could've sworn I felt the ground opening." You chuckle.
"You and Johnny," Simon chuckled, "I think it's catholic guilt." You snort. "I didn't go to church." Simon says, "I always wanted to though, just to see, And the first time I did was with Johnny." He says.
"Did you like it?" You ask, "It was okay, but I don't think I would do it every Sunday. " He chuckles, "Oh my." You chuckle and roll your eyes. "It's not for everyone. I just did it out of habit, and also so I didn't go to hell, but here we are." You shrug and Simon lets out a small laugh, it quiets down over time, "I prayed when Nova was born." Simon admits,
"I was scared, and I didn't know what to do but I remembered the prayer you said in the shower when you pregnant; Sometimes, when I'm away I say it."
He grabs the small patent leather shoes paying attention to the embroidered design, "Sometimes I think, maybe I've lived this long because of The baby and You, and God knows the lengths I would go if something ever happened to You or her.." He pauses, "So he backs off, and lets me have what I love." Simon looks over at the toddler quietly snoring in the playpen.
"I don't think God is cruel enough to make you suffer anymore loss," You say, rubbing the nape of his neck. "He mad a man choose a Him over his child, I think he's capable." He snorts. "Oh so you listen to my mom when she goes on her rants. " You chuckle. "They're a little over the top but, I still listen." He shrugs.
You shake your head, "She's something." You sigh, "You're a wonderful Dad, Simon." You look in his brown eyes, "She loves you, and So do I." Simon places a kiss on the crown of your head, and gets back to fishing through the box full of baby photos.
what if I told you this was the week before Johnny died... 😆
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