#well it's not in the bag. ok. well maybe i actually did take the manual out & don't remember | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lolosrollercoaster · 7 months

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Grief is fcking weird.

TW: DEATH, GRIEF, MENTAL HEALTH ETC (take all the TW and run away from this now, I rambled and went to it all and the last thing I want is for this to trigger someone. I only wrote this to express myself not to hurt anyone with my pain). Welp. Let me just start this off by saying - If anyone ever finds this - It's 7:51am and I haven't slept a wink... it's also the 1yr anniversary of the death of my favourite person... which is probably why I haven't slept a wink. So if this gets super incoherent then let it - because I just need to ramble for a moment. I tend to prefer creative writing to this blog/letter/diary type of style, and man is that probably why I suck at dealing with certain things (read: most things). In fact its probably one of the reasons why I've been so fucking frozen in time for almost 3 years, guess all the years of overthinking amplified and brought things to a complete halt. so yup - I've been completely stuck. And there hasn't been enough media, enough imagination or creativity etc to get me to do anything. Was it the pandemic? was it my penchant for overindulgence in all of it that finally stopped working as a coping mechanism and became one of the beams that now holds me down joining the rest of my collapsed psyche that now pin me to the ground? honestly who knows - but maybe I'll address that in another post- because today is about one issue, and that is GRIEF. what a fun little word - and yet so bad at encompassing what it can mean. I mean I feel like we're honestly just starting to get each other despite the fact that I think I've had it in my bag all these years. And man can it mean so much even in the same context if it's with different people? like you think you know what to expect but really (trust me) you don't. I feel like it should be in the human starter kit - the manual - that you absolutely don't know anyone until you've seen them grieve...or even worse- had to grieve alongside them. Like the fact that you never have felt closer yet farther from those people that share this common loss. Oof - if you had told me the whole "anger" part could mean "you're never speaking to this B*tch again" and part of it is mostly because you're angry on the behalf of someone who is already gone or because they made you bring that negative energy to them during their last few hours? I would've thought you were exaggerating. But nope - here I am, 365 days later still thinking - ONE DAY - I will let this person know how fucked up they are- but not today - because the person who died was my abuelita, and the b*tch is my tia - and honestly I can just see my abuelita being mad at me for being mad at my tia. Actually that's a lie - my abuelita could hold grudges when necessary, but she never got mad at me - I think she'd be more disappointed which is somehow worse. But see, anger, grief, rage? they make no sense. Because here I am still pissed af at my tia, a whole year later, and still I haven't called her a b*tch to her face - because my dead abuelita wouldn't like it if I said it. Even if she was actually being a b*tch ( that being said I'm human - so of course I've vented to everyone I know and gotten reassured) and everything she did prior to my abuelita's passing was cruel, stupid, wrong, and absolutely not ok (glad I can at least say that with certainty).

But anyways - Grief is cruel - and aloof, and odd. Grief has pulled me further from my mom than closer to her. More resentful. And it's funny because it's like it's brought out every quality I know my Abuelita would not want out of me. Honestly I might be in my villain era (or at least it feels that way - since I've decided to be strong and set boundaries - and enforced them... in a family where boundaries are non-existent... I might as well be).

But see the grief of her death came at me at the worst possible time. I know, come on universe? can't you check my calendar before you set me up for another one of these eternal redirections/world flipping moment/life "lessons" - and can we please discuss a maximum quota per decade? or at this point per year? I don't think I have the bandwidth for anything else at this point. (please don't take me typing that as a taunt or invitation! I'm good, I swear!)

You see, for some reason I guess the universe decided 2022 ( a year of my favourite numbers) was meant to be my most tested year yet - so much so that it started off with a serious accident for my dad, which happened on the day I was home after quitting the job from hell, on the first month of the year and didn't truly let up from there. By the 3rd week of 2022 I was catatonic - see, I guess 2 can play at that game and my brain+body+soul all collectively decided I needed a time out... so I just clocked out. for a month (?) I still cant tell you. but I guess I had what y'all call a little mental/nervous breakdown? ... anyways by march I was talking again, so I guess that's good - I mean at least basic communication, I wouldn't say I was out in the world, nope that took some more therapy, and A LOT of convincing from pretty much anyone who could try. And of course, given that I was bed bound, and not actively taking care of myself everything afterwards felt pretty much exactly how you'd expect it. Which was incredibly demoralizing - feeling like a zombie, unsure as to why you're alive to find that what little you appreciated about yourself is also not in shape atm - had to cut off all my hair, so that was fun... then more little issues came up, dental problems, and health problems, etc. Oh and on top of it all I had finally caved and filled one of those little mental health assessments (obviously had to lol I had stopped functioning- that was probably not a good indicator). And that led to seeing how much stigma still exists in the medical field for patients. Truly loved that. (I've worked on my mental heath for years but never fully put it all on "paper" fearing the stigma. preferring to have it be known but not written down for fear of how it could affect me - and unfortunately not even 6months later I got to experience it - gotta say it was also lk just the full meal: super fun & humiliating, y'know? even worse than what my overthinking brain had dreamt up so 11/10! great job to all involved!) But anyways, grief! that was also something I gained from my mental breakdown! who would've thought! ... definitely not me!

so anyways, I'm unemployed, living @ my parents house - parent's who definitely don't know how to deal with my mental health, they didn't know for the first decade, maybe its too much for me to expect them to know now going into the 2nd one 🤣 but yeah - idk they somehow kept me alive and here, so they definitely did something right. I gotta give props there! this is one crisis they didn't purposely start and stuck through to the end and provided what I actually needed at the time so 🎉 ( I know I sound like an asshole, but this whole mental breakdown and previous # of mental shithole years have provided me with an insane amount of introspection and reflection on my childhood which... surprisingly 🙄... didn't give me less to be angry about but more 🎉 I'm still unraveling it all, but I've definitely got enough content to keep a therapist employed for a while.) WHICH is a fun next point... access to mental health services ... why is is so fucking hard? man also so expensive when you're employed, even if you live in a country with "universal healthcare". The therapist my mom helped me get with (yay mom!) was with a service that didn't charge me too much, based on a sliding scale, and well I was unemployed and mentally broken, so income was low (thanks for 2021 Lolo for keeping some savings) so at least I could afford it ish but it turns out they worked based on "goals" and my goal in March was to get up from my bed... and hopefully make it outside my room, then eventually outside my door to actually breathe non-recycled air... maybe actually see some other human beings outside of the ones that live with me (or see them more often at least!) eventually be sort of a functioning human again.

And then my teeth got fucked and my abuelita was sick all at once - and my family is not in this country, so we thought ok - lets fly home (10+hrs air journey)... and also lets bring my 13yr old pupper - because my abuelita loved her, and this might be her last chance to go home and see that fam. Also she has separation anxiety and all 3 of us were going (yeah I'm also an only child, unless you count the pupper as my sibling, which sometimes we do). So anyways - here we go - Four anxiety ridden overthinkers on a sad journey to see their fam - it was as insane as it probably sounds - my mom thinking about her mom, in denial of the situation, and also forgetting she had promised to take responsibility for the puppers, me trying not to break down again bc ppl, airports, anxious/stressful parents who always freak out during travel and turn to you for calmness but now you're the stressed one - overwhelmed pup bc its a long ass air journey and she doesn't love being confined to a carrier and would rather be on our laps or roaming the cabin.... yup. Also I needed a root canal - so I was in PAIN. But my tia is in dentistry and it would be a much better job + price back home anyways so it was worth the craziness.

And then I got home - and I saw her. And I lost it. And my dad lost it and that's also when I knew ok well we're fucked. Because my mom is the one that had kept it together this year - she was the one who had to care for us and now it was her rock who was about to leave her. But my mom was in DENIAL. See my mom believes in miracles, but to the point where she expects them to happen regardless of reality and if there's one thing she was never going to do was give up hope in this particular case. But that also meant we had absolutely no idea how it would hit her once it happened - and as much as my abuelita and my mom taught me to believe in miracles, I unfortunately couldn't see one here. See life beat me into becoming a realist, and I worked in healthcare for a while too so there was only so much my brain would allow me to deny or have any type of hope.

Hell, I thought I would be able to handle it better because I'd seen death now more than once. But nothing prepares you to loose your favourite person, specially not when they're suffering and slowly withering away. And I think that's what pisses me off the most still. I held the hands of strangers, I sat with them through their worst times, their last few days. But from the moment I saw her - I knew I couldn't. And in some act of bravery, or dumbfuckery - I did it again - I talked my brain into compartmentalizing it, into rationalizing it, into ensuring I would be present for her. I don't regret that, don't get me wrong - I would hate myself more if I had walked away that first day and never gone back. But in shutting myself off from my feelings regarding it - in minimizing it - because I just told myself "how could I do this for strangers and not for her?" I shut myself down emotionally enough to survive it, but I think it might come back to kill me later.

You see, I make myself useful - because I was taught that's what I should do. so I did. I helped wherever I could, I drew knowledge when I needed it from people who had it, I became the voice of reason when necessary. I organized and learned all I could about what she was going through, I researched what it could all mean. That was the hardest- knowing she was like this because she fell through the cracks of a broken healthcare system. I helped by learning and arming myself with what I could to fight for her, to do what I could to make things better, or less painful for her if possible. But it still didn't feel like enough (and yet it all felt like way more than too much). And then we finally had to bring her into a facility - you see my grandfather was also a victim of the healthcare system - in his case a mistaken dose of a medication not meant for him meant instead of going home that day... he went to a funeral home instead. So of course my family, my mom, my abuelita all feared ending up in a situation like that again. She never wanted to die in a hospital, but even in her pain I think she did it because she didn't want us to deal with what it would entail for her to die at home. So she agreed and asked to be taken to the hospital. And to make it about me again - "everything happens for a reason" is a sentence I hope to never hear again because what do you mean the one they sent us to was the one I was born in (not the usual hospital she would've been sent to, but that one was too full so they sent us to my birthplace) and in that same building 48hrs later after being admitted almost to the minute - she took her last breath ....( just 2months and 1 day before my 26th birthday) So 25yrs, and 10 months after I took my first one in that same building. I now know 2 dates/events to the minute.

my birth and her death.

I'm not angry about that - I'm just confused but not mad - I just still don't understand the meaning of it all if it is supposed to have one. I do remember the last ~14hrs of her life. Since I was the one who was by her side for most of them. So much for that schedule I made (she needed to have someone with her at all times), some would've thought I made it on purpose to get her all to myself one last time. And I don't think I regret a single minute of it -even if it was one of the most painful nights of my life. if not THE most painful. I remember my mom coming to take over and my abuelita looking like she was doing better - like she was giving me permission to go - but I didn't, because I still had stuff to do, I was doing some paperwork for her, and then trying to get an extra visiting pass for my cousin, and then, and then... and then... I found the chapel - by chance, took a wrong turn ended up in that hallway. (you should know, my abuelita was one devoted woman, and the only reason I still had some faith in all of that - but she never pushed, she wasn't a fanatic, she just had true pure faith and it was so pure she did witness miracles and had them happen to her and around her and all of us.) And I sat down and I prayed. I hadn't done that in years. but I did - and I just said one thing: "if its her time, and that time is now - then don't let me or my connection to this hospital be what holds her here. I don't want to be the reason she suffers, I don't want to be what's holding her here if it's her time. I'll figure it out, I'll deal with it all, just please don't let her suffer any more. She doesn't deserve that" And 30 min later she was gone.

My mom held her hand in the end. I saw her face because of course I had to come back for something I forgot and I walked in as she was taking what I now know were her last breaths. I didn't run to her - I'd said my goodbyes in a way when I switched with my mom - I ran to switch with my cousin who was outside so she could go in and say hers.

she didn't make it.

I barely walked the 5 steps outside to my dog's carrier (who was there waiting for me as we exchanged) before my mom called only saying"she's gone" and I dropped.

if you asked me what happened after that I'd tell you flashes of it. I wailed. my dog wailed. I still feel guilty for that - she saw me drop and probably thought I'd been shot or something.

** Oh yeah I forgot to mention we had to extend our trip but my dad couldn't stay bc of work so he had to go home, and it was now just my mom, my dog and I (with the rest of our extended family of course). I eventually managed to start calling ppl - because right - we're the ones that know. my phone was at 16% and dying fast. I'd forgotten to charge it the night before, more focused on her care and not messing any of it up. I remember calling my cuz and just wailing "she's dead" then "sorry gotta hang up and call the others, my phone is at 15%" before hanging up. Still glad she doesn't hate me for that.

my dog stopped breathing and her tongue went purple/blue for a second on the taxi back to her home. we don't know what it was - grief, anxiety, the hand sanitizer my baby cousin was sniffing to keep from throwing up. it was only a second but my life flashed before my eyes again and I somehow got her back with some type of crazy cpr. My mom only found this out a few days ago - she was in the hospital with the body arranging it all. I helped pick out an outfit for her to be put into.

I helped my 19yr old cousin who lives where we live get plane tickets and helped her break the news to her mom (my tia) who was on holiday in Europe... they were supposed to come see her on Oct 4th, but they didn't make it in time. I heard their flight home kept getting delayed and she passed out in the airport.

I had nothing to wear - not that it mattered -but at one point they offered I could wear a set of her shoes and it kinda felt wrong - like why would I wear her own shoes to her funeral. it just felt wrong.

her funeral turned into 4 days of viewing - waiting for my poor cousin and tia to arrive because we couldn't get them there any faster. I don't know if it made it easer or harder to delay it. I stopped sleeping the moment she went into the hospital and didn't start again until ....still unsure. maybe a week after? when exhaustion took me out. I helped organize the funeral, deal with them trying to overcharge us, informing ppl, etc. I even managed to get her interred where she wanted her final resting place to be before our flight back (which when we'd managed to push it we'd changed our return date to Oct 15). I pushed to make it happen so my mom and I could leave knowing she was finally where she had to be. I stopped crying maybe 2 days after she died? ... I only cried 3 more times after. one being when I was a pallbearer.

My mom went... I want to say insane but that feels mean. She definitely did not handle it well, and absolutely pissed ppl off, also said some horrible things that she didn't take back - and hasn't taken back to this day.

I can't say how I was, but I do know I wasn't that bad? I think I spent more time ensuring my relatives saw me as an adult and separate from her so I wouldn't loose relationships than I did trying to offend ppl for no reason, so that was a win. and as far as I know I haven't been blocked by anyone yet - so clearly I did something ok.

I wish my dad could've come but with his health scares + being 70 + having done the journey there and back already it kinda made sense as to why he couldn't - rationally I know that. Irrationally I'm still mad I was left to deal with my mom on my own.

we got back and halloween no longer felt joyous (it was my favourite holiday). I still dressed up for her because she loved that. Apparently she always told my baby cousin that Aurora from tangled reminded her of me so I dressed up as her and watched the movie again and cried it out with my parents.

My dog survived the journey home and actually is now more of a fan of airplanes - we survived somehow.

(my biggest fear was my abuelita and dog dying at the same time, leading to my mom either dying or breaking down like I did and then me having to deal with it all on my own practically. I was sure I would not survive that.)

I tried to talk to the therapist I'd been seeing, he told me I had to reapply to the program... because its goal based, and when he took me on the goal was to get up from bed and leave my house. which I had. Grief however was a different goal and I had run out of appointments for this session set.

I stopped going to therapy.

**somewhere around here was when I had my first stigma filled experience with a GP I went to for a health problem I had. My birthday sucked. despite a bit of a time difference - my abuelita was always the first call I'd get that day. I didn't have enough time to prepare for that one since it happened so soon after. I decided to make my birthday nonexistent. I felt I had nothing to be thankful for and I definitely had nothing to celebrate. I didn't even feel like myself.

I got a job, it was supposed to be a good one. I was excited. I would start it in the new year.

Christmas - sucked. It is(was?) my mom and abuelita's favourite holiday. Not last year. We didn't even put up a tree.

New Years Eve felt like more lk YOUR YEARS GRIEF. I rang in 2023 half conscious as the absolute train wreck of a year finally hit me - and I could not stop crying or being angry or passing out from crying so hard then waking up again to be annoyed again.

And that's when it hit me I had two types of grief.

I'd completely lost myself.

and

I'd lost my true North Star.

see the one thing that questionable therapist got right was that I'd become such terrible people pleaser my entire identity crisis was happening because of it and it had helped push me into that freaking mental breakdown. I had no sense of self bc I would make myself whatever or whoever I needed to be to fit into where I needed to fit. so much so that now I had no idea what part of any of it was actually me and what was just me adapting to survive.

fun, eh?

And then my favourite person, the centre of the most joyful perfect memory in my mind - died. aka the unthinkable.

And now here I am 365 days later - with a fuckton of unfelt grief because I just COMPARTMENTALIZED IT LIKE A PRO. To a concerning degree according to just about everyone who knows me or asks about it. I mean I can't talk about it, or her. I can't read things about grandparents, or death, I definitely have almost broken down at seeing numbers like 82 (her age) anywhere. But nope, I somehow kick it back - shut it down. it almost feels like when you're about to sneeze and then you just don't? y'know that feeling? that's the closest I can compare it to. My eyes start to fill with tears and then suddenly they're dry as a desert and <I'M FINE> (read that like Ross in that one scene in friends). Anyways what's happened in the rest of those 365 days? had a job, left a job (toxic environment - so yay!) put some of that money in savings, spent the other. fought a lot with my mom. Went home by myself this time - took cuz who's my fav adult and also the one who took care of my abuelita all throughout that last year on a much deserved vacay with the liquidated vacation days I got *thank god for our birth country's currency being devalued. I feel terrible about it for my people but since I don't live there it makes it easier to do things like that one - visited Abuelita for Mother's Day. didn't cry. So clearly still repressed af.

but what's new.

Saw Beyonce at the Renaissance Tour with my friends- of course we got tickets back in February so I only realized months later that it was on my abuelita's birthday - but hey - Virgo's groove almost got me to cry in her honour since Bey asked all her Virgo's to get up and dance.

Saw a couple of plays. (Mom got a volunteer gig there and can get me tickets, also she thinks it's a bonding thing. it is kind of fun as long as it's not forced.)

Tried to challenge myself to reading 200 books - pretty sure I've only read 3 so far. BUT I'm trying and that's what matters, right?

also there's a fucking recession apparently? and finding a job is SO FUCKING HARD. that I'm spiralling harder than before. it's been fun - I'm so unmotivated and idk how to fix it. I'm back to hermiting tbh. Also my financial anxiety is at an ALL TIME HIGH. because I only calculated to have fun off work for a couple of months, and it's been more than that - I was so hopeful that I'd get a new job a lot quicker than I did.

Also for another healthy form of *🤡DEALING🤡* we're about to go to Cirque du Soleil with my parents- because we couldn't get tickets for another date (quite literally. these were the only left and we got a special deal with my parents' job). and isn't that funny? or fun. Y'know back when I had lk hopes and dreams, and I was a naive little girl I used to have these ridiculously grand ideas ahah like having acrobats at my wedding ... and that was when I'd only heard about cirque du Soleil which I'm actually only seeing for the first time today. But I don't think I ever thought "HEY- here's a thought - lets watch them for a deathaversary instead since you're so into the dark side nowadays"

But y'know what? I'm just going with the flow at this point.

Because apparently that's grief. And that's life. And that's the universe.

anyways if anyone has a treatment for repression - I'll take it - because this constipation of feelings has me down bad.

also pls pray for your girl to find a job. Her mental health is in the shitter bc living at home is not ideal when they're part of the reason you got shit mental health.

I pray to one day be a mentally healthy individual and actually maybe hopefully have a healthy (or as healthy looking as possible) relationship with my mother. and maybe even my father . but that shit aint happening with all of us under the same roof. that's just a fact. Despite how bad the real estate market is out there, in this case braving it is a life saving measure.

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physicalturian · 3 years

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[18+] Words of pleasure - Law x F!Reader - Part 6

[No spoilers] [Modern AU - College AU] [She/her pronouns used for the reader, no physical description; Everyone +18] Words : 6246 Archive of our own

Warning : Power play / Dom/sub Dynamics / Control / Stranger / Flirting / Fluff / Awkwardness / Mirrors / Anxiety … If you feel like I should add more warnings, send me a dm or and ask

– Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

There was a short silence, I let out a nervous chuckle before going for random sounds leaving my mouth as I tried to pick up my dignity off the floor. When I was about to cover up, Law hummed. “I’d say the neck, but it all depends on the situation…” He looked at me from the corner of his eyes and smirked, “Faces are very expressive and help understand what the person’s thinking about. But, so does the whole body language.” Drumming his fingers over the wheel, he made a pondering face and smirked as he continued.

“But the neck, very sensitive. Very fragile, and yet it has one of the most important roles. Protecting all those nerves, to send the information to the brain- to let one have access to the neck is to let yourself be vulnerable…” I listened to him intently, no knowing if it was hot or slightly threatening but which ever it was, it made me very aware of my neck and I had hard time not moving my hand there.

Lightening the mood, he chuckled and asked me what mine was. “Oh, hm… I never really gave it a thought…” I lied, of course. I knew very well that the entire human body had so much appeal, but I also knew my preferences. Still, I was not going to answer that quickly to him, I had to make it look like I was giving it a thought. When it seemed appropriate, I answered, “Probably hands. Just like the body language, it says a lot about the person.” And it’s fucking hot. “If the person takes care of them, if they’re more into manual work, if they have bad habits… scars… The tattoos also…” I trailed off, biting the inside of my cheek in apprehension of what he’d say.

With a scoff, I heard him softly ask. “And do tell me, what do my hands tell you?” I tried to think, but I was simply thinking they were pretty, and he was hot. So, I gave it a deeper thought, then opted for more of a flirty approach. I could fix that weird question, make it worth it, right?

“I can barely see them from here, I’d have to get a closer look.” While I said it in a flirty manner, I tried to coat it with a bit of humor, just to give myself a chance to escape. Chuckling, he did not answer. Instead, he pulled up in my street before parking and maneuvering now to not do it when leaving. When we stopped moving, I was going to leave quickly to not die of embarrassment from his lack of response but couldn’t with all the food and drinks on my lap. “Are you in a rush?” He asked with a smug smile as he took his things from lap after unbuckling his seat belt.

Giving him a side glance, I realized how close his face was from mine and couldn’t help but glance at his lips before forcing myself to lean back and open the car door. “Well I am hungry-“ I swore under by breath when I felt a pull from the belt when I leaned forward to leave, it was quickly released after I heard the unclasping. Law had done it for me, surprising me at the same time. Almost falling forward, I held onto the car door for a sec before stepping outside.

I could hear his laugh echo when he left the car, and slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it. “Do you want me to hold your things while you take your keys-“ He stopped mid-sentence when he felt my bag nudge his side, “Take them, they’re in the back pocket. I would have done it myself, but you’ve bought me quite a lot, so it’s on you.” He made a confused sound and asked me if I was sure.

“Are you scared you’ll find drugs? Or is it maybe pads and tampons that’d be the problem?” He was going to reply, but I continued, “There’s none of that, I think there are biscuits wrappers at best. And my wallet,” I shrugged before trying to nod his way, over my shoulder. “Give me your food, I’ll hold it while you open my bag.”

“Your hands are full-“ He said, but I interrupted him, “My mouth isn’t, come on give me your stuff.” I closed my mouth for a second, taking in what I had said before feeling my face heat up. I shook my head as I sighed, hoping he’d ignore it, but as he handed me his small bag with probably pastries in it, he spoke. “I was going to say something,” He started, giving me his pack that I held between my teeth. It was almost weightless. “But you’re clearly doing such a good job at embarrassing yourself, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

With the paper bag still in mouth, I spoke through my teeth, “Fuck you, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

He looked over his shoulder and quirked a brow before replying, “Do I? You’ve been pretty insistent on sharing how hot you think I am, I can almost imagine how bad you want to fuck me.” After unlocking the building, he grabbed the paper bag from my mouth and grinned in a cocky way. It made me want to slap him across the face, but also take him against the wall, maybe the latter more than the other one. But I did none of those and simply huffed.

“I think you’re the one who’s whipped, you did stalk me through my friends to bring me food.” I said over my shoulder, stopping in front of the elevator and using my elbow to push the button.

The man hummed as if considering what I had said, then gave me a look I couldn’t describe. It seemed intense, but not sultry, maybe even confused, lost. “As I said, I am familiar with studying for a long period of time. It’s a boost, moral support. So, don’t be ungrateful like that, you sound like a brat.” It seemed I had ticked him off by saying that, I could see it by the frown decorating his forehead.

But that frown was also accompanied but a delicate blush. I did not argue back, instead we stepped inside the elevator silently. Did I keep that silence? No. I could have kept the drowning, deafening silence that surrounded us, but I did not want him to feel uncomfortable. That is the reason I gave myself to talk more.

“You’re right, thank you for the food and the company. How much do I owe you?”

Looking down at me, his frown dissipated as a small smile drew itself on his lips. “Do you ever accept gifts without questioning?” He scoffed before adding I didn’t owe him anything. I was going to speak up when he did, at the same time and I let him. “I have a better idea; you know what would make my day?” I believe it was rhetorical, but as we left the elevator, I answered jokingly. “Your day has been made since the moment you saw me.”

He did not lose any time and replied with a smirk, “And yours, since I called you this morning, but who’s keeping track?”

A loud cackle left my mouth, it wasn’t elegant in any way. I had not expected him to be funny like that, though maybe he was just catching me by surprise more than being actually funny. I wasn’t sure yet, but there was this bubbly feeling my guts that assured me he was not a bad guy. “I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t not-enjoyable. But do tell me, what would make your day?” I asked before gesturing for him to open the door, telling him which key it was. I held his paper bag between my teeth once more, as he opened it before he grabbed it from me.

“If you admitted you want to see me in my hospital coat-“

I cut him off once I had put everything on the dining table, and freed his hands, “At best, a hospital gown to see that ass, but I am never admitting having a ‘doctor kink’, alright?” With everything laid on the table, I turned around to look at him and made a grimace, “Actually I take it back, this is just a nice get together, I swear I don’t want to see your ass that desperately, ok? Take a seat, doc.” I blurted out, realizing what I had said was more something I’d say jokingly. But I meant some of it, I did want to see him in his full glory.

This time, he did not make any witty comeback. Instead, he took a good look at me a moment, then grabbed my chin and turned it a bit before sliding his finger right under my jaw. He was checking my pulse, then said, “How about you take a deep breath and relax? You said it yourself, it’s just a nice get together, I’ll even sit at the opposite of you if I make you that nervous.” He suggested as he let go of me and pulled up a chair to sit on.

“No, no, don’t-“ I pulled up the one right next to him, maybe even scooting it a bit closer to him, our knees touching. My face was warming up slowly, remembering the interaction that happened seconds ago. “I’ll be honest, and you guessed it, I’m slightly nervous but maybe it’s because I’m into you. Not desperate, but you’re clearly a sight for sore eyes and you’re funny. You keep me on my toes, it’s fun.”

I did not expect him to react like that, but the man in front of me seemed to have been flustered for a moment. He tried to hide it by focusing his gaze on the paper bag in front of him as he opened it to grab its content. “You make it so easy for me to make innuendos, but I’ll let you have your wholesome moment.”

Nudging his knee with mine, I huffed and started checking all the food he had bought. While doing so, he continued talking, getting my attention by bumping his foot against mine. “I think there’s still something you need to tell me,” He started, earning a panicked look from me while I slowly put the food down, gulping. “Do I? I mean, fire way,”

Delicately, he leaned on his hand, resting his elbow on the table, and grinned. “What do my hands tell you about me?” I never sighed so loudly, hoping he had dropped the topic. But he seemed keen on knowing that, or maybe simply tease me for saying I preferred hands. “First things first, you gotta stop teasing me about the hands- You said neck! And maybe it was a bit hot, but also threatening, you gave it a thought and a deep one at that.” When I was done, I placed my hand, palm up, on the table and made a grabbing motion. “Come on, give me your hand, let me take a look.”

When he did, I realized how big his hands were but also how slender his fingers were. I could see it without needing them so close, but now that I took a good look… The thought of wearing it as a necklace crossed my mind, I ignored it. I then started observing his hand, turning it delicately in mine, brushing my thumb over some spots. “You have a little bump on your ring finger, so you either write a lot or draw,” I hummed a moment, “Your nails are probably cut so short for practicality, since you probably have to wear gloves and stuff…”

“The tattoos, they confuse me. Maybe you were a bit of a rebel when you were younger, because clearly they’re not professional-“ I looked up at him with an apologetic look, hoping I hadn’t offended him, “But it’s pretty! I’m not judging, just-“ He huffed a laugh and tried to grab my hand gently, only for me to keep holding it as if it was the most precious thing I had seen. “I was indeed very shitty when I was younger.”

Grinning mischievously, I jabbed, “Because that has changed? You still seem like a little shit to me,” Then I breathed out with a smile, “I’m not done though, your hands are slightly calloused but not a lot, so maybe you go to the gym or one of your hobby is more manual?” It was a rhetorical question, but he hummed to tell me to continue. I ate a bit and continued, “Also they are some very faint tan lines on your fingers…” Seemingly amazed, a smile drew itself on the corner of my mouth, “Do you wear rings? I mean, it’s faint, I can barely see it so maybe I’m wrong-“

“I can’t really wear them when I work, but yes. Sometimes I do wear them, I believe you also noticed I wore earrings. Couldn’t get your eyes off those last night, could you?” It was my cue to let go of his hand and fully face the food in front of me instead of the beautiful, arrogant, man next to me. It made him laugh when I groaned and told him to eat in peace. Showing me his empty paper bag, he said, “I’m done, you’re the one who’s been distracted, dear.”

“Right, then if you’re done, let me eat.” Glancing his way, he was staring right back at me with a smug smile, I made it my sole goal to avoid his gaze but after a moment he spoke up, “If you’re into me, you’ll have to look at me more than that, you know.” I almost choked on my food as I turned my head slowly towards him, “If you’re going to use everything I say, against me…” I trailed off and smirked, but rapidly discontinued my idea, “I was going to flirt back and say your name, you know… because you’ll use it against me and- but! I’m genuinely too tired for that- You know you’re exhausting?”

He threw his head back and let out the prettiest laugh I’ve ever heard, while running his hands through his hair. “You really do say whatever crosses your mind, it’s endearing.” He grinned and crossed his arms over the table leaning forward, this time. It was like he was emphasizing that he was listening intently. “I’ll stop flirting for today if you’d like, do tell me more about yourself,” he then said my name in a low tone.

“You start, I’m still eating Law- I thought you cared about my health and here you are, distracting me.” My tone was falsely dramatic, yet Law seemed taken aback, if not embarrassed, for a second. His gaze fleeting to the side before he leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs. “What would you like to know?” He grumbled, a hand moving to fidget with his earring, but since he wasn’t wearing any, he moved it back to his chest.

“Well… you said you were a little shit when you were younger so… How does one go from troublemaker to doctor?” I resumed eating after asking him, there was a clear change in his attitude. His relaxed demeanor seemed to have suddenly tensed, but he hid it and huffed a laugh. “I studied. You know it does require a lot of years to become a doctor-“ he stopped mid-way through his sentence when he saw the look I was giving him. A deadpanned look, to tell him to not fuck around, I knew full well the number of years it took, and that was not my question.

Sucking his teeth in, he sighed. “It’s not a fun story, but I’ll tell you about it one day,“ Interrupting him, I apologized, “Sorry, then how about I go entirely off topic? Here,” Pushing the paper bags away from me, I smiled at him kindly, “What’s your favourite book genre? If you read any, that is,” An almost-shy laugh escaped his lips and just like that he started talking about a certain comic series he was fan of. I listened intently as he passionately talked about, I would sometimes interrupt him to ask a few questions when I’d get confused and he’d clear things up.

He had the most adorable look on his face the more he talked about it, almost like it was the first time someone let him rant about it. After a moment, we started talking about other things we each liked when we were younger. I learnt that he wanted to become a doctor since he was very young. He did not elaborate on the topic much, except that he would always try to sneak inside his parents’ consultation room to see what was going on.

It’s only after a few attempts that his dad chose to give him books to read and focus on, instead of putting all his energy into trying to break inside the consultation room. That’s when little Law found his interest in medicine, at least part of it. There was an untold reason he had yet to share, but I was not going to prod. “You were pretty determined; I’d even say you were cute, but you were probably a demon.” Was what I said to him when he mentioned that short story.

As if on cue, he smirked and started, “I am still pretty determined, I always get what I want,“ I completely ignored is start at a flirtatious exchange and said, “Good, then work for it, I think we were having a very nice conversation here, my turn to talk about my past ok?” Then I resumed after he said to go on, and that he was very intrigued on what kind of kid I was.

I told him the reason why I chose the studies I did, even mentioned my family, how I was raised and what I wanted to become when I was a child. Since it was only the first ‘date’ I had with the man, and maybe I was getting ahead of myself, I tried to keep off the more serious topics: the ones that needed more trust before being shared. The conversation still went on smoothly.

I always liked listening to people’s story, so it felt weird when this time someone was listening to mine with as much interest as I did. When he kept asking questions, not nosy ones, or giving short but nice comments, I’d stutter. I’d feel my pulse quicken every time but ignored it. After all, he wasn’t going anything special, he was simply… invested.

“Oh, I forgot the most important question, pardner. Are you ready?” He nodded, smiling behind the hand on which he was resting his chin. “It’ll say a lot about who you are, don’t know if you’re ready to bare yourself like that yet-“ “Just ask the question, I won’t answer if I don’t want to.”

Placing my hands in front of me in a faux-defensive manner, perhaps even in a calming manner, I whispered “Easy there, cowboy” to which, Law rolled his eyes, asking me wordlessly to go on.

“Right, do you have any pets?”

There was a silence. He moved his hands from his lips to his cheeks, his eyes riveted on mine, not looking away. “That’s your one-million-dollar question?” He breathed out, his smile betraying his annoyance that was but an act. I started arguing on how having pets, or not, depending on the situation could say a lot about the person. “We usually have a cat here, but she’s always away. Or in Robin’s room, we called her Vagabonde.”

Straightening himself on the chair, he pulled out his phone, careful not to show me his screen and started scrolling on it, while talking. “I do have a dog, his name is Bepo. And before you ask, I know I don’t have that much free time, so I let him stay with my neighbor who’s basically in love with him.” When he found the picture he wanted, he showed it to me, and there it was on the screen, a big white fluffy Samoyed. I couldn’t help but notice the most adorable smile on his face before he turned the screen around, he stared at the screen a bit longer before locking his phone. The man was clearly in love with his dog, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

“He’s very energetic, and he sleeps with me. Since my neighbor has trouble sleeping, she does not mind when I come get him late. I pay her for it, even though she says she’d do it for free. What does it say about me?” Right when I was about to reply, the alarm on his phone went off, it was time for him to go. He helped me clean everything up in a hurry, then we made our way to the door.

We both stopped at the entrance, perhaps wanting to say something more but not knowing what. I took the leap, and poked his arm, “I think it says that you’re a lot less intimidating, you like cute things, and I can’t wait for Thursday. I would also love to meet Bepo, maybe take a nap with him-“ I grinned widely when he frowned, laughing at his almost offended reaction, and continued, “and you, since clearly I won’t be able to separate the both of you.”

He did not reply for a few second, then he smiled. “You’re right, I do love cute things. I can’t help but try to get them for myself,” The tension that had disappeared while talking about our lives, had suddenly return, I could hear my blood pumping in my ears. Law raised his hand to rest it on my jaw as he gazed down at me with the faintest smile, I did not know what to do. This was supposed to be a quick fuck with a pretty boy, but he clearly had charms and I couldn’t untangle myself from the effects he had on me.

It’s when his nose brushed against mine that I realized how close he was, and where this was going. Our lips where ghosting over one another, I could almost feel his hair, brushing against my chin. I wanted to pull him close and finally break the tension that had installed between us. But when I was about to kiss him, he pulled back just enough so that our lips couldn’t meet and breathed, “See you on Thursday then.” Then he pressed a light kiss on my cheek before turning around and waving at me.

I stood there, stunned. This asshole knew what he was doing, and he was having too much fun with it. But that moment made it clear I was not the only one interested, and it was like a win for me. At least I knew he’d keep is promises of a good fuck on Thursday, seeing how much he was into me.

Shaking the daydreaming away, I got back inside and waited until he was downstairs to unlock the door with the intercom. When I saw his car drive away on the small screen, I let out a sigh of relief and moved back to my room where I slumped on my bed, exhausted. “Thursday can’t come any faster.” Rolling on my back, I grabbed my phone and considered sending a text to Law. But would I even say? ‘Nice kiss attempt, left me wanting more’? ‘Damn, you got me horny with just that, can’t wait to see what them hands do, cowboy’?

Cringing, I opted not to text him. The man was probably busy, I hardly think doctors only fill in paperwork every day. Running my hands over my face, I groaned into my palms before sitting back up. “Sure, he’s hot, but maybe he’s not a good fuck.” I hummed in agreement with myself, “I did not have any feedback about his feats, maybe he’s single because he sucks.” I nodded to myself again, before remembering he told me he did fuck. A lot. I let myself fall back on the bed, closing my eyes as I pondered longer.

I did not know where the date would take place, but as I gave it a deeper thought, I also started thinking more and more of what we’d do once we’d get to his place. I remembered he said we’d have to make a detour by his place anyway because he’d have to get changed… But he seemed like he had plans for us. Or maybe we’d just…

Arrive at his place, it’d look minimalistic, he clearly was not one for sentimental stuff. He’d tell me to wait as he’d get changed in his room, leaving it ajar so that I could catch a glimpse of his body. He wouldn’t be in scrubs; those were taken way before leaving the hospital but… I like the idea of him wearing one anyway, it reminded me of HandSurgeon and for some reason it got me going.

As he’d take off his shirt, he’d look over his shoulder and smile smugly at me, before asking if I was enjoying the show. If I were bold enough, I’d tell him I’d rather join the show to which he’d grin and tell me to join him. A heated make out session would ensue, then I’d push him to the bed, straddle his lap and unbuckle his belt.

“I think we should keep it close by, for later use,” He said, mentioning the belt, before gripping me tightly under the thighs and flipping me around so that he was on top. Once there, he slid his hands from my side to my arms, that he lifted over my head before leaning over, a toothy grin on his lips. “You’re not even fighting it, so obedient.” His lithe fingers wrapped themselves around my wrists caressing them gently, then he reached behind me towards the bed headboard, and I heard a metallic sound. Suddenly, I was restrained. Around my wrists, comfortable, leather handcuffs, tied to the bed headboard by lengthy chains.

“Belts aren’t the best restraints, but I am prepared…” He gripped his belt tightly, twisting it in his hands. “It’s however a great whip,” I was startled when the leather touched my stomach, my shirt had been removed, somehow, at some point. Law was now wearing black latex gloves, his sleeves rolled up while he was still fully dressed. I thought he had taken his shirt off earlier but… “Don’t start thinking, enjoy it. That’s what you want, right? To give up control, let yourself get loose,” I think I nodded.

He let the belt travel all over my body, I was only in my undergarments. And he was taking his time to make sure to touch each and every inch of my body. Like a predator observing its pray, he was walking around the bed at a slow pace, the leather belt grazing my skin ever so lightly. But it was enough to make me want more, it was enough to make me contract my muscles in apprehension when he’d raised the belt. I did not know if he was going to strike, I don’t know what mood he was in, but I liked the thrill. “Look at you, all spread up and ready, quiet…”

His gloved hand was now gripping my chin tightly, forcing me look up at him. “You’ve been tamed so well, you’re not talking until told to.” He breathed against my lips. I felt one of his hand traveled from my chest to between my legs, under my underwear and slowly, he pressed a finger against my clit. Then between my lower lips, only teasing my hole. Over and over again. Surprised, I only gasped and tried to look at him, but he moved to murmur right next to my ear, “But I think I want to hear you, loud and clear. Why don’t you be a good girl, and stop holding back, mmm?” I let out a breath I did not know I was holding and started panting.

The nerves, the anticipation, the excitement, all of it was let out through shaky breathing as he’d touch me then-

Startling awake, I heard my phone ring and scrambled to my senses, trying to find it. I heard a thud at my feet and bent over to look what it was, only to realize it was my phone. Quickly grabbing it, I picked it up and put it to my ear. “Yep?”

“So, how was your date with Law?” I heard Robin ask, I could also hear the grin on her face.

“I don’t know if I should thank you or curse you, Rob. But for now… it was nice, I liked it… Although it was odd to see him on my campus at first, still is a bit weird when I think about it but, you know, it’s the thought that matters, right?”

Giggling, the black-haired woman on the other end of the line could be heard shooing someone away before answering, “Well, he did have to fight Nami. She was very much against the idea, but he said he wanted to make you feel comfortable for Thursday. So that it’s not a stressful first date, you know?”

So, he did give it a thought, the fact that I was studying only gave him the opportunity to come by. I wonder what his excuse would have been if I hadn’t been studying the entire day. Focusing back on the conversation, I gave Robin more details of what happened. I considered not telling her about the almost kiss, but she was clearly in for the gossip. So, I told her, except I didn’t tell her I wish more would have happened. How I still wondered what his lips would feel like against mine, and how I’m curious of how they’d feel against my skin, barely grazing it, his stubble following each delicate touch. The latter being something I’d hopefully find out on Thursday.

When everything had been said, and she had told me about her day, we hung up and I was left with the remnant of my hot dream.

I stared at nothing for a moment, considering my options. I could work on some assignments, I could distract myself, or I could… Open discord and see if HandSurgeon was busy. Not for something too exhausting, no, but for a little bit of fun.

So, I did.

Edelweiss: fun game to suggest

Edelweiss: no one around me, but still, you get a picture of me

Edelweiss: you don’t have to send anything… although I wouldn’t mind much

Edelweiss: then, fun times?

Edelweiss: I’m bored and I don’t know… maybe we could do something

Drumming my fingers on the back of my phone, smacking my lips a few times. I can’t believe I was growing impatient for such thing.

Minutes passed, I started bouncing my leg with anticipation, forcing myself to not send more messages in case he was busy. I remembered he had said he’d be more busy this week, but I did not know his schedule, maybe he was free now.

I felt my phone vibrate in my hand and saw a message on discord. I opened the app excitedly,

HandSurgeon: I have to get going, I’ll be off for a few hours. Then, odds are that I’ll pass out when I get home, I’m sorry dear.

HandSurgeon: But, I am not refusing pictures of my girl. If that’s what you’re suggesting. If you are, I’ll give you a few instructions on how to take them.

Edelweiss: I am suggesting that yes… I have a mirror…

HandSurgeon: You’ve read my mind. On your knees in front of it, naked. One with legs spread, the other not. Don’t be shy and grab your breasts as you do so, feeling yourself as you’re doing a private photoshoot just for me. Your hand traveling down, caressing your stomach to stop just between your legs.

HandSurgeon: Your free hand gripping your beautifully stricken thighs, remembering how much of a disobedient girl you’ve been last night. How much you’ve learnt since, how good you’ll be for me.

HandSurgeon: So good you won’t touch yourself until I’m back and free to take care of you. And if I’m not back before Wednesday… well then, that someone better fuck you better than I can make you feel even though I’m not with you.

HandSurgeon: And if you don’t fuck by then, no touching.

HandSurgeon: Be good for me Edelweiss, see you. Let your creativity run wild.

Edelweiss: Yes sir, see you then.

Closing the app, I saw my reflection in the, now, locked screen. It’s only then that I realized I was slightly pouting. I made a weird face and quickly got out of bed then took a good look at the long mirror next to my desk. “Well, it shows too much personal shit, I’ll have to move it.” I mumbled before rolling up my sleeves and using my strength the best I could I moving it to the side of my bed. The reflective part was facing my window, so I closed the blinds, and it was neutral enough to not give any information about me.

“Can’t believe I’m doing this,” I panted, while coming back from the bathroom with a cleaning spray, “If I’m going to send proper nudes, I ain’t sending them with a dirty mirror…” I grumbled, tiring myself already from the wild movements I did to really get the glass clean. The squeaky sound of the towel against the glass was all that I could hear, along by long breathing as I thoroughly scrubbed it.

Once it was done, and I was settled, naked in front of it, I felt a shiver ran down my spine. Being in this position and being able to see how I look… I felt utterly exposed, which made sense considering I was naked. But the idea that I was doing all of this, just for that stranger, it felt odd. I liked that feeling, but was I allowed to feel that pride, that joy, from making myself pretty for a stranger? Was that objectification? Huffing, I told myself that I didn’t care because I liked feeling god. I did follow his instructions and took the picture how he had asked, but then I took some liberties.

I found one of my favourite sexy outfit and put it on, making sure it highlighted my assets.

Giving myself a once over in the lengthy mirror, I made a thinking face. Since Law teased me earlier, I could perhaps tease him back? Show him what he’d get Thursday, what he’d have to wait for. But then again, was I willing to be the first one to send a text after the coffee date? And have that first text to be a daring picture of me?

Licking my lips, I pondered a bit longer. Then thought I could make it just enough to have him want more. I moved to my desk and leaned against it, my butt resting on it. I then angled the phone to show my face where I gave my best flirtatious smile, the outfit I was wearing showed off my cleavage and my neck, so I made sure he could see the latter clearly, knowing he liked it.

Taking the picture, I hesitated upon seeing the final result. The boldness I got from sending HandSurgeon naked pictures was starting to fade. I had to act fast if I didn’t want to chicken out, so I sent it to Law quickly, that way I couldn’t go back. It was followed by a message.

You: Thursday, right? Not that your opinion matters, but how does this outfit sound for that research?

I made a face at that text. “I wish I could take it back, it’s so bad, god it’s so bad.” I looked away and sighed, then looked back at my phone and sighed louder, and looked away again, “I’ll just leave it at that, I’ll put the phone down and wait for an answer. Yeah, yeah…”

Having convinced myself to relax, I managed to not touch my phone for the rest of the evening. I did spend that evening working on some stuff, since there was no distraction to steer me away from actually getting shit done and ended up being productive.

Since both the men I had started talking to recently were busy, and my friends away, I had the most boring night.

I had forgotten about the text I had sent by submerging myself with work, but when all was done and I was alone in my bed with my thoughts, I remembered and cringed. When I checked if I had any reply, and saw nothing, I felt a knot form itself in my stomach but tried to rationalize. ‘It’s ok, it’s alright, he’s probably still at work, maybe he fell asleep, we’ll see tomorrow’ Was my last thought before falling asleep.

When I woke up in the morning, the knot only tightened, and I felt more anxious than ever. Once again, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have done that.

[Part 7]

#trafalgardwaterlaw #one piece trafalgar law #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar law #law one piece #One piece law #words of pleasure #wop #fanfiction #ao3 #writer #writing #writings #ao3 writer #fanfictions #fanfic #law x reader

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thr-333 · 4 years

Text

Mismatch- Part 2

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

Point? Plot? never heard of it! have some fluff instead!

First > Next

----

First class was called for boarding, leaving the twins behind to wait for economy boarding. They could afford first class, but didn’t want to make a scene with the rest of the class. They are distracted from the window when Lila joins the first class line. When she reaches the desk the twins can’t hear her talking but can see her crocodile tears as she likely spins a tale of woe. There is a sense of satisfaction between them as after some back and forth Lila is sent away in a huff. She goes back to the class and starts complaining, causing them to miss the call for domestic boarding.

“Let’s go,” Marion shrugs his backpack on and they went to board before the rest of the class. He wasn't about to let Lila somehow steal their seats.

As they board the plane they walk past their friends in first class, some seats around them still having people late to board. With a wave they continue on reaching their seats and storing their backpacks under the seats.

“Marion, make sure your devices are in flight mode,” Marinette commands, as she pulls out her tablet.

“Sure thing,” Marion pulls out his laptop, making sure both that and his phone were on flight mode. Marinette double checking.

“It’s just not fair,” They hear Lila whine as she walks past them to her seat.

“I know girl, I know,” Alya is following, patting her back.

Marinette ignores them and pulls out the safety manual, studying the two pages with the same intensity she does as Ladybug. Marion turned to the built in seat screen and browsed through the movies. Marinette was likely the only one on the plane who paid attention during the safety demonstration. When the plane started moving Marinette grabbed onto Marion's hand. It was fine until the plane started to speed up, the grip getting tighter. When the plane lifted off Marion's hand was almost crushed with no magic ladybugs to save it.

“You know for a bug-”

“Nope, na-ah, not now,” Marinette grits through her teeth. Marion sighs and resigns to his hand being crushed.

Fine they had been in a bubble hundreds of meters above Paris looking straight down, but apparently that was nothing compared to a plane. When the seatbelt sign turned on Marion could swear in less than a minute Chloe magically appeared.

“Come on, there's spare seats near us, the people were a no show,” Chloe said, hands on hips.

“I don’t know Chloe, is that even allowed?” Marion asks, trying to pry his hand free.

“I’ll be fine,” Chloe waves him off, not answering the question. She looks at Marinette. “I’ll start jumping,”

“Let’s go!” She releases Marion’s hand and grabs her backpack. Marion shakes out his hand to get the blood flow back, then inspects the marked skin. He follows after them moving his fingers cautiously.

“Marion, your bag,” Chloe sighed, sending him running back to get it.

When Marion caught up they were already seated. Marinette, Kagami and Chloe were in a row of three by the window, while Adrien sat at the row in front. Marion climbed awkwardly over the person sitting at the aisle to reach the spare seat.

Adrien says a quick hello, not looking away from the window.

“It’s normal to be nervous on your first flight,” Kagami assures Marinette, not knowing wasn't her first flight. “Just breath, where would you prefer to sit?”

“Maybe somewhere out of reach of my hand,” Chloe speaks up, cradling her hand.

“It’s ok Marinette, I don’t really like planes either,” Adrien confesses, giving a weak smile over the seat.

“Well there we go you two should sit together,” Chloe dictates, “Come on Marion, up you get, you too Marinette,”

Chloe herds them out of their seats. Marion sheepishly apologises to the aisle person as they climb over them again. Marion sits at the Aisle now with Chloe at the window and Kagami in the middle. Marion peaks over the seats to see the two blushing messes. Marinette holding Adrien's hand, surely for no other reason than fear. It was effective either way as both seemed completely distracted by each other.

“Nice move,” Marion whispers to Chloe as he sits back down.

“I know, and as such I get to choose the movie,” Looking at the disposable headphones with disdain.

“We have our own screens,” Kagami points out.

“Then we’ll just have to start at the same time,” Chloe huffs, plugging the headphones in.

After a painful twenty minutes Chloe eventually settles on some romantic comedy Kagami and Marion had never seen which was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unacceptable’.

“On my count, go,” Chloe presses play followed by Marion.

“That's not a count,” Kagami argues, the movie not playing.

“Of course it is,”

“You didn’t count,”

“That’s true,” Marion's screen lagging slightly behind Chloe.

“Fine,” Chloe rewinds back to the start, “One, two-”

“Wait I’m not ready!” Marion exclaims, struggling to rewind his. “Ok, now,”

“One, two, three” Chloe presses play, Kagami having pressed it a second before.

“Why?” Chloe hisses, as the screens play out of sync.

“You didn’t specify on or after three,” Kagami explains.

“After three!”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“Ugh, fine let's do it again, One, two-”

“Maybe we should do, ready, set go,” Marion interrupts, a grin on his face.

“No!” Chloe screeches.

“I think I should count,” Kagami interjects, straight faced. Marion isn't sure if she's serious or helping him mess with Chloe or not.

“No! I’m doing it and I’ll be counting,” Chloe seethes.

“Ok, ok,” Marion rewinds his screen,

“One, two-”

“So on or after three?”

“Ahhhhhh!”

After getting bored(being scared for his life) Marion finally lets them start the movie. That doesn't mean he’s done messing with Chloe, as he decides the comedy isn't comedic enough and has to make jokes throughout. Has to it is not his choice, the black cat beckons.

“Why would she not tell him that in the first place,” Kagami inquires.

“I don’t know, she just didn’t,” Chloe grumbles, keeping her eyes glued to the screen.

“It would have avoided a lot of problems,” Kagami decides.

“Well if you wanted needlessly complicated romance we’ve got front seats to the best one this century,” Marion smiles, adding, “And I’m not talking about the movie,”

At that they all stand to peek over seats at the two love birds leaning against each other asleep. Chloe snaps a photo leaning right over them to get the best angle. They all photobomb the background.

“We need to make a collage of all the times this has happened over the years,” Chloe sighs, showing them the photo.

“The piece of resistance will be them in their wedding outfits, sleeping after the reception,” Marion looks down at his phone to see Chloe had somehow sent him the picture, despite him looking at her phone the whole time, “Witchcraft,”

“They would, wouldn't they?” Chloe shakes her head.

“If they ever start dating,” Kagami mutters, also looking down to see Chloe had sent her the picture as well.

“Kags, the only ones that don’t know their dating is them,” Marion assures.

“Shush, this is the good part,” Chloe waves her hand at them, staring at the screen.

“It has a good part?” Marion asks, having to dodge the purse thrown at him.

They were halfway through the movie when Madame Bustier approached them, followed by Lila.

“Marion, what are you and Marinette doing up here?” She demands.

“The seats were spare so I told them too,” Chloe stops Marion before he can apologise.

“That doesn't mean you’re allowed to take them, you should have offered them to another student like Lila,” Madame Bustier reprimands, gesturing to Lila.

“If they can’t be here then neither can she,” Kagami grabs Lila’s wrist before she can shake Marinette awake.

“B-but my tinnitus!” Liela cries, Marion has to grab Kagami's other hand before she can place it over Lila’s mouth.

“Won’t be affected by where on the plane you sit,” Chloe glares.

“What do you know?” Lila sniffs, trying to shake Kagami's grip.

“Surprisingly, I actually researched it, unlike you,” Chloe spits out.

“How dare-”

“Excuse me,” A flight attendant approaches them, “is everything ok here?”

“No,” Liela turns on her crocodile tears pointing at the twins with her free hand. “These two are meant to be in economy, and I was told there were no spare seats in first class, they must of stolen someones seat!”

“Ridiculous,” Chloe huffs.

“Sir could I please see your ticket?” The flight attendant asks Marion. Marion freezes and stutters to explain, Lila looking smug.

“Right here,” Chloe fishes two boarding passes out of her purse and hands them over. The flight attendant inspects them, Marion giving them his passport before they ask.

“My apologies,” They tell Marion, handing back the passport and boarding pass, turning to Lila. “Miss these are their seats, I have to ask you to return to yours,”

“What!” Lila screeches.

“Miss I have to ask you to please be quiet, there are passengers sleeping,” The flight attendant is sterner now. Madame Bustier guides a complaining Liela away.

“Sorry for the confusion,” The flight attendant tells them.

“It’s fine,” Chloe has a vindictive smile on her face as she watches Lila storm off. When she turns around she sees Marion is smirking. “What?”

“You just happened to have two extra boarding passes, huh?”

“Of course, I wanted to have a row to myself, but you two looked so pouty when I left that I decided to give them to you,”

“Right, and they just happen to have our names on them?” Marion prodded, holding them out as proof.

“Uh, yeah? I couldn’t check in three times, I had to use your name,” Chloe snatches the boarding passes away.

“How did you even get our information to do that?” Marion asks, now genuinely confused.

“Anything is possible with money,”

“Foreboding… but true,” Marion considers, “Hey Chlo?”

“What?”

“Thanks,” Marion gives her the biggest smile possible.

“Whatever, you can thank me by letting me choose the next movie as well,” Chloe turns back to the screen.

“I’m not that grateful,” He has to doge her purse again.

Food comes part way through their second movie, that they let Chloe choose anyway. They gently shake Marinette and Adrien awake. Adrien groans at the thought of more food, but is too polite to turn it away.

“What is this slop?” Chloe asks, poking her fork at it like it might attack her.

“It's worse in economy,” Marion points out, eating his with only a small grimace.

“How is that meant to make me feel better?” Chloe sneeres.

“Because Lila and Sabrina are eating it now,” Marion smirks evilly, Chloe mirroring him.

“I’m still not eating it,” Chloe turns her nose up.

“You can have this,” Kagami hands over a container of assorted sushi. “I brought it, but it’s nothing compared to the sushi in Japan,”

“Thanks,” Chloe actually smiles, but would never admit to the slight blush dusting her cheeks. “Here Mari you can have this,” Chloe passes him the tray.

“Thanks Chlo, but I don’t like it either,” Marion pushes it back. Frustrating Kagami with all the reaching over her.

“At least take the cheese, I know you like that,” Chloe drops it on his tray.

“Wha- oh yeah, thanks,” Marion remembers Plagg, so he can't hand it back(not at all because he’s afraid of what Kagami will do if someone reaches across her again).

“You can have mine as well,” Kagami places the matching cheese neatly on top of Chloe’s.

“Do you want mine too?” Adrien asks reaching over the seat to hand it to him. “I don’t really like cheese,”

“Oh… thank you,” Marion says awkwardly, taking it.

“Here you can have mine as well,” Marinette reaches out, grinning over the seat. Marion glares at her, taking the cheese. She sticks out her tongue and sits back down.

When no one is looking Marion sneaks the cheese into his bag. He tries not to yelp as a few seconds later Plagg bites him. Marion excuses himself to the bathroom, taking his satchel.

“Plagg, what gives?” Marion asks, opening up his bag.

“What gives? you expect me to eat that trash? While Kaalki and Tikki eat a mountain of chocolate, are you so crule?” Plagg sticks his ‘nose’ up.

“It’s cheese,” Marion argues, picking up a piece.

“That is an insult to all of cheese,” Plagg points at the offending block.

“Too bad, it’s because of you everyone thinks I’m obsessed with cheese, so take some responsibility,”

“Never!”

“If you don’t eat it, I’m going to throw it out, so what's worse? Bad cheese, or wasted cheese?” Marion asks.

“Hmmmm…. Uhhhhhhh……. Ahhhhhh,” The Kwami looks like he’s in actual pain having to decide this, “.......... Fine!”

He stuffs the block into his mouth.

“Plagg you have to unwrap it first,” Plagg spends the rest of dinner pouting, as Tikki happily chomps on her Toblerone blocks with Kaalki.

After eating Marinette and Adrien decide to also try watching a movie together. They somehow take even longer to get it set up. Considering they can hardly use a full sentence around each other. Kagami eventually gets frustrated enough that she leans over and presses play for them. Marion, Chloe and Kagami finish watching their movie and decide to sleep the rest of the flight away. Chloe brings out her neck pillow and sleeping mask, seat reclined as far as it can go. Marion takes off the horse miraculous placing it carefully in the glasses case and then in his satchel. When he sits back up Chloe and Kagami are leaning against each other, apparently soundly asleep. Marion pretends he doesn't see both peeking at each other.

“Ah, to be the fifth wheel is a mighty achievement,” Marion whispers to himself, trying to disappear into his neck pillow.

Marion blearily wakes up to Kagami, Chloe and Adrien whispering. Marinette had fallen asleep again and was leaning against a blushing Adrien’s shoulder. He pretends he doesn't see this, reaching into his bag to grab the horse miraculous. He checks the flight path to see they only have two hours to go. Stretching as much as possible he chats with the others until Marinette wakes up over an hour later. They start talking about what they’ll do in Gotham, their excitement rising.

“There's an Akuma attack,” Chloe says looking down at her phone.

“What? how do you know?” Marinette shares a glance with Marion.

“Just got an alert,” Chloe gestures to her phone.

“It’s not in flight mode!” Marinette hisses.

“Of course not I-”

“Chloe put it in flight mode right now,” Marinette reprimands, as she climbs out of her seat with her bag, “I’m going to the bathroom,”

“... I’d better go check on her,” Marion declares, as Chloe turns her phone to flight mode, muttering that nothing happened.

He knocks on the bathroom door Marinette is in and is pulled in by Ladybug.

“Lets go, come on,” She says, bouncing in place.

“Plagg, Kaalki, Combine!” With a flash of light Marion is transformed, and with another they are off to Paris.

They have to be back in their seats for the descent that should be starting any minute now so they transport to the Akuma. Hoping they just run into Monsieur Rat. Instead they find a new Akuma, frustrating now having to find the akumatized object. They seemed to be a plant based, judging by the forest growing out of the sidewalk. Marion drops his transformation with the horse Miraculous, leaving regular Chat Noir. He passes a sugar cube to Kaalki telling the Kwami to stay put.

Ladybug charges in without him, trying to wrap her yo-yo around the Akumas tree like body. The Akuma breaks off the branches to get free, growing them back immediately. It sends out vines like whips, that the two dodge getting forced back. As Marion is forced back he trips over some moving roots getting sent sprawling back.

"Chat Noir," He hears a scared whisper to the side. Looking he sees a hand sticking out from under the roots and an eye peeking out from underneath.

"Don't worry," He gently takes the civilians hand, small enough to be a Childs, "me and Ladybug will save you,"

"Don't you mean Ladybug and I?"

"Never mind you can stay here," Chat teases, sticking his tongue out making the kid giggle.

He feels something wind around his leg. Looking down to see roots start to encircle it.

"Uh, Ladybug!" He tries to pull his legs free. Ladybug drops down next to him, helping him get free. He gives the kids hand one last squeeze before jumping to a roof with Ladybug.

"The civilians are trapped under the roots," Chat Noir reports.

"Inside as well," Marion looks out to see buildings cocooned in roots. "I freed some civilians, the Akuma went after them, you need to find it,"

Chat Noir nodded extending his baton to survey the surrounding area. He spots the Akuma from above, using his enhanced vision to study it.

"Chat!"

He looks down to see roots winding up his baton. He jumps off the top and is caught by Ladybug, as she swings them away. Marion looks back at his Baton to see roots circled around it like a tall tree without branches.

"Won't be using that for awhile," He muses, "Piggy back ride?"

"Yeah right," Ladybug snorts, "Wheres the Akuma?"

"That way," He points, "I noticed a poster hanging from one of the trees branches, it must be the akumatised object,"

"Alright lets go!" Ladybug drops down on a roof where the Akuma can't see them.

“Just stay calm, rushing isn’t going to help us here,” Chat Noir grabs her wrist pulling her back.

“You’re right Chat,” Ladybug takes a breath, “But that doesn't mean we can’t get a helping hand, lucky charm!”

"A ribbon? I think weed killer would have been more useful,"

"Very funny, I need you to tie this around the branch with the poster," Ladybug hands it to him.

"Got it,"

Marion jumps off the roof onto the trees branches. It screeches trying to grab him. Chat Noir summons his cataclysm destroying the branches that reach for him. While the tree is distracted severing the decaying branches Chat drops down to the branch with the poster, tying it around. The tree severs the branch as well, dropping it right into Ladybugs waiting arms. The trees branches wrap around Chat, giving Ladybug time to destroy the poster and purify the Akuma. Chat Noir is freed by the ladybugs, placing him back on the ground and returning his staff.

"Pound it,"

Kaalki comes out of hiding, Marion transforms before the press can delay them. He opens a portal right back into the stall. Detransforming and rushing back to their seats.

“Are you ok?” Kagami asked, as they buckle their seat belts.

“I will be once I get off this plane,” Marinette answers, Adrien offers his hand.

When they land they get to be the first ones off. They wait for the class. Madame Bustier does a headcount before they go through border security as a class, before moving on to pick up their bags. Alix and Kim ram their trolleys together as they wait for their bags to arrive. Madame Busier looked tired she didn't even try to stop them.

Chloe had to have her own trolley for her five bags, the rest managing to carry a single bag. The class headed for security separately. Marinette and Marion were stopped for a bag search because of a ‘concerned anonymous tip’ that they were bringing food in. No one else saw them get taken aside. The twins were thankful they left their vigilante costumes at home to be picked up later.

“And what's this?” The security guard asks, holding the polka dotted Miracle box.

“A jewellery box,” Marinette opens it up showing the miraculous. “Its a birthday present for our aunt who lives here,”

The guard nodded, not finding anything wrong. They sent them on their way, the rest of the class had made it through already. The twins walked outside, trying to spot their classmates or the bus.

‘Where are you?’ He texted Chloe

‘On the bus, you said you had another ride?’

‘No?!’

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jakey-beefed-it · 3 years

Text

Today was... almost completely unproductive, even for me, due to various mental Crises that arose in the like... Venn diagram overlap of my sundry issues. Mental health talk below the cut so you can avoid it if you’ve got your own shit to deal with/might be triggered by that kind of thing.

Kinda did almost a checklist of disorders being problems. ADHD brain? Represented. Autism? Probably! Depression? You betcha. Anxiety? Hoo boy and then some. Mania? Maybe! Self-loathing? Energy levels off the charts, cap’n. Basically my brain was the equivalent of blaring alarms from all quarters and spinning out of control.

Anyhow I eventually managed to... not be doing that ...and in the process kinda realized that maaaaybe I haven’t been Handling My Shit as well as I thought. Like I’m medicated... for depression. Which is good! I haven’t thought seriously about literally killing myself for several years now. That’s a big improvement! Not to be sneezed at. But it’s hardly a panacea for the rest of my bullshit.

Anyhow anyhow I’ve internalized a loooot of really horrible shit I’m always speaking out against as an anti-capitalist pro-mutual-aid aspiring feminist; basing my self-worth on lots of unattainable things that I don’t even believe in but that somehow equate to me being a Failure as a Man(TM) for being a hot mess disability soup. Some of it is also no doubt related to the whole ‘Gifted’ Kid Burnout phenomenon as well. I was ‘a pleasure to have in class’ and always sought approval and validation because I had anxiety, not because I was gifted, sheesh. Whole childhood equating my value with being ‘smart’ and then having my entire ego collapse under the inevitable weight of not being able to hack it in my first attempt at college because my brain was actively trying to kill me with self-hatred that only got worse the more I failed to live up to my ‘potential’.

I’m much less of an elitist shitbag these days regarding myself as no different from any other h. sapiens sapiens in that we are all fundamentally dumb, panicky apes who sometimes need a minute to remember the whole tool-use or reason things. But while I’m really good at not holding it against other people for being dumb panicky apes, even though I don’t regard myself as better than anyone (far from it) I still somehow hold myself to these standards I long since dismissed as unreasonable to expect of anyone, much less a guy with a grab-bag of mental illnesses that makes his spongy thinkmeat even less effective than biology normally dictates. And inevitably fail to live up to them, of course. And then feel worse about myself. Forever. Well, ok, not forever, even if I do continue to manage the no-self-murder streak (which seems likely) I’m still definitely going to kick off at some point. But for my whole damn existence, which sucks plenty.

Anyhow anyhow anyhow here goes the first of hopefully many simple admissions of imperfections and forgiveness of that.

I am not a digital artist. I could spend lots of time and effort to develop those skills, but frankly I don’t... wanna. Instead of feeling guilty at having abandoned pursuit of the lovely art tablet my family got me many years ago that they ‘wasted’ their gift, I can just admit that I’d much rather continue drawing in pencil, inking in pigment liners, and scanning into a digital format for sharing on the internet. I like tactile hobbies; it’s why I get so much out of painting miniatures. And digital art is still tactile in that you’re holding a stylus and/or tablet, but it’s not the same, and I prefer physical art on physical paper. And that’s okay.

I am not a fantastic dungeon master. I’m aight. I am, in the words of the best mug ever (a gift from my sister), the “World’s Okayest Dungeon Master.” I can put together a campaign, it will mostly hang together, my combat encounters will vary from ‘pretty good’ to ‘super boring’ but my plots are generally interesting and my players keep coming back so I must be doing something right.

This one’s kind of cheating because I’ve acknowledged it before both publicly and internally for like... fifteen years ...but I am not, and never will be, a world-class miniature painter. I don’t have the manual dexterity, the patience for producing and executing many many layers of very fine glazes, or a strong enough desire to devote more effort to improvement than befits a hobby I mostly do to relax. And that’s okay. I paint pretty good, and I slowly get better. Sometimes I’m the best painter in my local store! And that’s good the hell enough to satisfy my external competitiveness, while my internal competitiveness of striving to do better than I myself have done before gets all the real attention. I do want to improve! And so I do, but at a steady pace that doesn’t stress me out.

I’m not a diligent writer at all. I like writing, and I love coming up with plots and characters, but I’m terrible at sticking to a daily writing habit. I’d like to get better at that, and I can, with effort. Honestly giving myself permission to write more fannish bullshit (Warhammer stories, SW:tOR stories, D&D stories) might help clear some of the roadblock. I don’t shit on other fan writers; I long ago admitted that it’s valid and cool when other people do it, but to this day I have still only written a handful of Warhammer bullshit and one (1) Mass Effect fanfic. All the while my idea for a novel has grown and evolved and never really gotten past a very rough first draft that is now almost completely useless due to rethinking everything because I’m not in the habit of actually writing. I can do something about that!

I desperately want everyone to like me and think well of me and never be mad at me but you know what, that’s not... remotely achievable much less healthy. I have various tendencies toward ‘people pleasing’ that tend to end up with my own boundaries trodden upon and far more people taking advantage than real friends. I am very fortunate in that I DO have some real friends, many of them online, but yeah. It’s okay if not everyone likes me. Even if they somehow did, it wouldn’t make up for the all-consuming singularity-like wound of self-loathing that the people-pleasing urge is probably trying to fill.

I can be unreliable due to my many, many issues. Most of them are mental, but some of them are physical. I can’t always do things that should be ‘easy’, whether it’s my brain saying no, or my body. Instead of making too many promises for fear of ‘looking’ disabled and/or trying to make everyone happy... sometimes I need to admit that there are things I do not have the capacity for. Preferably ahead of time, rather than bailing at the last minute or just.... not showing up. This probably would’ve been good to know about myself before I nearly failed out of college in my first attempt but hey, hindsight and all that.

I might be about as cis and straight as a guy can get, but I am not and will never be anything remotely like an Idealized Man due to my weight, disabilities, general body type (even at my thinnest I had a belly pooch and flabby chest), shit, right down to my hair but that’s got some big overlap with the Idealized Man being a straight-haired white boy when I’m merely a wavy/curly-haired white-passing boy. And shit, if I had some gender fuckery that’d be a whole other animal, but even though I kinda got assigned male and went ‘Yeah that’s about right’ I still deserve to not have to live up to some unattainable ideal.

There’s... a lot more, obviously (hoo boy is there a lot more) but that’ll do for a start.

#rengh #Jake is a big fat crazypants

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romanceforransom · 3 years

Text

There was a writer!sander fic that i started a little while ago but didn’t know where to go with it. So, I decided to post it here 🤷‍♀️

I might continue it...? idk. but let me know what you think :)

I ran into my local bookshop, the bell notifying my entrance as I swung open the heavy wooden door.

I had made sure to set my alarm extra early for that morning, giving myself enough time to get there before I had to make my way to work. There was a book that I had been waiting what felt like years for, and I wanted to pick it up as soon as humanly possible.

“Has it come?” I asked excitedly, rushing over to the front desk and locking eyes with an amused Zoë

She was used to my erratic behaviour by now, becoming desensitised to my hyperactive persona that I don whenever a new book comes out.

Not that I do it with every book. Of course, I love most things that come out, burying my nose in anything that I possibly can. But nothing gets me quite as excited as the books by Earthling Oddity.

Nobody knew this unknown author’s real name, or what they looked like. The air of mystery obviously created a lot of hype, gaining them a lot of followers trying to crack the code and reveal the hidden identity. What really made them popular, though, was the magical way they created stories.

I was always completely enraptured by the words written on the pages. Becoming engrossed in the fictional world they created and riding out the waves of emotions that came with the storylines.

They had come out with a new book recently, a new addition to one of their series, and I had been patiently (except not really. Unless pacing up and down the flat and checking my phone constantly for updates was considered as being patient) for it to be delivered to my bookstore.

“It’s here” Zoë replied, sounding amused “I reserved one for you, even though I knew you would be the first one in here today”

She reached underneath the desk and produced the long-awaited book

I stared at it in awe, admiring the bright colours and detailed art on the front cover.

“Wow” I breathed out, smiling

“You looking forward to reading it?”

I tore my eyes away from the book and looked up at her, squinting my eyes slightly “Seriously? I have been counting down the days for this book! Of course, I’m looking forward to finally being one step closer to unravelling the mystery that lies between the pages…”

She chuckled as I lifted my hand to tenderly stroke the front cover “Should I leave you two alone?”

“No, that’s ok” I said, picking it up and placing it gently in my backpack “I have to get going anyway”

“Ok, well keep me updated on it!”

I walked backward towards the door, grinning “Hourly updates are a given”

***

“Why are you carrying your bag so carefully?” Jana asked me curiously as I got to work

I had placed it gently on the ground in the back room with my coat, not wanting to damage the valuable contents lying inside of it.

“Seriously Jana? It’s got the book that I’ve been waiting months for”

Realisation washed over her face. I had been talking her ear off about it for a number of shifts. The amount of information she had actually been listening to and retaining would forever be a mystery, but she let me talk all the time without much judgement so that was the main thing.

“Aah ok, that makes more sense”

I pulled my apron over my head “What did you think was in there?”

She shrugged as she went back to stacking food in the display case “Judging by the way you were handling it, I thought for sure there was a bomb in there”

I shook my head at her amusedly “So your co-worker has a bomb, and you don’t do a thing to stop it? The least you could have done was taken my bag”

“We have a full shift ahead of us, Robbe” she deadpanned “Excuse me for not having much pep right now. I want to move as little as possible and retain the small amount of energy I have stored. Wrestling a bomb from you would probably take everything I had”

“Oh, come on. Shifts here aren’t that bad”

She raised her eyebrows at me “Go out all night drinking before our next shift and then tell me that again”

We both worked at a coffee shop in town. I actually quite enjoyed it. Being able to chat with people and brighten their day with coffee and cakes was a nice feeling.

Of course, it wasn’t something I wanted to do forever. Film making was my passion, the thing that I aspired to do in the future. Maybe even make some adaptations of Earthling’s books. Who knows? But, for now at least, I had to make do with making drinks.

Unlike me, Jana really did not like her job. She liked interacting with the customers, being the social butterfly she is, but the part where she actually had to serve and clean was never really something she enjoyed doing.

If I got paid every time she moaned when cleaning down the tables, there would be no need for this job. I would be rolling in money. She always claimed that it was manual labour, and she was going to sue the company for it. It did make me wonder what she thought would happen when she signed up for the job, but I never dared ask as she was always in a mood. It was best not to make things worse and just nod along.

“So, that book you have” she said “That’s the one with the mystery author, right?”

I nodded “Yep, they use a pen name. Lots of people have obviously tried to step forward and claim to be the author but the real one has yet to be revealed. If they ever will be. Fame isn’t for everyone, so I wouldn’t blame them for keeping hidden and basking silently in the glory of their writing”

“Aren’t you curious about who it is?” she asked me

“Well, yeah” I replied “I have always wondered who it is. I would love to be able to properly give my gratitude to the person that created such wonderful books… but I wouldn’t go out of my way to try and drag someone into the spotlight that doesn’t want to be there”

Many people on the internet have been trying to do exactly that. I have never understood why. Sure, you want to be the one to solve this giant question. But if it involves having to invade someone’s private life and tear down all the security and boundaries, they have built around them in order to remain anonymous, why would you want to do that?

What does revealing a random stranger’s identity add to your life? Nothing. It wouldn’t make you best friends with this person. In fact, you would probably end up as public enemy number one. Snooping in other people’s business isn’t cute, it’s creepy. Especially when they go out of their way to hide it.

The customers began flooding in. People coming in for their takeaway cups of coffee to beat away the morning tiredness. Monday’s were always especially bad. The weekend always wipes people out. Combining that with five days left of work looming over their head, a constant reminder of the seemingly never-ending week ahead of them, anyone would be exhausted.

Then, after a while, I spotted a familiar head of bleach blonde head of hair among the crowd out the corner of my eye.

“Robbe” I heard Jana hiss beside me as I continued making drinks for the awaiting customers “He’s here!”

Sander was a regular at the shop. He would always come in with an easy smile on his face and instantly brighten my day.

He was one of the most beautiful people I had ever laid my eyes on. Not only that, but he was also incredibly kind. Always dishing out compliments and making conversation with us while he patiently waited for his order. He has even defended us a couple of times when customers have been rowdy and impatient during the rush hours. Sander was just an all-round saint.

Jana knew that I had a small crush on him. I never told her outright, but she saw the way my face lit up whenever he was around and joined the dots herself.

I waited until he got to the front of the line and greeted him with a shy smile, trying not to blush like I normally did

“Hey, Robbe!” he said, grinning “How are you this morning?”

“I’m good” I squeaked “Will it be your usual, today?”

Ok, so maybe small crush was a bit of an understatement. He always seemed to make me tongue tied and act like a complete idiot. Which was a great way to act in front of someone you want to impress.

He nodded “You know me so well. Either that or I am in here too often”

“Nonsense!” Jana called to him “We love having you in here, Sander… some more than others” she muttered under breath, meaning only for me to hear it

As I was making his drink (a chocolate mocha – which was basically just a fancy coffee with chocolate, always with whipped cream on top) he leaned against the counter, making light conversation with Jana and me. He never seemed aware that we were at work and that he might be holding up the queue. Not that there were many of them at that moment. He had come just at the right time, most of the people filing out and going to their jobs.

“So, did that book come that you were talking about?” he asked me

“Um, yeah” I was surprised he remembered. I had made an offhand remark about it a few weeks back. But then, he always did seem to pick up on small details like that often “I got it this morning before I came to work. The first thing I’m going to do when I get out of here is run home to read it”

“Really?” he said, sounding faintly surprised “You are that eager to read it?”

I turned towards him, placing the steaming cup of coffee on the tray next to the croissant Jana got for him.

“Well, I’ve been waiting for it for so long… it takes priority over everything else as far as I’m concerned”

“You know Robbe” Jana said teasingly from beside me, jabbing me lightly in the side “forever a bookworm”

Sander smiled as he picked up the tray from the counter “When I come back, you’ll have to tell me how you’re finding it”

Just as I was about to reply, Jana jumped in “He’ll only have good things to say. He’s obsessed with this author, won’t shut up about them. It’s kind of annoying actually”

He smirked “Maybe I’ll have to check them out”

“You should!” I told him enthusiastically “Their works are amazing. Even if you aren’t really into reading, this person can have you drawn in with just a page of their writing”

“I don’t doubt that, I’m sure you have impeccable taste” Sander said, winking at me

He often did that but even after weeks of seeing it, I was still blown away each time. He always seemed to take my breath away without even trying.

Sander made his way over to a table, placing his tray down and taking out his small black notebook as normal. It was his daily routine and moved like clockwork every time. I don’t think there has been a single day he has come in when he hasn’t been scribbling away dedicatedly in there, pen moving furiously across the paper.

I was always curious about what he was doing in it, but never dared ask. It could be something deeply personal and private, I wouldn’t want to invade his comfort zone like that.

He was in his own world when he wrote. As soon as the book was opened it was like a protective bubble opened up around him, blocking out anyone and everything from his work. If we wanted to ask if he wanted a refill or anything else to eat, it would take a few tries to get his attention. Sander manages to block it out so easily.

Although it was a similar thing when I read. It was like escaping to another realm where nobody could reach you. Like a haven that you could take shelter in and escape from all your problems, if only for a short amount of time.

#wtfock #wtfam #wtfock fanfic #fanfic

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degenerate-otaku · 3 years

Text

Another one shot of Future Gohan and Trunks for yall

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13896221/1/Before-the-Rain

(Links in case you prefer)

In the times that had followed the androids' destruction, younger generations were highly protected, as they were the earth's only hope. The government set up an initiative to get more children out of dangerous cities that housed gangs and violence.

Children and any family they had would move to countryside camps, wherein they would receive food, safety and education in return for doing manual labour such as farming and sewing, as well as taking care of the sick.

Trunks somewhat hated this, as it meant that many children in West City, including his own friends often moved away when things got too difficult, leaving him isolated, in terms of having friends his own age.

Sure, sometimes he'd visit, taking the underground railway system, or by hopping on the nimbus, or even flying when he had learnt to do so, but it felt like an arduous task.

However, when Gohan decided to volunteer as a teacher, Trunks thought it would be a good idea to attend full time, as the pair could go together. Trunks was surprised when the day before Gohan revealed he was rather nervous about it.

“C'mon, you're an amazing teacher to me, so I'm sure you'll be able to teach more kids!” Trunks reassured him, snuggling into bed. He always loved when Gohan would stay over at his house, it was so comforting to know he was right there beside him.

“Yeah...but that's you...and I've known you since you were born...and there's a lot of kids!” Gohan hung up his smart looking outfit, which Trunks remarked as being nerdy, on a hanger, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Trust me, they aren't as annoying as me. You'll be fine...Good night.” Trunks smiled at him before switching off his light and pretending to be asleep before Gohan could worry further.

Gohan sighed and tucked the boy in a little more before heading to sleep himself.

The next day, the pair flew to the makeshift school building, and landed away from sight before coming in together.

To keep Gohan distracted from his nerves, which Trunks viewed as highly irrational, considering Gohan was also "The Golden Warrior", he inquired,

“Doesn't your mom cook for the kids here a lot? My friends said that a lady called Miss Son is the most amazing lunch lady ever.”

“Huh? Oh...yeah,” Gohan laughed, lifting his head from the book held in his hands.

“I mean...she's used to cooking in massive quantities for me and for when my dad was around...it's a chance for her to share her...motherly-ness.” He smiled, then stopped at the door, listening to the sound of children chattering inside.

“You can do this!” Trunks grinned, taking his bag off his shoulder as he stepped in, Gohan following, the class immediately silenced, intrigued by the smart young man, that was clearly strong looking, his muscles bulging even in his clothes.

“Uh...Good morning class!” He began, picking up a pen and writing his name on the board.

“My name is Mr Son...and I will be your new teacher!” He smiled politely, awaiting a response.

“Oh my god, are you married to the lunch lady?!” A girl exclaimed.

Gohan frantically shook his head, “N-no, she's my mom!” His face had gone red as the class giggled, but he soon regained composure, laughing it off.

“Gosh, she cooks like that for you all the time?!” Another kid chimed in and he scratched the back of his head,

“Yeah...I guess so! I just hope she doesn't come in and embarrass me!” He answered.

Trunks gazed up at him from where he was sitting. He was glad to see his best friend adapting so well to his new job.

“Alright! Our first task is going to be a written task, which I'll get you to read aloud at the end.” He instructed them, handing out some paper, taking a look at every one of his new students.

“I want you all to write about what you did during your summer. Which programs did you volunteer in? Did you visit anywhere?”

He returned to his position at the front and passionately spoke, “I really wanna know about you guys! Oh...maybe I should take the register to learn your names...tell me if I mispronounce any!”

Gohan sat down, getting out the list of names and calling them out, one by one, receiving a pleasant "Good morning, Mr Son“ each time. It was strange to hear Trunks call him that, and by the sound of it, the title was strange for the boy to speak aloud too. The two just had to pretend as if they didn't know each other, Gohan made it a priority not to show favouritism towards him, but he knew it would be difficult.

He loved that boy unconditionally.

”Sir, how long do we have?“ A girl named Cherri, who he knew to be Trunks' friend that used to live not far from Capsule Corp, asked.

”Oh...right, I forgot to tell you that! Uh...you have until half past.“ He answered, before scribbling down more lesson ideas in his book.

The truth was that he had no clue about what he was doing. He was planning his lessons as he went along.

The time passed quickly, and Gohan decided to pick out random students to read out what they had wrote. A few passed, and he made some notes about them in his book.

”Alright, last but not least is Trunks.“ Gohan called out to him, snapping the boy out of a daydream.

”Oh, ok...“ He reluctantly stood and read from the paper, ”Last summer, I mostly stayed at home, played video games and studied. I went to the beach with my mom a few times....uhh I watched TV and...uh yeah.“ He sat back down.

”...that's it? That's all you wrote?“ Gohan glared at his student, hoping he had a good response.

”Yeah.“ Trunks replied, thinking nothing of it.

”Trunks, you had half an hour and you wrote 3 sentences.“ Gohan sounded stern and the class silently watched.

”Well, you already know what I did last summer, Gohan-“ Trunks gasped and the class was confused.

”Wait, is he your brother?“ The boy next to Trunks, who was also his good friend asked and the whole class started chatting.

Gohan cleared his throat and sighed,

”Yes...well...I am very close to Trunks, our families are too...but this does not mean I favour him over any of you.“ He calmed the situation, then spoke directly to Trunks,

”I need you to show the same level of respect to me as everyone else in here, too, ok? It is the morning of the first day, so I will let this slide, but please give more effort.“

Trunks nodded, but rolled his eyes, slumping back in his chair, when Gohan turned to the whiteboard and wrote down the title of the next lesson, before collecting in the students' essays and handing out exercise books.

The next lesson would be a boring maths lesson, which Trunks sat through. He was ahead of his peers in scientific and mathematical subjects, thanks to his master's teaching, so sitting through a recap of something he found so simple was like watching paint dry.

Whenever Trunks raised his hand, he felt like Gohan always asked someone else. He didn't like being ignored.

He knew the answers to everything, it was incredibly annoying to hear someone who clearly didn't know something harder than expanding brackets in algebra, try to solve the equation on the board that Trunks could do in his head.

Gohan was encouraging and made sure the students felt no shame in making mistakes.

”Alright, Cherri, so now you need to get the unknowns on one side of the equation.“ Gohan advised her, writing on the board the step she just explained with his help.

The girl stammered, her face going a little red from the attention.

”The answer is 4!“ Trunks, finally fed up, called out the answer.

”Well, yes, that is correct, but I wasn't asking you, I was asking Cherri.“ Gohan put down his pen and his serious tone returned.

”She obviously didn't know!“ Trunks folded his arms, determined to not apologise for doing what he thought was right.

”It's rude to interrupt, regardless.“ Gohan told him, before moving on.

Finally, it was time for break and when Trunks decided he was going to talk to Gohan, he was surprised to find girls in his class talking to him instead, asking him tons of questions.

”So, you work out?“ One asked, taking a look at his arms.

”Of course he does, just look at him!“ Her friend cut in and Gohan blushed and nodded, explaining his reasons, which Trunks knew to be false.

”Oh, hey, Trunks!“ Gohan spotted him and took his opportunity to get out of that conversation.

”I wanted to have a chat about before.“ He approached his pupil, who was causing him some concern.

”Oh...same.“ Trunks fiddled with the sleeves of his jumper, something he always did when he was nervous, which Gohan took notice of.

”Why did you feel like you could do that?“ Gohan's voice was calm; it always made Trunks feel more at ease.

”I dunno...it just felt like...you were ignoring me. I just got a bit fed up...because I already knew the stuff and you weren't asking me.“ The teen shrugged his shoulders, not meeting his eye.

”Trunks,“ Gohan placed his hand on his shoulder, making the boy glance up at him.

”I just want to know what the others know. I know you're able to do this, but most of them aren't.��

Gohan did make sense, but Trunks was stubborn. His mother said it was a trait of his father, though she was stubborn too.

”I spend a lot of time with you...and I love spending time with you...but it's not fair to give you all my focus...

You know I really love you, right?“

That was enough to make Trunks smile.

”I know...thanks, Gohan...I mean Mr Son.“ Trunks giggled before running off.

Gohan watched as the other kids played together gleefully. It was heartwarming to see them be actual kids and enjoy their disrupted youth. It only made him more determined to fight for their safety and teach them well.

'I might be an even better teacher than you, Mr Piccolo...'

He smirked, hoping Piccolo could hear him somewhere, feeling proud of him.

#dbz #dragon ball z #dragon ball #trunks #future trunks #gohan #son gohan #trunks briefs #dbz fanfiction #fanfiction #fluff #my fanfiction

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btsslowburnfic · 3 years

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Sonata-First Movement

The dear @omgalyssag17 asked: hi i saw you have your requests open and was wondering if you’d be interested in writing a story where yoongi moves into a haunted apartment/house (human!yoongi x ghost!reader pairing). i like giving authors lots of room for creativity so let your imagination flow. And I did. So much so that the story will be told in three parts over the next three weeks XD I LOVED THIS PROMPT SO MUCH Series Summary: Yoongi travels to a lake house to get some work done in peace. While he is there he has several strange encounters that make him question his own sanity. AN: Y/N as a ghost is slightly neurotic at times because she hasn’t really had conversations with people in about ten years. She’s trying so hard to be a good hostess XD Series contains angst, humor (well I think so), and fluff. WK:5kish Day 1

Yoongi parked his car at the end of the gravel driveway. The drive up to the Lakehouse had been pleasantly uneventful. It was starting to get foggy though, so he was glad he had left Seoul when he did. He reached into his front pocket for the set of rental keys. They were neatly labeled: cabin, boathouse, boat.

The wooden front door opened easily although it creaked loudly. He decided to take a look around before bringing in his luggage and equipment. He was on a rare break from work. While the other members had gone traveling or home to spend time with their families, Yoongi had decided to get some work done. But he would do it away from the city. He told the Agency to find him somewhere nice and quiet. And with a piano. That last part proved to be more of a challenge, but they had discovered this remote cabin which had belonged to a pianist. The property had been listed as “for sale” for several years and the family decided instead to rent it out to at least recoup some money.

The air smelled slightly stale so he left the front door open and began to explore the property. It was a small 2 bedroom cottage-style lake house with large windows running along the back of the living room. The sliding glass door led out to a small deck, overlooking the lake. It was beautiful. Or at least it could be. Yoongi looked through the glass and could barely make out the lake that he knew should be there. The layer of fog was rolling in against an already grey sky, causing the horizon between the water and air to blend together into a monochrome greyscape.

There was a small kitchenette in the corner of the main room, and on the opposite side, a piano with a desk sat next to it. Perfect. A fireplace adorned another one of the walls, providing both a heat source and a beautiful focal point.

He continued to walk through the house, discovering the bathroom and two bedrooms. The larger of the two also had large windows and a sliding glass door. Yoongi shook his bangs out his face and stepped out onto the wooden deck. The deck was small and surrounded on most sides by built-in benches. There were also several empty wooden planters. Whoever had lived here must have enjoyed flowers or herbs, he mused to himself. He gazed out towards the lake where he was able to barely make out the boathouse. In addition to the stored motorboat, there was a kayak stacked against the boathouse and a rowboat tethered to the dock. Good, he thought. He doubted he would use the motorboat at all on this trip, so it was nice to have options. The steps down to the dock were made up of several twisty flights of stairs. He decided he would check out the dock tomorrow.

Yoongi went back through the house to get his equipment set up. When he came back, he discovered the front door had shut. Dammit, he thought and sat down with his armful of equipment, squeaking the front door open again. He placed his laptop and speakers down on the desk. Now to get his luggage and food bags. He knew there would be no delivery service out here. Hell, he’d be lucky to get cell service out this far. Which is one of the reasons he had decided to work out in the country. He knew he wouldn’t be distracted by his phone or by the members messaging him. It would truly be a break from everyone and everything. He grabbed his suitcase and used it to prop the door open and then took several trips out to the car to unload the bags of food he had bought on the way up.

Yoongi began to hum to himself while unpacking the food. Cold in the refrigerator, room temperature in the cabinets. He was a very neat person and was very satisfied when all of the groceries had been put in their place. He went back to get his suitcase from its place by the door. Yoongi scratched his head. His suitcase had been by the door, hadn’t it? Maybe he had wheeled it into the kitchen without thinking. He walked back over and looked around quickly, still not seeing it. Ok. Maybe he hadn’t brought it in from the car and just thought he had. He knew in the back of his mind that he had to have brought it in, because he was using it to hold the door open. Maybe it was on the front porch? He turned the corner and saw the suitcase sitting by the front door. He jumped a little bit and shook his head. Maybe he was more sleep deprived than usual and it was making him dumb. “What the hell?” he said out loud. He walked over and firmly grabbed the suitcase as though he was afraid it was going to wander off.

He turned on the light in the master bedroom and put away all of the clothes, storing the suitcase under the bed. Now, he could finally get some work done. After coffee. Coffee was an important step.

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

You sat over at the desk, observing the newest cottage guest. The delightful scent of coffee wafted through the air. There were several things you missed about being alive, and one of them was a nice, hot cup of coffee. Especially out on the back deck, first thing in the morning. You often wondered if you were actually stuck in hell; able to smell coffee and not drink it. You were able to see every person who trespassed in your house, but none of them could see you.

At least it looked like this guy would be a considerate guest. Too often it would be loud families with their ill-behaved children banging on your beloved piano. Sometimes it would be drunk fishermen. At least they could be entertaining. And they were also your favorite to mess with; they were never sure if there was a ghost or if they were drunk. Hilarious. Death had very few benefits but that was one of them.

You watched him pour himself a cup of coffee. Now that you noticed, it was very late to be starting a pot of coffee. He must be a night owl. You got up so he wouldn't sit on you. It always felt so weird when the living touched you; their solid body parts passing through your non-corporeal form. It didn't hurt but it made your body feel like it was being stretched in ways that it shouldn't be able to.

He sat the cup down and started to unpack what looked like headphones, a microphone, and some other things that you knew had to do with recording music. Oooo interesting, you thought. He was a very meticulous person. You had noticed the care he had taken into putting everything in its place even though you could tell he was eager to begin the task at hand. He plugged in the electronics and began to press some buttons. He put on his headphones and began vibin to some beats.

You frowned. You wanted to hear the music too. You reached over and gently flipped the bluetooth switch on his headphones off.

Yoongi stopped and took off his headphones. He looked at them with a concerned expression. That was so strange. He had charged them all last night. It didn’t even occur to him to check the manual power switch; there was no reason to. He frowned and placed the headphones on the desk. He dug the charger out of his bag and crawled down on the floor to plug it in.

You smiled as you watched him try to turn himself tiny. It was pretty cute. He slowly backed out of the space under the desk, and while still on his knees, pressed play. The lakehouse was filled with music. You felt the space in the middle of your body, where you once had a beating heart, relax. You hadn’t heard music in forever. You would occasionally play the piano, but most of the time it just made you too sad.

Yoongi took out his notebook and began flipping through it, trying to find the page he had been working on. You spied over his shoulder, trying to see what his project was. Notes? Lyrics? Ouch. You felt his hand go through your face as he raised his arm to run his fingers through his hair. Ok, ouch wasn’t the right expression, but it had surprised you nonetheless. He continued to fluff his hair several times. It was very fluffy, now that you noticed it. You wanted to touch it. You really tried to not be a creepy ghost. But you hadn’t had visitors in so long. And it looked so soft. You let yourself pet his dark, black hair.

Yoongi froze and looked behind him. His nose scrunched up as he turned his neck and looked above him, searching for the draft that had just blown his hair. Seeing nothing, he continued on with his work.

His hair was soft. You knew it would be. Alright, you decided, enough of being creepy. He seemed nice enough. You traveled over to the living room and laid down on the couch. Being dead was so boring.

Yoongi continued working and drinking coffee for several hours before deciding around 4 am to go to bed. This was a poor decision because there were no curtains in the lake house, and the sun came in at 7 am. He groaned and pulled a sheet over his face.

You laughed as you saw him wrestle with the too small sheet. He would pull it up, his feet would become uncovered. He would pull it down, and a sunbeam would fall directly onto his face. Poor guy. The next time he pulled the blanket up, you gently tucked the comforter over his feet. He didn’t even notice, he just let out a satisfied groaning sound as he rustled around trying to get comfortable. Finally, he was able to fall back to sleep.

Day 2

Yoongi woke up around noon. He scolded himself for not thinking of bringing an eye mask along. He was used to sleeping at strange hours, in a state of permanent jet lag, so he usually remembered to pack it. Oh well. He groggily shufflled to the kitchen and grabbed an iced coffee. The lake was beautiful this morning. The sun was shining and reflecting against the water. He decided to wash up and head down to the dock.

You watched him down the iced coffee like it was a lifeline. Did this guy know that drinking-water also existed? You wondered as you followed him around. You watched him look out over the lake while drinking the coffee. The corners of his mouth upturned as he looked out over the water. With a determined look on his face he went over towards the bathroom leaving you to hang out in the living room. You walked over to the desk area where he had left his stuff out. You decided to look through his notebook and found several pages of lyrics. He was really good, you thought as you flipped through. You took your time reading some of the pages and notes. You also saw some compositions written down as well.

Yoongi walked out of the bathroom wearing a towel and sopping wet hair. Since he was the only one there he hadn’t bothered to take his clothes into the bathroom with him. He walked out into the living room and saw his notebook jump off the desk. That’s weird. He thought as he walked over to pick it up and put it back on the desk. He ran a hand along the back of it to see if it felt extra slippery. No. He did the same to the desk. Weird.

You were trying to NOT be a creepy ghost and yet here was a hot guy wearing a towel in your living room. You looked around, where to go, where to go? You couldn’t go to the master bedroom, that’s where he would go next. You saw him bend over to pick up the notebook. If you had blood left in your body, you are certain it would all be rushing to your face right now. Must leave. You hastily made your way to the guest bedroom, carefully opening the door and stepping inside. You took a few deep breaths out of habit.

Yoongi sat the notebook down on the desk and heard a creaking sound coming from the other side of the cabin. The drafts in here were unbelievable, he thought and he headed to the bedroom to get dressed.

You kept yourself in forced isolation until you heard the sliding door of the living room open up. You peeked out the window and saw him making his way down to the dock. Finally, you thought, as you went back into the living room. Ever since you had heard the music last night you had been wanting to give it a go on the piano. You looked down at the dock to make sure he had made it before you took a seat at the bench and began to play,

Yoongi felt the sun shine down on his dark hair. He usually blow dried it, but between the hot sun and being on vacation, he figured he would let nature take care of it today. He sat down cross legged on the dock, looking out across the Lake. He could see a few other houses lining the perimeter and several patches of trees. The water lightly rippled, splashing gently against the rowboat. He looked over the side of the dock. It was shallow and he could see minnows swimming in the water that had been warmed by the sun. He smiled and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. He took out his pen and began to write.

You couldn’t remember the last time you enjoyed playing the piano. It had been probably about 6 months before you died. If you had to guess. Time is a funny thing. It speeds up as you get older. And once you’re dead, it’s like the blink of an eye. It wasn’t enough time. You sighed sadly. But, playing this music made you happy. It made you so happy that you had lost track of time until you heard the unmistakable sound of the glass door sliding open. You were pretty sure you were able to stop in time. You made a cringe face and turned to the door to see if your guest had noticed.

Yoongi stood extremely still. He had definitely heard the piano playing. Only for a second or two. But the sound was unmistakable. Maybe a mouse was in the dampers. He cleared his throat and walked over to the upright Yamaha. You stayed absolutely still as he reached over you, his face inches away. You didn’t have to hold your breath, you didn’t even breathe anymore, but you found yourself nervously worried about it. He smelled good. Stop being creepy! Yoongi opened the lid quickly, hoping to catch the mouse in action. No mouse. Strange, he thought, and closed the lid. He stepped back and eyed the piano suspiciously. Wait a minute. He looked at the sides and then he opened the lid once more. “Hmm? What’s this?” he reached in and took out a yellow, legal-sized envelope

You had forgotten about that.

He held the large envelope in his hands, inspecting it. He turned it around. There was nothing written on the outside but he could feel the contents inside of it. He bit his lip, unsure of what to do with this. He sat it down on the desk and headed to the kitchen to eat lunch.

You tentatively pressed your fingers against the envelope. You were surprised no one had found it yet. You were certain your family would have quickly sold the house, so you had placed the document somewhere safe. But no one had come to buy the house. Maybe because you had scared them away. The first few years of your haunting you hadn’t been quite as kind of a ghost. Time had mellowed you and allowed you to come to terms with your death. You looked over at the man who was starting to shake ramyeon packets and boil water. You gently tore the corner open and waited a minute to see if his curiosity would get the better of him.

Yoongi walked back over to the desk while he waited for the water to boil. Now that he looked harder he saw that the envelope had been opened ever so slightly. He felt a little odd, but decided to go ahead and open it. He carefully slid the contents out onto the desk. He saw a picture, sheet music, and a letter. He picked up the photo first. It was a picture of a young woman who looked to be about his age, sitting out on the back porch, petting a large yellow dog. She was looking off at the lake smiling and it appeared she hadn’t known someone was taking her picture. Yoongi looked out, holding the photo up in between himself and the window. He matched up the benches and planters perfectly. It was definitely taken here. The next thing he picked up was the sheet music. It was untitled and about 20 bars of music filled the sheet. He placed the music on the piano’s stand. He picked up the letter and began to read.

“I don’t think I’m going to have enough time to finish this composition. I really like it and I would love to hear it completed. I sit down every day and try to but the headaches are getting worse and it’s hard to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. I wish I had more time. But I suppose that’s to be expected, isn’t it? I thought there would be more time. I can only hope someone takes Barley and gives him a good home. Dogs don’t know about death right? Animals fear pain, not death. I fear both even though each gets worse and closer every day. As for the piano, I just hope it goes somewhere where it will actually get played by someone who loves it. I’m hoping my family finds this, but if you find yourself reading some random dying girl’s letter, please let my family know I tried to hold on for as long as possible. And I really tried hard to finish this. I just can’t anymore. Thanks for reading this. Whoever you are. Have a great day and remember: life is short. [y/n].”

Yoongi felt tears running down his face as he finished the letter. Jesus. Had this belonged to the girl who lived here before? He looked at the picture of the girl and the dog and flipped it over. “Me and Barley May 2010 BEST DOG EVER.” Yoongi gently placed the letter and photo on the corner of the desk and ran a hand along his chin and then his cheeks, wiping the tears quickly with the back of his hand.

You watched as he cried and felt bad. You had written that letter probably a week before you died. Maybe a month? It was hard to tell. Time passed differently when you were dead. And the last few days, weeks(?) of your life had not been easy on your body or mind. All you remembered was the instant feeling of calm and peace. At first. Until you realized for some reason you were trapped in the lake house. You watched him sit down quietly and look at your composition and put his fingers onto the keys.

He began to play. At first it was so soft you could barely hear it, but as he continued to play it got louder. You remembered the song so well. You were slightly biased, but you thought it was, “Beautiful.” you heard him say as he came to the end of the song. He sat like that for another few seconds and then played it again from the start. He picked up the music sheet and sat it down on the desk. He got up and moved over to the desk chair, taking out his. He started to copy the notes onto his notebook and then started to add notes to it.

Was he going to finish your song? You sat in awe as you watched him play with the chords and rhythm to try and figure out what would work best with what you had already composed. You sat down on the piano bench and watched his face as he concentrated on how to approach the music. The timer went off in the kitchen and Yoongi got up to assemble the noodles. He brought the hot bowl and chopsticks back with him, careful to not sit it on the desk. He read the letter again.

“Well, I’ll try to finish it for you,” he said. “But I don’t know if it will be what you would have picked.

You gave him a sad smile. You couldn’t remember the last time someone had spoken to you. “That’s ok.”

Yoongi looked over towards the piano. He kept feeling something. Something randomly around him. And this time he had sworn he heard something as well. “I need to stop talking to myself, I’m starting to imagine answers.” He said, taking several more bites of noodles. You just laughed. A small tinkling sound. Yoongi got up and went over to the back porch to look for windchimes or something. Having found none, he shook his head and sighed. He quickly finished up his lunch and sat down next to you on the piano bench. He reached over for the sheet music, and then very delicately placed your picture next to it.

“Alright [y/n] let’s finish writing this composition.” he said as he gently placed his fingers on the keys. He played the song again, this time adding a few of the notes he had added. He was satisfied with a few of them but others he scratched out with his pen. He began again and again, trying to work through the bridge. You understood his frustration. This was the part you had gotten stuck on as well. You liked the few notes that he had successfully added. Suddenly, without thinking, you thought of what would sound good next and played a series of notes.

Yoongi sat there not moving. The keys to his left had definitely just played by themselves. And not random keys like a mouse on the dampers. They were notes that matched the song perfectly. What the hell.

You froze. Shit shit shit. You were going to scare this guy off. The only person who had actually spoken to you in a decade. You felt like you wanted to cry. Dammit [y/n] you scolded yourself. Yoongi was afraid to turn to his left. He knew it was silly. There wouldn’t be anything there, other than that feeling he kept getting in the house. He was going to make himself do it though. He very slowly turned his head and looked at you. At least, it seemed like he was looking at you. But from his perspective, he just saw the windows of the lake house. He let out a deep breath. “Here I am, afraid of ghosts.” He said out loud. “Well, if there is a ghost here, thanks. Those notes work well,” he said as he wrote down the keys you had pressed and then played them himself. The two of you stayed like that for about another hour before Yoongi decided he was going to work on another project. You decided to go out on the back porch and give him some privacy.

The rest of the evening Yoongi didn’t feel anymore of that warm buzzing sensation he had felt since his arrival. You had stayed on the back porch until it became dark to give him a break. You were so afraid earlier that you were going to scare him off. Usually you couldn’t wait for the guests to leave because they were annoying, but you wanted him to stay. He was nice and quiet, and cute, and working on your song, and cute. And oh my goodness, you thought listening to yourself. You had a crush on this guy. Ugh. You didn’t even know ghosts could get crushes. You sighed, once again bemoaning the fact that being dead was standing in your way. You didn’t get the chance to date much when you were alive. You went straight from University to writing music up at the lake. You thought your love life could wait until you had established your career more. Just another thing you had been wrong about. You sighed as you re-entered the cottage and saw Yoongi still sitting at his computer jamming away with his headphones on. Did he ever stop working?

Yoongi had worked on several projects that afternoon and was feeling very satisfied with the progress he had made. The earlier piano incident left him feeling a little skittish, especially now that it was dark outside. He wasn’t easily frightened, but as he thought back to the past two days, several incidents were very strange. He didn’t believe in ghosts. He told himself. Over and over again. Probably a little too much for someone to not actually believe in ghosts. He reached over to the piano stand and took the picture off the stand, sitting it down on the desk and running a finger down it.

If Barley was alive, he would be a very old dog by now, Yoongi thought. He wondered if the woman’s parents were the people renting out the lakehouse. He would have to have the Agency contact them and ask about her in a delicate manner so he could give them the documents. Yoongi stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He would usually make some coffee and continue working, but he found himself unusually tired and not particularly wanting to sit in the living room full of wide open windows and wide open spaces. He took his phone and a drink into the bedroom. There. If you’re under the covers, ghosts can’t get you, He found himself thinking. I’m so stupid. There’s no such thing as ghosts. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.” He said out loud, like that made it more real. You just laughed. Yoongi froze. That tinkling sound again. Ok. It was time to pull the sheet over his head and go to bed. Which he did.

You felt bad and resolved that tomorrow you would be quiet, and not touch him, and not have impure thoughts about him. You would try so very hard. But, for a few minutes, you were going to watch him sleep. Just a little. Ghosts are allowed to be a little creepy.

Day 3

Yoongi woke up around 9 in the morning. It was raining outside. He felt his shoulder ache; the joint affected by weather ever since his accident. He groaned. He was hoping to take the rowboat out today but it would have to wait. He stayed in bed for a while, checking his phone even though he knew the reception made it almost useless.

He walked out to the kitchen and started to make the coffee without thinking. Wait a minute. He hadn’t set the coffee and filter out. He knew he hadn’t. And yet when he came out, the carafe, water, filter, and coffee were all laid out in a nice row.

See? You didn’t want to be creepy or scary. You wanted to be helpful. Yoongi let out a deep sigh, trying to fill himself up with bravery. “Whoever is here needs to stop messing with me. My head is fucked up enough without thinking I’m actually going crazy as well.”

Oh. You thought the coffee would make him happy but instead it had made him upset. You pouted. What could you do to make him not afraid? It was difficult being a ghost. You walked over to the piano and decided to play a nice happy song for him. Something not scary at all. You began to play the tune of “You are my Sunshine.” No one could be scared of that song. No one. Except apparently Yoongi was.

“Ahhh….” he let out a tiny scared sound. He looked over at the piano playing by itself and covered his ears and headed for the front door. He opened it and stepped outside into the rain. Shit. Shit. The piano is playing by itself. He thought. Shit. It’s raining. No. It’s pouring. The awning over the front door was very small. He ran over to the car to try and get inside but he had locked it. He scolded himself. This was the country, why the hell did he lock his car? Who was going to take it. Shit. He couldn’t walk anywhere else. He would have to go inside and get the car keys. He walked back to the front door and pulled on the knob. It was locked. SHIT he had also locked the bottom lock out of habit last night and hadn't unlocked it in his haste to get out of the house. Wet, scared Yoongi paused for a moment and laughed. This was ridiculous. The whole situation. He wiped his wet face with his hands and ran his fingers through his soaking wet hair.

You sat there feeling very sad. You had just tried to help. You felt like the two of you really shared a connection through the music, and he had talked to you, and you sat out coffee for him, and played a very cute song. Why was he being such a scaredy cat? And why was he still outside? It was pouring and his car keys were sitting on the fireplace mantle. A minute later you got your answer as you saw a very wet Yoongi at the back door. He was absolutely soaked.

Yoongi arrived at the back porch. Surely he hadn’t locked all of the sliding glass doors. He looked in through the windows and was shocked to see the profile of a girl sitting at the piano. Oh God. There was someone actually in the house. What if the girl wasn’t the only one? What the hell was going on? Yoongi felt his heart beat racing in his ears.

You got up, slightly annoyed by the fact he would rather be in the pouring rain than hang out with you and walked over to the door, opening it ever so slightly. Maybe he wouldn’t notice and think it was the wind. Or maybe he believed in ghosts now, you sighed.

Yoongi watched the woman through the fogged up windows walk over towards him and open the door just a crack. He heard her let out a deep sigh like he was being annoying. He opened the door the rest of the way and slowly walked inside.

“Wow you look even better when you are soaking wet,” you mused from your spot by the fireplace mantle.

Yoongi shook his hair out of his face and looked over at you, “Thanks, but who are you and why are you here….” His eyes widened as he was finally able to see clearly.

Your eyes also grew wider and you looked behind you to make sure he wasn’t speaking to anyone else. You looked back at him, “You can see me?”

Yoongi slowly nodded his head. The woman definitely looked like she could be twins with [y/n] from the photograph. “Of course I can, you’re ogling me from the fireplace.”

#yoongi scenarios #bts fanfic #bts fanfction #yoongi x reader #bts yoongi x reader #yoongi fluff #bts suga x you #suga x reader #suga x you #ghost romance #bts suga #bts yoongi

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concealeddarkness13 · 3 years

Text

WHG 15 Post-Games Brains and Brawn Part 6

This is happening around the beginning of the third week. Tagging: @ratracechronicler, @maple-writes (also thanks for Richard and Volt!), @pen-of-roses, and @thoughts-of-nora!

Shine came into my room at the beginning of the third week after the end of the Games. They smiled at me and texted. “I’ll be working on Richard’s machines today, so you’ll need to help me.”

I nodded and stood up. “I’ll totally help! Let’s go!”

They shoved some bags into my hands, and they headed off to Richard’s room. I just followed along behind. It would be nice to see Richard again. He was cool.

They knocked on his door, and he opened it. Shine signed, slow enough that I could tell what they were saying. “Hi! If it is ok, would I be able to start repairing you machines? I have prepared.” They gestured at the bags I was carrying. “And I have an assistant.” They gestured back at me, and I waved and smiled.

Richard smiled and let us in. He signed back at Shine. “Come in.” He nodded at me and spoke. “And good to have you too.”

I laughed. “Shine just says I’m here to manual labor. But it’s fine. I’d still like to spar with you at some point.” Shine rolled their eyes at that.

He laughed as well, but he had a tired smile. “We’ll have to find a time then.” He ruffled my hair affectionately and then turned to Shine and signed. “Where would you like me?”

They signed back. “Wherever you are most comfortable. I think I will start with your arm. There are probably worn down joints in your limbs.”

Richard gave him a thumbs up, and he laid down on the bed before he propped himself back up and signed. “Are you okay with making the incision or do you want a hand?”

They grimaced. “Help would be appreciated. I have not really worked with the biological side of things.”

He pointed to a scalpel blade in one of the bags I had set down near Shine. “Pass that over and let me know when you’re ready to start.”

I dramatically pouted as Shine nodded and handed the blade to Richard. They grabbed some tools, and then they nodded and signed again. “I am ready.”

Richard took the blade, took a deep breath, and made an incision in his arm, and I flinched. How could he do that? I didn’t take a close look as Shine did. Richard texted something, and Shine put us in a group chat so I could see it too. “Most of the blood flow’s shunted away from this part for now.” He smiled at Shine. “Don’t be nervous.”

Shine nodded and texted back. “Thanks.” And they got started. I sat up straighter as they gestured for me to hand them tools. I frowned as they worked. I couldn’t watch. So, instead, I would bother Richard.

“So, how did you learn their sign language?”

He blinked, looking surprised as he turned over to me. “Oh, Dr. Carmine taught me. It was a long time ago now so I’m a little rough.” He laughed a little.

“The Carmine that Triel mentioned in her interview?” I remembered Triel and Shine sitting up, reading through the material Cahira had given to them. And how much Triel grumbled about reading about such an awful person. “How was she?”

“Right, yeah, the same Dr. Carmine.” He watched Shine for a little bit and then rested his head back down. “She was one of the people who would handle me once I was operational.” He smiled fondly. “She was the only one who seemed to care if I was tired, hungry, in pain after an assignment instead of ignoring me until we got back to hand me over to the technicians. She was the only one who’d tell me I did a good job and bring something nice as a treat when I was done.” He sighed and his smile faded. “Then one day she was just…gone.”

Shine grimaced when they looked up and realized Richard was talking about Carmine. Yeah, she sounded so different from now. “Well, that sounds…nice. I’m glad she was nice to you.”

He nodded. “She was then. I don’t know what she’s like now.” He paused and stared up at the ceiling. “After I found out it was her who put Skyler through all that, I don’t know…” He paused again, looking back at us. “She doesn’t know I’m here, with Volt.”

Shine laughed a little and signed. “Hopefully, she will not figure it out after she finds the file missing.” They stopped working and sat back. “Could I look at the other arm?”

“Right.” Richard sat up and used a butterfly bandage over the wound. He cut his other arm, and I looked away again, shaking slightly, just remembering knives flashing toward me. Shit. I had to think of something else. Richard thought for a little bit and signed. “Even if she does figure it out, I don’t know what she would do about it. As far as I know, she doesn’t work with them anymore anyway.”

I nodded and spoke. “So, she didn’t seem to be one of those people who wouldn’t let someone they had control over escape?” I unconsciously rubbed my hands over my scars.

“I don’t think so. She never seemed to be the kind to obsess over power.” He winced as Shine did something. “She wasn’t like the others that leaned on force to control me anyway. She was stern and sometimes had high demands, but not outright cruel. Now that I think of it, she never even laid a hand on me to get me to comply.” He shook his head. “But no, to answer your question. And besides, I’m pretty sure she’s known for a long time Skyler’s with Volt and hasn’t made a move to get him back in ages.”

“That’s good.” I kept rubbing at my scars. Shine snapped at me to hand them another tool, and I shook myself out of my thoughts. “I mean, not actually good, but at least she isn’t trying to take you back.” I paused. “Not like Churi,” I mumbled. “He won’t stop until he gets me back.”

“You’ll just have to keep a step ahead of him then.” He looked me in the eyes. “I bet you’re smarter than he thinks you are. All he has to do is underestimate you, and you’ve won.”

I nodded and gave him a half-smile. That was kind of him, but I didn’t know if I was smarter than Churi thought I was. I wasn’t that smart. “Thanks.”

Shine nudged Richard to get his attention and started signing. “Want me to work on your legs at all? Or your eye next? I should be able to make your eye functional again. But for all the other large repairs, I do not have enough time to repair them. I will give you the blueprints so you can find someone else you trust to help repair.”

Richard sat up and signed awkwardly, trying not to move his arms very much. “Legs maybe if you’re up to it.”

Shine nodded. “And then I’ll work on your eye.”

“Perfect.” Richard put a bandage on his other arm and cut open his leg, which I still couldn’t watch. He texted instead. “You’re pretty good at this, especially for your first try.”

Shine texted back. “Thanks. I studied the blueprints, so I know how your machines are supposed to look. That helps a lot.” They waved for me to hand them a tool, and they got to work.

Richard laughed a little. “I don’t think I want to know how far off they look compared to what they’re supposed to.”

Shine laughed back. “It’s a mess, but it’s really not hard to fix. I had worse when Triel first got her airship. She didn’t have enough money, so her old captain let her have an old one of hers. Now, that took months.”

“You’re probably more than qualified then.” He nodded at them. “We were lucky enough that the ship Volt snagged had been well cared for before she took it.”

I grinned. That airship was awesome! “It’s beautiful!” I blurted out.

“Isn’t it?” He propped himself up to look over at me. “Volt’s pretty strict on upkeep and so far it’s been nothing but reliable for us.”

Oh shit. Skyler had told me not to mention what happened. I started flushing. Shit. “I’d…I’d love to fly in it sometime.” Shine looked up and cocked an eyebrow at me. They knew I was lying.

Richard grinned at me mischievously. Shit. Had he figured it out? “You must really want to with how red you’re getting.”

I curled up on myself, and my face grew hotter. “I just really love the idea of flying,” I mumbled.

“Looks like we’ll have to have a full day sometime if you still want to fight me too.” He lay down dramatically. “Though I might be out a little while.”

I relaxed a little when he didn’t push the airship subject, and I grinned. “Hey, I wanted to fight with a cut up leg, and…” Dramatic pause. “I failed. You rest as long as you need to, and I’ll wait.”

“Well,” He shot me a look and sounded exaggeratedly arrogant. “Even if your legs were fine I don’t expect you to win.”

I laughed. “Shine’s just helping you get closer to my level.” Shine shook their head and signed for the other leg.

“I see, maybe I’ll have a chance then with them on my side.” He nodded at Shine and bandaged up the first leg and cut into the other leg, and I had to look away again. “But I wouldn’t bet on it.” He blinked exaggeratedly, and it took me a second to realize he was trying to wink, but he had only one functioning eye, so it didn’t work as well. So, I just grinned back at him.

And just then, Volt walked up to the door and leaned against the frame. “What’s going on here?”

More heat rose to my cheeks as my mind flashed to the airship. Would Richard say anything? Shine looked over and grinned when they saw Volt, and they added her to the group message. “I’m working on Richard’s machines.”

Her eyes flickered over to Richard. “Is,” she looked between Shine and Richard. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

Richard shrugged. “So far so good.”

Shine was still grinning, probably the most I had seen them grin. “As safe as I can be. I’ve been able to fix the wear in his joints, so they shouldn’t bother him as much.”

She relaxed a little bit. “If it works then well done.” She sighed, long and deep. “Just be careful, okay?”

“When have I not?”

“In the time I’ve known you?” She raised her eyebrows, and I had to stop myself from snickering. For once, I wasn’t the one being chastised about being reckless. “More often than not.”

“And when has it worked out in our favor anyway?”

They had a point there. Richard seemed to agree because he looked over Shine’s shoulder and grinned. Volt’s expression didn’t change. “I can see why Triel wanted you on her crew.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Then they switched to sign to Richard. “Could I see your eye now?”

He fixed up his leg and lay down so that Shine could get to it easily. And Shine wouldn’t be paying attention anymore. They had been the most excited about working on the eye.

Volt watched for a few seconds before turning to me, and I stiffened a little. “How did you get pulled into this?”

Good. I was almost worried she somehow knew about the airship. “I’m just manual labor. Shine decided that this would keep me from getting bored and doing something stupid. And they’re right.” I grinned. “I think I might have gotten Richard to agree to spar with me later.”

“Of course he did.” She shook her head, but she had a soft expression as she looked over to Richard. “You really are a pushover.” He just smiled back.

After a few hours, Shine finally finished the eye, and they sat back with a long sigh. They nodded and smiled at Richard, and they signed. “How are you feeling?”

He spelled it out. “Ow.” He shifted to get more comfortable. “But it should be alright. Thanks.”

Since they were done, I started gathering up their tools, so they didn’t have to do everything. They kept signing. “I am sorry. Thanks for letting me help.”

He smiled back, looking tired. “Don’t worry. The technicians were never so gentle.”

Shine bowed a little with a smile, handed the blueprints to Volt, and headed out, while I followed with the extra stuff they brought. I just walked beside them with a smile. Even though they looked tired, they were smiling. It had been a good day then.

#writeblr hunger games #writeblr

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unikornu · 4 years

Photo

Page 7, Prearranged

(re-written)

The atmosphere in Nuka Town lost a bit of tension, at least around the operator’s territory, after Red Eye spread out the news after the first victory upon taking the park. Lucy woke up early, still slept in Porter’s room but keeping the promise this time, not searching and digging around his stuff, only stealing a few cigarettes. She dressed up and decided to head to Parlor alone without bothering if Gage is awake.

As the elevator arrived to the parter and the door slid open she bumped into raiders chest.

- Gage, you have been out whole night? She asked, surprised.

- Not the whole night...but ye, most of it. Nisha wanted to have a word after we came back. His face looked a bit more roughed up than usually, even for him.

- Is....everything okay? She shouldn’t care but words just flew out of her mouth as she tried to look closer at his face but he turned it away.

- Ye, just talking, business since we actually moved things onward. You? Where ya headed, Boss?

- To visit Lizzie, need her help with something. I think this might give us a little advantage, at least what i remember from the manual i stumbled upon some time ago. She tapped her pipboy.

- I will join you later, Boss if you still want company. He stepped into elevator and looked at her walking away.

- Sure, Gage. She turned her head and nodded at him before the door closed.

-----

The Parlor guard let her in, losing his usual grumpy expression this time, upon meeting. Lucy headed straight towards Lizzie lab, knocking as usual on the door frame to safely disrupt her from whatever dangerous occupation she was at.

- Mags already heard the news. If you would just see the smile on her face, to be the first one to get the park. Lizzie put her tools aside and turned to her.

-So...you need something more? She asked.

- Ye...look, i have that pipboy but i barely know how it functions actually but i saw it has some special cable to hack into things, maybe robots too? Would be useful if it actually works. Lucy unwrapped the pipboy and handed it to her.

- I only heard about them but never saw one with my eyes. Can i...? She looked at Lucy before even opening the back panel.

- Of course. I can see you know you way around...tech and weapons and God knows what. See if you can figure it out while i’m gone?

- Since you actually seem up for this job, why not, Boss. And you gave us park afterall, might help you further as an...exchange. Lizzie pulled her hair behind the ear and immediately sat at the table, gathering the tools around and smiling, focusing fully on the pipboy.

- Ok..i will leave you to it. As she left the lab she stumbled upon William on her way back out.

- Boss, a pleasure, especially after the yesterday’s venture. He ran a fingers through his hair and pulled his hand forward as he approached her.

- Uhm...just did what had to be done, right? She smiled awkwardly at him and reached for his hand back to shake it.

- I hope you will keep at it, Boss, we all do. Instead of shaking the hand, he took it softly and raised to kiss it, like a pre-war gentleman, looking down at her.

- Oh my...i mean, yes. As Gage walked to the room, geared up, she slipped the hand away. - I have to go, we will talk another time, William. She nodded at him and turned away, surprised by his manners, biting her lower lip.

- Feel free to visit, anytime, Boss. William said at her back, as she walked away.

Gage shook his head at him and left the Parlor after Lucy.

-----

- I need to tell and show something, follow me. Lucy whispered to him as she took lead and passed the town.

- Alright, Boss. Gage obligated and went after her.

They strolled all the way to the raiders famous tree, the one welcoming every new victim takin on the courage to put a step into the train to the Nuka World. Lucy stopped near it and faced Gage.

- How much do you know about Institute? She asked, looking up at him.

- Well, i heard the rumors from the Commonwealth, about synths, replacing people and shit, that they stir some experiments in secret. A lot of fucking shady stuff, Boss. Why? He looked her in the eye, a bit suspicious.

- Okay...listen. As we are through the first step of the job here and i’m actually still on my legs, standing i think its good to tell you this before we move onward. She turned around, scouring the hill beneath the tree, looking for some gap or crack.

- Don’t tell me you freaking work for em. Gage followed her and watched pulling the white crate with the institute sign on it.

- A little hand? She struggled to pull it out, with both her hands placed around the handle, pushing with her legs, as it got stuck on some roots.

- Ok, just move a bit. He leaned down and grabbed the other half of the handle.

As they pulled together, the root eventually cracked enough to finally release the package and send them on their backs as they put quite a bit of force to get it out. She turned her head towards him as they were lying down, noticing the raiders scars and bruises along with the green-hazel color of his eye. Everything looked much cleaner now that the distance shortened between them so much, in a broad daylight.

- So..Boss? He turned his head away as he noticed her staring at him and stood up.

- Ah ye, right, let me explain, now that we got it out and deal seems to be clear. She stood up as well, brushing the dust off her clothes and hands. - I was...well actually i still am, the agent for the Institute, just like Kellogg if you heard of him. But the terms changed a bit...as my position changed too.

- Should i be worried, Boss? I mean...which side to you play, theirs or our? He crossed his arms, uncertain what to think about it yet.

She paused for a moment at the second question but gathered the facts together and the last day, her arrival and point of it.

- I’m on your side, Gage. She looked him straight in the eye. - But this deal might be beneficial for us all and maybe the future, if we get that far. She crouched by the box and opened it. It was filled with ammunition and the newly constructed sniper rifle along with a some calmex dozes hidden beneath.

- So how it would work exactly, Boss? And how are we sure they won’t screw us up? I don’t mean to dislike it but...you know, trust get you only this far. He took the rifle in his hands as she handed it to him.

- They don’t care what we do, they just want data, some devices planted here and there, maybe samples of weird shit we might meet along the way. And in return we get...some stuff, better than what wasteland has to offer, maybe even better than what Gunners have. She nodded at the rifle. - It’s yours, you have a good eye.

- Shit...nice. He looked through a scope and then back at her. - Also, you mean it, Boss? Being by my side? I..don’t mean for it to sound weird, fuck, but you know what i mean.

- I know its been just one trip so far but...it might have been what i was looking for. She smiled and shrugged. - I don’t mean the whole Overboss thing, i ain’t the leader type, but that...lifestyle of yours, not giving a shit and simply, getting through life, grabbing what you want on the way, reminded me of some past. She turned back to grab the syringes from the box and stuff them in her bag.

- So..you up for the next trip, i guess? The wrinkles on his forehead softened as she looked away.

- Yes, i am. And i know where we can test this rifle. She grinned, looking towards the tall bridge in the distance.

----

As they strolled together towards the bridge, keeping themselves in a taller grass and the shadows, Gage suggested it would be better to wait till it gets darker.

- They won’t see us that well and if they are about to launch something serious at us we will also see it better, lighting up. Gage nodded towards the abandoned shack. - Won’t be long, Boss.

- Alright, you know them better and what they can be up to. She followed him inside the shack, filled with hay and...

- Cats? What the fuck? She didn’t hide her surprise as she jumped past them.

- Don’t ask me. Even Mason tried to take them to his zoo but they always stick to this place. No freaking clue why.

- And you didn’t kill them for food? She dropped down on a pile of hay and leaned her back against the wall.

- If we would starve then ye, otherwise...we ain’t that fucking big savages, Boss. At least i know where to look for em if needed. He pulled himself an old rusty chair and sat down as well. - You could a nap if ya want, Boss.

- No...i do not sleep in the open like that, but you should. You have been up almost whole night at Nisha’s. She stared at him, suggesting him to open up the topic.

- Nah, im fine Boss. We just talked about future plans. She wants to be sure i won’t piss her off again like it happened, with Colter. He sighted and eyeballed her.

- I don’t think she is the type to be ever....satisfied unless she is the one in charge of everything. She took a piece of hay and rolled it through her fingers. - I know you got some beating, i can recognize it. She stood up, brushing off the hay and looked back at him.

- It’s nothin new for me, Boss, at least from her. And ain’t much you or me can do bout it now. Gage looked at the window, waiting impatiently for the sun to go behind the horizon.

- Right now, no. But it doesn’t mean we cannot start...thinking about it and stir something on our own. She approached him, blocking the view he was staring at. - I didn’t need much time to feel she will gut us eventually no matter what i do, sooner or later Gage.

- And i thought you ain’t the leader type. He stood up slowly from the chair. -She is dangerous and experienced Boss, maybe most of them all and you just came here so...keep it easy for now, and just for us eh? He put a hand on her shoulder and shook it.

- I don’t need to be a leader to notice shit. It will have to be solved somehow, sooner or later but, ye..let’s focus on a task at hand. She took his hand off and sat back down, lighting a cigarette and awaiting for the darkness to hide them in its shadows.

----

The duo crouched lowly, into the tall bushes. Lucy pumped with fresh dose of calmex and Gage giving a look around through a scope onto the bridge and below.

- Ain’t looking good. I think we will just take down what we can and leave the power armored guy for later. Not like they can do anything else anyway other than duck there. Gage pulled the eye off the scope and noticed that Lucy moved on. - What the fuck are you doin, Boss? He whispered after her.

- Let me take down the ones below, its just three of em. They ain’t gonna hear shit. She whispered back and disappeared swiftly into the shadows.

- Goddamn woman. He pointed the rifle towards her direction, awaiting for her move. He noticed a spill of blood flying into the air from behind the wall and barely keeping up with her movements, slicing the flesh and swinging the knife with a butcher finesse. - Fuck, she’s fast. Gage looked towards the nearby tower and took down a gunner as he stood up, calling for his mates.

They didn’t move, crouching low, making sure no one heard them up on the bridge. Gage walked, keeping low to join Lucy near the shack. - Not bad, Boss but we wont take the guy up with just that, there ain’t much cover either up there.

- With regular ammunition we won’t stand chance but maybe this will do. She pulled a small box with a few bullets for the rifle, bigger this time, glowing with an orange shade shining from beneath the shell.

- Damn, what are these? Gage grabbed the bullets and roll around one of them in fingers.

- A prototype, explosive ammunition for this rifle. Came with that package as well. Might give us a chance actually.

- You ain’t the patient type are you, Boss? Wanting to finish every task right at hand, no matter what. She shrugged her shoulders at him.

- Its your choice. I ain’t going up if you are not up for it. She whispered and looked up, making sure they are still safe.

- You know what, fuck it. I sat enough on ass. If anything i will let them throw you out if this bridge first. He grinned at her and started reloding the rifle with the new ammunition.

- Real gentleman. She snarked and entered the shack with him, stepping into the elevator and sitting low as it raised them slowly up.

-----

Lucy jumped at the gunner as he turned abruptly, pushing him to the floor and stabbing through his throat, to not alert the others.

- Nice moves, Boss. They ran to the next cover, looking from behind the barrier of concrete and metal.

- Ain’t my first time. She shook the blade off the blood and scanned the terrain, looking for any covers and shadows towards the patrol, sitting in the metallic shack, light of the candle glowing in the small opening, their leader walking nearby, looking down the bridge, carrying a minigun.

- How many bullets he will need? She asked.

- I dunno, maybe three if the impact will be as strong i expect. Ya have any grenades?

- I always have a grenade. She chuckled and pulled one from under her chest piece. - Smoke type, to cover us, when needed. Gage found that amusing for some reason.

- If you take care of the guys inside i can focus on the big fucker. Will need few seconds to reload, it can take only one of these bullets at the time. Gage suggested but caught her by the hand as she was about to move.

- What? She crouched back and looked at him.

- Be careful, Boss. She nodded at him and approached the metallic shack, staying low and avoiding trash and junk on her way to not cause any noise. Gage was watching the leader from the scope, waiting for the right moment.

Lucy waved a hand towards him and pulled the pin, throwing a grenade inside and spreading a large thick smoke all around. She didn’t waste any second, dodging around them and slashing. Gage pulled a trigger meanwhile, a bullet flew, crashing on the power armor and releasing a strong orange glow before it turned into energetic explosion. Lucy got blinded by it, running from the shack and hiding behind the building.

- Shit, its strong. Gage noticed her and understood the strength of impact. She couldn’t be near but he couldn’t take a good aim as the gunner started showering him with bullets.

- Right...pistol. Lucy pulled the gun Gage gave her before, suggesting it might prove useful as well. - Hey, i ain’t finished here, come at me you son of a bitch! Lucy started shooting at him, regular bullets bumping from the metallic heavy structure only being an annoyance for the man but it was what she needed. A distraction, from a distance.

- Oh i will finish you soon bitch. Nothing that a bunch of swears and clinging of bullets in the head wouldn’t manage to switch the attention of a man.

- Fuck. He was faster than she thought and his gun probably also upgraded as its bullets cracked through the shack metallic structure, keeping her on her toes.

- Hold on, Boss, Here it comes! Gage managed to hit him with the second fire before he ran behind the building. Lucy covered her face this time and used the occasion, as the gunner was stunned, crouching on his knee. She ran up to him and force-pulled the gun off his hands, kicking it away as it fell.

- Got ya, bitch! He recovered fast, beside his armor reducing to almost a skeleton base but still having its basic functions going, enough to punch her in the stomach and throwing to the ground. He pulled off his cracked helmet aside, steaming from heat. Lucy landed, half stunned on the concrete but seeing him approach her, stomping heavly she crawled forward to expose him again for the Gage.

As she raised her eyes the shadowy steps appeared in front of her, stoping her and freezing in place.

“Wrong Feit! It ain’t what i taught you. Only whores go onto their kness like that” - a voice that haunted her occasionally appeared yet again and vanished right after as the gunner stood up beside her.

- Shit. Gage ran from his cover, putting the third bullet in the rifle and approaching forward till he saw her better, pulling herself on the ground and gunner foot pushing on her back.

- Oh i will kill you, but slowly..so u can feel every muscle and bone crash in your fucking body. He pushed, her chest piece cracking open and putting an unbearable pressure onto her.

- What the fuck you waiting for!? Just shoot for fuck sake! She could take a lot but that was an impact stronger than the usual man force. She knew she was too close to him but the pain slowly became unbearable and she would rather avoid hearing her bones crack.

Gage hesitated and risked a few more seconds, switching the bullet for the regular one. Despite her sudden scream he stayed focused, squinting his eye and holding his breath as he aimed for his head. - Pick up on someone your size fucker! He shouted only to turn his head enough towards him to shove that bullet into his head. The body fell ungracefully to the side, raising up the dust gathered around.

- Boss, shit? You okay? Gage ran up to her and crouched, turning her around.

- It actually fuckin hurts, i can’t move. What took you so long? She grabbed his hand he offered her and with a little help lifted herself to a sitting position as he pushed onto her back with other hand.

- If i would pack that special one, you would not only have your goddamn back cracked but probably get burned or worse. He looked over her for any other wounds. - Can you stand, Boss?

- Not without a little support for a while. I will be fine once i shove some med-x and other shit when we get back. She looked at him, not expecting such behavior and cautiousness from the raider.

- I would rather prefer you not needing too often this treatment in the future. He grabbed her around the waist, helping her to keep the balance.

- But hey, we solved another problem, together. She smiled at him and pat his back as they got lifted back down, leaning to his side. He rolled his eye down, to meet hers for a second and smiled back with one corner of his mouth.

- Hope ya can keep it going, because i have a good feeling about you, Boss.

They came back to the Fizztop but an invisible figure was following them along, rendered so well with the background it remained undetected, entering the Town after them.

#fallout 4 #fo4 #nuka world #lucy's diary #lucy feit #porter gage #screenshot #thrax's action poses #dat shack with cats...still wish to find more in-game notes bout it

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jaybarou · 4 years

Text

Trash Talk

It is not healthy, it is not sanitary, it is not decent! I understand the whole point of recycling, but there must be a line, and she crossed it long ago when she started to pick up even clothing from the trash! It was fine when she moved out from home and her job didn’t pay enough to have good furniture. Or even Ikea furniture, but now? It’s... It’s... below her!

Besides, I’m sure she is lying to me. She has too many nice things to have picked them up from the trash. But whenever I ask:

“Nice curtains or trousers, or whatever, are they new? Where did you buy them?” And she gets this smug smile on her face. Lately, she doesn’t even answer or just says “Don’t ask if you know you won’t like the answer”. Like the last time I visited, with the TV. She implied it came from the trash, but she didn’t say it, because she knows if she says it came from the trash we will end up fighting again. It’s like she wants us to fight!

***

I’m not sick, he thinks it’s Diogenes, but it is only sensible. I go to take out the trash I see a pile of books by the side, not even in the correct place to recycle and I take them home. I might not have read The 234 Tricks to be a Successful Entrepreneur, yet, but who knows? Then I found plants, and those are alive! I can’t stand there and see the plants get picked by the trash truck. And then... I’ll admit it all spiralled a bit out of control.

It felt like I had a fairy godmother living in the junkyard and sending me presents. I needed chairs to invite a few friends over, and there they were, chairs, old but fine. Then I was learning to sew and, to practice, I’d rather fuck up a cloth I picked up from the trash than mine, so I took the bag I found. But you know what? Even I can recognize the little crocodile in the breast pocket. So I’ve become an expert in cleaning and sterilizing and adapting, and darning, and revarnishing... After eight soul-sucking hours at work, it feels... right, you understand?

By now I know it is not any fairy godmother, this neighbourhood must be more well-off than I thought. There are just too many tacky things to be a junkyard fae.

I can’t keep everything home, I know, I have a good number of friends just out of uni who are not too proud to look a trash gift in its cavity-filled mouth.

Look, I can’t not take them, ok? Last week I picked up a TV. Hear me out. A fucking TV, fifty inches and not a scratch on it. I went to see if I could fix it and I pug it in, and you know what? It only had a loose wire to the speakers. I had it on my wall in no time!

Now, if tell my brother it came from trash he’ll have another hissy fit, and I don’t want the guy from the attic to complain again. I’m not fighting him anymore, I’m doing something else instead. Don’t tell him, he’ll figure it out eventually, but I’m giving him spite-fueled gifts. Nice boxes, a price tag scratched off... but it is all just more trash that I fixed in fancy boxes. He will be so mad when he realizes... The whiny neighbour might actually call the police this time.

***

I hear them shouting all the way from my attic! I mean, I only ever hear him, but he keeps on going, so she must be saying something too to make him shout that way. Also, he is right. He seems like such a caring brother. Can you imagine what would happen to your reputation if everyone learnt your sister has Diogenes? Everyone would think you live in a sewer too! But he still comes to visit!

He seems sensible, too. It’s like he says, how is the economy going to work if everyone did what she does? How is the economy going to work unless you actually consume? She’s a leech. It said so in one of my manuals for entrepreneurs. Must be somewhere over... or maybe I left it when I moved? Never mind, it was one of the old ones, it will probably say the same thing in the new ones.

I know I moved to this part of town to be more in touch with common people, what any good entrepreneur would do; to know the prospective customers... But I’m so glad there is a whole floor between us; who knows the kind of pests she must have home if she goes around picking up trash! Last time their fight was so loud I had to turn up the volume of my new Integrated, 8.D sound system TV to drown them out! Hah, I’ll have to buy a better sound system if their fights keep escalating! How am I to concentrate on creating a successful business if they keep on fighting randomly? Dad says it is a toxic environment for my creativity, but I really think I’m starting to understand how ordinary people think and what they want.

#my writing #short story #three narrators for one story

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anubislover · 4 years

Text

Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 14: It’s All Fun and Games

The Polar Tang’s library was easily Nami’s favorite place on the submarine. For one, it was the coolest room on the whole ship as Law had put a considerable amount of resources into developing state-of-the-art climate control equipment to keep the books in good condition. Secondly, the walls were lined with shelves practically bursting with tomes on navigation, oceanography, geography, zoology, weather, history, and, of course, every type of medicine imaginable. Thirdly, it was comfortable; there were plush chairs and couches, a peaceful atmosphere, perfect lighting for reading, and a large table where she and Bepo could work on maps and other projects.

In fact, that’s exactly where the pair of navigators had been holed up over the past few days. Stacks of books on horticulture and gardening surrounded them as they furiously scribbled on sheets of graph paper, meticulously planning out the new greenhouse. With the money they’d accrued from the gala heist, Clione had managed to purchase the equipment needed for solar lights and the sprinkler system. Now it was up to Nami and Bepo to decide which plants should go where so the engineers could start the installation process. It was trickier than it sounded; due to the combination of medicinal herbs and produce, many with different watering and sunlight requirements, the room needed to be carefully mapped out for peak efficiency.

“What do you think of this layout, Nami?” Bepo asked, handing her a rough sketch. “Rough” being the key word—though there was a marked improvement over the past few months, even under Nami’s careful tutelage, his drawing skills still left much to be desired.

Despite the giant sweatdrop falling down the back of her head, Nami forced a happy grin. “It’s a good start! What corner are we putting the aloe plants in?”

“Well, they need a lot of sunlight, so I thought the west corner?”

She studied her notes carefully, a deep wrinkle forming across her brow. “Hmm, but that’s the area that also gets watered the most. According to the books, aloe needs to be watered deeply, but infrequently; otherwise it’ll rot.”

“I’m sorry,” he replied, round ears drooping as he hung his head, a gloomy cloud forming around him.

“It’s ok! We can make a dry corner—a section that has a lot of sunlight, but no sprinkler system. We’ll manually water those on a strict schedule.”

He perked up at the suggestion. “Maybe we can have a chart or something next to those with specific instructions to avoid confusion? And some plastic curtains to block out the spray from the sprinklers so it stays dry?”

“Great idea!” she replied, smile much more genuine this time. With how sensitive Bepo was, she’d forced herself to adopt a more calm, motherly demeanor when working with him. He was a lot like Chopper; sweet and a little naïve but extremely intelligent in his specialized field. She wondered if perhaps, like the blue-nosed reindeer, he’d been bullied when he was young. Had people thought he was a monster, too?

“Thanks, Nami,” Bepo said, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually, the island we’re heading to has the aloe variety that Law uses—I know we’re not ready for a full greenhouse, but maybe we could pick up some fresh plants and set up one of the sunlamps in here as a tester since it’s the driest room.”

At the mention of the captain, Nami had to bite back a frustrated sigh. Law had been pretty much intolerable for the past week. She’d thought she’d seen the worst of his insomniac tendencies when he’d been working on the fertilizer, but this was so much worse. He stayed in his room practically all day, and on the rare occasion he emerged he’d been broody and snappish. Most of the crew had chalked it up to stress and lack of sleep again, but Nami could tell they were trying to hide their concern. This wasn’t a hyper fixation like the fertilizer had been—this was an obsession over something personal.

However, she dared not press the matter—Law wasn’t like Luffy or Zoro, whom she could knock over the head and nag into submission. And if his mood did have anything to do with the Amber Lead vase, she was even warier. She still distinctly remembered his rage after the gala—he’d implied that the World Government had covered up the truth that the infamous disease wasn’t contagious. Maybe he wanted the vase to prove it? To spit in the eye of those who had callously doomed an entire city?

Seeing the frown on her face, Bepo sulked. “I’m worried about him too.”

“I’m not worried about him,” she huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly.

The Mink ignored her denial. “I wish he’d get more sleep. I know he’s working on a plan, but he still needs his rest.”

“Why don’t you just drug him or something?” she asked a bit petulantly. Really, she was mostly upset that Law was needlessly troubling his crew. Didn’t he realize how much they cared about him? “There’s plenty of sedatives aboard the ship.”

“Oh no!” Bepo cried, black eyes widening in horror. “Law’d be furious if we did that! There’s too much risk involved. What if we were attacked? He’d be too out of it to fight or take care of the wounded.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she acquiesced, slumping forward and resting her chin on her crossed forearms. Chopper would probably have the same objections. Except a sleep-deprived, angry doctor wasn’t much better than a doped-up one. “Still, he needs a nap or something. He’s been acting like a toddler.”

“Careful who you call a toddler, Nami-ya,” Law’s deep voice rasped in her ear, startling a shriek from her throat as she jerked upright, nearly smacking his chin with the back of her head. “And keep your voice down—you’re in a library.”

“Oh, go to hell, Law!” she snapped, twisting around in her chair to glare up at him. “What are you skulking around for, anyway?” Not that she should really complain—he was actually out of his room, after all.

Striding past her, he perused the history section before selecting a large, faded tome. “It’s my ship—I’ll go where I please.”

“Well, how about you please go to bed?” she argued. Screw not pressing the issue—maybe she couldn’t knock him over the head like her own crew, but she could sure as hell nag, and clearly someone had to. And he wouldn’t attack her with Bepo around, right? “You don’t want to screw up someone’s medication like you did last time you were overtired, right?”

The glare he threw over his shoulder was so full of malice Nami shrank down in her chair. Though a valid point, she knew her comment had hit below the belt.

“Watch your tongue, Nami-ya, or else I’ll remove it,” he sneered. Even with the shadow his hat cast over the top half of his face, Nami could clearly see his eyes were bloodshot and the bags underneath were even darker than usual. “Getting that vase is going to take even more planning than the gala, and I’ve got less information to go on and maybe a third of the time. Even if I could calm my mind enough to sleep, I simply don’t have the time to spare.”

“Look, I know you’re the devious schemer around here, but you’re also the doctor. You of all people should know the importance of getting proper rest. If you’re that worried about your plan, I can help you; burglary is literally the reason you brought me on,” she argued, arms spread wide.

A deep frown marred his face as he shook his head. “No. After what you went through on Grimm, I want you to take it easy until we get to Atifakuto—that’s when I’ll need your help. You’re lucky I’m even letting you work on the greenhouse plans.” He glanced down at the piles of papers strewn across the table. “By the way, I want to look those over later.”

She smacked her forehead in exasperation. “Seriously? Your own plans aren’t enough to keep you occupied? You have way too much on your plate as it is. For God’s sake, just take a break and get some fucking sleep!”

Long fingers gripped the book in his hands so tightly Nami could hear the leather binding groan. “Don’t you dare give me orders on my own fucking ship, Nami-ya.”

“Captain,” Bepo interrupted quietly, voice nearly a whimper, “do you promise to at least try to get some sleep when we get to the island tomorrow? Even just a short nap? It’ll be sunny and warm and safe—maybe your mind will settle down there.”

There was a moment of tense silence as a pair of round black eyes shimmered pleadingly, desperately hoping to put an end to the argument.

“Shit. Quit being so cute,” Law muttered under his breath. Narrow shoulders heaved in a sigh. Not even the Surgeon of Death could be mad at the sweet Mink when he sounded so genuinely concerned. “I promise to try. At the very least, I’ll spend some time outside; I’m sure all this time underwater hasn’t exactly helped my vitamin D deficiency. So long as no one gets any ideas about giving me another lovely sunburn,” he quipped, scowling at the mikan-hair woman meaningfully.

Nami held up her hands in surrender. Even though he totally deserved another prank due to his prickly behavior, it was way more important that he had enough peace of mind to get in even a small amount of sleep.

Damn, she thought to herself as Law stalked out of the library. Bepo’s right; I really am worried about that idiot.

XXX

Cousteau Island was small but beautiful. By Nami’s estimation, it had been an undersea volcano that had risen up less than a hundred years ago. Shaped like a fat crescent moon, the majority of the land was covered in lush jungle and lined with smooth, sandy beaches. The surrounding ocean was nearly teal, full of tropical fish and rainbow-colored coral. Fruits like bananas, coconuts, and pineapples grew in abundance, but there didn’t appear to be much wildlife—mostly birds and sea turtles who had decided the uninhabited island was the perfect spot to lay their eggs due to a lack of predators.

“How did you guys find this place?” Nami asked Bepo, not bothering to keep the awe from her voice as they surfaced in the cove. “I’ve never heard of Cousteau Island, and it wasn’t the atlas.”

More than happy to tell the tale of their lucky discovery, her fellow navigator explained, “It’s a summer island we found when a storm blew us off course. It’s so tiny its magnetic field is hidden by Grimm’s, so it doesn’t show up on a log pose—we had to make an eternal pose to get back. It’s also surrounded by a massive reef that’ll destroy most other ships if they get close, but we found the underwater tunnel to get through. It’s completely uninhabited, so we claimed it and use it as a hideout.”

Glancing around, Nami could see the skeletal remains of what looked like a pirate ship wedged onto the rocks, along with debris scattered along the beach. They appeared to be several months old, however, so she doubted they’d be running into any castaways. “How’d it get its name?”

“Cousteau found the safe path to the island, so we let him name it,” Law interjected bluntly, though not without a hint on begrudging affection for the diver/oceanographer. “Otherwise, it would have been ‘Trafalgar Cove’.”

Nami nodded in understanding, too pleased at the possibility of mapping out a brand-new island and taking a vacation to mock him for the blatant arrogance. It seemed Law hadn’t been making empty promises when he told her the island would be much more relaxing. Now all he had to do was keep his promise about getting some sleep.

Upon landing, the crew spent the better part of the morning setting up chairs, umbrellas, a volleyball net, blankets, tables, and everything else they could think of for a fantastic day on the beach. Surprisingly, getting the bonfire and grill started was the easiest part; debris from the shipwrecked pirate ship, which seemed to mostly consist of the shattered remains of wooden crates and barrels, littered the shore, so there was no need to cut down trees. By noon, the last of the preparations were finished, and after a quick lunch, the crew split off into their own groups.

Cousteau and Crozier led Clione, Darter, Sgt. Pepper, Ajisahi, Tsunomedori, and Shiroruka to explore the jungle, promising to be back by sunset with fresh fruit, water, and the aloe Law wanted. Skua and Malamute, two of Ikkaku’s fellow engineers, elected to stay on the ship to perform some maintenance. The rest, led by Penguin and Shachi, chose to change into bathing suits so they could all enjoy some much-needed relaxation on the beach.

“Incoming!” Nami shouted, spiking the blue and yellow beach ball hard over the net, scoring the winning point for her team.

“Nice shot!” Ikkaku cheered, high-fiving her partner.

“And that’s the match!” Ermine sniggered from their spot by the grill as they cleaned the assortment fish Jude, Uni, and Seiuchi had caught for dinner, careful to keep their long brown braids free of fish guts. The cook had been thoroughly amused throughout the game—they’d never pass up the chance to watch the first and second mate get trounced by a pair of pretty ladies in swimwear. “Did you guys even score a single point?”

“Ah, shuddup,” Shachi groused as he fell back onto a nearby towel, though his displeasure at losing didn’t stop him from ogling Nami and Ikkaku’s sun-kissed bodies. Nami had elected to don a cherry red, lace-up one-piece that tantalizingly showed off her legs and cleavage. Ikkaku’s was comparatively more modest, being a sporty, black, high-neck two-piece, though the mesh across her breasts didn’t hide much.

The swimwear had been a tactical choice—the moment Penguin and Shachi had proposed a game of volleyball, the girls knew there was no better way to distract them. And with such a devious plan, they of course added on a friendly wager—losers do the winners’ cleaning duties for the next month.

“Man, they destroyed you,” Jude mocked from his chair, black bowl cut shining in the late afternoon sun.

“Like you would have done any better,” Penguin argued as he took a swig from his water bottle.

“Doesn’t matter—I’m not the one with double cleaning duty.”

“You’re all getting extra chores if you don’t quit your damn whining and let me work in peace,” a dark, irritable voice called.

Law was seated a dozen feet away from the makeshift volleyball court on a wide beach blanket, Bepo snoozing softly behind him. As promised, he’d managed to doze for a short while in the sun, but it hadn’t done much for his mood. In fact, it seemed that with that small bit of rest, he’d become even more determined to work on his plan instead of relax like his body clearly needed. So, despite the protests of his crew, he’d attempted to return to his work inside the ship.

However, the maintenance had proven noisy enough to force him back outside, stacks of books and papers in hand, and he’d sullenly plopped onto the blanket beside his navigator, resolute to get some work done despite the universe’s clear attempts to stop him.

In Nami’s opinion, he looked absurd in his black and yellow swim trunks surrounded by notebooks full of messy scribblings and huge history books. He was like a nerdy brat who’d been forced on a family vacation but opted to petulantly do homework on the beach instead of have fun.

Sure, he was a hot nerdy brat, but she could also see the signs that his obsessive planning was taking its toll on his body. The definition of his muscles was starting to fade, and he looked thinner. Tan skin appeared dull even in the bright sun, and there wasn’t enough concealer in the world to cover up his eyebags now.

“Ok, this is ridiculous,” Nami grumbled with a scowl. She squeezed the volleyball between her hands, briefly imagining it was Law’s thick skull. “Even post-catnap he’s being a grumpy bastard.”

Ducking beneath the net to stand beside her, Penguin nodded in agreement. “Normally I’d say leave him alone and let him deal with it at his own pace, but this is different.”

“He told you what we’re going after?” she asked lowly, keeping her voice down to avoid disturbing the man in question or risk him eavesdropping.

“Yeah. That’s why I’m worried.” Penguin gave her a sidelong glance. “Amber Lead’s a touchy subject with him. Think this is bad? It was way worse when we sailed the North Blue.”

“What’s his deal with it?”

“It’s not my place to say. What’s important is that we get his mind off of it. All this brooding’s just going to make his insomnia worse, and it’s completely killing the party mood.”

“Any suggestions?”

“You could give him a lap dance.”

Before anyone could blink, Penguin was on the ground, a grapefruit-sized lump throbbing on his head. “Ow! I was kidding,” he moaned.

Nami cracked her knuckles. “Got any legit suggestions?” she growled, a murderous look in her eyes.

“Leave it to me,” Shachi chimed in, getting up from his towel. His gait was determined as he marched over to his captain. Standing directly in the man’s sunlight, he waited until Law glared up at him in annoyance.

“Move.”

“Nope.”

“That’s an order.”

“Nothin’ doin’.”

“If you don’t move in the next five seconds, they’ll be using your head as the volleyball.”

“Go ahead—the rest of me will still be right here, blocking your light.”

Rubbing a hand over his frustrated face, Law half-growled, half-sighed, “What the fuck do you want?”

Shachi crossed his arms over his chest. “This is supposed to be a vacation, but you’re bringing down the whole mood. So, unless you want a mutiny on your hands, you’re gonna play the King Game with us.”

Gold eyes narrowed ominously. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Law, you’ve been a brooding pain in the ass for eight days. I get you’re dealing with a lot of shit, but if you expect us to just sit by and let you kill yourself with planning and sulking, well, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“I refuse to leave things to chance,” Law snapped, gesturing towards the large pile of notes and books before him. “The plan hinges on me memorizing all of this. I don’t have time for stupid games.”

“Dude, too much stress from studying can cause brain inflammation and result in memory loss or depression. So unless you take a break, you’re more likely to forget this stuff and your plan will be ruined.”

“Please, Captain?” Bepo chimed in from behind him, black eyes once more shimmering with beseeching tears. He’d awoken at the mention of the King Game; it was one of his favorites, and there was no way he was going to let Law miss out.

Another sigh, this one more resigned as the stubborn captain massaged his temples. The combination of scientific facts and Bepo’s puppy-dog eyes was especially effective in his weakened state. “How long do I have to play?”

Shachi grinned triumphantly. “No less than thirty minutes. Come on; it’s a relaxing, easy game. Heck, you might not even end up having to do anything.”

“If that’s the case, it’ll be an even bigger waste of time.”

“Law, when have you ever considered watching us act like idiots a waste of time?”

He couldn’t argue with that. “Do you promise to leave me in peace afterward?”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” he said with a mock salute. “Now, is your grumpy ass going to join us, or are we coming to you?”

“Fine, fine,” he growled, carefully marking his place in his books and laying Kikoku across the papers so they wouldn’t blow away in the wind. Bepo hefted him to his feet despite his grumbled protests, ushering him towards the group that had formed. Jean Bart, Uni, Jude, Ermine, and Seiuchi had come to join them, plopping down onto the sandy beach in hopes of cheering up their moody captain.

“Ok,” Shachi began, clapping his hands together eagerly, “does everyone know how to play this?”

“We all draw popsicle sticks. Each stick has a number except for one that has a crown. Whoever draws the crown is the ‘King’ and can order one or two numbers to do anything they want,” Jean Bart answered bluntly.

“Within reason,” Ikkaku interjected, pointing her finger at Jude and Seiuchi. “Nothing R-rated.”

“Surprised you guys are so tame,” Nami giggled, glancing around the circle.

“Things got a little out of hand once,” Uni said vaguely while everyone else mumbled in uncomfortable agreement. “A lot of rum was involved.”

“Say no more.” Nami could easily imagine, with a crew of mostly men, just how insane the game could get under the influence of alcohol.

The warm dusting of pink that broke out across Penguin’s cheeks confirmed her suspicions. “Anything goes so long as it’s PG-13 and doesn’t cause grievous bodily harm.”

“Whatever,” Law grumbled from his spot beside Bepo, still determined to remain sour and unpleasant throughout his prescribed dose of forced fun.

Rolling his eyes at their captain’s less-than-enthused reaction, Shachi held out his fist clutching the popsicle sticks. “The sooner you start playing, the sooner we’ll let you get back to your brooding, Boss.”

The answering glare was ignored by the crew in favor of drawing a number, with Ikkaku cheering loudly, “Oh yeah! Guess who’s the King!”

“But girls can’t be kings!” Shachi teased, quickly ducking the fist he knew would be coming.

“Buddy, you’re lucky I’m not royalty—otherwise I’d have you drawn and quartered for that crap,” she snapped, but there was no real venom in her tone. If Nami had to guess, this was a joking argument they had every time. “But as your temporary ruler, I decree that numbers eight and five should do a handstand contest. First to fall loses.”

“I’m eight,” Uni stated, getting to his feet.

“And I’m five,” said Jean Bart.

“This’ll be over quick,” Ermine whispered to Nami. “If he hadn’t gone into piracy, Uni would have been a great circus acrobat. Or maybe a ninja.”

Nami stared at the mysterious Heart Pirate, impressed. Perhaps she could ask him for a few tips—balance was vital when you were a burglar.

To everyone’s surprise, though, despite Jean Bart’s massive size, he kept his balance remarkably well even on the soft sand, managing to stay up for nearly a full two minutes until finally yielding.

“Saint Charlos would regularly make me perform for him,” he explained, tone nonchalant but the tension in his shoulders betraying his discomfort. “I was basically his circus monkey.”

“Crap, I’m sorry, Jean,” Ikkaku replied, looking guilty. Even though it had been completely unintentional, bringing up the former slave’s past was generally regarded as an unspoken taboo.

He lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug, though he wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “It’s fine. At least this time I could stop when I wanted and didn’t get beaten after.”

Everyone in the circle winced. The Celestial Dragons really were a piece of work.

“Alright, next round,” Shachi changed the topic as he collected and shuffled the sticks, trying to keep the party mood from turning sour and to give Jean Bart the opportunity to step back out of the spotlight.

This time, Bepo had the luck of being King. “Uh, I order number three to scratch behind the King’s ears for a full minute,” he said shyly, tapping his claws together bashfully. “I mean, only if they want to.”

“Do I?” Nami called cheerfully, climbing to her feet and scurrying over to the cute bear. Immediately she buried her fingers in his thick fur, manicured nails scraping across Bepo’s sensitive skin in quick little flicks. The Mink immediately leaned into her touch, growling happily, and she swore she saw his foot twitch like a dog’s.

So cuuuute! Nami thought, working her hands even deeper into the white coat. And so soft! Almost as soft as Chopper! She allowed herself a brief daydream of cuddling up by a fire on a cold winter’s night, using Bepo as a pillow while Chopper lay against her legs in his reindeer form.

“That’s enough you two.” Law’s voice broke her out of her fantasy, and instinctively Nami glared at him. However, she didn’t miss the brief hint of a grin that tugged at his lips at the sight of his navigator so happy. “Bepo looks like he’s about to pass out.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Jealous?”

His face settled back in a scowl. “If I’m stuck playing this game, I’d rather not waste time watching my navigators fondle each other.”

Annoyed, Nami gave Bepo one more pointed scratch before returning to her spot. Darn. For a second, she’d thought Law might have started to relax a bit. Instead, he was stubbornly staying too grumpy to even flirt with her, and she’d lobbed him a softball!

The lots were pulled again, with Uni earning the King spot. “Number ten must sit in number one’s lap for the next three rounds.”

Ermine was the unlucky one, as Bepo gingerly lowered himself onto the cook’s lap.

“I’m putting you on a diet!” they groaned, voice muffled by the Mink’s thick fur as their legs sank deep into the sand under the added weight of a fully-grown polar bear.

“I’m sorry,” Bepo replied miserably, hanging his head.

“You’re not putting him on a diet,” Law snapped, glaring at his crushed subordinate. “Bepo’s a healthy weight for his size and species.”

Ermine didn’t dare argue. Not just because trying to do so with the ship’s doctor would be suicide, but because they didn’t have enough air in their lungs.

“Since Ermine’s a bit…indisposed at the moment, I think they should sit this one out,” Penguin stated as he collected the sticks.

“Agreed,” they wheezed.

Discarding one of the numbered sticks for later, the first mate held out his fist, prompting everyone to draw.

Nami was the lucky lady, and she gave a catlike grin as she considered her potential victims. Should she demand their wallets? No, they were wearing swimsuits, so they probably wouldn’t have them on them. Have someone kiss her feet? Whatever it was, it needed to be devious and hilarious if she wanted any chance at getting Law to enjoy himself. The man took sadistic pleasure in other peoples’ discomfort, after all.

The perfect idea came to her like a vision from God. No matter who her command was inflicted on, it would be funny, but if luck was on her side…

“Numbers two and three have to kiss each other on the lips for three seconds.”

Inwardly she cheered as, across from her, the first and second mate gaped down at their numbers in abject horror.

“You know, I used to like you,” Shachi groused while Penguin glared at her.

“Ha!” Ermine laughed weakly from under Bepo’s furry mass. “Looks like I got off easy.”

“Watch it, asshole, or I’ll take my sweet time and let you suffer!”

“Nami, please reconsider!” Penguin begged, shuddering at the mere thought of kissing his best friend. “We agreed to keep it PG-13, remember?”

The Straw Hat shrugged nonchalantly, which was heavily at odds with the evil grin etched on her face. “It’s just a peck—hardly anything scandalous.”

“A three-second peck is still three seconds too long!”

“Aww, don’t tell me you’re afraid of cooties!” Ikkaku jeered, which made Penguin blush in embarrassment.

“I’m not afraid of anything! I just have standards!” Shachi defended himself.

“Hey!” Penguin snapped, looking wholly offended. “Fucking excuse me, but standards? I’ve seen some of the women you’ve slept with, and I’m sure as hell prettier than your last one-night stand!”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean, creampuff?”

“It means you can’t attract good-looking women to save your life, barnacle-face!”

Nami rolled her eyes at the childish fight and was about ready to knock them both over the heads to put an end to the argument when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

For a second, it looked like Law’s mouth had twitched upwards. It could have been a trick of the light, or he was actually amused by his friends’ obvious discomfort just as she’d planned. Not willing to let the chance to get Law back in good spirits slip away, Nami pointedly cleared her throat to catch the duo’s attention.

Clasping her hands together and batting her eyelashes, she gave her best pout. “Please, boys? For me?”

“And me?” Ikkaku joined in, mimicking Nami’s flirtatious pose.

Weak against the machinations of such beautiful women, their resolve wavered and Nami, locking eyes with Penguin, jerked her head towards his captain and gave a subtle thumbs up. Penguin seemed to catch on to her meaning, as he gave a small, resigned nod before sighing and grabbing Shachi’s head to slam their mouths together for a quick, awkward kiss.

The moment his grip loosened, Shachi jerked away, spitting and sputtering with disgust. “Oh gods! My mouth! You’ve poisoned me!”

“Believe me, I didn’t like it any more than you did, dickhead,” Penguin grumbled as he furiously wiped his lips. Taking pity on the poor man, Ikkaku passed him his water bottle, though she didn’t bother to repress her snigger when he swished a large gulp of water around his mouth before spitting it out.

Meanwhile, Nami peered at Law, hoping his sour shell had finally cracked. But while he wasn’t glaring at them all like he was plotting how to brutally murder them and hide the evidence, his expression was still far from his normal carefree smirk.

“Good to see you’re both so secure in your masculinity,” he sneered.

“Give me a break, Law,” Shachi coughed, though there was a slight hint of red in his cheeks at being called out. “She might as well have asked me to kiss my brother. My gross, ugly-ass brother.”

“Love you too, man,” Penguin replied sarcastically as he collected the lots, pointedly ignoring the rest of the crew’s sniggering.

The next two rounds, though amusing, were fairly uneventful; Jude got his feet kissed by Jean Bart, much to the larger man’s obvious disdain, and Nami, upon becoming King again, demanded a shoulder massage, which Ikkaku was all too happy to give. The rest of the men certainly had no complaints about getting to watch the two beautiful women in sexy bathing suits pamper each other, so the round lasted nearly a full five minutes without even Law interjecting to hurry them up.

In fact, Nami could feel Law’s hot gaze upon her as she arched into Ikkaku’s touch. The engineer was surprisingly good with her hands and her skilled fingers even managed to coax out a few pleased sighs from the thief’s lips as she worked at a knot of tension in her shoulders. Through hooded eyes, Nami noticed the tip of Law’s pink tongue peek out to moisten his lips as he leaned forward, resting his chin on steepled fingers as he observed the motions of Ikkaku’s fingers as they kneaded her skin.

Nami had the feeling that he was taking notes for his own fiendish use. Her suspicions were confirmed when Ikkaku managed to press down on the sensitive junction of her neck and shoulder; Law’s golden eyes practically lit up when she let out a faint, involuntary sound of delight.

The attention they were getting didn’t escape Ikkaku’s notice, either. “God, you’re all animals,” she groused, rolling her eyes as she pulled away from Nami. Patting her friend on the head, she said, “I’ll finish the job back our cabin, Nami. Away from prying eyes.”

“Sounds good to me,” she teased back despite her mild flush. She justified the sense of satisfaction she felt to the fact that, despite the show being over, some of the tension in Law’s shoulders has eased as if he’d been the one getting the massage. He hadn’t quite reached to point of relaxation, but it was clear the game was successfully beginning to distract him from his obsessive planning.

A few more rounds passed before Penguin had the good luck of becoming King. He rubbed his chin in thought as he considered his order. “Number eight has to do an impression of number one.”

“Ooo, I got eight!” Ikkaku shouted, grinning widely. A gleam of pure mischief twinkled in her brown eyes. Across from her, Law sighed, raising the stick to show he was number one.

“Remember who signs your paychecks,” he grumbled, scowl once more settling across his face.

“‘Remember who signs your paychecks’,” she repeated, voice dropping a few octaves as she smirked. Getting up, she struck a few poses, dramatically holding out her hands like Law did when he used his powers. “Room. Shambles.”

The group chuckled and sniggered around them while Law continued to glare up at the engineer as if he was trying to set her ablaze with his mind. None of them felt particularly bad about cheering Ikkaku on; considering what she’d gone through on Grimm, she was probably the only one besides Nami who could get away with a less-than-flattering impersonation of the captain. In fact, Jude and Seiuchi decided to aid her impression by getting up and switching places in the circle, gasping in mock surprise at their new positions.

Emboldened by her fellow Heart Pirates’ approval, Ikkaku melodramatically recoiled from some imaginary horror, face twisting in disgust. “Ugh, is that bread?! So help me, I’ll switch your brain and your bowels if I find so much as a crumb on my plate!”

Nami stifled a cackle behind her palm as she noticed Law’s cheeks heat up just the slightest bit. “I do not sound like that,” he scoffed, arms folded tightly across his tattooed chest.

Ikkaku donned a serious expression, mimicking his posture and frowning down at Law as if in the midst of a stern lecture. Their eyes locked, and an unspoken challenge was declared. “Ikkaku, you can’t install lasers onto the sides of the ship because they’re not yellow! I committed to this obnoxious color scheme, and damn it, you’re not going to ruin it with your cool ideas!”

“I never said that.”

“Ikkaku, you’re the most brilliant, valuable member of my crew and I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

“I definitely never said that.”

“Ikkaku, you’re fired.”

“Now that I have said. Multiple times.”

Plopping down onto the sand and reclining against Bepo, she cheekily flipped her captain off. However, it seemed the ridiculousness of the situation finally broke Law, as his scowl dissolved as he chuckled and returned the gesture, admitting defeat.

Whether he was overtired or he legitimately found it funny, it didn’t matter; at last, the brooding captain was having a bit of fun.

Determined to keep his spirits up, the crew eagerly drew numbers again, each planning their own silly command. Seuichi had the honor of becoming King that round and rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Number nine has to wrestle number six.”

“In the name of every god ever dreamed up throughout history, I will make you fucking pay for this,” Jude snarled at him as Jean Bart proved that he’d drawn number nine.

“Hey, Jude, don’t be afraid,” the gunner countered with a smirk, twirling his thin mustache deviously. “I’m sure Jean Bart will go easy on you. I mean, it’s not like you had him kiss your feet recently, right?”

“Yeah,” the helmsman said menacingly, cracking his knuckles. “You’ve never done that.”

Jude stared at Law beseechingly, but the captain merely smirked and ordered, “You reap what you sow. Maybe this'll teach you to be a bit nicer to your shipmates.”

“This is gonna suck,” he muttered as he squared off against the much larger man.

It did. Jude didn’t even last ten seconds before he was put in a headlock and forced to tap out.

Next, Law drew the King stick, and that oh-so-familiar smirk finally adorned his face. “I order ten and five to worship me and declare how great I am.”

Nami gave a quiet sigh of relief that she hadn’t drawn either number. She wanted Law in a good mood, but a girl had her limits. Game or not, her literally worshiping him on her knees was the exact kind of thing he’d hold over her head for the rest of the year.

After Uni and Penguin finished extolling their captain’s virtues for a good three minutes, it was time for the next round.

“Woo, I’m the King!” Shachi cheered as he held up the stick adorned with the little crown drawing. Behind his sunglasses, he peered at the circle mischievously. Reaching into a nearby beach bag, he pulled out a small box. “Your illustrious ruler demands that number seven and number four play three rounds of the Pocky Game.”

Glancing down at her popsicle stick, Nami silently cursed her luck; the number seven was written at the top in bold, black marker. Brown eyes darted about the group, wondering who she’d have to play with until they landed on Law’s wide smirk. Silently, he turned his stick for all to see, showcasing the number four neatly printed at the top.

“Holy crap,” Shachi sniggered. He didn’t even need to see Nami’s number—her mortified expression said it all. “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”

Gleeful at the unexpected vengeance, Penguin eagerly leaned forward to hand her the box. “No need to be shy, number seven. It’s just the Pocky Game—hardly anything scandalous, right?”

The navigator glared at him before heaving out a sigh. “Right,” she grumbled, grabbing the strawberry pocky and shuffling over to sit across from Law. It was for the greater good, right? They were trying to keep the grumpy captain out of his sour bubble. It was no big deal; she could always break away before their mouths got anywhere near each other.

Smug grin widening, the captain leaned in as Nami slipped the creme-covered biscuit stick between her lips. “It’s ok if you chicken out after the first bite, Nami-ya,” he teased as he gently bit down on the other end, gold eyes bright with amusement.

Fire flashed in Nami’s eyes. She might not mind being a coward in most situations, but this time, her pride was on the line.

Her righteous courage abandoned her quickly, though. The moment she felt his hot breath tickle her nose she jerked away, blushing in embarrassment as she realized there was still a good two inches of pocky dangling from Law’s mouth.

“Ready for round two?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he chewed on the crunchy treat.

“Only if you’re ready to eat what’s basically a breadstick,” she countered, hoping to gross him out so he’d back down.

Law didn’t fall for her ploy. “It’s closer to a cookie, really, and those I can stomach. Especially if the prize at the end is worth it,” he replied with a leer, deliberately running his tongue along his upper lip.

Why am I even freaking out about this? Nami wondered as she pulled out another stick of pocky. If we do end up kissing, who cares? It’s just a brush of lips. Completely innocent. No worse than Shachi and Penguin’s peck. More importantly, I can’t let him psyche me out—he wants that way more than a tiny, indirect kiss.

Determination returned, she carefully balanced the thin treat between her teeth, steeling herself as Law slowly leaned in to take the other end. This time, they managed to nearly bite their way to the middle. Unfortunately, a gentle breeze blew in, causing a loose strand of Nami’s sweetly scented hair to flutter against Law’s nose. His nostrils twitched at the delicate tickling, and this time he pulled away, turning his head in anticipation of a sneeze that never came.

“Shit,” he growled, annoyed at his ill luck.

A smug smirk curled Nami’s lips. “Now who’s the one chickening out?” she teased.

“I didn’t chicken out. Or would you rather I sneeze all over your pretty face?”

“Yeah, that was one hell of a sneeze,” she replied sarcastically. She didn’t know why she was provoking him—the man was far from shy about looking for an excuse to kiss her, and her cheek basically guaranteed that he wouldn’t let her off easy in the last round.

She refused to acknowledge the tiny voice in her ear whispering that she knew damn well why she was egging him on. That she got a primal thrill sassing such a dangerous man and coming out alive when so many others couldn’t. Taunting Law was like playing with a tiger; he could rip her to shreds if she grew too careless, but he’d wouldn’t sink his claws in so long as he enjoyed the chase.

Law stuck the final stick of pocky between his teeth, beckoning her forward with a “come hither” curl of his finger. In response, Nami rested her hands on his bare knees as she leaned in, bracing herself as she wrapped her lips around the other end. Their gazes locked, and in sync, they slowly started nibbling along the sweet, crunchy stick.

The seconds dragged by as, inch by inch, their faces drew closer. Nami tensed as she felt his exhalation warm her skin, while Law’s eyes suspiciously flicked towards her hair as if daring it to interfere again. However, neither pulled away, and he pounced on the opportunity presented to him; angling his head and closing the last centimeter between them to brush his lips across hers in a chaste but teasing fashion. When Nami didn’t immediately pull away, Law tested his luck further by lightly catching her plump bottom lip between his teeth before flicking the tip of his tongue to soothe it.

The action sent tingles down Nami’s spine and she finally broke away, cheeks red and breath quickening minutely. It had been barely more than a few seconds—the kiss she’d given him at the gala had been longer—but the tension between them had made it a tempting, sizzling experience.

“So,” Law drawled, watching the Cat Thief as she shuffled back to her spot like the hungry tiger he was, “who’s up for another round?”

The pair was so focused on each other they didn’t notice Shachi and Penguin subtly low-five while Bepo and Ikkaku shared a thumbs-up.

XXX

“Seriously? We leave you alone for a few minutes and you’re back at your plans?” Nami sighed as she plopped onto the towel next to Law, eyeing the messy papers in his hands disdainfully. The King Game had ended not long ago with everyone in good spirits. Even Nami, despite her lingering embarrassment from the kiss, had managed to enjoy the final round where Jude had to serenade the crew by singing “Dr. Heart Stealer.”

“The deal was that I would play for thirty minutes and then you all would leave me in peace,” he replied, not even looking up from his notes. He’d escaped back to his makeshift workstation the moment Bepo had inadvertently caused a commotion when, tempted by the smell of fresh fish, he’d absconded with the large sea bass Ermine was preparing to grill. The rest of the crew had chased after him; some in hopes of saving their dinner, others treating it as a new game.

That left no one but Nami to confront the workaholic captain, even though she would have been happier to keep her distance for a while longer. “That deal was solely between you and Shachi as you were non-specific regarding the plurality of ‘you’. You really must be tired if you missed an important detail like that.”

He scowled, realizing that she was right but refusing to admit it. Changing tactics, Law tilted his head slightly, smirking down at her with hooded eyes. “If you’re so concerned, I’ll take another break later if you make it worth my while. Perhaps with another round of the Pocky Game?” he purred.

She flushed slightly at his suggestion but refused to let him distract her, instead turning her attention to the books before them. “You have five seconds to finish whatever you’re doing before I toss those into the ocean.”

Annoyed, he glared at her defiance before reluctantly activating his Room, teleporting the books, papers, and Kikoku safely inside the submarine. There was too much of a risk that she’d make good on her threat and destroy his work, and he also wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from cutting her to bits if she did. “That’s the last order you get to give me tonight, Nami-ya,” he grumbled. “I don’t take kindly to being bossed around.”

Rolling her eyes at his stubbornness, she leaned back on her hands, enjoying the sensation of the warm sun on her face. Honestly, he should be thanking her. Days like these were too perfect to waste studying, and the tide was coming in—his work would be ruined anyway if he didn’t get those books off the beach. “You really are such a control freak. Would it kill you to listen to the wisdom of those around you for once?”

“Are you saying you don’t get caught up in your cartography?” he challenged.

“Look, as someone who used to be forced to work nonstop without food or sleep for days on end, I fucking appreciate it when my nakama makes me take a break.”

Law grunted in reluctant acceptance, leaning his elbows on his knees as he stared out at the vibrant waves that slowly threatened to encroach his spot. “I do appreciate their concern, but they should also respect my authority as captain.”

“They do, Law,” Nami sighed, rubbing her temples, “but respect and blind obedience aren’t the same thing. You’re practically killing yourself working on those plans; are the guys supposed to just sit by and watch? And considering how…personal this all seems to be, they have even more right to be worried and tell you to take a step back.”

“Yes, it is personal—that’s why I can’t leave anything to chance. Atifakuto is known for its museums and art auctions. If I’m to blend in well enough to get my hands on that vase, I need to be well-versed on history and art throughout the four Blues.”

Ah. No wonder he’d been so intent on studying. “I get it; this is important to you, tons of preparation is needed, and a lot relies on you. But planning to the point of sleep deprivation is only going to increase your chances of messing up. You need to sleep, Law.”

“Contrary to what you might think, it’s not my work that’s been keeping me awake. I can’t sleep—insomnia’s a bitch like that. The body may crave it, but the mind has other ideas.”

“You managed to catch a nap earlier,” she argued weakly.

“Oh yes, because a brief doze in the sun makes up for nearly a week of nightmares.”

Brown eyes widened in surprise. Nightmares? Nami wondered. What kind of nightmares could the Surgeon of Death get?

Realizing he’d given her a nugget of personal information he hadn’t intended, Law’s entire expression closed off as he got to his feet. “I’m going for a walk.”

“Law—”

He turned towards the eastern side of the beach, the bold face of his back tattoo smiling mockingly at her as he activated his Room. “I’ll be back by sunset,” were the last words he said before he vanished, replaced by a broken, rusted metal bar.

XXX

Law wasn’t back by sunset, though the crew assured Nami that there was no reason to worry.

“Law loves to go on long, aimless walks,” Bepo said as he handed her some pineapple slices. He’d managed to eat the giant sea bass before the crew caught him, but they’d stumbled upon some ripe fruit in the process, along with a bed of oysters, so Ermine had reluctantly forgiven him. “They help clear his head when he’s got a lot on his mind or his insomnia gets bad. If we can’t get him to sleep, this is the next best thing. At least he’s not working.”

She hummed in reply, still mulling over what kind of nightmares a man like Law could be having. Were they related to Amber Lead, or was it something else? The man was a renowned sadist and didn’t seem to blink when it came to murder or torture, though admittedly the only people she’d seen him actually harm were utter scumbags.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Skua and Malamute, the engineers having at last come out of the ship. Their brows furrowed as they looked around at the small gathering, confused.

“Where is everyone?” Skua asked, taking a plate of steamed oysters.

“Probably still exploring the island,” Ermine said with a shrug.

“It’s not a big island; shouldn’t they be back by now?”

“You know Cousteau; maybe he found some pond full of weird fish or something and is making everyone document their behavior throughout the day.”

Malamute’s brow furrowed. “I’d believe that if it were just him in charge, but you’re forgetting Crozier’s with him. You know, the man who survived a forced march across an island literally made of ice and rocks? That guy doesn’t fuck around; if he says the crew will be back by sunset, they’ll be back by sunset.”

Penguin considered his words, rubbing his chin. “You’ve got a point. They might be in trouble.”

“Or they’re on their way back now,” Shachi said with a shrug, chowing down on some grilled fish Bepo hadn’t gotten to. “There aren’t even any predators on the island, and if anyone got injured, they would have called on Crozier’s mini Den Den Mushi.”

The bushes behind them rustled loudly, and Shachi jerked his head in their direction. “See? That’s probably them now. Or maybe it’s Law, and you can ask him to Scan the island for them.”

Before anyone could reply, a massive boar burst out of the jungle, squealing in fury as it barreled into the camp, knocking over tables, chairs, and umbrellas. Instinctively, Penguin grabbed a burning stick from the fire and waved the hot flame at the beast in hopes of scaring it away. However, its green eyes flashed in clear anger at the threat, and, sharp tusks gleaming in the red glow, it let out another loud squeal before charging at the first mate, showing none of the instinctive fear one would expect for the man’s primitive weapon.

Acting fast, Ikkaku tackled Penguin so the boar just missed them, the soft beach sand cushioning their impact. However, the beast didn’t stop, using its momentum to make a U-turn for another attempt on the group.

It didn’t get far, though, as Jean Bart managed to grab it mid-charge and pick it up as if it were no bigger than a corgi. As the boar squealed angrily, he chucked it up into the air, watching as it flew in a wide arch high above them before landing somewhere in the middle of the jungle.

“Where the fuck did that thing come from?” Ikkaku panted.

“The jungle, obviously,” Jude groused, helping her and Penguin to their feet.

“But boars aren’t native to the island,” Uni pointed out. “Last time we were here, only birds and turtles had managed to make this place their home. So either it washed up on shore in that shipwreck, or someone brought it here.”

Skua knelt down and studied one of the debris in the woodpile. “This looks like it could have been part of a crate. Or a cage.”

Nami remembered the metal bar Law had switched himself with. “My money’s on cages. Maybe that pirate ship was transporting animals.”

“Do you think there are more of them?” Shachi asked as he pulled a pistol out of his beach bag.

Uni peered into the shadowy trees. “Who knows? Maybe something even worse is lurking in the jungle, waiting to pick us off.”

“The last thing we need is you freaking everyone out with your ghost stories!” Ermine snapped, even as he grabbed a large carving knife to use as a machete.

Penguin frowned as the crew armed themselves with the knives and pistols they’d habitually brought along. “Ok, given the fact that we were literally just attacked by a wild animal, I say we should start looking for the others. If nothing else, if a boar was able to survive the shipwreck, then it’s possible something more dangerous did, too. There may even be human survivors.”

“Do we split up or stay together?” Jean Bart asked.

“Hmm, split up into smaller groups, but no one’s to wander the island alone. That way we all have someone watching our backs while still covering the optimal amount of ground. That work for everyone?”

“Aye-aye!” they shouted, pairing up as they headed into the dense foliage, lanterns and weapons in hand.

“I’ll catch up!” Nami called out to them, sprinting towards the small motorboats. There was no way she was going to go wandering around a jungle with so much skin exposed again; she learned her lesson after Little Garden. She also wanted to grab her Clima-Tact; Ikkaku had been modifying it that morning, so it was likely still in their quarters.

To her surprise, instead of following the others, Bepo stayed with her. “None of us should go wandering off alone, right?” he explained nervously. “And somebody should head back to the ship to call Crozier; at the very least, they need to know there’s potentially dangerous wildlife around.”

“Good thinking,” she said, climbing onto the boat and revving the engine. It only took them a few minutes to get to the submarine, but she could tell Bepo was fretting from the way he clicked his claws together. “They’ll be fine,” she assured as she scaled the side ladder onto the bottom deck.

“I hope so. Maybe they ran into Law?”

“If they did, we can kill two birds with one stone.”

Bepo sighed as they stepped into the comparatively cooler interior of the submarine. “I’ll go make the call; meet me on deck in a few minutes?”

“Sure; I shouldn’t take long.” True to her word, Nami dashed to her quarters and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved top. The fabric was stifling against her skin, but it was better than risking another Keschia bite. Her hand hesitated over her Clima-Tact and holster; Ikkaku had told her she’d managed to increase the power of a few things, but they hadn’t been properly tested yet. Should she risk it? Ikkaku was good with machines and gadgets, but she wasn’t Usopp.

Couldn’t turn out any worse than the first time, she decided, recalling her battle with Ms. Doublefinger. If she could secure a dark horse victory with a weapon she’d never even used before, she could certainly manage with a modified one.

Weapon securely strapped to her leg and delicate skin protected from any prehistoric bug bites, Nami determined she was ready. However, as she trotted down the hall, she hesitated in front of Law’s quarters.

Though her trust in Law had grown to the point where she didn’t think he’d be selling Vegapunk’s weapons research, she still wanted to take a look at Harpin’s ledgers. Wanted to finally unravel the mystery as to why Jinbei had set Arlong loose in the East Blue. She’d noticed some of the research had centered around cyborgs; Franky could use that. Then there was the stuff on Kuma and the Pacifistas—if they needed to fight him again, she’d much rather know what they were up against. There was intel on Blackbeard, too; considering how he was the reason Luffy’s brother was dead, she had no doubt her captain would end up fighting him. Any information she could give him could save his life!

She’d considered just asking Law if she could look at them. Surely he’d understand her reasons; be able to appreciate her desire to plan and be prepared. But the time was never right—he was either obsessively planning and thus rather ornery and volatile, or they were in the midst of some crisis and it would slip her mind. Besides that, she still wasn’t sure why he wanted them.

The information in those books is more valuable to me than everything in that mansion combined, he’d sneered during their fight. But what information was that? He’d burned the blackmail and Marine profiles. As far as she knew, he’d kept his word and not sold any of Vegapunk’s weapons research. Hell, he’d been more interested in his fertilizer formula, and that was as a favor to Nami.

If the research and blackmail weren’t what he wanted, why did he got to so much trouble to get those ledgers? What other information could possibly have been worth nearly getting himself and his crew killed?

By process of elimination, that left the book on the shichibukai, and with his control-freak tendencies and his violent reaction the last time they’d discussed it, she wasn’t sure he’d be willing to part with it.

She could borrow it, though. Grab it, hide it, make a copy, then find a way to return it without him noticing.

Unconsciously, her hand slowly raised to the cold steel door handle. This was the first time the ship had been completely empty. Everyone was preoccupied on the island. Surely she could take a few minutes to grab the ledger from Law’s room, right? Just a quick in-and-out. He didn’t need it at the moment—it had nothing to do with his plans. He wouldn’t even miss it.

Cautiously, she tried to open the door. Locked. She could easily pick it with her tools, though. She could pop back into her room, grab them, jimmy the lock, grab the ledger, pop back out…

She was wasting time. Bepo was waiting for her. What would she tell him if he saw her breaking into his captain’s room? Or worse, what if Law suddenly returned? He could teleport back to the ship without her even realizing, and she doubted he’d be happy to see her there, especially when his crew was in potential danger.

If Nami wanted to get that ledger, she’d need a much better plan than some spur-of-the-moment burglary attempt.

Making a mental note to start working on that once the current crisis was over, she sprinted back to the main deck to find a worried and dejected Bepo.

“They didn’t pick up.”

A thousand outlandish scenarios about what could have happened to them popped into Nami’s head, from cannibals to the island actually being a sentient being that had been slowly devouring the crew for sustenance.

God, she missed Usopp. At least when he was around, she had someone to blame when she got worked up like this.

“M-maybe we should stay on the ship. You know, in case they try to call us?” she said nervously, her old scaredy-cat tendencies bubbling to the surface.

“But what if no one finds Law? Even if the others return, we’ll all just have to head back out into the jungle to find him. It’s better to find him first, and you saw him last, right? You have the best idea where he might have gone.”

Slumping, she sighed. He was right, and unfortunately, Crozier and Cousteau’s team had gone West, so it was unlikely the search party had thought to go in Law’s direction. “I guess you’re right.”

By the time they arrived on the shore the rest of the crew was long gone, so Nami and Bepo headed East towards where she’d seen Law wander off.

“Even if there are wild beasts, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Law,” Bepo assured her confidently as they searched, keeping to the outskirts of the jungle. The tide had washed away Law’s footprints, but they were hoping to find some sort of clue or disturbance along to foliage to see if he’d ventured into the jungle. “I’m sure he’s already on his way back; we’ll find him in no time, and then he can use his powers to Scan the island and make sure there’s nothing else dangerous!”

Nami’s mouth twisted in disdain. She was beginning to understand why Law put so much pressure on himself; his powers, plans, and medical abilities were everyone’s go-to solution for any given problem. She wondered if Law’s control-freak tendencies were because of this, or if he’d always been that way and the Hearts had just learned to pick their battles.

Regardless, Bepo had a point this time—if Law used his powers, they’d know the situation with the island and where the crew was in one fell swoop.

Life was never that easy, though. Icy dread crawled down Nami’s back as she caught a flash of yellow near the edge of the jungle. Heart in her throat, she darted towards it, barely restraining a strangled sob when she realized it was the shredded remains of Law’s swim trunks.

Oh my God! Nami could feel sharp tears sting her eyes as she collapsed to her knees, cradling the tattered mesh in her hands. Up close, she could clearly see it had been torn apart by a razor-sharp blade or, more likely, claws and teeth. What could have done this? There’s no way it was a boar! Please don’t tell me he’s—

She jumped as a set of long, sharp claws filled her vision, only to realize it was Bepo reaching for the piece of cloth.

“There’s no blood,” he mumbled, studying it closely.

Hope filled her chest at those simple words. If there was no blood, there was a chance Law was perfectly fine! Probably buck-naked, but that was way better than dead!

Her happy bubble burst when a strange, husky sound reached her ears. Goosebumps rose up along her arms as she realized it was a growl of some kind.

She lifted her head slowly, only to find a pair of wild gold eyes peeking out from the darkness of the jungle. The beast moved closer, and Nami found herself mere feet away from a snarling snow leopard, its white fangs bared menacingly.

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janelledarling · 5 years

Text

Coming together.

This is my contribution to @hoopshoney and @purple-apricots Valentine’s Day Fic Fest, With Love, From Wakanda. I had a lot of fun writing this! I hope you enjoy it, and sorry in advance for any spelling/grammatical errors. Let me know what you think! My character is BLACK.

My prompt: “I told you not to get me anything”“And I’m smart enough to know that meant get you something.”

Pairing: Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens x Black! OC

Warnings: None, just a lot of fluff!

Word Count: 4,500+

___________________________________________________

“Hello, is Ms. Graham available?” an unfamiliar voice spoke politely into the phone.

“Yes, this is she. May I ask who’s calling?” Absedi Graham said pleasantly. Normally she didn’t answer calls from numbers she didn’t know, especially at work. Absedi worked at a large jewelry store where she specialized in Men’s Luxury Watches. Her work day was winding down and she happened to be locking up early as the customers were slow today which was odd since it was Valentine’s Day. Absedi was more than ready for her upcoming week off, whoever was calling just happened to catch her at a good time.

“This is Veronica, with Ross Horology Worldwide. I hope you are doing well.” the woman continued.

Absedi immediately paused her progress of locking the display cases in the watch section of the jewelry store, eyes going wide and mouth falling open at the sound of the company Veronica said she was with.

“I am, thank you. I hope you are as well. To what do I owe the pleasure Ms. Veronica?” Absedi said confidently even though she was so nervous her palms were starting to sweat.

“Well Ms. Graham, upon review of your Resume, background check, and the few phone and in-office interviews you have done in the last few months. We would like to extend an offer to you. That is, of course, if you are still interested.” Veronica explained.

“Wow! That is amazing! I am most definitely still interested!” Absedi exclaimed.

“Wonderful! Your orientation will start on Monday, 2 weeks from now, at the headquarters where the in-office interviews were located. Please arrive at 9am, and check in with the receptionist upon your arrival, she will provide you with your itinerary and tour. Did you have any questions for me?” Veronica asked.

“Nothing is coming to mind.” Absedi remarked.

“Ok perfect! I will send you an email with all the details. Welcome to the team and Happy Valentine’s Day, Ms. Graham!” Veronica advised.

“Thank you so much! See you in 2 weeks!” Absedi replied as she ended the call.

“HOLY SHIT!” Absedi yelled excitedly as she jumped up and down and danced around the display cases.

She grabbed her purse and keys from under the counter and finished locking up all the display cases in her section of the Jewelry store.

As she made her way out the the building her rude ass co-worker called out behind her “Bye Abby! You have a good weekend, Sis!”

“That’s not my name, and I’m not your Sis, we’ve went over this! Bye Brock. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day.” she responded putting on the fakest smile she could muster.

“It’s Blaine, girlfriend!” he said as she made her way out of the store.

“I’m well aware.” she mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

She grabbed her phone to call her friend with her good news with one hand, as she walked out of the large double doors of the building and into the busy city with an extra pep in her step.

Just as she thought the call was going to be routed to voicemail, a deep voice answered, “Wassup Princess?”

“ERIK! GUESS WHAT!?” Absedi screamed with excitement. “THEY CALLED ME! I DID IT! IT’S IN TWO WEEKS! HOLY SHIT ERIK! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS, I’M SHAKING RIGHT NOW! MY HANDS ARE TREMBLING!” Absedi shouted into the receiver, startling the people walking down the sidewalk as they turned and gave her passing stares.

__________________________________________________

Absedi and Erik had been friends for well over a year. When she met Erik, he had come into the jewelry store looking for a new piece to add to his collection of watches. After showing him the new collection of Cartier watches that came in earlier that week and answering his questions on which models were self-winding, quartz, or manual winding, Absedi left him to view the collection while making her way over to another customer who had recently came in. Just like most of the other middle aged men that made their way to her section of the store, this particular customer was worried less about the watches and more about whether or not Absedi had a man and when her shift ended. When the older gentleman grew tired of Absedi denying all of his advances, he left the store without making a purchase and she made her way back to Erik.

When she walked over to see if he had any questions or if he needed any additional assistance. He took her for surprise when he spoke up and said. “Yeah, actually, I do have some questions. First one is does shit like that happen often? I didn’t think ole dude was gonna take no for an answer. I didn’t wanna have to cause a scene, but I would have with his ole nasty ass.”

“Yeah, more often than not unfortunately.” Absedi said as she stifled her laugh. “But I’ve gotten used to working around them and deflecting. Tricks of the trade I guess.” she shrugged.

“Hm.” Erik nodded. “Second question, do you work on commission?” Erik continued.

“Yes…? Why?” Absedi answered hesitantly.

“Just making sure if I drop a grip in here the commission would go to you and not that grimy ass colonizer over there.” Erik explained motioning to Blaine.

Absedi couldn’t hold in her laugh when Erik motioned to her co-worker on the other side of the store.

“Yeah, Chadthaniel never comes over here, so you good.” Absedi giggled.

Erik laughed loudly, shoulders bouncing. “Chadthaniel. That’s a good one! I’ma have to use that shit. Ok in that case, I’ll take the Clé De Cartier Mysterious Hour. The Manual 18K Pink gold. Clé De Cartier Automatic Skeleton Gem-Set. The Automatic in Palladium.”

It took everything in Absedi’s power for her to keep her composure. Those watches were some of the most expensive she had in her cases. Everyone would look at those two in particular, but she would rarely make a sale. She nodded and walked away to make sure the watch bands she had in stock would be the right size and fit him properly. He handed her his black card and she went to the register to process his payment. Finally seeing his name. Erik Stevens. Absedi started getting them packaged up for him. These watches were expensive as all hell. Her commission alone was about to be at least $10,500.

After processing his card successfully for over $210,000 and packaging up the watches. She called out to him to let him know she was finished.

“Mr. Stevens?” Absedi called out behind the counter.

“Wassup?” he said turning around from another display he was looking at and walking toward the counter.

“I’m all finished up. Here is your card and your bag. Did you want your receipt with you or in the bag?”

“In the bag is cool. Thanks. Now, before I leave I have one last question.” Erik smirked.

Trying not to get too caught up no the effect his dimples and pretty ass smile were having on her, she cleared her throat before she answered. “Sure, what is it?”

“What’s your name? I might have to come back for some more pieces and I wanna make sure I ask for the right person. If that’s cool with you...” Erik said.

“Sure, that’s fine.” she said quickly.

Like she was about to miss out on another big commission sale like this. Tuh! Momma didn’t raise no fool.

“Here’s my card, it’s got my name, our store hours as well as the store phone number on here, should you happen to need anything.” she added handing him over her business card.

As she watched his eyebrows furrow, she added before he could ask. “It’s pronounced AB-S-IH-Dee. Absedi Graham.”

“Absedi Graham” He repeated for clarification as she nodded. “Alright Ms. Absedi, it was nice doing business with you.” he nodded as he turned to walk away.

“You too Mr. Stevens. Have a good rest of your day.” Absedi added as he walked away.

“Call me Erik.” He yelled back over his shoulder throwing her a million dollar smile as he left the store.

Ever since that day, Erik would come in at least once a week. They would make light conversation about the new collections coming out with different brands and get to know each other a little bit more.

After 3 and a half years of being in a dead-end job at the Jewelry store, realizing her position was getting her nowhere. Absedi decided it was time to move onto bigger and better things with her career. She applied to a few of her favorite watch companies but had yet to hear back from any of them. Erik came in while she was checking her email for the 12th time that morning for a response from any of the applications she sent over. When Erik asked what she was doing, Absedi told Erik she was looking for another place to further her career and if everything worked out the way she hoped it would, she would probably be leaving the jewelry store in the next few months but maybe sooner. Erik asked her hypothetically if he had questions on some upcoming collections and she isn’t here anymore who was he supposed to ask, because he sure as hell wasn’t asking Chadthaniel shit. Letting Erik know she could still answer any of his questions whenever he had any, she wrote her cell phone number on the back of her business card and handed it to him. Erik ended up texting her right after he left the store. From then on, it seemed like they were constantly in contact with each other. Whether it was sending each other meme’s, talking about politics, or just how their day was, there wasn’t anything the pair didn’t feel comfortable talking about with each other. Absedi found herself reaching out to Erik more often than not. He was very easy to talk to. So it made sense to her that he was the first person she would call when she found out she got the job or her dreams.

__________________________________________________

“Babygirl, slow down. Who called you? What’s happening in two weeks?” Erik said confused as hell, trying to wrap his mind around the bits and pieces he was able to understand as she was speaking a mile a minute.

“Ross! They called me! They want me to start in two weeks!” Absedi squealed.

“That’s dope as fuck Princess!”

“I’m so excited Erik! Like things are really starting to come together for me, you know?” Absedi reflected as she made her way home.

“It seems that way, huh. So how you wanna celebrate?” Erik asked.

“Erik, it’s Valentine’s Day every place from Oakland to Long Beach is about to be packed and busy as hell.” Absedi assumed.

“I ain’t ask you all that, did I? What’s the move girl? Pick sum. Whatever you wanna do, I got you.” Erik commanded.

“Hmm… OH! I know! You always talking about how you throw down in the kitchen, lemme see sum.” She said imitating one of Erik’s frequently used sayings. “You know what I like, surprise me!” Absedi exclaimed as she listened to Erik chuckle on the other end of the line. Absedi had never been to Erik’s home, they always hung out in public places. He lived about 45 minutes away from her so it was easier to just kick it somewhere between both of their places.

“Bet. Come through around 7pm. We celebratin’! My girl landed her dream job! Whatever you wanna do or anywhere you tryna go, I got you. I’m proud of you Sed!”

“Thank you! I’m proud of me too. Don’t do anything extravagant though Erik.” Absedi warned.

“Huh? I can’t hear you. You cutting out.” Erik lied.

“Nah, you can hear me just fine. Nothing extravagant and no gifts.” Absedi continued as she rolled her eyes. Erik was always trying to get her something she didn’t need. He had already gotten them matching J’s earlier in the week.

“Huh? Babygirl, you there? Sed?” Erik said trying and failing to hide his laugh as he hung up the phone.

He is so damn petty! Absedi laughed to herself as she waved down a cab.

Looking out the window on the ride to her studio apartment, she couldn’t stop smiling. Time with Erik was just what she needed to kick off her upcoming week off and to celebrate her new job.

It was obvious to everyone including the two of them that they had chemistry. They both really liked each other and were open to the idea of being more than friends, but never spoke on it directly. Just hinted around the subject. Erik would always call her pet names, and refer to her as ‘his girl’ but Absedi just assumed it was how he acted with his other friends too. Although he hadn’t mentioned any other friends, Erik was fine as fuck and Absedi wasn’t dumb. She wasn’t about to assume she was the only person he was showing interest in. Erik would tell her how beautiful she was and kiss her on her forehead whenever they went out for dinner or to the movies, and he might’ve left a few messy voicemails after one too many drinks with his boys. Absedi had also sent her fair share of drunk texts after clubbing with her girls, and may or may not have sent a few thirst traps she didn’t remember until scrolling through their text thread the following morning. Needless to say she swore off drinking for a good month after that.

Just as she was getting out of the cab she got a text from Erik.

Mr. Stevens: 2232 Westridge Road, LA. Don’t be late.

Scrunching up her face at his commanding tone, Absedi sent out a quick reply.

Babygirl: Don’t tell me what to do. We celebrating ME remember.

Erik smirked and shook his head at her response when he read it. This girl and her smart ass mouth, he thought to himself as got ready to run his errands and head to the grocery store to get all the ingredients to make dinner for the two of them.

While Erik went to the store Absedi got in the shower, exfoliated and moisturized. Debating between a few different outfit choices and reminding herself it is Valentine’s Day after all, she decided to go all out. Ready to get dolled up and leave the house looking like a snack. Absedi settled on a strappy crushed velvet dress in wine just because she wanted a reason to use her new Body Lava. Pairing it with strappy nude heels to show off her baby pink pedicure and her trench coat. Absedi than began working on her make-up, going with a nude look. Putting her hair up into a high pony with her edges laid to perfection, she began gathering her things to head to Erik's house. Turning off the lights and locking the front door she made her way to her car. After putting his address into her navigation and sending him a quick text letting him know she was on her way, Absedi pulled out into evening traffic.

Turning on her Masego playlist and hitting the highway, Absedi couldn’t help thinking about how everything was finally going her way. She was just offered the job of her dreams and would be able to start making a career out of her passion in just two weeks. She finally had someone in her corner, encouraging her. Erik was her best friend in every aspect of the word. She could not wipe the smile off of her face if she tried.

Not realizing she zoned out the entire drive reflecting on the days events until she heard her navigation say “You have arrived at your destination.” Absedi parked in the driveway grabbing her purse and surveying the area.

Of course, he lives in this nice ass house. I mean it makes sense, he was dropping like $200K on accessories. Absedi thought to herself as she made her way to the front door. After knocking twice, the door swung open.

“You’re late.” Erik said as he raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“No, I’m not. It’s 7:02pm. I’m on time. You were early.” Absedi responded as she flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

“How am I early to my own damn house Sed?” Erik chuckled as he held the door open for her to come in, taking a moment to look her up and down. “Damn, you really came in here looking like a whole ass meal. Good gawddd!”

“Shut up Erik. You always got somethin’ smart to say.” Absedi giggled as she walked into the open concept area. The smell of dinner invading her nostrils immediately. Taking off her trenchcoat and hanging it on the coat rack near the door.

“You always gotta have the last damn word!” he retorted from behind her, watching the sway of her hips as she made her way into his home.

“You damn right!” she snapped back over her shoulder as they both started laughing.

After closing and locking the door. Erik walked up and gave her the biggest hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you babygirl. I knew you could fucking do it.” leaning down placing a light kiss on her forehead. Absedi wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, finally feeling at peace.

“You ready to eat? I made steaks, loaded baked potatoes, and salad. Sounds basic as fuck but you ain’t had my shit before. You know ion do anything basic.” Erik shrugged.

“That's a fact.” Absedi laughed as she nodded.

“Princess, you gotta let go of me if we gonna eat.” Erik chuckled rubbing circles on her lower back and shoulder blade with the tips of his fingers. .

“Just give me a minute.” Absedi quickly added holding him even tighter and snuggling her face into his chest, feeling the soft scars of his skin press against her cheek.

“Ight.” Erik responded, not hiding the smile in his voice.

After another moment, Absedi pulled away and looked up into Erik’s eyes taking in his features. Plump lips, deep brown eyes, smooth brown skin, dreads braided back from his face, noticing his dimples appear and his white teeth with a little bit of shine come into view.

“You for real checking me out right in my face, you bold as hell.” Erik chuckled.

“And what about it?” Absedi said as she raised her eyebrow, turning and making her way to the kitchen following the smell.

Erik had made filet mignon pan-seared in butter thyme and rosemary, smothered in A1, and sauteed mushrooms and onions. Alongside salad and loaded twice-baked potatoes that were filled with broccoli, mascarpone, pancetta, bocconcini, cheddar cheese and topped with scallions.

“It smells so fucking good, Erik.” Absedi swooned as she damn near drooled looking at all the delicious food he made.

“C’mere.” he said from behind her.

Turning around she noticed Erik was standing by a small table set for two as he poured two glasses of champagne.

“We can’t celebrate without a toast. Here.” Erk said handing Absedi a champagne flute.

Raising his flute Erik began “To my girl, landing the job of her dreams and molding her destiny to whatever she sees fit. I’m happy you are in my life Sed and I’m so fucking proud of you Princess. You out here doing the damn thing! Salut.”

Absedi couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face after Erik finished his toast, nor did she have a smart ass remark to add when he was done. She did, however have butterflies and could not get them to go away.

“Here.” Erik said as he pulled out her seat for her. “I’ma go grab the food.”

Erik placed both of their plates at the table in front of their respective seats. As soon as Absedi took a bite she couldn’t help the happy dance or the moan that escaped her.

“Erik this is sooooo fucking good! Oh my gawddd!” Absedi moaned in between bites.

“I told you, I don’t do basic.” Erik stated smugly.

“Shut up and just say thank you, damn. Is it really that hard for you?” she shook her head playfully.

Erik smirked at her before adding “Thank you Absedi. I appreciate that.”

“See! That wasn’t so hard was it.” She retorted shooting him a wink.

“It’s probably as hard as you not getting the last word.” Erik snapped back raising a challenging eyebrow and tilting his head to the side.

Watching Absedi just roll her eyes and just keep eating shocked Erik to no end.

“That’s it? You really don’t have something to say?” Erik said eyebrows reaching his hairline due to his surprise. Slightly shrugging her shoulders and smirking at Erik as she chewed a bit of steak. Erik nodded to himself in fake astonishment, causing both to start laughing.

After finishing her third glass of champagne and liquid courage kicking in, Absedi asked the question that had been lingering in her head for a while.

“Do you call all your friends little cute names?” Absedi asked quietly.

“Nah.” Erik responded slowly, setting his plate to the side. “Why? Wassup?”

“I was just curious. I figured you probably called all of your other friends ‘Princess’ and ‘Babygirl’ and stuff like that.” she said looking at anything but him as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Nah, just you.” he stated smoothly.

“Why?” she asked quietly.

“Why you think?” Erik retorted.

“I wanna hear you say it.” Absedi said tilting her chin up to look Erik in the eye.

“What you want me to say?” Erik asked leaning forward on the table and resting his chin on his fists looking her in her eyes. “You want me to tell you how I think about you from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep? How I intentionally irritate you so I can see that cute ass face you make when you get mad as hell? Or you wanna know about how many stacks I spent at that jewelry store just to spend more time with you? How about how I was ready to kill that grimy ass motherfucker that kept trying to touch on you the day we met? I mean I can go on and on. You tell me what you wanna hear.”

Absedi was speechless. “Why didn’t you say something! You know how many wack ass niggas I entertained? And you over here just keeping all these damn emotions to yourself. Stingy ass. You won’t let us be great.” Absedi pouted as she crossed her arms.

“I know your ass, Sed. If I’da said something, you would have started that ‘I don’t wanna ruin our friendship’ bullshit.” Erik replied with a shrug.

“Ruin it.” Absedi said with a straight face.

Erik’s jaw dropped and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Champagne got you all the way bold huh?” Erik smirked.

“I mean, we being all the way real right now, right? So I’m just gonna put it all out on the table. I like you, Erik. I don’t know if a relationship is something you would be open to, but if you are I think I would be viable candidate.” Absedi finished as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

“I’m open to a relationship. There ain’t no other candidates, just you.” Erik stated.

“Just me?” she inquired while side eyeing him.

“Mhm. Nobody else. Since we putting it all out there, I haven’t entertained anybody in a good minute. I just want you.” Erik confessed looking Absedi in her eyes.

“Hmm… Good to know.” Absedi nodded.

Erik stood from the table and started gathering the plates to take them into the kitchen. Leaving Absedi to sit and collect her thoughts. She was oddly enough no longer nervous, she was content with finally letting him know how she felt about him.

Erik made his way back to the table with his arms behind his back. Knowing he was up to something she furrowed her eyebrows while she looked at him. “What are you up to Mr. Stevens?”

Sitting the large navy square leather box with golden script that read Chopard in front of her with a golden ribbon tied around it, Erik pulled his chair from his side of the table just to sit it right beside her. Erik grabbed her hand an intertwined their fingers.

“Baby…” Absedi breathed her eyes wide in astonishment staring at the box bringing her other hand up to trace the golden boarder around the sides of the box.

“So I’m your baby now?” Erik asked lightly tilting her chin towards him to grab her attention. He was wearing the biggest smile she had ever seen.

Nodding and climbing into his lap not taking her eyes off of the box of one of all time favorite jewelers, Absedi leaned back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

“Yeah, you my baby too.” Erik added quietly.

“I told you not to get me anything.” Absedi whispered as she went back to staring at the box in awe.

“And I’m smart enough to know that meant get you something.” Erik chuckled as he rested his head on the side of hers.

“I know how much you love Chopard watches but something else caught my eye. You gonna open it or what?” Erik asked

Slowly taking off the ribbon, and opening the leather box, Absedi saw the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. A large amethyst in a rose gold setting with diamond accents hung on a 18K rose gold chain.

“Oh my god, Erik...” she whispered gently touching the dainty necklace. “Thank you! It’s so beautiful.”

“Lean up real quick.” Erik said gently taking the necklace from the packaging and gently putting it on for her and sccurring the clasp at the back of her neck. “Beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl.”

“Damn you really feelin’ me, huh?” Absedi teased as she tugged on his arm playfully.

“And what about it?” Erik imitated her from earlier on in the evening light-heartedly, causing them both to bust out laughing hysterically.

“How you feelin’ about all these changes? New job, Me, alla dat.” Erik questioned.

Turning around and pulling her dress up so she was able to straddle Erik’s lap and wrap her arms around his neck and rub smoothing circles into the back of his neck with her fingertips, as he lightly ran his hands down her sides. Absedi thought back from all the changes that had taken place in her life in the last 24 hours. New job, new man, new necklace, and new outlook on her future.

“Honestly truly, I’ve never been better.” Absedi beamed.

Absedi leaned up slightly and pressed a few soft kisses against his lips. As he murmured “Happy Valentine’s Day Princess.” in between them he felt her body melt against his. Erik’s hands tightened around her waist, pulling her closer, he kissed her back deeply until they both pulled away to catch their breath. Neither one of them could wipe away the huge smile that had taken over their faces.

This Valentine’s Day was definitely one for the books.

Taglist: @chaneajoyyy @marvelpotterlove @faatassbitch

#with love from wakanda #erik killmonger #erik stevens #erik stevens x oc #erik stevens fic #black oc #softboi!erik #fluff #erik stevens imagine #my shit #i be writing and shit #black panther imagine #wlfw #fic fest

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valenciat91 · 5 years

Text

The Spin Cycle

By V.C. Turner

I slammed the lid down on the washing machine. Hard. Probably not the best idea I’ve had over the past several months, but I did it anyway because the damned thing was acting up and I can’t stand the thought of shopping for another one.

I hate shopping. I really do. I hate it even more when I am forced to do it.

So after fiddling with the dial for the 157th time, and after adjusting the water hoses, and after taking another stab at unplugging it for a while, I decide that the damned thing is a lost cause. I kick it a few times since I know putting a few dents in the casing isn’t going to change anything

I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s lasted for 14 years. It survived college, graduate school and my mistake of an ex-husband, so I guess it’s paid its dues.

For some reason, I pat the lid as if to apologize for the kicking and swearing, then pull out my unwashed clothes and place them in my laundry bag.

Crap. Tomorrow is Monday.

The start of a new work week is less than 24 hours away and I literally have nothing decent to wear.

As if on cue, my phone dings and vibrates in my pocket. The tickle it sends down my thigh is only a reminder that no one else has tickled me there in a very long time.

I pull it out and look at the screen.

Jasmine sent me a message.

She lives down the hall, but I can almost hear my friend laughing at me as I swipe the screen realizing that she probably heard the swearing, banging and kicking from my apartment.

“Ouch! Damn! Stop hurting me, human!” – She wrote, pretending to be my washing machine.

I roll my eyes. She told me to ditch the thing the day I moved into the apartment complex, but I figured it still had some life left in it. And again…I hate shopping.

I text her back.

“You were right. Ding Dong. The washer’s dead. The washer’s dead. The wicked washer.”

I clutch the strings of the bag and wait a few seconds for a reply. She doesn’t respond immediately and I wonder if it’s because she’s cooking another dish that’s going to add another five pounds onto my body.

Jasmine loves cooking: Greek dishes, Italian Dishes, “whatever the hell she can think of” dishes. They’re delicious and addictive. I’m going to go ahead and blame her for helping me add on the freshman fifteen AFTER graduating college. I lost the weight, but it was a struggle.

Please don’t be cooking, Jazz. Please don’t be cooking.

I chant this to myself because all I’ve had today is a banana and two bottles of water.

I stuff the phone back in my pocket and head into the kitchen where I know a cluster of grapes is waiting for me – chilling inside an actual, working appliance.

I open the door, pulling out the plump green grapes, washing them under the cold tap water, and setting them down on a paper towel. This won’t fill me up, but it does give me a chance to savor their sweetness and a few quiet moments while I contemplate dragging my ass down to the basement of our building to do my laundry.

My phone buzzes again.

It’s Jasmine.

“I hope you’re not cooking,” I say aloud to myself before unlocking the device. I refuse to go back up another dress size.

I look at the screen.

“Sorry. I’m making chicken parmesan and some fresh, sautéed vegetables,” she said.

My stomach growls – loudly.

I hate her for this.

Actually, it’s the opposite. I adore the woman, but still she’s not helping my waistline. Internally, I’m begging her not to invite me over so we can gorge ourselves on marinara smothered chicken, vegetables, and wine.

I consider my response text carefully. I don’t want to offend her, but I don’t want to spend the rest of the day feeling bloated.

“Cool. Hey, I’m gonna finish laundry in the basement,” I type back.

I leave the phone on the counter and make my way back to the overflowing hamper I have. I dump its contents into my second laundry bag and begin to question the need for all these clothes to be washed at once since I live on the third floor of a walk-up.

I’m sorting through the laundry picking out the essentials when I hear the phone ring.

I run back and answer it.

“Come on over,” she insists, sounding like she has food in her mouth. Fresh, warm delicious food. Crap. It’s apparently so good she can’t wait to eat it.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to talk with your mouth full?” I ask.

She apparently swallows her bite and resumes talking.

“Well, she also taught me to wear a girdle and pantyhose all the time, but I didn’t listen to that advice either,” she points out.

It’s then that I realize I’ve stopped moving. Her soft voice flows through the phone, washing over me. I love it. I could listen to it all day really. She could read the instruction manual to my new TV and it would sound awesome.

Men must love it.

I have no idea why she’s not seeing anyone right now. She’s awesome. She’s this outgoing, smart, petite woman with perfect lips and sparkling eyes. She also has the most enviable body I’ve seen on any woman: the perfect mixture of athletic and curvy.

She’s beautiful and adorable, but what’s cool is that she doesn’t realize it. Well, maybe she does, but she’s not cocky about it at all.

I’m usually very intimidated by beautiful women. I feel so inadequate around them but she’s never made me feel that way. The moment we met, I felt perfectly at ease. We are the same age and have so much in common. Both of us live far from home. Both of us work as professionals in our fields.

We instantly became best friends.

We spend most Thursday nights camped out on a couch with wine, popcorn and the remote close by we can pause a show whenever we go into one of our long discussions.

I love her to death, which is why I hate saying “no” to her for any reason; even a good one.

I do think overeating is a good enough reason.

“Are you that witch from Hansel and Gretel? I keep thinking you’re trying to fatten me up and cook me up for dinner,” I joke.

She giggles and it’s quite infectious actually. I know I’m going to say yes. It’s only a matter of seconds before I do.

“I’m not trying to fatten you up just to eat you,” Jasmine states, “I just like testing new recipes on a friendly audience.”

“Jazz, hon, I can’t eat all that food. I always eat too much when I come over,” I point out. I’m pleading, but it’s not working. Note to self: two gym visits tomorrow.

I hear her humph over the phone. I can almost see her pouting. She really wants me to try this dish.

She likes to experiment.

“Ok, I give in,” I tell her, “But I have to get this laundry done tonight.”

“No problem. Do it over here,” she offers.

“Ok,” I tell her. I’m done resisting her efforts.

I click off the phone and grab a bottle of wine to bring with me. Showing up empty-handed isn’t an option when she’s offering hot food and a working washing machine.

I sheepishly knock on her door and seconds later it springs open. She’s standing there, barefoot wearing a black V-neck top and pajama shorts. I drop my laundry bags just inside her door and hand her the wine.

She frowns while looking at it. I soon realize why.

“Is this the bottle I gave you for a housewarming present?” Jasmine asks.

I bite my lip and look away.

“It is isn’t it?” she continues, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry,” I tell her.

“I thought you’d used this already for a special occasion,” she said, walking it to the kitchen counter.

“There haven’t been any special occasions,” I said.

She crosses her arms over her chest.

“I’m sorry,” I add, “You still love me though? Right?”

She pretends to be angry with me, walking over with this scowl on her face, but by the time she’s standing in front of me, she’s smiling. She puts her arms around me and gives me a hug.

I really love it when she hugs me. She always gives me those hugs that feel like she hasn’t seen me in forever. It’s a long squeeze where she just pulls me in and holds me there like she’s been missing me for years and we’re finally reunited.

I’m an affectionate person by nature, so I just eat this up. She backs away smiling and shows me the efforts of her cooking. The smells are heavenly. My stomach is happy. My doctor won’t be, but screw her: this looks delicious.

“Why don’t we do a Scandal marathon?” she offers, popping a bite of food in her mouth after we’ve settled onto the couch.

“We’ve seen all the ones from the final season,” I remind her.

She whips out her remote control and turns Netflix on her smart TV.

“Past episodes sweetheart,” she states.

I’m going to be here a while, and that’s just fine with me: friend, food, wine, laundry, and Scandal. Sunday’s aren’t so bad.

We’re covered up with the blanket. The first laundry load is done by the time the first episode is over. I pull it from the machine and load the second batch.

The sun has set, so she draws the curtains and turns on an incandescent light in the back of the room.

The blue light from the large television lights up her face.

I realize I’m staring at her. She smiles before turning to me.

“What’s wrong, something on my face?” she asks.

I tell her it’s her lipstick; that I love the color and want to know what kind it is. She hops up and grabs her makeup bag from her purse. She pulls it out and shows me that it’s called “Ravishing Red.”

I make a mental note of that. I also make a note of the fact that I shouldn’t stare at her too long. It might give her the wrong idea.

We are friends after all.

She snuggles next to me and I realize how much I miss being touched and held. I’ve avoided the dating scene because I just have no patience for finding, training and keeping a man.

Can’t they just come in ready-made packages with all the relationship information located on the side?

I scoot closer to her and after a few minutes notice an undeniable heat building up inside of me. I look down and note our position on the sofa puts her breast against mine. Her nipple is hard. The sensation of it pressing against the side of my breast is making my own nipple hard.

My core floods with heat and begins to tingle. I can’t look at her. I’m just going to ignore it because I know it’s incidental contact, and it’s been a while for me and I just can’t get turned on this easily … And we’re friends.

I exhale slowly and pray the buzzer goes off after the washer is done with the spin cycle. I’ll have an excuse to get up.

The buzzer doesn’t go off.

She places her hand on my upper thigh, but she keeps looking at the television.

I’m getting hotter in places that should not be getting hot with her just touching me like that. But I can feel it. I’m turned on and God I hope she doesn’t notice it. I have nothing on under this oversized T-shirt and only a pair of cotton shorts is positioned between my core the warmth of her hand.

I don’t want to scare her or freak her out.

She is my friend, after all.

The episode ends and she turns to me.

“Hey, did you ever try out that eyeliner that I gave you?” she asked innocently.

I relax a little. I try to tell my body to do the same, but it doesn’t.

“I’m so bad at makeup,” I confess, “I just use the basics. I know I should do more.”

She grabs her makeup bag and I realize she’s going to doll me up. It’s cool because I feel like a teenager at a sleepover.

She sits on the coffee table in front of me and pulls out the lipstick. I scoot forward until we’re eye to eye. She’s good at this – putting on makeup and making things look beautiful.

I trust her.

I hold still and let her apply a thin layer of the lipstick on my mouth. I rub my lips together and lick them a little. I’m surprised it has a flavor to it – tastes a bit like cherry.

I smile.

She pulls out the eyeliner. Ok. I hate eyeliner, but she feels like doing this and I don’t want to stop her because she’s so sweet.

“Come a little closer,” she says.

I tend to back away because, again, I hate eyeliner. I always feel like something is in my eye even though it isn’t.

I close my eyes and tell myself that this time, it’s not going to feel like something crawled under my eyelid.

She holds my face steady. I guess I didn’t realize how much I move when someone does this but –

That’s when I feel it. Not on my eyes, but my mouth.

The action registers after a few long seconds. Her lips are on mine.

She’s kissing me.

I’m shocked, but not enough to pull away because the thing is: I’m enjoying it. Here lips are full and soft and feel amazing as they caress each of mine. I don’t even realize I’m letting out a soft moan, but I do. It feels good. It actually feels amazing.

She’s chest to chest with me, her breasts pressing against mine. It feels so natural to kiss her even though I’ve never kissed a woman before and had no idea how erotic it would be, but that’s what I’m doing now and I love it.

I reach beneath her t-shirt and hope my hands are warm enough so that can touch her skin. I need to feel if it’s as soft as I think it is. The second I make contact, she moans into my mouth. Her hand is on the back of my neck and she pulls me into a deeper kiss while her tongue slips inside to explore my mouth.

Now I’m desperate to touch her even more. She’s not wearing a bra. Thank God!

Her shirt raises a little as I cup her breasts in my hands and caress them gently. She is amazingly soft. Her skin feels like satin – no silk – rubbing against my palms.

Gorgeous. She looks and feels gorgeous. She’s so responsive and now I know how much of a turn on it is to turn on another person – a woman. It’s a thrill I never realized I could experience, much less enjoy.

But here it is.

I feel the urge to kiss her beautiful nipples, but I can’t do it from this position. I hold onto her while I pull us both back on the sofa. She’s straddled across my lap. Her shirt is hiked up and her breasts are only millimeters from my face. I have to do it.

I choose my prize and claim it.

My lips wrap around her nipple and she sucks in a sharp breath of air, and then releases it in a groan of pleasure. Her fingers are running through my hair as I lave at her erect bud with my tongue. The circles I’m making are slow and deliberate – torture for the both of us really. I feel it pebble harder the more I do it. It tickles my tongue and sends volts of electricity through my body.

“I want you,” Jasmine groans, “Please don’t stop.”

She arches into me, so I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer.

My left hand is running up and down her back. I’m sucking on one areola while lightly pinching the other between my thumb and forefinger.

Her breath is coming out in short bursts, fluffing the hair on top of my head.

Her squirming knocks the blanket onto the floor, but I’m too hot and turned on to care because I’m so happy I’m the one making her squirm like this.

I switch to the other nipple and she’s grinding against me. She starts to kiss my ear. I move up to pull of her shirt then kiss her neck.

“Oh my God, it feels so good,” she moans in my ear.

I’m so lost in her that I barely consider what she said, but the words sound so damn sexy coming from those full lips, I can’t help but keep going.

She needs her release and I’m going to give it to her.

I pick her up and lay her on the sofa. I take off my top and climb on top of her. She smells mouthwateringly good. I kiss her ear, her neck, and make my way back to the mouth I’ve envied for years. I bask in the glory of each of her naturally red lips. I suck one into my mouth, run my tongue over it, and then do the same with the other.

I kiss down her stomach until I reach her bellybutton.

I pull her shorts down and notice that she’s not wearing any panties. Her arousal scents the room, and I’m the one making her hot.

Me.

She’s my friend and I’m making her hot and wet and she wants to me satisfy her.

And I will.

I don’t waste any time.

I’ve never given another woman such an intimate kiss. I know what I like, but there’s no guarantee she’s going to enjoy it.

I take the risk and decide to kiss her … there…kiss her like she’s never been kissed before.

I part her lower lips with my fingers and swipe my tongue against her clit. I French kiss her folds – slow and sweet. Her head is tossing from side to side. She’s panting and trying to hold onto something.

She cries out my name as she grinds against my face.

That’s all I need to know.

I gently hold her legs in place, licking under, around, and above her clit. She’s not getting off that easily.

I give long, alternating licks up and down her slit. I hold her tight because I want this to last as long as possible for her. She wants me to make her feel good and I refused to disappoint her.

Her thighs tighten around my ears as she grabs the back of my head and pulls my tongue closer inside her. She’s almost screaming now. She’s chanting something, but I can’t hear it because her thighs are covering my ears.

I can’t believe how hot this is making me.

I bury myself in her heaven. I keep sucking, touching, kissing and licking at her until she lets out a guttural scream of pleasure that I can feel through her whole body. She’s shaking beneath me and I slowly let her thighs fall from my shoulders.

She continues to moan and I look for something to help me clean off my face even though I like that her scent is on me.

I find a hand towel to wipe my face.

She finally opens her eyes. I’m sitting up topless in front of her, grinning and blushing a bit.

She stands up, takes the towel from my hands and pulls me to my feet. She pulls down my shorts and leads me to the bathroom.

“Let’s get washed up,” she tells me in this sultry voice that almost makes me orgasm from listening to it.

She leads me down the hallway.

Scented candles illuminate the large bathroom. As she leans over to turn on the warm water from the shower, I notice how incredible her ass looks. I’m eager for any reason to touch it.

The water heats up. I can’t wait to touch her again. I pull her under the stream with me. We’re soaked. Her skin is against mine. I swear, I’ve never wanted anyone this much. Her bare chest against mine is driving me wild with lust. I pull her up against me, cupping her ass in my hands and confirming one solid truth: it is perfect. I knead the flesh because I need her flesh. She’s hot and wanting. Her sex is rubbing against mine and the friction is stimulating both of us.

She kisses down my neck, pulling my breast into her hot mouth. I search for something to hold onto because I know she can make me come just by rubbing against me and sucking on my nipple.

Her damp hair looks black in this light. I brush it away from her face so I can watch her mouth around me. While I’m looking in her eyes, I feel her fingers slip down between my legs and tease my clit.

My head automatically falls against the side of the shower. I can’t handle this for long. I won’t be able to.

She releases my nipple with a small pop and stands up. She kisses me as I caress her perfect wet body everywhere I can reach.

She lifts up one of my legs, propping my foot up on an empty soap dish. The movement exposes more of my sex to the tender attention of her fingers. She speeds up slightly, as I moan more and more. I bite my lip, but nothing will stop what’s building. I feel like the pieces of a Jenga game, just waiting to topple over any second now.

I close my eyes. I can’t take this much stimulation of all my senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch – God how she’s touching me.

I want to grind against her hand, but I fight against it. I close my eyes.

“No, no, no,” she cajoles, “I want to be looking in your eyes when you come.”

She looks me in the eyes, speeding up because she knows I’m barely holding on. I grab the shower rail just before the first surge of pleasure hits me. I cry out, grinding against her harder and another orgasm hits me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

I look at her when I come. I pull her up into my arms and kiss her again.

We stand there under the water, kissing with hunger and desire until the water begins to turn cold. I find a large towel and wrap it around the both of us. We kiss again and it’s only then I hear it.

The buzzer from the washing machine sounds.

I chuckle.

“I guess the spin cycle’s over,” I say as I kiss her neck.

She moans against me.

“Well,” she says as she pulls me into her bedroom and strips off the towel, “Some spin cycles are just getting started.”

God, I adore this woman.

#wlw #lesbian #lesbian passion #lesbian fiction #lgbt ficton #lgbt passion #passion #kissing #lesbian kissing #love is love #woman loving woman

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