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cherrycola27 · 1 year

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Desire

Warnings: Drinking, cursing, Smut 18+

It shouldn't be this hard to fuck your husband. I mean, for crying out loud, you and Rooster were the only married couple in the Dagger friend group. Sure, Phoenix and Hangman were engaged. Bob had his girlfriend that he brought with him, and Maverick and Penny were, well— Maverick and Penny.

But you were the only married couple, and it seemed like this month, the universe had been conspiring to keep you from getting laid.

First, you had the flu and didn't want Rooster anywhere near you. Then your period came early. And not that you were opposed to period sex. You definitely weren't. You just weren't feeling it. And then Rooster had to spend a week in Lemoore demonstrating some new tech, and now that he was finally home, the two of you were like dogs in heat.

That was until Jake had called him a few hours ago to remind him about Javy's birthday celebration at the Hard Deck.

So here you were, leaning up against the wall, watching your husband play pool with the boys.

God he looked so fucking good in the new Hawiian shirt you had gotten him. The sleeves were fitted just enough to strain against his biceps when he flexed them to line up his shot. And you're sure that he wore those light washed blue jeans just to fuck with you, because boy did they make his ass look good.

It wasn't fair that he was walking around like sex on legs, and you couldn't do anything about it.

Or could you?

You smirked wickedly behind your drink as you met Rooster's eyes across the pool table. You definitely weren't trying to distract him from his game. It was a total coincidence that you just happened to lean forward and squeeze your chest together at the exact moment he took his shot.

And you definitely didn't mean to graze his ass when you walked behind him the next time was bent over the pool table.

And you just had to squeeze past him and brush your ass against his crotch so you could do a tequila shot with Phoenix.

You tipped your head back and let the clear liquid burn its way down your throat. You bit the lime, and you couldn't help that a stray drop of juice from it ran down your face along your neck.

All of those events were just— happy accidents.

Rooster's grip on the pool cue tightened. He knew what you were doing. He was doing his best not to let you win. Trying to focus on anything but you and the little game you were playing.

He took a breath and tried to drown out your laughter by listening to the music coming from the jukebox. However, U2 singing about a fever getting higher and desire growing wasn't helping his situation.

You and Phoenix dancing on each other while the song blasted through the speakers also didn't help.

Thankfully it was no longer his turn at the pool game, so he could take a seat for a minute and try to discreetly readjust the semi he was sporting. Normally he wouldn't be this turned on by your little stunts, but it had been almost a month since he had fucked you, and it was starting to get to him.

You noticed he had sat down, so you took the opportunity to waltz over and plant yourself in his lap. You gave him a sweet smile as you wiggled your ass against his cock, all in the name of getting comfortable.

His hands harshly grabbed your hips to still your movements as he let out a hiss. He gave you a stern glance before whispering in your ear.

"Sweetheart, if you don't stop teasing me right now, I'm going to take you to the bathroom and bend you over my knee." He warned.

"Is that a promise?" You asked with another wiggle of your rear.

"Honey. I mean it, be a good girl and cut it out." He growled in your ear before giving your hips a squeeze.

You turned and looked him dead in the eyes before saying, "Make me."

Rooster was stunned at your words. He pulled back and looked at your face. You sat there still smiling at him with big, innocent doe eyes. To those around you, it looked like the two of you were having a sweet exchange, but it was much more wicked than that.

You gave him a peck on the lips before hopping off his lap and walking towards the bathroom. Before opening the door, you turned back and shot Rooster a wink before gesturing to your phone and shutting the door.

Rooster quickly checked his phone and noticed the new text from you, telling him to meet you in the bathroom in five minutes.

He watched the time slowly tick by on his phone before finally excusing himself from the group. He sped to the bathroom, ignoring the calls of Hangman and the others asking him to come back.

He can vaugly hear Bob saying something about not waiting on him, but he doesn't really care at this point.

No, he's on a mission to fuck you... pool game be damned.

He pushes his way through the door and locks it before turning to look at you. You're perched up on the counter, leaning back on your hands.

"Took you long enough," you say as he makes his way over to you and harshly kisses you.

His hands are all over your body. He tugs down your tank top and pulls your bra cups down in one swift motion. He attaches his lips to one of your perky nipples and swirls his fingers around the other one.

Your hands fly to his hair as you try to hold him closer to you.

Normally, Rooster would take his time with you. Build you up to the edge over and over again until you were a babbling, crying mess. But he knew the two of you were on borrowed time, and you didn't have long before someone came looking for you.

"C'mon baby, we don't have much time before people start wondering what we are doing. My pussy is aching to have your cock inside it." You moan against his ear, trying to urge him on

"You don't think my cock is aching to be inside you? I haven't had you in almost four weeks, woman." He growls back, jerking your hips forward on the counter to pull you flush against him.

"Not my fault you've been in Lemoore the past week." You tease back, nipping at his ear lobe.

"Don't fucking remind me about Lemoore. I was so wound up I had to jerk off in the barracks like a fucking horny teenager." He groaned while reaching for the button of your jeans.

"Watched some of those videos I have of you on my phone. Was nice, but not nearly as good as the real thing." He moaned while pulling your pants and panties down in one swift motion.

"Oh, baby," you moan as his fingers skimmed along your soaked folds. "Which ones did you watch? The ones where I'm choking on your cock?" You hummed against him. He grunted in response. "Or what about the ones where I'm finger fucking myself? Was it one of those?" You ask him. He doesn't respond. Instead, he sinks to the floor in front of you. His breath is hot against your core as he speaks.

"No, I watched my personal favorite. The one we made in front of the mirror. Love seeing my girl so cock drunk and fucked out while she's taking me so well. You're like my own personal pornstar in that one baby." He tells you before burying his face in your heat.

He pulls one of your thighs over his shoulder to give him more access. His tongue laps against you in fast, hard strokes. It doesn't take long before you feel your release build in your belly.

"Oh fuck, Rooster! Feels so good!" You cry out as you grind your pussy against his face, trying to get some more friction.

Rooster slips two fingers into your weeping cunt, burying them past the knuckles and crooking them just the way he knows you like. He finds that wonderful spongy spot inside you and curls his fingers over it, over and over again.

You throw your head back unable to contain the moan that leaves your mouth. You really were going to try and be quiet, but it was no use. They way his hands and mouth were working you, you wanted everyone to know how good he made you feel.

"Right there, baby, please don't stop!" You cried out, and he sped up his fingers while his tongue drew figure eights on your clit. You gripped his shoulder to ground yourself, red nails digging into him as your climax washed over you.

Rooster rose up, your release glistening all over his face. He wiped it with the back of his hand before licking his fingers clean.

"Nothing line having my favorite meal after going so long without it." He tells you. You roll your eyes at him.

Rooster doesn't give you time to respond before he pulls you off the counter, spins you around, and jerks your pants down to your ankles before pushing you down against the counter.

He slots his thigh between yours and kicks your legs further apart.

He pushes into you in one fluid motion. He gives you a few moments to adjust to the feeling of him being inside you. You'd think you'd be used to him by now, but even now after a year of marriage and years of being together, you still need some time to adjust to his size, because he's just so damn big.

Once you've settled down, you rock your hips back against him, signaling for him to move.

He starts out slow, building a rhythm. His fingers flex against your hips, pulling you flush against him with each snap of his hips. He wants, no, needs to be deeper inside you. He has the overwhelming urge to fill you, consume you, possess you. He wants to fuck you dumb, push every thought out of your brain, until all you know is him.

The sounds that are coming from you are lewd. If you had half a brain about you right now, maybe you would be embarrassed. But all that's on your mind is a carnal desire to be fucked senseless by your husband.

Your skin is flush. You feel like a candle that's been lit and left alone, burning out of control. Each thrust of his hips, each drag of his cock through your folds, each filthy thing he whispers in your ear only fans that flame that's burning in you.

Rooster hips are relentless against yours as he continues to pound into you. You're trying so hard to stay quiet, but it's damn near. Impossible.

"Come on baby, let them hear you. I want everyone to know how good I make you feel." He moans in your ear. You can't contain the groan that comes from deep inside you.

You lull your head back against Rooster's shoulder as the arm he has wrapped around your torso pulls your tighter against him.

You're so close, and he knows it. Rooster probably knows your body better than you do. He feels your walls flutter around him. Gripping him, not wanting to let him go.

He grabs your chin and forces you to look at yourself in the mirror. He wants you to watch yourself fall apart.

"Look at you, honey. So beautiful. So fucked out. I want you to watch. Want you to see what I see. Want you to see how fucking gorgeous you look when you cum all over my cock." Rooster whispers hotly in your ear.

He holds your face there as his hips repeatedly snap into yours.

The hand around your middle moves so he can draw tight circles on your overly sensitive clit.

Without him supporting you, you lean forward, searching for something to grab onto. Your hand lands on the handle of the sink faucet.

You grip onto it for dear life. Your eyes never leaving the mirror.

This is truly the most erotic thing you've ever done. Your breast bounce with each thrust of his hips. You can see the fucked out expression all over your face. Your cheeks are flushed, your mouth hangs open in an O shape.

You lock eyes with Rooster in the mirror just as he brings you over the edge. You cry out his name and clamp down on him, sending him to his finish right behind you.

You watch as his face twists in pleasure as he cries out your name.

It's so overwhelming that your whole body shakes before both of you collapse on top of the counter.

It takes you both a minute to come down from your high, Rooster slowly pulls out of you. You wince at the loss of contact, already missing the fullness of him.

He tucks himself back into his pants and attempts to make himself presentable. He grabs a few paper towels to help clean you up, but when he goes to reach for the sink, he sees it. The faucet handle laying haphazardly next to you.

His eyes go wide before he lets out a laugh. It takes a moment before your brain catches up with the rest of your body to realize what you've done.

"Oh Fuck!" You screech out, jerking you clothes back into place. "Penny is going to kill us! Not only did we desecrate her bathroom, we broke something too."

"I'll just pay for it. Don't worry, baby." Rooster says to you casually.

"I can't go back out there with this. If I do, everyone will know what we did. I can not do the walk of shame— again, " you groan.

"Baby, for one, I'm pretty sure everyone knows what we did—even if we didn't break the faucet. And for two—it's not a walk of shame. It's a victory lap." Rooster grins.

"I'm not going out there, Bradley. I can't." You start to panic.

"Since when are you shy? This was your idea." He reminds you.

"I know, I know but I didn't take into account the possibility of property damage!" You scold him.

"C'mon honey, I'll explain everything to Penny, and we will all have a good laugh about it." Rooster grabs your hand, trying to tug you out of the bathroom.

You plant your feet, refusing to move. "Fine, if you want to do this the hard way, don't say I didn't try." Rooster sighs. Before you can respond, he picks you up and tosses you over his shoulder. He grabs the faucet handle before carrying you out of the bathroom.

"Bradley Alexander Bradshaw! You put me down this instant you—you big lug!" You scold as you smack his back.

Rooster just laughed and rolled his eyes before approaching the bar. You buried your face in your hands, trying to ignore the wolf whistles from your friends.

He walks up to where Penny and Maverick are sitting and drops the handle down on the counter with a smug grin on his face.

"Sorry Penny, just put it on my tab," He states. Penny looks at the handle, too stunned to speak, before looking back at him. She opens her mouth, but Maverick cuts her off.

"Rooster— Rooster is the broken faucet a result of you defiling my daughter in the restroom?" Maverick sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. He already knows the answer.

"Well, Dad, you did say you wanted grandkids." You reply as you crane your neck to look at him because Rooster still has you thrown over his shoulder.

"I—ugh" Maverick sighs, not sure how to respond. He's pretty sure Goose and Carole are laughing at him from Heaven right now.

"Like I said, Penny, just put it on my tab, gotta get the missues home to work on those grandkids for you and Mav," Rooster winks before strolling out with you still over his shoulder.

Hey babes! Here is my second contribution to @roosterforme love is in the air challenge! Inspired by the U2 song "Desire"

Hope you enjoyed it!

Tag List: @dreamingathighaltitude @shanimallina87 @luckyladycreator2 @mak-32 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @rosiahills22 @thedroneranger @roosterforme @withahappyrefrain @sebsxphia

#top gun maverick #top gun #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw #rooster smut #bradley bradshaw smut #lt. bradley bradshaw #love is in the air tgm #roosterforme #cherrycola27

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kybercrystals94 · 6 months

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If You Need to Talk

By KyberCrystals94

Read here on Ao3!

Whumptober 2023 | Day 21 | Alternative Prompt: Body Modification

Rating: G

Words: 717

Summary: Echo is processing how much his life is changed now that he’s back.

“I can help with that.”

Echo startles and looks up. Tech is standing in the doorway. How long has the commando been standing there, just watching as Echo tries to recalibrate his scomp with his left hand? Burning embarrassment creeps up the back of Echo’s neck and across his cheeks.

“No need,” he says, almost gruffly, “I’m almost done anyway.”

Tech steps into the room, eyeing the sprawl of tools Echo has been using to poke and prod his artificial limb. “I see,” Tech says, expression dubious. “Well, should you need assistance in the future, I hope you will allow me to offer my expertise on the subject. I am, after all, an engineer.”

Echo gnaws on the inside of his cheek. He hasn’t even been with Clone Force 99 a full rotation yet, and the awkward phase of his integration is still in full swing. He’s faced it before, when he joined the 501st after the disaster of Rishi Outpost; however, that had been entirely different, having Fives by his side.

Now, he is alone with a squad of deviant clones who mistrusted him a majority of the time they’ve known him (although that changed drastically after Anaxes, thank the force), along with having to become used to a mutilated body with an entirely new set of rules concerning its upkeep… all without his kriffing dominate hand.

Echo forces down the emotions of despair and self-loathing that eagerly rise to the occasion. “Actually, then, if you wouldn’t mind having a look at it…”

He earns a faint but genuine smile from the goggled clone. “It is no trouble,” Tech says, and sits down next to Echo at the table. “What seems to be the issue?”

“The joint feels tight…limited movement,” Echo explains, pointing to the area his right elbow used to be. “And I noticed my scomp attachment is not reacting like it was before…”

“You were electrocuted, I am not surprised the attachment will need to be recalibrated,” Tech interrupts. Not unkindly, simply removing the need for Echo to explain himself. Tech starts to reach for his arm but hesitates. “May I?”

“Yeah, sure, of course,” Echo says, shifting to make the offending appendage more accessible.

Tech sets to work, narrating the process as he goes. He explains each issue in detail, and then provides a detailed solution. “While it is advantageous that I understand the matter, it is vital that you understand. After all, it is your body. It must not be an easy adjustment…coming back as a cyborg.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Echo says, trying to keep his sarcasm in check.

Tech hums acknowledgment. “Would it be helpful to your mental and emotional wellbeing to discuss it?” he asks.

The question catches Echo off guard. “What?”

Tech meets his eye, pausing his work. “If you need to talk, I am more than capable of providing a listening ear, as it were.”

Honestly, Echo does want to talk about it. Everything since he fell out of that stasis chamber has felt like a lucid dream, one he will wake up from. Fives will be shaking his shoulders, the warmth of his breath on Echo’s face as he says in a voice all too loud, “Wake up, sleepy head! You’re wasting daylight!”

And even though his right hand has been gone for months, it feels like only moments ago it closed over the curve of Fives’ shoulder, grasped the grip of his favorite blaster, held a hand of cards during a game of sabaac.

He wants to tell Tech how much he misses the feeling of the ship rumbling beneath his feet, not the rattling of prosthetics against his thighs. Or how even his insides feel heavy and thick where machine now gives his body function. How he hates the feeling of air movement on his bare scalp where his hair used to be.

He wants to say all of this and more, out loud, into the universe. Into the recycled air of his new home, into the listening ears of his new squad.

He wants to. He wants to so badly it catches like a painful lump in his throat. But he swallows it all back. Instead, he says, “I’m fine.”

Even if it is absolutely the furthest thing from the truth.

END

Tag List: @isthereanechoinhere96 @followthepurrgil @amorfista

✨Let me know if you’d like to be added to my tag list!✨

#Whumptober 2023 #Day 21 #Alternative Prompt #Body Modification #Star Wars The Clone Wars #Star Wars The Bad Batch #Star Wars #The Clone Wars #The Bad Batch #clone trooper echo #arc trooper echo #tbb echo #tbb tech #Echo needs a hug #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer

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artisticestheticreads · 1 year

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Summertime Magic XII

A/N: I'M BACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. I know it has been a very long time, like years, but I have been going through a lot of stuff like depression, panic attacks, and just an all-around mess. BUT I AM BACK AND HERE TO STAY.

To Catch Up, Press Here.

Warning: No warning but ... nope, you gotta read it.

Song Recommendation: Honest Kiana Lede

Word Count: 2665

“Of course, baby. Especially after that. You basically fought for me and you still looked beautiful doing that shit. You’re a queen for sure, always have. Always will be”, N’Jadaka kissed her perfectly bandaged knuckles and lied his head into her chest again. “And you will always be my king, baby boy.” She straddled his lap kissing his forehead and was startled by him pulling them down to the bed so she lied on the bed and he was on top. “I love you, my queen.”

“I love you, my king.”

They began to kiss and get intimate as their chains sat in a dish together, sunken in a cleaner to get rid of all the blood they drew together as a team, in the distance.

“Daka, have you seen my keys”, Y/N asked as she looked through the multiple purses of her home while N’Jadaka was in the kitchen washing dishes. “Nah, baby. I haven’t. Did you check ya jeans you wore last night?”

“That was the first thing I checked, baby”, Y/N walked out of her bedroom wearing a camel-toned satin pencil skirt with a black turtleneck and matching heels; her hair was laid with a seamless 1B lace front wig cut into a bob, left side tucked behind her ear. Daka turned his head in her direction and started to walk up to her. “Look at my queen, looking like she looking.” He wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her neck. “Baby, I gotta go”, Y/N said as she pouted. Daka growled in her ear and said “Nah, you don’t” before smacking her plush bottom. Y/N felt all heated up but knew the business had to be dealt with at the shop. It had been a month and the team was finally chosen, eight nail techs, four barbers and beauticians, and a whole lot more. “Aht aht. None of that. Momma got to go have this business meeting, my love. And besides, don’t you have to be at the center today anyway.”

“Ah, shit. You right”, N’Jadaka said as he dried his hands off. The grand opening was in a week for the center and everything had to be perfect. “Shuri been bugging me about that. The fam was supposed to be all here, but T is in New York, M is in the ATL and Shuri is gonna be in Florida opening the other centers.” Y/N listened as she grabbed ice-cold water from the fridge; she noticed her keys were by the door. “Well, they are here in spirit. OK, I will see you tonight for dinner, right?”

“Oh, for sure. It’s at Leslie’s?” Y/N nodded as she smiled and said, “yes and you can meet my Godson, Izaiah.” N’Jadaka grinned adding, “I can’t wait to meet little man, baby. I know he is gonna be a good kid.” She looked at him as she walked back to the door. “Well, my baby is very much on the shy side. It would take a while for him to get warmed up to you.”

“What is he into? Like coloring, video games, what?”

“Eh, a little bit of everything. But I gotta go. Love you, baby”, and like that she was gone. N’Jadaka looked at his watch and ran off to the room to get ready. He looked over what he chose to wear again to make sure, a black sweater with matching slacks and loafers. When he was finished, he heard some movement in his living room. With his Navy tactic instincts, he listened carefully as he crept in. Suddenly, something told him to grab and pull which he did. He pulled down a slightly heavy object and flipped it over his shoulder; when he looked to see what or who it was, his older cousin chuckled heartedly. “T, what the Hell? You scared the fuck outta me!”

“I am sorry, cousin N’Jadaka. I thought it would be an amazing surprise to see your dear cousin.” The cousins dear their royal salute and chuckled at how T’Challa startled the Prince. “I thought you were in the Big Apple. Go ahead and sit. Get comfortable”, Daka said as he heads to the kitchen. As T’Challa sat on the couch, N’Jadaka asked “you want anything while I’m in here, cuz.”

“Water will be fine. I see you added a few new pictures around, dear cousin.” T’Challa had lifted up the golden framed picture and grinned; it was a photo of N’Jadaka and Y/N at what seemed to be a wedding. He wore a navy suit with a white button-down and his hair braided back; she wore a beautiful, tasteful burgundy sheer gown with her hair in a low bun and golden jewelry. As he placed the photo down, N’Jadaka handed him his water and sat on the armchair near the couch. “Well, Y/N will be a beautiful princess one day and from Shuri’s mouth, she is quite the woman. She could not stop speaking highly of her once she came back.” N’Jadaka leaned back into his chair and agreed to say “yeah, my baby is something special.” T’Challa sipped from his bottle and noticed his cousin grinning into space. As he leaned to place his bottle on a lonely coaster, he asked “well, when will you tell her you are THE prince of Wakanda?”

N’Jadaka side-eyed his cousin and uttered “it’s not the right time, T. One day, but not now.” T’Challa lay back on the couch and folded his leg over his other knee. “If you love Y/N then why hide who you REALLY are? You are the Prince of Wakanda and a part of one of the wealthiest families, there is. You live in a lavish part of California near the hills and you have an underground garage for cars. How does she not know or expect you are basically worth trillions?” N’Jadaka leaned forward, elbows knees, and said “she been busy with her shop, and besides, I don’t want her to end up being like every woman I have been with. Cuz, I had multiple women claiming I gave them a baby but how can I do that as a virgin? What we got pregnant orally”; this made T’Challa laugh and boom around the area. “Ah, yes. You are talking about Ashley, Veronica, and Francesca.”

“Yeah, those ‘women’ only wanted to take pictures and pretend it was their shit. I’m just glad Shuri can hack people’s phones and whatnot. But I just gotta make sure Y/N is really the one, T. That’s all.” N’Jadaka looked at the time on his phone and placed it on the table; T’Challa noticed the picture on the screen of the couple. “I have 20/20 vision, Prince N’Jadaka, so that means I can clearly see that she is the one you will marry and have multiple babies with. I have yet to meet her but Shuri has told me nothing but good things about her. You should not doubt that she isn’t. Father has taught you that before he passed away.”

“I know but-“

“Aht aht, no buts, Prince. Y/N is the only. I can see it already.”

“I agree with your cousin, N’Jadaka”, N’Jadaka heard coming from the secret elevator. There he stood’ 6’5, around 250 or more in brown dress pants, wool turtleneck, and suede slipper. N’Jadaka stood and gave his good friend brotherly love. “Baku, you look good man. I see you not dressing like a hobo anymore”; M’Baku laughs while he faked like he was going to hit him in the gut. “I wanted to come to visit before my trip to Trinidad for a month or so. I had to see about this overly flashy garage of yours but also to hear about the lovely Y/N in person.”

“You tryna ease up on my lady, bro?”

“Her, no. A sister, twin or cousin that looks exactly her, yes most definitely”, M’Baku said matter of factly while the men looked at one another. “Well, MY baby is that shop handling business and away from you, horn ball”. Suddenly, the door opened and the men turned to see a woman coming in. “Come in, Leslie. We can get the-"; the ladies stopped when the N’Jadaka was with two men. “Oh, hey baby. I am so sorry. I came to get the paperwork for my employees. We can wait until you’re done.” N’Jadaka walked to her and hugged Leslie, and gave his lady a kiss on the forehead. “Never apologize, baby girl. That is why I gave you the key to come and go as you please. I wanna introduce you to my friend, M’Baku, and my cousin, T’Challa.” When Y/N looked at Leslie, she smiled, and waved at the two then looked between her and N’Jadaka. “While y’all talk, Ima go to the back and look for those papers”, Leslie said as she fixed her power suit and gave the men slight bows to pass by; M’Baku watched as she passed by and waited until she disappeared. “Is she attached to anyone”, M’Baku asked and Y/N smiled. “Married actually with a child if I may add.” M’Baku held his head down in defeat as a joke as T’Challa smacked him on the chest and made his way over to Y/N. “Hello, Y/N. It is finally nice to meet you in person and now I see what Shuri said about your beauty is truth.”

“She is very sweet and telling by your accent like Shuri’s is that you are actually born and raised in Wakanda”; T’Challa looked at N’Jadaka to see that his eyes squinted right before Y/N looked at where he changed into a smiley expression. “Yes, I sure am.”

“Ooo, how is it? I’ve heard it's beautiful. I tried looking up pictures, but I couldn’t find any pictures.”

“Well, that is because we are like a very private location. You know, to keep intruders-.”

“And colonizers”, N’Jadaka said cutting of T’Challa. T’Challa looked at N’Jadaka before looking back at Y/N. “I guess he is right.” They heard Leslie’s heels click against the ground and turned with the files in hand. “Alright, girly. Let’s get a move on. We got lost to do tonight.”

“Well, it was nice meeting you both. I guess I will see more of you soon”, Y/N said and T’Challa nodded. Leslie touched N’Jadaka’s shoulder and said, “see you tomorrow night, and don’t forget the drinks.”

“Bye, my baby”, Y/N said before Leslie gently pushed her out and closed the door. N’Jadaka smiled at the door before M’Baku asked “so, her friend. Is that a real situation with her husband and child or”, with a mouth full of washed, crunchy celery; the men looked at him as he shrugged and kept eating.

THE NEXT NIGHT

Y/N stepped out of the bathroom in nothing, but an all-black bra and panty set staring at two outfit options; a light blue jean dress with a matching jacket a brand new black Timberlands that N’Jadaka bought, or a yellow sundress and sandals. N’Jadaka was in the mirror standing there in a white tee and black combat cargo. He peeked over at Y/N holding up the outfit up to her frame as she looked in the mirror. He leaned against the door frame and looked over her outfit. “Ain’t it too cold to wear a dress. It’s like 50 degrees outside and besides, they said to be comfortable and warm since we are eating in the backyard.”

“Yeah but it’s pretty.”

“Yes, it’s very pretty and you are beautiful, but I don’t want you catching a cold because it’s ‘cute.’ What about jeans, basic with a jacket and ya Timbs.” She turned to look at what he wore and up & down saying “you tryna be twins again, big head.” He walked up to her with hands in his pockets and smiled. “I mean, Ima be warm so I’m just saying that my fit choice makes sense.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, making her smile, and she told him “tell you what? What if I wear one of your long sleeve white tees, black jeans with the boots, and my jean vest.”

“Eh, I don’t know”, he said being goofy and it made her hit his forehead softly and he laughed. “So rough. Aight aight fine BUT if you get cold do NOT, AND I do mean DO NOT ask for my jacket, little lady”; she held up her pinky and said, “pinky promise.” He rolled his eyes and he cuffed their fingers together. Soon, she got dressed before doing her hair in a large bun on her head and looked in the mirror, quietly admitting that she actually looked better than this in her jean dress; they hopped in the car and were off. As Y/N led them to the location, they looked around the neighborhood, full of white people and huge houses. N’Jadaka shook his head while observing the people watching their car pass by. Once they finally pulled up, he turned off the car and reached behind him to the backseat, and grabbed his jean jacket along with the bottle of alcohol for the small dinner party. Before he got out he looked at Y/N’s left hand as she applied lip gloss and checked her hair; he stared at the hand with new jewelry before he asked “ya ready, baby?”

“Yeah, ready”; he walked over to her side to open the door, help her out and close the door before wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked. Before she rang the bell, Y/N could hear giggles and pitter-patter passing by inside which made Y/N chuckle. “Leslie is chasing around Izaiah before dinner. It makes him eat a lot which means he will be tired by ten.”

“He goes to bed at ten?”

“If they are lucky. That little boy can get so much energy that he won’t be able to sleep until four.” The door soon opened and revealed Monte smiling big and pulling Y/N into his arm and lifting her up into a big hug. “Monteeeee, ugh. Put me down, you big dummy”, Y/N said as she laughed before Monte put her down. Monte held his arms up and said “welcome to our crib. JD, it’s good to see you again brotha, man”, he said as he gave him a brotherly handshake. “Thanks for inviting me, man.”

“Ah, don’t mention. If you dealing with Y/N, you deserve some love over here”, he stood to the side as they walked in. The ceiling was tall with a silver tinted chandelier that hung midway, two levels of stories, and an archway on both sides of the home. “Whoa, bro. This is a HUGE house”, Y/N said as she looked around; N’Jadaka just did the same, but he knew in his head that his place was bigger, she just didn’t know about it. They heard the giggles and laughs getting closer when a three-year-old toddler ran their way and Y/N scooped him up. “Got ya, stinky butt”, she said before lifting him into the air and blowing a raspberry on his belly. Leslie walked around the corner out of breath and said “hey, y’all. As y’all can see, the little troublemaker was tryna make a getaway.” Y/N held him on her hip while he cuddles into her and said “he should know that when TT is here, it is a wrap”; she tickled his stomach loving his little giggle. N’Jadaka looked over to Leslie and said “hey, I brought the drinks.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll show you the kitchen so we can chill them”, Leslie said as she walked past the group after kissing her husband and son. Once the pair walked into the kitchen, he saw the oakwood countertop and black-white patterned tile ground. “This is nice as fuck. It really is nice, Lez. No cap.”, he said as got to the fridge caressing the dark steel fridge that matched the coffee machine, microwave, and stove/oven. “Thanks, we got them from this appliance shop down the way. You can sit down while they go out. I think we should talk.” N’Jadaka sat on one of the barstools at the island placing his jacket down and Leslie pass the water bottle to him; he opened it and began drinking.

“So what you wanna talk about? If this is about M’Baku, I apologize. He's wild as fuck I swear. Do you mind if I grab an apple?” She washed one off and handed it to him with a smile. He nodded as he bit into at how delicious it was heard:

“Ndiyazi ukuba ungubani kanye kanye ... iNkosana N'Jadaka (I know who you really are... Prince N'Jadaka),” Leslie said, causing him to cough from the shock and looked up; noticing her brow raise, folded arms and slight grin, hips leaning against the counter.

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ice-cap-k · 7 months

Text

Assassin Games

Cross-posted on AO3 here: Assassin Games

_____________________________________________

“Eyes on the target.”

“Can you take the shot, dear?”

“Give me a moment.”

Etho shifted. The spruce branch bobbed beneath him gently. It gave off no more movement than you’d see in a stiff breeze. A grey-green cloak was just visible through the screen of pine needles. It fluttered in the slight wind. The hood slipped from over the ears of the man it covered.

He was standing at the very edge of the nearby roof with his back to Etho.

Etho almost quirked a smile under his mask. Iskall sure was making it easy for him.

The Swede wasn’t even bothering to lower his voice as he spoke into the communicator strapped to his arm. He must be feeling pretty confident to take such a risk. When he turned, the glint of sunlight off a green glass eyepiece nearly blinded Etho for a second. He blinked away the spot floating across his vision as the other man continued. “I’ve got a clear shot. Has the payment been confirmed?”

“Confirmed. Take it.”

Click!

Etho rolled onto the balls of his feet in anticipation. He didn’t have to see to know that the man on the roof was setting the bolt on his arm-mounted crossbow as if it could even be called that. It was, admittedly, an impressive little device Etho had seen only a handful of times. It was compact, curved with the arm, and made for easy setting of a spring-powered projectile launcher. Projectiles that almost exclusively involved crossbow bolts with poison-dipped arrowheads. But Etho didn’t know of a better name for the gizmo, so ‘arm crossbow’ it was. Etho had always run a little more old school, but after all these years he was still curious about how Iskall’s tech worked. Especially now that it seems to have gone through a recent upgrade. Maybe today was the day he would finally get the chance to have a first-hand look? The thought sent a cold chill running down his spine.

Green flashed red. Iskall’s eyepiece had been activated. Etho knew that meant he had readied his aim. The little bit of tech was most likely gauging the distance, wind speed, and latent speed of the target, should it be moving. That little bit of red was Etho’s personal green light. As soon as he saw it, he leaped from his branch.

For a second, he was weightless. Caught in a glorious free fall past bricks, iron bars, and branches. One gloved hand caught the bottom bar of a fire escape railing. The momentum of his body sent him swinging down. The jolt was rough on his wrist, but he twisted with his palm to let the motion send him swinging back up. With the snap of his elbow, he let go of the railing and launched himself up to the landing above. His feet made contact with the perforated steel platform at the same time Iskall’s arrow fired.

Thwip!

Thud!

Etho had landed steadily on both feet but waited to make a move after he landed, practically holding his breath as he listened for the man above him. One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. His hand reflexively went to the kunai at his belt. Has Iskall heard him?

There was a tiny beep as the Swede hit a button on his communicator. “Target eliminated.”

“Good. Get the proof and get back here. Then we’ll give you your next assignment, luv.”

“Copy that.”

All the tension left Etho’s shoulders. He had timed his landing perfectly to not be heard over the sound of the arrow’s fire. Iskall hadn’t heard him. Etho still had the element of surprise. So he made his way up the last few flights of stairs, footsteps feather-light.

When he reached the top, he pulled a small mirror from his pocket to check over the ledge of the roof. The other man still had his back to Etho. The reversed image of him in the reflection was hunched over a large case. Inside were wicked-looking arrowheads, blades, and various other odds and ends Etho couldn’t quite make out from this angle, but he was sure that the case must have held most of the man’s arsenal. Fortunately, Iskall didn’t know Etho was there. He was confident he could walk up behind the man without being noticed. Unfortunately, most of the Swede’s weapons were well within arm’s reach.

Etho fidgeted with the pommel of his kunai. His thumb ran along the edges of the leather wrapping its hilt. There was another option. One that he had considered since he first took this assignment. It was even riskier than simply acting now while Iskall’s back was turned. Much more difficult too, but honestly, he felt he owed it to the other man.

Etho let out a soft sigh. He let his right hand drop away from the blade at his belt. The mirror went back to his pocket. Really, he wasn’t sure why he was kidding himself. He might be good at stealth, but he had no desire to sneak up on the other man. Might as well do this the more interesting way.

“Hey there, Iskall!” He called in his cheeriest voice.

There was a loud clatter from the other side of the roof as the other man fumbled in surprise. Etho almost laughed as he heard the telltale click of the arm crossbow. Thank goodness he hadn’t poked his head out. “Who’s there,” the familiar voice demanded.

Etho dared to raise one hand over the ledge of the roof. He bared his empty palm for the Swede to see. “Aw, Iskall. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten me, eh buddy?”

“Etho…?”

“Hey.”

Footsteps clattered across the concrete. Warm fingers wrapped around Etho’s hand. He let Iskall reach down to help him up. The other man kept a firm grip on his arm as Etho leaped from the edge of the fire escape. “Appreciated,” he said as he landed thighs-first on the ledge of the roof.

Iskall was all smiles as Etho brushed himself off and stood up. He hadn’t changed much since Etho last saw him. His beard might be a little longer, his hair a little shorter, but his eyes and smile were just as bright. Then there were telltale signs of his latest job in progress. The little ticks most people wouldn’t notice. But nothing in this business got past Etho’s eye. He recognized the shaking hands at Iskall’s side. The elevated volume and thickening accent as his ears were surely pounding with the sound of his own heartbeat. The deeper breathing as he came down from the adrenaline high of a fresh kill. Still, despite all the things Iskall must be feeling, he was surprisingly composed. “Good to see you, man! It’s been a while.”

“I know. I know. Time sure flies when they keep you busy.”

“Hey,” Iskall says with a laugh. “I hear through the grapevine that you’ve been pretty busy yourself. Those BEST guys must be leaning on you pretty heavily. Don’t let them make a crutch out of you.”

Etho shrugged. The other man wasn’t wrong. Iskall was hard to get ahold of. That goes without saying even under normal circumstances, but lately he’s been away on assignment more and more. Picking up the slack for Etho’s absence. But this is a cutthroat world, and the BEST organization valued Etho’s skills enough to keep him constantly on the move as well. Between the two of them, there hadn’t been much time to catch up since Etho left. “It’s a living.”

“And working with the Hermits wasn’t?” Iskall laughed. “You should come back to us. You know they’ll pay you more than that silly little business can.” The green glass on his eyepiece flickered, activating at the sound of the company’s name. He tapped some unseen button on the side of it, and the glass became clear once more.

“That looks new,” Etho nodded at the bit of tech, steering the conversation away from work.

“It is! Just got an upgrade from X last week. It’s got an improved targeting system.” He patted Etho’s forearm with the back of his hand. “Check it out. I just hit a mark with it.”

Etho’s eyes followed the point of Iskall’s finger. Directly in front of the building was a semi-truck parked alongside the four-lane road. Then beyond that was a high-rise apartment building. A single window on the floor lower than them had a newly shattered window. He could make out a silhouette slumped against the wall on the opposite end of whatever room he was looking into. He whistled at the sight. “No way! Through a window?”

“Through a window,” Iskall beamed. “Reflective surfaces ain't got nothing on this.”

“I’m impressed.”

“Why thank you. We could get you one of your own after you come back to work with the Hermits. Heh? Heh?!” Iskall tried to elbow him in the ribs, but he deftly sidestepped, just barely out of reach. The arm only brushed against the fabric of his jacket.

Etho doesn’t look at him. Instead, he quirked a brow. “How much practice have you been getting with that thing?”

Iskall frowned. “Not much, admittedly. This is my first assignment with it, but it isn’t my first time with targeting software like this. I picked it up pretty quickly.”

“Cool.”

Iskall tried one more time. “Do they have any cool stuff for you to try at BEST? I’m sure X could get you something more to your taste.”

“You must have souped up your weapon too if it made it that far.”

“Etho-”

“Hm..?”

“I know what you’re doing,” Iskall said sternly. “You’re deflecting.”

He absolutely is. “I’m just trying to catch up with you,” he says, reaching back to scratch at the nape of his neck.

Iskall sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. He opened his mouth to say something, and Etho turned to face him. To really look at him. The sudden eye contact seemed to catch Iskall off guard. His mouth opened and shut before he eventually let out a little laugh. “You know, you can’t blame me for trying to get you to come back. We might not have worked together all the time, but we were good at what we did. Both of us were a force to be reckoned with. The best assassins money can buy.”

“Looks like you’re doing alright on your own.” Etho tilted his head towards the broken window across the street. “Looks like you can hold your own.”

The other man’s lips quirked into a lopsided smile. “I suppose so. But what about you? Are you really happy where you’re at? And don’t deflect this time.”

The truth was, Etho WAS happy. He didn’t regret joining BEST. He had good friends there, a new home base, free reign with weapons and defense design, and a say on planning and future business endeavors. It helped that there were fewer people involved. It felt more like a group of close-knit friends that depended on making things work. It felt more personal. Sure, there wasn’t as much money to go around, but there were fewer voices trying to tell him what to do.

It gave him a sense of freedom. Of belonging. More so than the Hermit Conglomerate ever had. The Hermits only ever put him in a box. He was good at stealth. Better than Iskall, even when the Swede tried. And that was all the company would let him do. At least officially. Xisuma was always tinkering with something, and he would let Etho in on projects from time to time. Now he was letting Iskall test out his latest and greatest instead. By leaving the Hermits, Etho had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They hadn’t even tried to barter for him to stay. They had Iskall to pick up his assignments instead. The fact that the Swede was the only one who seemed to want him to come back reaffirmed that Etho had made the right choice back then. It also made his current assignment that much harder.

Of course, Etho didn’t say any of this as it crossed his mind. Instead, he just nodded. “Yeah. I am.”

The other man’s shoulders sagged a little in disappointment. His voice managed to maintain a bit of cheer, though. “Good. At least things are going well for you. Do they still have you working on the same kind of assignments?”

“Something like that,” Etho said, shifting from one foot to another. He hooked his thumbs into his belt, letting the fingers of his right-hand drape over the handle of his kunai.

“Oooh! Are you working on a mark right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s the mark?”

Etho tensed up. “Funny story, actually… I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“What? I didn’t just accidentally steal your kill, did I?”

“No! No, not that. It’s just, you know Iskall. You’re a good friend.” Etho tried to casually pat the other man on the back of the shoulder, but couldn’t shake the stiffness in his own shoulders. The motion felt more wooden or robotic. “So, I just wanted to be honest with you. You know?”

“If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you’re trying to let me down easy,” Iskall said with a grin and a shake of his head.

“I mean, kind of.” Iskall quirked one eyebrow. He waited patiently for Etho to provide some sort of explanation. But Etho wasn’t sure he had a good one to provide. This wasn’t going the way Etho had hoped. He was screwing it up. It felt like he was grasping at straws, mouth opening and closing as he tried to start somewhere. Hopefully, the mask covering the bottom half of his face made his struggle less obvious.

“Ok. Do you remember back when we were training together? How we would make a game out of it?”

“Yeah. Like Tag with high stakes,” Iskall shrugged. “I’d be the hit, you’d try to catch me. You’d be the hit, I’d try to catch you.”

“Exactly.”

It was a gross oversimplification, but they both knew the details left unsaid under those words. A bloody business like theirs meant going up against some pretty dangerous targets. Targets that fought back, or worse, if you missed the first shot. While they had strictly used non-lethal weapons when the cat-and-mouse chase was only between the two of them, there had been plenty of nights spent bloody and bruised at the hand of the other.

“What about it?”

“Well, I guess I came for one more game-”

At that moment, the communicator on Iskall’s wrist beeped to life. The familiar sound of Stress’s voice on the other end of the line crackled through the speaker. “Iskall! Have you left yet? We just got word a BEST operative is near your location. Intel shows they recently put a hit out on you. We need you to get to safety, luv.”

The communicator buzzed once and fell silent. The line was still open, waiting for Iskall’s response. The Swede stood frozen, looking at Etho with eyes that were gradually beginning to widen with realization.

“Oh snappers…” Etho didn’t dare make a move. He was suddenly aware of the press of his feet against the roof, the case of Iskall’s weapons on the other side of the building, and the Kunai beneath his fingers. “Iskall…” he started tentatively, only to cut himself off when the other man ripped his shoulder out from under his hand and brought an arm up in a show of aggression. The open barrel of his arm-crossbow was aimed directly at the center of Etho’s chest.

“Am I your mark,” Iskall demanded.

Etho gulped. “Iskall, I just wanted to-”

“No DIVERTING, Etho!” The green eyepiece flashed red as the other man’s targeting system came online. His knuckles faded to white as the hand holding the arm-crossbow curled into a tight fist. The weapon bobbed threateningly closer. The shake of fading adrenaline in his veins was slowing, Etho noted, and he knew from experience that Iskall was slipping back into that heightened sense a hunter felt the moment his sight fell on the vitals of a target. That moment when time was starting to slow with a rush of adrenaline, the sound faded out, and you’re left waiting for the perfect alignment to fall into place before you pull the trigger. At this distance, there would be no missing. “Not this time,” Iskall continued. “Am. I. Your. Mark,” Iskall hissed, punctuating each word with a bob of his weapon.

“Sorry buddy.” Running more on instinct than a conscious desire to protect himself, Etho had his kunai out before Iskall could pull the trigger. Clang! The head of the crossbow bolt hit the thick edge of his blade. The shock sent vibrations up his fingers and palm as shards of steel from the broken arrowhead peppered the fabric of his glove.

Etho stumbled back. He glanced over his hand to make sure the arrowhead hadn’t pierced skin. His brain barely managed to register that he didn’t see any blood when Iskall whirled in a flurry of his grey-green cape, bolting towards the weapons case at the other end of the roof.

Etho couldn’t let him get to that case. Both hands went to his belt. Fingers brushed against steel, letting a handful of knives fly as he leaped after the Swede. A few managed to tear through the edges of Iskall’s cape, and one pinned the hood against the wood railing along the building’s ledge. The fabric around Iskall’s neck tightened as he continued hurtling forward. With a wretched gagging sound, he stumbled. The sudden yank on the cape caused the knife to dislodge, freeing the man, but by then it had given Etho the opening he needed. He leaped ahead of Iskall as his old friend was just regaining his composure and pace.

Click!

Fwip!

Another arrow bounced off the concrete dangerously close to Etho’s heel. He could hear Iskall’s feet pounding against the roof behind him. He was gaining. So Etho pivoted on his heel midstep. Iskall looked surprised to be face-to-face with Etho. He was winding up the spring trigger on his arm as he ran. As far as Etho could make out, that was the only weapon the Swede had on him at the moment. That was the biggest threat. He couldn't make out how many arrows Iskall had left. Knowing him, he had spare caches stowed away in every pocket and under every fold of fabric. The eyepiece was online as well. The green glass was flashing an angry red as it searched out Etho’s vitals.

Priority number one was the crossbow. If Etho could find a way to damage that, he would be out of immediate mortal danger. The second priority was the bag. He couldn’t let Iskall get to it unless he wanted to risk becoming a living pincushion. Priority number three was the eyepiece itself. If he could get that out of the picture, Iskall would have a significantly harder time hitting him while they were on the move. The final priority was Iskall himself. Etho still bore the scars of old training sessions where Iskall had managed to hold his own after being disarmed. Usually with an improvised weapon. Sometimes with his bare hands. Desperate targets would do anything, aim for any vital point if it meant protecting themselves.

But Etho had given Iskall just as many scars in return over the years. Possibly more.

The distance between the two men barrelling towards the other side of the roof remained steady with Iskall chasing after a backstepping Etho. He swiped out with his kunai at Iskall’s neck as he backpedaled; one foot over the other, behind the other in a rhythm that came to him as easily as walking forward. The very tip of the blade skirted the clasp of the green-grey cape at Iskall's throat. There was the gentle tug of something resisting the knife edge, only for the fabric to split cleanly along the line of Etho’s swing. The cape fell away as Iskall’s eyepiece settled into a solid red glare. Etho heard the familiar click of another bolt sliding into place.

Etho didn’t trip. He didn’t stumble or fall. He let himself drop. He simply let his knees buckle beneath him mid-step. Let himself crumple backward to the concrete beneath his feet. A rush of air parted the hair poking up from his bandanna as the arrow whizzed by a little too close for comfort. Pain bloomed in one hip as it hit the roof, but the fall was measured. It wouldn’t leave more than a slight bruise, especially since he allowed his momentum to send him rolling in a backward somersault that ended with him landing in a crouch, kunai at the ready.

There wasn’t enough time for Iskall to stop before he hit Etho head-on. Etho had one arm up, shoulder hunched as he felt Iskall’s shins and knees impact his side. The edge of the kunai in his hand dragged against the denim of the other man’s jeans, catching the back of Iskall’s calf as the Swede went tumbling head over tail.

But Etho didn’t stop there. Before Iskall could hit the ground, Etho heaved upwards with his legs while the other man was still sliding off his back. It changed the direction of Iskall’s fall, pushing him over the edge of the roof with a scream.

“AAAAaaaaAAaAaaaaaaahhh-” WHUMP!

Riiiiiiiiip!

Thunk-a-tunk-a-tunk-a-tunk!

Well, priority two was taken care of. There was no way Iskall was getting at his spare weapons now. So much for the order of priority.

Etho stood with a groan. He rolled his shoulders, already annoyed by the number of bruises he was accumulating. The edge of his kunai was dripping with blood. The gouge on Iskall’s leg probably went deeper than Etho had originally planned. Too bad. It would slow down his friend, but not stop him.

Considering how trigger-happy Iskall had been a moment ago, Etho didn’t feel like risking a peak over the edge of the roof this time around. So instead he fished out the little mirror in his pocket once more. It was small, but it was enough for Etho to scan the street below. He tilted and twisted it, checking the reflection for any sign of the other man.

The street below was empty at the moment, but there were already people in the floors below poking their heads out. Men and women on the bottom floor filtered outside, looking for the source of whatever screaming they had heard. But none of those people were Iskall. It took Etho a moment to notice the jagged edges of a tarp start to flutter out from the top of the semi-truck below. The once solid canvas now had a large hole punched through the center. Inside were cardboard boxes. Many of the brown boxes were crushed and bent at the center. Considering the neat stacks of boxes closer to the wall of the cargo hold, Iskall must have knocked over everything in the center when he fell through the cover.

Etho knew that Iskall was still in there. He didn’t like that he didn’t have eyes on the other man. At first, he thought to wait the other man out. Iskall would have to leave cover eventually, but Etho wasn’t feeling very patient right now. He could hear the blood pumping in his ears. Two parts giddy excitement, one part guilt, and one part adrenaline was already numbing the protest of bruises that were surely already starting to darken on his skin. He waited long enough for the onlookers to give up looking for whatever they thought they heard before returning the mirror to his pocket. The kunai quickly replaced it. He leaped up onto the railing lining the edge of the roof and stepped out into the empty sky. The wind rushed up to meet him as he plummeted down a good four stories. The fall sent his stomach up into his throat. The wind in his ears did nothing to drown the rush of his heartbeat. He landed feet first on top of the semi, balancing on the edge of the wall overlooking the boxes within.

“You hiding in there, man,” he teased, swinging the kunai around his finger by the ring at the end of the pommel.

Something pressed against his ankle. Etho looked down in time to see a hand reach from beneath a pile of boxes and yank his leg out from under him. He managed a startled yelp before falling in, knocking his elbow painfully against the edge of the wall on the way down. The kunai flew from his hand and he lost track of where it went during the fall.

Some of the boxes gave way easily beneath him. Their cardboard edges crumpled under his weight, but still dug uncomfortably into his back and sides. Iskall had managed to drag him down until they were at about the same level. Etho was still struggling to get his bearings when a fist connected with his temple. It sent his vision spinning in a swirl of pain, his skull bouncing off the wall of the truck from the force of the hit. It left him stunned. Another hit sent pain blossoming across his face as it landed somewhere between his nose and his cheek. It made his teeth rattle, and he was becoming aware of his mask growing sticky and warm against his chin and lips.

He could still make out Iskall through his blurry vision, though just barely. At some point during the fall, Iskall must have lost his eyepiece, because he could fully make out both of the Swede’s eyes without having to look through translucent green or flashing red glass. Priority three was out of the way then. There was a stern seriousness in the set of Iskall’s jaw, a calculating look in his eyes, and the smallest inkling of a smile on his face. Etho might have just been imagining that, though. Head trauma made reality a bit harder to parse out.

All he could do was lamely throw his arms up in defense for a moment as Iskall tried to get another good punch in. They only managed to hit the back of Etho’s forearms. It was better than taking another hit to the head, but Iskall had power behind those hits and Etho’s arms were beginning to shake under the pressure.

He managed to blink away the worst of the dark spots spiraling past his eyes, focusing long enough to let the tunnel vision set it. The next time Iskall went in for a hit, Etho twisted along with the punch, letting his friend’s fist glance off his forearm to pound into the metal wall of the truck. He howled with pain, but that hesitation was all Etho needed to kick out at Iskall’s shin. His heel made contact, and he felt the other man’s leg give in. It wasn’t enough to knock him over, but it was enough to make him stumble. Iskall wobbled. He knocked over stacks of boxes that rained down on top of him. They fell between Etho and him, which perfectly broke the line of sight.

Now Etho was in the zone. He was back in the comfortable tunnel vision brought on by the spike of adrenaline and the necessity of a fight. He felt hyper-aware of everything around him. There was no fancy tech. Every box. Every little movement Iskall made. He felt like he could anticipate it all. It was an all too human sense and he knew it well. They both did. But this time it was his turn to go on the attack. One hand went to the wet mask that pressed uncomfortably against his face. It was getting hard to breathe with it on, and as he pulled it down, he noticed that his glove came away slick and red. He wasn’t sure if the blood was coming from his throbbing lip or stinging nose, and he didn’t have time to figure that out right now. His other hand went to one of the remaining throwing knives at his belt. The knife balanced at the edges of his fingertips felt like a trigger on the verge of being pulled.

Iskall tried to lunge for him, but he couldn’t see Etho like Etho could see him. When he reached through the mound of boxes, Etho lashed out with the knife. Iskall yanked his hand back with a cry as the blade left a shallow cut across the back of his hand.

Etho was ready to cut him again if the man tried a second time, but Iskall knew him. Knew him well enough to switch tactics instead of using brute forcing. Instead, the Swede picked up the nearest box separating the two of them and flung it at Etho as hard as he could. Etho threw his arm out, catching the corner of the box with his free hand to knock it away. The other hand brandished the knife for the attack he knew was coming, only to find it buried to the hilt in another box Iskall was shoving at him like a shield. And Iskall kept shoving, not giving the much-needed inch Etho could use to free his knife.

With a cry of triumph, Iskall managed to bowl him over. He fell back against the boxes, but Iskall kept pushing. Etho’s boots scrabbled uselessly against the floor as they slid. The rubber soles couldn’t catch on anything but boxes, and those were falling away from the two of them with every movement. At one point, Iskall let go of the box that had Etho’s knife pinned and went straight for Etho’s neck. He tried to wrap both hands around, but Etho abandoned the knife and managed to grab one of his friend’s wrists. He couldn’t stop Iskall completely, though. His other hand was pinned under the two of them after they tumbled to a stop. Iskall’s grip was uncomfortably tight on his windpipe so he risked trying to overpower the Swede. To push up with his pinned elbow to headbutt Iskall, or at least get his grip on his neck to loosen, but it wasn’t enough. Iskall simply retaliated by slamming his hand down harder into the base of Etho’s neck. It bashed the back of his skull against another box, which wasn’t as bad as the metal wall of the truck but still hurt like hell. For a moment, Etho couldn’t get any air in or out.

Iskall did have him pretty well pinned. He only had use of one hand, and that was currently preoccupied with trying to keep Iskall’s free hand from crushing his windpipe twice as fast. But his legs were still free. With a desperate lurch, Etho threw his knee up. Iskall let out a satisfying wheeze as Etho’s leg slammed into his stomach. The hand around his throat fell away.

Iskall made a desperate ploy to scramble away while he struggled to regain his breath, but Etho wasn’t about to let him go that easily. He yanked his knife out from the box at his side and took another swipe. Blood painted the blade and a line of boxes as he opened up another shallow cut across Iskall’s shoulder and back. He would have gone for another, but Iskall blocked it with the back of his forearm. The forearm with the crossbow. Etho hissed in pain, the knife dropping from his hand. He had heard something in his hand crack. Or maybe it was the crossbow that had broken. Probably both, considering the white-hot pain flaring up his arm and the little broken string now hanging from the crossbow. At least the bolt Iskall had docked in the weapon had fallen out.

Priority one was out of the way. Finally. That just left Iskall himself.

Which made things sound so much easier than they actually were. As soon as Etho realized the crossbow was busted, Iskall launched himself at Etho with a roar. All tact was thrown out the window as he full-body slammed into the other man. They went tumbling out the back of the truck with an avalanche of boxes. Etho kept both arms wrapped around Iskall’s as they tumbled. He wasn’t about to let the other man try another choking attempt, even if the act of holding onto Iskall with his bad hand sent shocks of pain up his arm. But it also left him vulnerable when they hit the edge of the truck. Correction, when he hit the edge of the truck. Etho took the full brunt of their fall when his ribs hit the corner of the truck bed. All the air left his lungs. His mind went blank for a second as his body processed an even greater pain that by far overshadowed whatever he was feeling in his broken hand or bloody face.

He was fairly certain he had broken a rib. So it came as a big surprise he had managed to hold onto Iskall. It came as an even bigger surprise that he had the sense of mind to shift as they fell so Iskall would hit the asphalt first and act as a cushion for Etho. He heard a “whoomph” as air rushed out of Iskall’s lungs a second time. He had half a mind to try to knock Iskall’s lights out while he had a chance. He risked going for a punch with his good hand, but that meant having to keep Iskall pinned with the broken one, which was painful enough that he immediately decided that it wouldn’t be worth a second punch. He only tried it once, managing a left hook to the cheek. But it wasn’t his dominant hand, and the blow didn’t have the power to do much more than snap Iskall’s head to the side. It probably wouldn’t even bruise right away. So instead Etho brought his hand back down to keep Iskall pinned as they both stopped to catch their breath.

It felt good to take a moment to just breathe. Iskall seemed just as tired as Etho felt, and it hadn’t even taken a chase across half the city to get to this point as it had in previous training sessions between the two of them. The moment of calm was both a blessing and a curse, though. Etho could feel himself coming down from the adrenaline rush. The pain was losing its muted quality. His hands were starting to shake where they held Iskall’s wrists against the road where a small puddle of blood was beginning to pool under his shoulder.

Iskall was the first to speak. “Must be getting old if we’re already this tired. This almost feels like one of our old games,” he said. A real smile spread across his face.

Nodding doesn’t seem to be in Etho’s wheelhouse right now. Just the thought of moving his head back and forth is making him queasy, and he wonders if one of those hits to the head gave him a concussion. So instead he lets out a little, “Mmmhmm,” to hum his agreement.

“Well, no game is complete without a chase.” Etho braces for the hit well before the bottom of Iskall’s boots crashes into his chest. He’s already released Iskall’s wrists and rolled into his shoulder as the kick hits. Iskall only managed a glancing blow, but it was enough to send another shock of pain down Etho’s side as he somersaulted out of reach. Etho’s quick enough to land on his feet in a crouch. His free hand braces against the ground to keep him steady as he looks up to face Iskall, who is already back up on his feet. But before Etho can think of a strategy to attack or defend, the other man turns on his heel and runs.

It’s a broken run. A desperate run. The kind of limp a man manages when there is no time to risk being slow. The fabric of his jeans is dyed red from his ankle up to his calf where Etho’s kunai had cut deep. Streaks of red paint uneven stripes down the back of his shirt.

That was it. The game wasn’t over, but they were both finished. There was no way Etho was going after him now, even if deep down he thought he could catch Iskall if he tried. Nobody had been knocked out or fully incapacitated. Nobody had won. Etho sure felt like a loser, though. His good hand began to shake again and lowered himself to the ground. Sitting wasn’t enough, so with a groan he painfully slid down to lay on the side of the road. He needed a moment before he could even think about getting back up again.

He reached over with his good hand and pressed the button on his own communicator strapped safely to his wrist on the other arm. The screen flashed to life, illuminating the bloody fingerprint he had left on the button beneath it. Coordinates flashed white, pinging his location to the rest of his team. Almost immediately a call came in through the speaker. They must have been watching for him.

“Hiya buddy,” Skizz’s upbeat voice buzzed out of the speaker. “How’d it go?”

Before he answered, he tested his jaw. The joint clicked uncomfortably when he wiggled it. That was concerning, but the motion didn’t send bolts of pain through his skull. It mostly just felt sore now. He took that as a sign that it probably wasn’t broken. “About as well as I expected, honestly…”

“Ooooh! Good! That’s good, right? You had fun?”

The act of smiling made his face hurt. It dropped off his face almost as quickly as it appeared. It wasn’t like Skizz could see the look on his face anyway. “Sure. I think Iskall enjoyed himself too, once he got past the mortal terror. You didn’t actually put a hit out on him, did you?”

“What!? No! Yes! I mean no! Pffft, I’m just yanking your chain, buddy. Of course we didn’t. We could have, though. Did you want us to?”

Etho couldn’t help but laugh, but immediately regretted it. The slightest shake of his chest made his ribs ache. A flash of pain lit up his right side. It became a little bit harder to breathe. Yup. At least one of those ribs had to be broken. “Please don’t,” he managed to breathe out, and he was surprised the words didn’t come out sounding more like a whimper.

“Whatever you say Etho. Naw, we didn’t put anything out on him. Top just fed those Hermits some false rumors disguised as internal orders. They actually thought they could bug us and we wouldn’t notice.”

The speaker crackled as Skizz broke out into a fit of giggles. It almost drowned out the much quieter voice of Tango in the distance saying, “says the guy who didn’t notice.”

“Hey!” Skizz snapped so loud that the communicator's speaker cut out halfway through. “Anyway,” he continued, volume dropping back to a still booming but now more typical level for Skizz. “You said you wanted to see what would happen if you two went full out. And you keep saying he’d never give it one hundred percent when it’s just the two of you. Figured you both could cut loose and give it your all if he thought it was for real.”

“I think it might have worked a little too well,” Etho said, trying to suppress a groan. “Better get that rumor cleared up before they put a hit out on me in retaliation.”

“Can do, buddy. Anything else?”

“Yeah. Could one of you come to pick me up? And bring the first aid kit, please.”

#whumptober 2023 #prompt no. 5 #“it's broken”#“You better pray I don't get up this time around”#minecraft: hermitcraft #hermitcraft #creativ #violence #blood #broken bones #implied unnamed character death #ethoslab #iskall85 #stressmonster101 #skizzleman #alternate universe - assassins #modern setting

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imabeautifulbutterfly · 2 years

Text

The Gym Membership - Part 10 (Tech)

Summary: Tech tells Hunter about his date with Kamarie

A/N: Hello Lovelies,

I know I just brought this back but this will go on a quick two week hiatus as I will be on vacation, so rather than leave you all on a cliffhanger, I thought I’ll share the next part of Tech’s story. Don’t worry I’m still writing Tech’s story so there may be another two parts or three coming. Definitely two for sure.

Please note I am not a medical professional in any way shape or form, every mention of medical procedures or topics have been researched, as such some information may be inaccurate. If you are experiencing medical concerns please seek out a medical professional for help.

Chess game that is played through out Tech’s portion, is the game played by Kasparov vs. Topalov - played Jan 20 1999, at the Hoogoes A tournament. Please note I am not a chess player, I do not watch chess, hence why I focused on an already played game.

Italics - flashback

Warnings: Flirting, angst, grief, anger, inappropriate comments, medical discussions, mentions of illness, mentions of medical procedures, mentions of medical diagnosis, crying, abandonment, veil threats, bullying, mentions of infidelity, feelings of not good enough, realization of future, I think that’s it, the warnings are a little vague, otherwise it would give too much of the story away, however if I did miss any please let me know.

AO3 Link | Words: 4,985 | PREVIOUS - -> NEXT

Gym Membership Master List | Main Master List

“I’ve not had the privilege of eating here before, however Crosshair, Hunter and Zaina have and they all seem to enjoy the food.”

“I’m sure it will be quite delicious, I know several others I collaborate with enjoy this restaurant as well”

“Would you prefer to discuss the problem the coding seems to be having before we order our meal?”

“If you are not opposed to the discussion”

“Not at all, I find it quite fascinating”

“Excellent” Kamarie reached for her iPad, pulling up the coding for the hydraulics, “as you can see” she handed Tech the iPad, watching him as he took his time examining the coding, “the code is working, in fact the code is …”

“It’s elegant”

“Oh … uh … thank you. I didn’t think you …”

“Believe me. It’s as elegant as you are beautiful” Tech watched as she glanced away smirking, even her eyes appeared to be shine with enthusiasm at his statement.

“Are you always this complimentary?”

“When it calls for it, yes” Tech glanced from her eyes back to the iPad in hand, “I think I see the issue with the coding”

“Already?” Tech nodded shifting a little so he could show her the issue, when the waiter came over asking what they wished for, they quickly put in their order, focusing back on the coding before them.

He took his time to explain the issue and how he would go about fixing it, he couldn’t help glancing over to her every few seconds as he spoke. He noticed whenever he pointed out the problem to Kamarie, she would twirl her fingers back and forth over her left earring, and when he pointed out a solution to that particular issue she shifted closer to him, almost encouraging him to keep finding solutions. When he complimented a particular section, she moved her other hand lightly grazing his. It was all done subconsciously, it appeared she had no clue as to what she was doing while he spoke.

In those moments, watching every single one of her movements, captured him. He felt his heart was climbing and ready to jump from his throat. Even his cheeks begin to flush and feel warm, yet he felt a chill run down his spine as the smell of her perfume wafted over to him. It was simply ridiculous how just being in her presence made his heart flutter and his pulse race.

Tech looked over to Kamarie and noticed her eyes glancing from the datapad to both their hands, he wondered what had caught her attention. When he looked, he was shocked to see that at some point they had intertwined their hands together. He wondered at what point had this happened, how had he not noticed, and who took the initiative. He looked from their intertwined fingers to her face, there was a smile he couldn’t quite describe. It was full of mirth, shyness, adoration, and something else, it made him feel as though he was the most powerful man ever in existence. Tech reciprocated as best he could, smiling at her hoping to convey his feelings of admiration for her.

“Well, there’s a face I haven’t seen in quite some time” a smug voice filled the air around them, pulling them from their moment.

Kamarie’s face lost its sense of calm as soon as the first word was issued and reached her ear. Even the smile she had on her face seconds before fell. Tech felt her fingers tighten around his, she seemed frightened at hearing the sound of that voice.

Tech watched her intently, as she slowly and cautiously turned her head towards the voice, he followed her movement with just as much precision and care. When he looked to the direction of the presence that had intruded on their evening, even his breath hitched in his throat, upon see a certain pair of eyes standing beside the voice, someone he had not seen since his senior year in high school all those years ago.

“Pre Vizsla” Kamarie began, her knee pressing against Tech’s, it was as though she was doing her best to absorb his strength, “it’s been some time.” Tech didn’t miss the way the muscles on her neck jumped every so often, or the fact her hand began to feel a little cold and sweaty. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, to tell her there was no reason to fear, he was here for her.

“I’m surprised to see you … here” Vizsla stated slowly and deliberately, his eyes locked on to Kamarie’s, a smile etched on his lips, as his hand tightened on his companion’s waist, “please allow me to introduce my date.”

“Oh don’t worry my dear” the girl draped on his arm rested her hand on his chest, caressing it tenderly, “Tech and I know each other, don’t we my dear”

Tech didn’t want to look at the woman on Vizsla’s arm, he didn’t want to deal with this woman from his past, yet he had to give Kamarie some explanation, he focused on her as he did his best to provide some clarification to her confused expression, “Christie was my …”

“I was his ex, dear” she directed to Pre Vizsla, “actually, I’m pretty sure I was his first girlfriend, isn’t that right T?”

Tech simply ignored her, he never spoke to her again after the incident, and had no desire to entertain her questions.

Vizsla smirked as his eyes locked on Tech, “Well, is that not just a strange coincidence, Kamarie here is my ex. Granted, she looks remarkably well and … very much alive.” He turned to lock eyes with Kamarie, “Last time I spoke with you, you informed me you had only six months, surprised to see up and about” the smirk turned into a grin, “and not six feet under.”

“I beg your pardon” Tech spoke up to the man, his hand clenching against his side, “Are you shaming her for a diagnosis?” His eyes narrowed on the man.

“Maybe you should mind your own business, glasses, or at the least wait till you hit puberty”

“Name is Tech” he stated as he stood from his seat, his hand falling away from Kamarie’s, his other hand clenching into a fist, his breathing steady as his eyes laser focused on the man in front of him. “I suggest if you are quite done with your meal, you should walk away, or I can make sure to call your transportation ahead of time”

“Really?” Kamarie’s voice pulled Tech from his focus.

He looked towards her a smirk appearing on his lips, “Of course, it always take the ambulance at least ten to fifteen minutes for them to show up” he turned back to Pre Vizsla narrowing his eyes once more.

“Listen you …”

Christie pulled on Pre Vizsla’s arm, “Pre, maybe we should go my dear,” her eyes meeting Tech’s, there was no doubt, Tech could see the hesitancy resting in her eyes along with fear, before she focused back on the man beside her.

Tech saw her expression, he had no doubt she was remembering he could handle himself, probably better than the man on her arm right now. After all, she had attended one or two of his martial arts tournaments.

“I’m not scared of him”

“My dear, please, let’s go” Christie looked from Pre to Tech, the tension palpable between the two, “You don’t want to start something with him. Please my dear, let’s go, we still have your friend’s party to attend” Tech watched as a smile appeared on her lips, it was a smile he had to admit reminded him of the times she pretended to be interested in him back then, and how easily he fell for her.

Pre simply nodded, “Very well, out of consideration for this lovely creature” Pre’s knuckle tapped Christie’s chin, “we will head off, enjoy whatever time you have left with her, glasses. After all, I had all the best years.” Pre shifted his hand guiding Christie outside of the restaurant, it had taken every ounce of self-control for him not to jump over the table and throttle the man to pieces.

Once they were gone Tech let out a controlled breath and retook his seat. He glanced over to Kamarie, her eyes were glistening with tears, her shaky hand was covering her quivering lips, she almost seemed to curl in on herself. Tech rested his hand on her back gently, rubbing circles.

“Kamarie, are you all right? If I overstepped or if I scared you …”

“I …” her voice was shaky as she cut him off, the waiter came by hoping to ease the couple at his table, “Sir, Ma’am is there anything I can get you?”

“A glass of water, please” Tech answered without even looking at the waiter, yet he could see from his periphery the nod of understanding as he headed off to wherever. Truthfully, he could have cared less, directing his full attention back to the woman who was a sheer ghost of the strong woman he had come to know over time.

“Cyar’ika, what is it? I apologize if I did not step in as quickly as I should have or if I overstepped in some way.”

“No. It is not that that has upset me.”

“Then what is it?”

“I did not want to discuss this on our first date but it appears I have no choice in the matter now, since my ex-husband just …”

“Is this in regards to what he stated about …” Tech cleared his throat, “about your life expectancy?”

Kamarie nodded a tear slipping down her cheek, he took a quick glance around the restaurant, most patrons were busy, however a few were watching the two of them like some soap opera, others were pretending to focus on their dining companion, while glancing over towards them equally enthralled with the situation that had just transpired.

“Would you prefer if we went somewhere less public?” Kamarie nodded again. Tech left several bills on the table, guiding Kamarie out of the restaurant and towards his car “Are you comfortable traveling with me in the same car?”

“I arrived in an Uber, therefore I am without transportation at that moment. However, I trust you, Tech. I’ve always trusted you.” The look in her eyes, when she locked on to his, told Tech everything he needed to know, and he valued that trust and would treat it with the absolute privilege it was, he took her hand gently, as he guided her into his car.

He sat in the driver seat, taking a moment as the car warmed up a little before he decided to drive anywhere, which reminded him, “Do you have a preference where we go?”

He watched as the tension in her shoulders began to ease, “There is a location that holds deep meaning for me” Kamarie pulled our her phone, texting the address to Tech.

The ride to their destination was quiet, filled with tension and discomfort, an almost eerie silence that seemed to have landed between the two of them.

Tech hated it, he knew he should be doing something, saying something, after all he wanted to provide comforting words but his words weren’t like Echo’s spoken from the heart full of meaning and even poetic, they weren’t like Wrecker’s full of fun and care, or like Hunter’s full of purpose and direct, or even like Crosshair’s who could make anyone blush when he turned on the charm.

He was just him, and the only thing he could offer was his mind, yet despite his fantastical orthography, his myriads of knowledgeable information he kept stored in his three pounds of tissue, everything failed him. All he wanted was to just say anything in order to get her out of her own mind set.

Set.

That word and that word alone struck him with pure genius as a smirk appeared on his lips.

“King C1 to B1”

Kamarie glanced over to him, he took a chance to glance over, and there on those beautiful lips he had memorized and studied all the times he spoke with her had the beginnings of a smile. She quickly wiped away a stray tear as her smile grew.

“Pond A7 to A6”

“Hmmm” Tech took a second to think of his next move, “Knight E2 to C1”

“Queenside castling”

“Knight C1 to B3”

“Pond E5 to D4 capturing pond”

‘Your destination is on your right’ the GPS voice cut through.

By the time Tech had parked the car, the dense cloud that had been hanging over Kamarie had lessened. He could once again see that strong, intelligent, bold, capable, and absolutely brilliant Doctor sitting beside him.

He got out of the car, heading to her side to open the door holding his hand out for her; he wanted her to know he would always be there to hold her hand. There was a small smile on her lips as she stepped out of the car taking his hand.

She wrapped her coat around her tighter not due to the weather, but no doubt due to the uneasiness of the discussion they were about to have. Tech followed quietly, still holding her hand, helping her sit on the bench.

He’d done stealth missions before, but somehow they all seemed to pale in comparison to how important it was for him to remain as silent as possible as he took the seat beside her. He didn’t want to rush her, allowing her to take her time, to gather her thoughts, and to determine exactly how much or how little she truly wanted to or needed to tell him.

They’d been sitting for ten minutes, before Kamarie was ready to open her mouth, she shifted closer to Tech wanting his warmth and strength as she was about to reveal a hard truth to him, almost instinctively he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closer and that’s all she needed at that moment, she took in one final breath before she started.

“Pre was my husband…” Tech didn’t know what to do, obviously someone as amazing as her would have had a previous paramour, yet, that man, really? “… We were married for five years, yet we’d been together for nearly eight. At the time, I thought … I was under the impression he loved me. We just celebrated our third anniversary as a married couple, when we learned about my diagnosis.”

Kamarie’s hair wafted in the wind as Tech watched her expressions, every shift of her face, every movement of her lips he burned into his memory, and tried to calculate the answer behind them, to search for hidden meanings and clues, still doing his best to remain as silent as possible beside her.

“It started about a year before, I had begun to notice some health issues I was having. Difficulty breathing when I overexerted myself, even just something as simple as walking up a few steps made me feel as though I had run a marathon. I developed a cough that seemed to worsen as the months passed. Eventually, I seemed to have lost my appetite, foods that were once something I craved held no joy for me. Extreme tiredness and weight loss soon followed …” Kamarie fidgeted with her hands, “it took a few months, several tests, but my doctors were able to make a diagnose.”

She cleared her throat, turning to look him in the eye, “I have squamous cell carcinoma”

“Lung cancer? What was the diagnosis?”

“When I was diagnosed, almost five years ago now, the doctors informed me I had M1A Lung Cancer, the most if not one of the most severe forms of lung cancer. When we first found out Pre was inconsolable, he was struggling for a long time with my diagnosis. I’m not excusing his behaviour at the restaurant, but you have to know he was there beside me for every treatment, every appointment, every bout of sickness that came with the radiation and chemo. It all became too much and eventually broke him.”

She reached up wiping a tear, “He was a strong man, physically, mentally, emotionally, there was no obstacle he couldn’t overcome, but seeing me so sick, seeing me get worse and worse, with no hopeful diagnosis, it became all too much for him. At some point, he started having an affair with his coworker, I had just finished the third round of chemo when I found it, he told me, he just needed something good in his life. About a week after I found out about his … his extramarital paramour the Oncologist informed us there had been no change, he couldn’t … he couldn’t handle it. It was just too much for him.”

“It doesn’t excuse what he did, then and now; especially since you were the one diagnosed.”

“I know, but being with someone who has less than a 40% chance of survival, and that was ‘if’ the radiation and chemotherapy worked takes a toll on anyone. Especially, when the average survival rate was 34.3 months from date of diagnosis.”

“Yet you were the one who was suffering. Yes, I understand that it was difficult for him, but was it not especially harder for you? To see the man you loved, who you looked to for support, hurt you and abandon your side?”

“I won’t lie to you, it was excruciating, there were many nights when I cried myself to sleep. However, I’m glad he did leave, otherwise I wouldn’t have known how strong I was without him. Despite my ups and down, I am happy. I’m happy to have met you. I’m happy I have lasted longer than the two years and eight months the expected life expectancy I was supposed to have. Yes, each day since then has been my own ticking time bomb, but it has also given me the opportunity to make sure each day is not wasted. I travelled around the world, visiting and seeing everything I wanted to see. Completing everything on my bucket list, and now all I want to do is help those who I can with the time I have left.”

He didn’t know what to say, he wanted to be strong for her, he wanted to kick the living daylights out of Pre if he was being honest, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was “How are the treatments progressing?”

He internally screamed at his own failings, this was not the way to go about this. He wanted to tell her he was happy for her too, he wanted to make sure she knew he was going to be there for her every step of the way. Whatever may come, he was going to be there, and he was going to make sure she was happy; as he looked into her eyes he vowed within himself, every day for the rest of her life, he was going to make her happy.

“Well, … not good,” she chuckled, biting her bottom lip, when she realized there was nothing funny about the situation before them, “my doctors informed me two months ago, none of the rounds of chemo or radiation have worked in shrinking the tumours. They’ve slowed their growth … and since surgery is out of the question, due to the size and the various locations of the tumours, I have been informed there is nothing more that can be done. My doctor was very sweet and kind, and advised me to enjoy the life I have left, however long that might be.”

Tech couldn’t believe all of this, that was … he usually enjoyed learning new and interesting pieces of data, there would be times where he would lose track of needing to sleep, eat, shower, even sometimes forgetting to go to work because he was busy reading and researching new and interesting topics that drew his attention, but this … all of this … the only thing that came back to his mind was Pre leaving “He refused to stay by your side?”

She didn’t flinch or even chastise him for simply focusing on what her ex-husband did, in truth that had occupied a lot of her cognitive thinking in the past, it would only be natural that Tech found himself focused on the same topic of discussion, “As stated previously, I could not blame him for his failings, it was a tremendous amount of pressure, stress, and heartache, he did the best he could in the time he stayed with me. Watching someone you love, slowly pass away, and in the most difficult way possible is not something everyone can handle.”

There was a silence that fell upon the two of them, as Tech took his time analyzing her words. They weren’t words said to protect the man who had been her husband, they weren’t words said simply to fill the silence, they were words she had analyzed and examined herself. She said them because she believed them, and he couldn’t help but respect her all the more for it. Despite how Pre treated her in the restaurant, she really had no ill-will towards the man. He wondered if that was because of her love for the man, or her own reasoning.

“Are you upset with me?”

Tech furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “What possible reason could there be to be upset with you?”

“For not being angry with Pre”

He simply shook his head ‘no,’ “How can I be upset about how you decide to view your ex-husband? I simply met him today, and not in the best light. I am not such a petty man to believe my own experience is the only answer to the character of that man. Does it make me upset on how he treated you? Yes, most assuredly, yes. Does it make me upset with you? No. He was your husband, your paramour, and your friend, regardless of what actions he may have taken later on in life, do not negate the memories you have of him from before.”

“Are you always this understanding?”

“I aim to understand and see the logic behind one’s reactions; it makes it easier for me to understand others.”

“Thank you for being a man who forms opinions based on logic”

“Kamarie, there is something I wish to tell you”

“Which is?”

He took in a deep breath, this was no light matter, and what he was about to say would prove he thought about this in depth, “I wish to remain by your side for as long as you choose. I know you did not wish for me to learn of your diagnosis so early on in our relationship, however, I am glad to know. It will help me to appreciate and treasure every moment I have with you.”

Her eyes shifted away, “Tech, please do not feel as though I told you, simply to make you obligated to stay by my side because Pre had difficulties handling my illness. If this is too much for you to handle, if this is too difficult …”

He shifted closer reaching out, taking her hand in his, there was something about her statement, something about the way she stated her sentence that made Tech focus on the present, the here and now, the fact that what she needed most was not someone to fight for her on a feud that was long over with, she had precious moments and he needed to focus on her.

“I understand the significance of my statement and declaration, cyar’ika. I do not feel obligated, I stated my intention with freeness of speech” Kamarie shifted her head to look at Tech.

She didn’t need a saviour, she didn’t need anything, she had known this was a lonely road to take when her doctor informed her about the diagnosis all those years ago, and in fact when Pre left they had just learned she may have had at most six months, but she beat those odds. She beat them by almost three years. However, this time her diagnosis was final, there was no more last minute efforts to try and for now she felt relatively fine, a lot better than what she felt when she was on chemo and radiation.

No one really knew how much time she had left, but that didn’t matter.

All she really wanted was someone to love in the time she had remaining, something she didn’t think was possible, yet here she was with the most amazing man she had ever met, someone who clearly stated he wasn’t afraid to take on her burden, and for that someone to be Tech, was a gift from the universe she wasn’t going to throw away.

“Tech you understand there will be a lot of things I cannot give you if you choose to stay by my side? I cannot have children, the chemo and radiation have made that impossible. I will not be able to live a full life with you, my illness has made it very clear each day could be my last. There may be times in the near future, where I will be so sick, it will be impossible for me to even get up to use the bathroom to relieve or even clean myself. If you stay by my side, it will be one filled with pain, sickness and eventual death.”

“Kamarie, I am not leaving your side. Every day could potentially be our last day, I do not want to waste a single moment from this day forward. Since the first day I met you, you … I should’ve said something back then. You are everything I could want cyar’ika, your brilliant mind, your melodious laugh, your fetching eyes, your ability to follow my thinking, and your beauty. The more I’ve gotten to know you over these past two years, the more I’ve realized I’d fallen in love with you. Let me be there for you; give me the privilege to make whatever time we have left together the most enjoyable I can. Allow me to love you as you deserve. If this is truly not what you want, we can part ways here, and I will be by your side as much as you let me.”

Kamarie’s hand shakily reached up and cupped his cheek, could he really give her everything she hoped for? She wished and prayed that in that moment she was making the right decision, “I want this, Tech, I’ve wanted it since you came into my life. However, I will not force you to stay by my side, if at any time you find it is too difficult…”

“Kamarie” Tech leaned into her hand, raising her other hand to his lips pressing a gentle kiss on her knuckles, “I am not going anywhere.”

“I don’t want you to go anywhere, you’ve captured my heart from the moment you protected me, your brilliance, your beautiful eyes, your cunning wit, your kindness, and your charming face were all things that drew me towards you. I only regret that I did not speak up sooner.”

“Let’s not squander any more precious moments with regret, instead let’s fill them with memories we can carry in our hearts for as long as possible.”

She simply nodded, as Tech’s lips closed on hers, she reciprocated his kiss deepening it, hoping to convey her gratitude, her admiration, and her respect for the man beside her. Tech tilted his head hoping to deepen the kiss or extend it further, he hated that he waited so long to tell her the truth, he hated that he could’ve been by her side sooner. Eventually, both pulled apart, needing to breath, she rested her head against Tech’s shoulder, curling herself into his side, as she held on to his hand. Tech was grateful she couldn’t see his face, she wouldn’t be able to see the tears that had begun to escape down the side of his cheek.

“I dropped her off at home and aimed to head home, I honestly don’t know how I ended up here”

“Tech, are you sure this is what you want?”

“I have been in love with her for the past two years, I wasted all that time, Hunter. I am not wasting another minute without her, even if it’s for a short time”

“You know it’s not going to be easy, I remember how hard it was for you when Wrecker and Echo were in the hospital and you were stuck in Afghanistan. You almost lost your mind Tech, you practically threatened an entire military base in order to get back home. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I understand where your concern is coming from, I do. However, the thought I keep returning to: what if I’m not by her side for every moment and chance I have. I want to be there, Hunter, I want to be the one she leans on, during the difficult times ahead. The only place I belong is by her side, there is no doubt in mind about it.”

“Then we’re here for you. For the both of you.” Hunter reached out grasping his younger brother’s shoulder, he didn’t miss the determination in Tech’s eyes, he could see the man had a plan up his sleeve to make every moment with Kamarie special “Are you guys going to tell the rest of the family?”

“I’ll leave that for her to decide” Tech appreciated his brother’s hand on his shoulder, he appreciated it even more when his hand shifted and rested on top of his head, it was a simple gesture but it brought him an immense sense of comfort every time. It was a gesture that had been developed since they were kids, a silent promise that Hunter would be by his side always.

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silyabeeodess · 9 months

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FusionFall Headcanons: Sonic Scorpions

It isn't just instruments from the Sunny Bridge's Auditorium that've catered to their numbers. Marquee Row in itself is largely a massive entertainment district, so there would naturally be several music-related businesses, from orchestra shops to set-ups at local bars and clubs. According to their description, these monsters have even taken instruments from basic garage bands. They're smaller in number than other fusion monsters, but halting their creation would almost require halting music altogether--an impossibility simply due to how big a of role it is to the human experience. Especially during the war, music is integral for keeping up morale. Fuse knows this, and so targeting travelling groups that play for Earth's army isn't out of the question either.

From military usage to crowd-control, acoustic weaponry isn't anything new. While the Sonic Scorpions can't exactly do the same damage as these weapons due to their lack of sophisticated tech (being made up of literal instruments), they nevertheless can still cause some injury through noise alone. We see this evident in the mission "How to Date a Fusion (Part 3 of 5)," in which Belladonna/Buttercup sends us to battle them in her place due to just how much her head hurts while fighting them. Granted, given how I like to view Belladonna as a doppelganger to Buttercup rather than Buttercup herself, this could've been an excuse for Belladonna not to fight period since she just can't match the real Buttercup's ability and it would be like tossing a lamb at a bunch of wolves. Nevertheless, it's still worth keeping in mind, especially given the racket we do hear the Sonic Scorpions make in-game while fighting them ourselves. Other than damage to the ears and nerves, the loud sounds made can also cause psychological distress, which can be a turning factor mid-combat. They might not be able to create sound waves capable of knocking you over, but they can create a noise that forces you to naturally tense up/freeze when a decisive strike is needed. Earplugs are highly advised whenever you face these monsters.

Because of this use of sound as a weapon, the Sonic Scorpions are pretty adept at facing multiple combatants at a time. They have no control of the direction of the sound waves, the chaotic clatter booming across wide areas--the amps on their tails increasing that range. Beyond soldiers, this has greatly affected anyone living in or near Marquee Row where the Sonic Scorpions roam. Their constant noise increases stress, a loss of sleep, and illnesses caused from both. As such, there's a heavy focus on culling these fusion monsters in-particular despite their fewer numbers and lower threat level compared to others.

While they are the bane of most anyone living in Marquee Row, there is a silver-lining to all of their racket: It's impossible for them to act stealthily. The instruments attached to their bodies clamor with every movement, so people always know in-advance when one of them spawns/approaches--with fusion fighters then quickly dispatched to handle them as a result.

Despite having a "stinger" like a real scorpion's, physical attacks are pretty rare. More likely, as seen from their in-game animations, these monsters will attack by firing fusion matter from their mouths with the stingers playing a more secondary role. This actually falls in-line with the attacks of real-life scorpions, as when they are capable of taking down their prey without poison, then they'll just hold them down. The Sonic Scorpions can fire fusion matter from their tails as well, but it is too blunt at the tip for a direct injection and new fighters will often focus so much on avoiding the tail that the other attack pattern lands with greater success.

This can make them a bit tricky to fight, as you have to pay attention to attacks from both high and low: The stinger looming above you and the face lower to the ground. Whether a nano or fellow soldier, it is good to have a spotter when you fight them if only to call out when these monsters switch up where they aim from.

Also like many real scorpions, their hard exoskeleton can be tough to break. Flattening themselves may be pointless due to their huge size compared to humans, but sharp weapons still work much better than blunt weapons against them. If you have to fight melee, use a sword.

A third trait of theirs taken from real scorpions is their increased activity at night. Rather than because of nocturnal hunting though, it's due to how and why they were created. The spawns that came from them witnessed much of the nightlife of Marquee Row--when it's time to party and bands are in full-swing, ripe for swiping material from. Again, one of their main purposes is also to keep people up at night, so parading through the streets in the earliest hours of the day is typical for them.

#fusionfall #headcanons #sonic scorpions #fusion monsters #video games

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ryuichifoxe · 2 years

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It doesn't take long and eventually the surveillance cameras pick up on a rat that's maybe a little too interested in the package that's been conveniently left out at the back door. They try to tug on it, but when it proves much too big for them they simply start to chew a hole into it. Not soon after they scurry out, bringing the little gadget in their mouth to a sewer entrance which they disappear into. After a while the cover lifts and a hooded person emerges from it. [continued] -✘

Em can’t make out their gender or much details only the dark stained clothes they wear, and the glint of metal fingers as they grip the hole cover. They seem to look around for a few seconds and after finding the camera they actually pull down the scarf that’s been covering the lower half of their face and fully smirk right to Emery’s face and mouth into the camera- „So you finally noticed huh?” They leave the fake gadget on the pavement and disappear into the sewer. -✘

Well, it's not a teenager. The rat is a surprise and, truth be told, fascinating to watch. Tenacious too. Trained? Considering their intelligence, not beyond the realm of possibility. Still...odd.

Emery sets the tablet connected to the security feed on the table next to where he's sat and runs both hands through his hair out of frustration.

It's one thing to follow a human mind through the sewers, another entirely to try and keep hold of a single rodent thread tangling with numerous others roaming the same area. A person is easy, their thoughts clear. And while not impossible to track a rat, it's certainly tricky and not worth the strain it would take on his telepathy. As much as he hated letting this little game drag on for another week, Emery resigned himself to walking away from this night mostly empty handed.

Looks like the next decoy needs to include a tracker…

With a grunt, he pushes himself up from his crouched position, just below an open window to the back alley, and pads over to his personal workbench. The shiny, new replacement parts (he had to order several times before buying them in person) are pushed to the side, giving him plenty of space to brainstorm. Tablet now forgotten in favor of crafting a new plan.

Until new movement triggers the cameras and the alert pulls him away to investigate. He expects another rat, perhaps one of the stray cats or raccoons he occasionally pulls from the dumpster. It's not though. It's a person and for whatever reason his blood runs cold. For all of five seconds because the smirk has him seeing red.

The little shit knew. Knew and--what? Wanted to get caught? Didn't care? Expected better?

Now, a calmer man would've stayed put or calculated the risks. He did. Sort of. In the breath it took to pocket a taser, vault out the window, muscle the manhole cover back open, and drop into the abyss below.

Emery puts out telepathic feelers before his feet make contact with the ground and keeps low, letting his mind and ears do the work his eyes cannot. Weak soldiers don't survive The Farm and he hasn't survived this long just to die in the sewers. Or lose his tech to some gutter bandit with an attitude.

#✘ anon #ryu replies #and rps now I guess haha #do y'all have any idea how longs it's been since I've rped? years #anyway I literally said this is sewer rat behavior out loud #this is so specific though #I feel like I outta know who this is #because I can recognize a fair number of Steps #granted I've been out of the game for a couple years #so you're a mystery #and a little shit apparently #color me ✨intrigued✨#tumblr makes this look like a novel and it's really not #it's not even 400 words :'D #also I'm so sorry Em is coming for your ass LMFAO have Fun~#Em has 80+ force daring and arrogance (in retri) for a reason #ryu writes #emery becerra

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squirrelwrangler · 1 year

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@anghraine Oh wait- okay so I always knew in my head that, even if the choice only matters for RP purposes because the game itself never references the race/gender/origins of the player character in a way that impacts the plotlines, that you play mostly human characters, so Hyur if you ever played XIV. And that of the two clan choices, Midlander is the generic from just about anywhere but the taller Highlander models are used mostly for Hyurs that originated from Ala Mhigo, the city state that had a geographical and political history of resource poor (except salt) highland in the center of the main trade route with the major cornerstone of their culture being their religious devotion to their patron deity and the fighting monks who also were deeply entrenched in their internal royal politics - the other major native DPS job being the magic rapier wielding class that does mostly spell-casting with a little bit of melee and some healing support. And that an extremely important main story element is how Ala Mhigo was conquered by the neighboring empire twenty years ago so there’s a sizeable Ala Mhigan diaspora and resistance movements and you’re helping out the factions and the political complications involved in the Base Game through multiple expansions. So, in my head, yeah, Elizabeth is an Ala Mhigan probably Red Mage. Visually the architecture and clothing is has elements of the Caucasus and Near Middle East to Western Steppe.

But! Elizabeth. I was thinking to myself how the equivalent race to the Charr in FF XIV are our Hrothgar, as our version of the fully cat-faced large and burly player race (who are based on FFX’s Ronso) as opposed to the less beastly more generic cat-earred race that is the most popular player race by far. And okay, the Hrothgar only have playable male options as of right now and we won’t get female options for Hrothgar until 7.0, the next expansion. But! the Hrothgar are not Charr, lorewise. Hilariously NOT. In fact, remembering what their lore was, I realized, omg what if. Because, okay that extremely expansionist imperialist religion-banning empire that conquered and subjugated Ala Mhigo? The empire ruled over by what are a Human subset without any magic and instead tech (unlike all other races) have been conquering a lot of places, trying to emulate the historical imperialistic high tech empire of Allag (The Romans to Garlemald’s Third Reich/Imperial Russia). And before they conquered Ala Mhigo, the other region that got the worst of their crimes -including the vaporizing of their capital city- and the country to whom we get extended plotlines about their preconquest, occupation, rebellion and rebuilding - is Bojza. Aka the main homeland of the Hrothgar. Whose naming structure is Slavic inspired and architecture is Mesopotamian. Where the city of Bojza had as its claim to fame being the holdout that resisted conquest from that original ‘Rome’, the only place to defeat Allag thanks to their queen. The Hrothgars whose ancestral weapon and combat style of gunblades was stolen and bastardized by the Garleans. Hrothgars who are explicitly set up as a matriarchal race, Bojza ruled by a queen with a council of priestesses. In fact the two sub-clan options of Hrothgars are divided up whether their clan has a matriarch or if she was lost (and the last names are the names of said matriarch). But they’re not a human race and I know you’d think Charr if see them.

#now i'm thinking to think of all my mutuals and assign them XIV WoLs #wondering hmm which one has the vibe that they would willingly play a Lalafell #i love y'all too much to think your tastes are so basic as to play a catgirl

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theavaricesystem · 3 months

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Alright I'm gonna make a post on here about the very sudden idea I had for a video game, that is currently spinning wildly in my brain:

Sprint/STRIDE

Setting: An as-of-yet unnamed Sci-fi city, where sapient AI are still relatively new and are a hotly debated topic in both legal, ethical, and scientific spheres. Capitalism can't seem to find an easy way to exploit these Synthetic Humanoids, at least not yet.

Protagonist: a Synthetic, designation STR-103, nicknamed "STRIDE" by their creator and mom. They were designed with experimental tech, which allows for "photon conversion and projection". Meaning, they are able to convert their body into light in order to move at the speed of light in very short, angular bursts.

STRIDE felt called to help protect the city they were made in, and eventually begins investigating a dangerous outbreak of "Rapid Personality Burnout", an event which can cause synthetic humanoids to suddenly lose the ability to reason and become dangerous to themselves and others. STRIDE's creator lost a friend and partner to an RPB, making this a deeply personal endeavor, even beyond the risk that STRIDE may experience one of these burnouts themselves.

STRIDE is a sleek, aerodynamic, almost minimalist synthetic, with various rabbit-like features, such as long ears, digitigrade legs, and a small, angular tail. Their face is a screen, which displays their emotions via emoticons.

The gameplay: turn based, where STRIDE takes action by plotting out a course, moving a number of spaces according to an ENERGY bar, and interacting with enemies and the environment to neutralize foes in a nonlethal manner. STRIDE refuses to use lethal force, even on other Synthetics.

After STRIDE takes action, there is another turn for "The World", where all of the enemies-and the results of the actions taken on STRIDE's turn-come into play. STRIDE is not built for durability, and thus, WILL die from one stray bullet or well-timed attack. However, no other Synthetic or human can keep up with their processing abilities or speed, giving them a great advantage.

Movement and Actions both use your ENERGY. You have to balance how far you move with how many things you do in a turn, and vice versa. Enemies will often not follow you as you move however, opting to stay in place and try to catch you between movements to close in and attack. This means the best course of action is to alter the terrain bit by bit, until a path is cleared for STRIDE to close in and subdue hostiles in one turn.

Visuals: grid based movement, possibly isometric graphics. Alternatively, 2D sprites on a 3d plane?

Definite sources of inspiration: The Flash, TRANSISTOR, and Fire Emblem/Advance Wars/tactics games in general, and Tracer from Overwatch (kinda sorta)

#Sprint/STRIDE #yet another HUGE idea #lets see where it goes #video games #video game idea

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fitlybuy123 · 4 months

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Game On: Exploring the World of Sports with Bone Conduction Headphones

In the world of sports, where every beat and bounce counts, having the right gear can make all the difference. One revolutionary piece of technology that has been gaining traction among athletes is bone conduction headphones. These innovative devices are changing the way we experience sports, providing a unique way to listen to music or calls while staying aware of our surroundings. Let's dive into the simple yet impactful world of sports bone conduction headphones.

What are Bone Conduction Headphones? Bone conduction technology might sound like something from a

sci-fi movie, but it's actually quite simple. Instead of using traditional speakers that go inside or over your ears, bone conduction headphones rest against your cheekbones, sending vibrations directly to your inner ear. This leaves your ears open, allowing you to hear ambient sounds while enjoying your music or calls.

Stay in the Zone: Awareness and Safety For athletes, staying aware of their surroundings is crucial. Whether you're jogging in the park, cycling on a busy street, or hitting the gym, bone conduction headphones let you stay in the zone without completely blocking out external sounds. This means you can enjoy your favorite tunes while remaining aware of traffic, fellow runners, or the coach's instructions on the field.

Comfortable and Secure Fit: Designed for Movement Sports bone conduction headphones are built with active lifestyles in mind. They often come with a secure and comfortable fit, ensuring that they stay in place during rigorous activities. No more adjusting your earbuds mid-run or worrying about them falling out during an intense workout – these headphones are designed to move with you.

Sweat and Weather Resistance: Built to Endure Sports and outdoor activities often come with sweat, rain, or unexpected weather changes. That's why many bone conduction headphones are designed to be sweat-resistant and weatherproof. Now you can continue your workout, come rain or shine, without worrying about damaging your headphones.

Seamless Connectivity: From Calls to Music Beyond their sports-friendly design, bone conduction headphones offer seamless connectivity to your devices. Whether you're taking an important call on the go or pumping up your energy with a workout playlist, these headphones make it easy to switch between tasks without missing a beat.

Versatility for Every Sport: Running, Cycling, and More One of the standout features of sports bone conduction headphones is their versatility. They are suitable for a wide range of sports and activities. From running and cycling to weightlifting and team sports, these headphones adapt to your fitness routine, providing a soundtrack to your every move.

Long-lasting Battery Life: Powering Your Workout A good workout playlist should keep you motivated from start to finish. With the long-lasting battery life of bone conduction headphones, you won't have to worry about your music cutting out mid-session. Many models offer hours of playtime on a single charge, ensuring that your headphones can keep up with your active lifestyle.

Easy Maintenance: A Hassle-Free Companion Nobody wants to spend extra time fiddling with their gear. Bone conduction headphones are often easy to clean and maintain, making them a hassle-free companion for your sports adventures. A quick wipe-down after a workout is usually all it takes to keep them in top condition.

Affordable Tech for All: Accessible Innovation Despite their advanced technology, bone conduction headphones are often quite affordable. This accessibility means that athletes of all levels can benefit from this innovative piece of tech without breaking the bank. It's a small investment for a big enhancement to your sports experience.

The Future Sounds Good: Embracing Innovation As technology continues to evolve, so does the world of sports gear. Bone conduction headphones represent a step into the future, where athletes can enjoy their favorite music or stay connected without compromising safety and awareness. As more sports enthusiasts discover the benefits of this technology, it's clear that the future sounds good – and it's playing through bone conduction headphones.

In conclusion, sports bone conduction headphones are not just about listening to music; they're about enhancing the entire sports experience. From safety and awareness to comfort and versatility, these headphones are a game-changer for athletes who want to elevate their performance without sacrificing the joy of movement. So, whether you're hitting the pavement or conquering the trails, consider making bone conduction headphones your trusted companion in the world of sports.

For More Info:-

Lightweight sweatproof earbuds

sweatproof headphones for workouts

Open ear bone conduction headphones

Noise canceling bone conduction Australia

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loomismejia · 2 years

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The Morning after - Engadget

If existing styles of wireless earbuds have never quite worked for you, Bose is ready to test a new design. These wireless Sport Open Earbuds don't go into or over your ear canal. Instead, they are placed above it, allowing you to get the audio and still hear sounds of everything going on around you.

The design is a bit awkward compared to other buds, but Bose assures that they'll be comfortably positioned in all weather conditions, with clear, loud audio that you can hear without blasting the sound to the rest of the world. I'll have to read reviews from audio experts before I can fully believe in the product. However, it's worth looking at a different headset that will fit better.

- Richard Lawler

'Minecraft Earth' will shut down on June 30th

Microsoft's AR mobile game was released in the US last year.

Minecraft Earth players have until June 30th to play the augmented-reality game before Microsoft shuts down its servers and it's not available for download from marketplaces for apps. According to the developer, Mojang Studios, "Minecraft Earth was created around free movement and collaborative play which have become near impossible in the current world situation."

The studio is rolling out a last update it says contains changes "to make your time on Minecraft Earth as fun as possible." Alongside other changes, the update does away the use of real money transactions and significantly reduces the time it will take players to create and construct items within the game.

Microsoft will erase player information on July 1st and the game that was launched at WWDC 2019 will go away. Continue reading.

Dell unveils its first 40-inch ultrawide monitor

Laptops with SafeShutter technology designed for business use

Already the CES 2021 rush has begun. Dell has released devices designed specifically for specific business needs. The first ultrawide Dell 40-inch monitor features resolution of 5,120 2160 pixels and can be used to display a 4K video and also display editing controls on the sides.

The company is also releasing a collection of monitors designed specifically for video conferencing, thanks to built-in 5MP cameras and speakers, noise-canceling microphones, and even dedicated Microsoft Teams buttons. The first in the industry Latitude 9000 laptops feature an "automatic shutter", which closes off the camera when it's not being used. This is essential if you want to use your laptop to make Zoom calls or in locations which photos aren't permitted. Continue reading.

The next-generation Tile tracker could use ultrawideband tech

AR might be used to locate it. While we wait for dedicated tracker tags from Apple or Samsung, Tile is working to stay competitive. According to TechCrunch Tile is currently working on a tracker that will use ultra-wideband (UWB) tech, instead of Bluetooth, to help you find lost objects. UWB offers several advantages over Bluetooth. Its high-frequency waves transmit information about direction and spatial space which make it more precise in locating tags and devices. UWB is already available in the most recent iPhones as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (and Galaxy Z Fold 2) models. Continue reading. teamextreme minecraft server

Verizon suspends 3G Shutdown Plans indefinitely

It will remain operational in conjunction with its 5G and 4G networks. Verizon Media, the parent company of Engadget will not be preparing to shut down its 3G network in the near future. The spokesperson for Verizon, Kevin King, stated that Verizon's 3G network is "operational" and that the company does not plan to close it down. He also added that Verizon will "work with customers to transition to a newer and more advanced technology."

Verizon stopped activating 3G phones in 2018 according to a statement that "virtually every traffic on [its] network [is] on [its] 4GLTE network," at the time. Verizon and King did not disclose how many 3G phones were still connected. However the number could be significant when the network is operational alongside 4G or 5G. Continue reading.

Amazon purchases planes for the first time to expand its air cargo fleet

Amazon Air has leased aircraft until now.

Amazon's cargo airfleet is proving to be an enormous success. It has grown from 11 jets when it was launched in 2016, the company is expected to have more than 85 aircraft that will deliver whatever its customers around the world are buying by 2022. Amazon's latest announcement is notable since it is the first time that the company has bought, instead of leased, additional aircraft. Continue reading.

Wait, there's more... The smart-home brand has changed its name from C By GE to Cync

Engadget Deals - Crucial's 1TB MX500 internal SATA SSD is on sale for $85 - the lowest Amazon price ever

The Persona soundtracks are now available on Spotify and Apple Music

What's on TV this week: 'Star Trek: Discovery' season finale

Twitter labeled the tweet of a Georgia forecaster as election as uncontroversial.

An app was used by 'Call of Duty: Warzone" players to cheat on matchmaking

Flipper Zero turns hacking into a Tamagotchi-style game

Hologram Electronics Microcosm review

The US will receive the OnePlus Nord phones on January 15th.

Asobo Studio shows off real-time snow in 'Microsoft Flight Simulator'

#Teamextreme #teamextreme minecraft server

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locksprout50 · 2 years

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The Morning After - Engadget

If present types of wireless earbuds have never fairly labored for you, Bose is able to strive a new design. These wireless Sport Open Earbuds don’t go in or over your ear canal. Instead they sit above it, permitting you to get the audio and still hear sounds of every part going on around you.

The design appears just a little awkward compared to different buds, however Bose claims they’ll keep securely positioned in any weather situations, with loud, clear audio you possibly can hear with out blasting it to everyone else. Cubepack88 I’ll need to see opinions from one in all our audio consultants earlier than I consider fully in what it’s selling, however the potential for a headset with a greater fit is price a shot.

- Richard Lawler

‘Minecraft Earth’ will shut down on June 30th

Microsoft’s AR mobile sport launched in the US a year in the past.

Minecraft Earth gamers have until June thirtieth to play the augmented actuality title before Microsoft shuts down its servers and it’s not obtainable to download from app marketplaces. In keeping with its developer, Mojang Studios, “Minecraft Earth was designed round free movement and collaborative play - two issues which have grow to be close to unimaginable in the present international state of affairs.”

The studio is rolling out one final update it says accommodates changes “to make your time in Minecraft Earth as enjoyable as doable.” Among different tweaks, the replace does away with actual-cash transactions and drastically reduces the time it'll take for players to craft and construct issues within the sport.

Microsoft will delete participant knowledge on July 1st, and the game that debuted at WWDC 2019 will disappear. Continue reading.

Dell unveils its first 40-inch ultrawide monitor

And SafeShutter equipped business laptops.

The CES 2021 rush is already beginning. Dell rolled out units built for some specific business needs. Its first 40-inch ultrawide monitor has a 5,a hundred and twenty x 2,160 decision that may match a 4K video while exhibiting enhancing controls on the sides.

It’s also releasing a set of monitors made for video conferencing, due to constructed-in 5MP cameras, speakers, noise-canceling microphones and even dedicated Microsoft Groups buttons. Final however not least, new Latitude 9000 laptops are the industry’s first to feature an “automatic shutter” which can close off the digicam when you’re not using it - key if you’d like to make use of your laptop computer each for Zoom calls and in areas the place photos aren’t allowed. Proceed reading.

Tile's next-gen tracker might use ultra-wideband tech

And you may use AR to find it. We’re nonetheless waiting to see devoted tracker tags from Apple and Samsung, but Tile is trying to make sure it’s staying competitive. In accordance with TechCrunch, the company is creating a tracker that may use extremely-wideband (UWB) tech, as a substitute of Bluetooth, to assist you discover lost items. UWB has a handful of advantages over Bluetooth: Its excessive-frequency waves can transmit spatial and directional knowledge, which make it extra correct at estimating the location of tags and devices. The latest iPhones, in addition to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 2, pack UWB performance already. Continue reading.

Verizon places 3G shutdown plans on hold indefinitely

It will keep the community operational alongside its 4G and 5G networks. Verizon (owner of Engadget's parent firm, Verizon Media) isn’t shutting down its 3G community anytime soon. Kevin King, the carrier’s spokesperson, told Light Reading that Verizon’s “3G community is operational” and the company has no plans to shut it down. He additionally added that the corporate will “work with clients to move them to newer technology.”

Verizon stopped activating 3G phones in 2018 as “virtually all traffic on [its] community is on [its] 4G LTE network,” it said at the time. Neither King nor Verizon revealed how many 3G devices are still related, however the figure could possibly be significant if it selected to keep the network operational alongside 4G and 5G. Proceed reading.

Amazon buys planes for the primary time to broaden its cargo air fleet

Until now, Amazon Air leased aircraft.

Amazon’s cargo airfleet appears to be a success. Increasing from 11 jets when it launched in 2016, the corporate can have more than eighty five planes delivering whatever world customers are shopping for by 2022. Amazon’s newest announcement is notable as a result of it marks the primary time the corporate has bought, as an alternative of leased, extra aircraft. Continue studying.

However wait, there’s extra... GE's good house brand modifications its name from C by GE to Cync

Engadget Offers: Crucial's 1TB MX500 inner SSD is on sale for $eighty five - its lowest Amazon price ever

The Persona soundtracks at the moment are available on Spotify and Apple Music

What's on Television this week: 'Star Trek: Discovery' season finale

Twitter labeled a forecaster's Georgia election tweet without controversy

'Call of Duty: Warzone' gamers used an app to cheat matchmaking

Flipper Zero turns hacking right into a Tamagotchi-model sport

Hologram Electronics Microcosm evaluation

OnePlus's low cost new Nord telephones will arrive in the US on January 15th

Asobo Studio exhibits off actual-time snow in 'Microsoft Flight Simulator'

#Cubepack88 #another day another cube

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hyuckshaze · 3 years

Text

zoom shenanigans - l.dh

✩‌ haechan ‌x‌ ‌fem!reader‌ ‌|‌ boyfriend!haechan | smut | ‌1.6k+ words ✩

SUMMARY‌ ‌⇾‌ you don’t quite know how hyuck convinced you to sit on him while in a class zoom call

WARNINGS‌ ‌⇾‌ exhibitionism, unprotected sex, dom!sub themes, asphyxiation, edging/overstimulation, spitting, slight humiliation, degradation (use of words such as whore, slut etc.), dumbification, slight dacryphylia, salirophilia, dirty talk - basically pure and absolute filth!

AUTHOR’S NOTES ⇾ i couldn’t stop thinking about this throughout the entirety of my online classes today, so i just had to write about it to get it off my chest. i am an absolute slut when it comes to dom!hyuck, so this is just self-indulgence really. enjoy! not proofread so please message if there’s any errors, or anything missing from the warning list! - lex

You don’t quite know how Hyuck convinced you to sit on him while in a class zoom call.

He’d driven you insane. You’d been sat on his cock since the start of your lesson, for which your teacher, thank God, had decided that cameras did not need to be on. The class only lasted an hour, with you sitting on his lap in his gaming chair because ‘your desk chair just isn’t comfy enough, Y/N’, according to him anyway. You thought your desk chair was perfectly comfy, but he insisted. 60 minutes doesn’t seem all that long in the grand scheme of things, but with a boyfriend as evil as Donghyuck, of course he knew just how to make that hour feel like an eternity, teasing you relentlessly throughout. His lips brushing against your ear as you tried your hardest to complete the set work, whispering unspeakable promises into your ear and sending dark shivers down your spine. Though you couldn’t see his face, you knew the exact expression that was plastered on his face as his wandering hands roamed your body, squeezing and pinching all the spots that he knew would have you squirming in his hold. By far, the most infuriating thing he would do, though, was to snake his hand around your body whenever you had to turn your microphone on, fingers rubbing your clit in circles that had you biting back loud and sensual moans, managing to suppress the noises down to sighs which, as a University student, were not all that uncommon to hear.

It’s when the time hits 11:50am, exactly 10 minutes before the end of the lesson (you know because you began checking it, what seemed like, every few seconds, sensing his growing impatience), that his self-control evaporates. With a raspy grunt, his hand wraps around your neck and he thrusts up into you, hard, fast and rough. You gasp, face contorting in pleasure at the sudden movements which have you crying out and grasping at the desk in front of you in order to stay upright. You whine as his grip on your neck tightens, pulling you back towards his chest in one, swift movement. A yelp escapes your lips, now blindly grabbing at the armrests on either side of the chair in order to stop your legs from giving out. Not that you’d go anywhere, Hyuck’s rigid grip on you made sure of that. His hot breath against the back of your neck caused goosebumps to form on your exposed skin, a shudder going through your body at the overwhelming amount of pleasure. His hand on your neck pushes your jaw backwards, the back of your head resting on his shoulder as he looks down at your flushed face, tears of pleasure collecting at the corners of your wide and innocent eyes, perfect pink lips parted so beautifully, not to mention the dream-worthy sounds escaping them. How could he have ended up with such a perfect little girl? His hand moves for only a split second from your neck, squeezing your cheeks together in order to open your mouth. He spits harshly into your now open mouth, pressing your cheeks shut again afterwards. You let out a sudden and uncontrollable moan at the sound of him doing such a filthy thing, feeling his spit hit your tongue forcefully. You know what he wants. You close your mouth and swallow, his hand creeping back down towards your neck as you show him your empty mouth.

“That’s my good girl.” He rasps, giving a tight squeeze to your neck once more.

With your eyes squeezed so tightly shut, you almost forget that you’re supposed to be listening to your Biomedical Sciences lecturer drone on about Haematology and Transfusion. Almost.

“Right, now that’s done, everyone turn your cameras on for this last task. We’re going to be going through the homework assignment that I set for you all last week, don’t think you can get away without speaking either! I’m gonna be asking you all questions about the task.” His words barely register in your mind, your head fuzzy and body shaking at the feeling of your boyfriend rearranging your insides so delectably. After a few moments, his words seem to sink in and your eyes shoot open, urgently whispering Hyuck’s name. There was no way you could turn on your camera, you’d have to lie. I dropped my laptop; my WiFi is lagging; my room is a mess. A thousand ways to excuse yourself ran through your mind, albeit at a much slower pace than usual. You could only focus so much through the feeling of Haechan fucking into you so hard and fast. Your desperate whines of his name are interrupted as he hums into your ear, not slowing his hips or showing any sign of stopping. If anything, it becomes even harder to think at his words.

“We both know that’s not what you call me when I’m fucking you, baby.” He growls into your ear, pounding into you with even more force, rendering you barely capable of thinking, let alone talking. Your walls clench tightly around his hard cock, a string of curses escaping your boyfriend’s pink lips as he grunts loudly at the feeling.

“M-my professor s-said-” You start, barely able to string a sentence together.

“I heard what your professor said, baby. Turn on your camera. Show your entire class how much of a filthy little slut you are for me. Show them how this perfect A* student cums all over my dick, huh? You’d like that wouldn’t you? Everyone seeing the perfect little teachers pet coming all over her boyfriends cock during her class? Everyone seeing how fucking dumb you get for my dick?” You bite your lip, holding back a scream. You can’t, however, stop a broken whimper from escaping you.

“Fuck! Yes, yes, yes, yes! Please, oh my God!” The hand that isn’t clutching your neck so tightly moves downwards, fingers brushing your clit so delicately.

“Please... Please what, slut?” He spits, tears now leaking down your face, chest shaking as you hold in overwhelmed sobs.

“Please Daddy!” You cry out, mascara beginning to smudge as you clench your eyes shut so tightly. You no longer care about your waiting professor, you no longer care about the entire class, it’s only Haechan. He is all you can feel and think.

“Y/N, we’re waiting on you to turn your camera on...” Your professor presses, but you don’t even hear him. It’s only when your boyfriend stops all of his movement, hand slipping away from your throat, reaching down and reclining his gaming chair into a laying position, that you realise what he wants.

“No, no, no. Please, Hyuckie!” You whine, head spinning at the loss of movement. He’s laying practically flat now, out of view of the camera. You try to move, rolling your hips atop his dick but his fingers dig into your hips hard, almost painfully, as he holds you in place, smirking up at your shaking figure with mirth.

“Go on, baby. Turn on your camera.” He warns, fingers digging even harder into your hips. You send him an exasperated look, to which he gives you the look. You know what that means. ‘Do as I fucking say, or you’ll regret it’.

Your shaky hands reach over to the laptop, clicking the camera button as you let out an uneven breath. After a few seconds, your face appears on the screen. Your eyes widen. What your boyfriend had failed to inform you, was that your face was flushed and sweaty, mascara smudging your cheeks in obvious tear streaks, a drop of his spit glittering as it sat upon your chin. You wiped your face on your sleeve as soon as you catch sight of yourself, moving forward to pretend to be sorting a non-existing wire behind your screen as you try to make yourself look more presentable. As you do so, you hear his voice whisper.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you called me just then and don’t think you’re getting away with it. ‘Hyuckie’ doesn’t fuck you the way Daddy does.” His low tone causes you to clench around him, taking a deep breath at his teasing words. He scoffs at your silence, squeezing your ass, hard, so that you let out a small whimper. He hums in satisfaction as you plaster an obviously fake smile onto your face before leaning back, clicking on the unmute button for only a moment before abruptly turning it off again, barely having finished your sentence, as Haechan’s rock hard dick twitches inside your sensitive pussy.

“Sorry, Professor. I had tech issues.”

✩ ✩ ✩

Those last 8 minutes of class felt like an eternity, and your boyfriend made sure of that. You thought you’d done a pretty good job at hiding it, though. Not one person gave you a funny or disgusted look as you answered the Professor’s questions and kept a small, albeit forced, smile on your face. You couldn’t help but feel a twisted form of pride at your ability to pretend as though nothing was happening as you sat atop of Hyuck’s dick, enduring his endless verbal and physical teasing throughout.

It wasn’t until after the two of you were finished, long after the class had done so, that your boyfriend checked his phone

“Y/N...” You heard him call from the bathroom. You couldn’t find the energy to move, simply humming in acknowledgement at his hesitant-sounding call. He enters the bedroom in all his naked glory, carrying a small, wet cloth in order to clean you up in one hand, his phone in the other. Your eyes trace his naked body, focusing on the smooth, tanned skin. He really was a sight for sore eyes, somebody that you could never get tired of looking at. You’re disrupted from staring at his body when he holds his phone out in front of your face. You reluctantly tear your eyes from his torso, focusing in on the brightly lit screen, squinting slightly to read the text upon it.

“

MESSAGES

Jaemin

fucking your gf during her zoom class, nice one bro. though, you might wanna make sure that you actually hang up next time. the whole class was still there, apart from the prof. not that they’re complaining, i saw their faces. they’re gonna be getting off to that for the entirety of lockdown, i swear!

“

Needless to say, nobody in class called you the Teacher’s Pet anymore.

✩ ✩ ✩

#haechan #donghyuck #nct smut #nct #kpop smut #haechan smut #nct 127 #smut #leehaechan #leedonghyuck #donghyuck smut #kpop imagine #nct imagine #nct 127 imagine #nct dream #nct dream smut #nct dream imagine #nct 127 smut

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zoeykallus · 2 years

Text

Crosshair – My Beloved Enemy 6 – Burning Anger

Crosshair x Female!Reader (FF)

Warning: SMUT 18+ /Minors DNI/ NSFW

SMUT 18+/Hurt/Jealousy/Male Masturbation/Nudity/PiV/Argument/Angry Tech/Angry Crosshair/Fluff/Aftercare/Cliffhanger

______

Author's Comment:

Let's put it this way: Cross and Tech will NOT get along any time soon, at all.

______

What Happened Before:

Part 1 - Crash Landing

Part 2 - Hot And Cold

Part 3 - Hello Kitten

Part 4 - Look Who’s Back

Part 5 - Rebel Darling

Part 6 - Burning Anger

Completely limp and shaky you lay there, your hands still tied to the bed, as Crosshair gently and carefully cleaned you up, washing his and your fluids off your body with a damp cloth. You didn't even have the energy to protest or demand that he finally remove the restraints.

Your eyes were half closed and you were staring at some imaginary point in the room when he finally removed the scarf from your wrist. You whimpered softly, barely able to move your arms.

"Hush, little Kitten, I got you," he spoke softly in his deep voice, helping you move your arms into a natural position.

The sex had been extraordinary, more than you ever expected, not only from him as a person but in terms of sex in general. However, you also didn't expect to feel so completely drained afterwards. Crosshair had really taken everything out of you.

"Next time I want a safeword," you suddenly said seriously, feeling Corsshair pause in his movement.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked and if everything didn't deceive you, you heard uncertainty in his voice.

You sighed softly and wearily turned your back to him, not wanting him to read your face. Astonished, he looked at the back of your head and your naked back. Crosshair reached for the blanket and covered you a little, but so that he could still gently stroke your back with his fingertips.

You sighed softly at the gentle touch.

"Did I, Kitten?" he asked when you didn't answer him directly.

"No. But in parts I felt more helpless than I was comfortable with. We actually don't know each other nearly well enough for such trust games. Just because you manage to wrap me around your finger like that, you shouldn't take advantage of it so shamelessly," you finally said meekly and could feel his gaze resting on you.

He slid closer to you, put an arm around you and gently pulled you into a tender but loving embrace. Crosshair's mouth close to your ear said quietly, "It looked to me like you were having fun."

"I was. But there was a moment or two when I... almost felt a little scared... and that's not a nice feeling."

He sighed and gently kissed the sensitive spot just below your ear.

"Okay" he finally said much more gently than you had expected "Next time we'll agree on a safeword and I promise you, if you say it, I'll stop immediately"

"Crosshair"

"Hmm?"

"It was still amazing, even if I didn't really want to admit it"

He laughed softly and hugged you a little tighter, nestled his head in the gape between your neck and your shoulder.

"That's how I felt about it, too. You make the most wonderful, sweet little noises in the galaxy" he murmured into your hair "And you smell so delicious, I want to lick and nibble on you continuously"

You giggled and felt your face and ears getting hot again. It was nice to be desired like this, being desired by someone like Crosshair felt almost like a rush. You were already addicted to his attention and affection.

Crosshair was the first to climb out of the shuttle back into the Marauder; you were still in the shower. To his surprise, Hunter was still asleep in his bunk.

"Sleep well?" asked Tech, sounding almost venomous at that.

Crosshair raised his eyebrows, unimpressed, and relaxed, saying, "Absolutely fantastic, it wasn't much sleep, but a stunning night"

"Beautiful," Tech growled to himself.

One could clearly see every muscle tense as Tech moved stiffly back into the cockpit to get away from Crosshair. But the Sniper followed him, amused.

He rolled the toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other and asked, muttering, "What's gotten into you?"

Tech's head wheeled around and he glared at his brother through the lenses of his goggles.

"You really want to know?"

"Well, aside from you having a crush on Y/N I mean, yeah, I'd like to know that," Crosshair sneered.

Tech winced when he said your name.

"So you know about that?"

Crosshair chuckled, "It's super obvious bro".

Tech took a deep breath. There were a lot of things going through his head. He wasn't really the kind to seek confrontation, but here and now, things were different.

"You're no good for Y/N," he finally said grimly.

Crosshair raised his eyebrows critically and asked lurkingly, "What was that?"

"You heard me," Tech growled.

Crosshair took the toothpick out of his mouth and flipped it provocatively against Tech's breastplate.

"Say that again," he growled "I dare you."

Tech glared at him and grumbled, "You're no good for her. Y/N is gentle and sweet, kind-hearted and more precious than words could ever express. You are a rough, nasty guy who only has his own good in mind, you will break her sooner or later"

Crosshair's eyes became narrow critical slits.

"You sure got a mouth on you," he murmured angrily.

Tech shrugged, as if his brother's anger didn't interest him much.

"I probably can't talk her out of associating with you, but at least I know I can and will be there when you break her, to catch her and put her back together again."

Crosshair snorted, "Oh you want to be her hero do you? You didn't even have enough balls in your pants to tell her how you really feel about her, you pathetic excuse of a man"

Tech slowly felt anger boiling up inside him, but he pulled himself together.

"You go ahead and talk, you know I'm right, no matter how cocky you get now."

"You're dying for a beating, aren't you?" snarled the Sniper.

Tech sighed and said matter-of-factly, "That wouldn't be very mature, nor very responsible, in a cockpit of a spaceship that's in hyperspace, but if you insist on compensating for your insecurities in a physical scuffle, be my guest. I'll be happy to kick your teeth in."

Hunter, who had just stepped into the cockpit, scolded, "Get a grip on yourselves, you're acting like mangy dogs! Behave like responsible adults! What do you think Y/N would say if she could see you like this?"

Crosshair snorted, gave Tech a burning look, and finally turned away to leave the cockpit.

Hunter and Tech watched him go. Finally, the sergeant looked at his brother and said seriously, "I've never seen you like this."

"Someone has to protect her from him," Tech grumbled.

"Hunter sighed, "I don't think he wants to hurt her."

Tech said stubbornly, "That may be, but Crosshair is who he is, he's going to hurt her sooner or later, and that thought drives me crazy. There is no logic in all these feelings and I don't handle that very well."

Tech sat down in the pilot's chair and slumped over. Hunter put a hand on his shoulder with a sigh.

"If you're really right about this, I hope you meant what you said earlier, for her sake."

When Crosshair came back into the shuttle, you had just finished in the bathroom and had fresh clothes on. You immediately saw that something was wrong.

"You're angry," you stated, "What happened when I was in the shower?"

"Nothing," he grumbled and threw himself on your bed.

For a moment you looked at him critically questioning, his long lean figure lying on your bed, but he didn't seem to want to explain to you what was going on.

"Come on Crosshair, what's going on?," you urged, climbing onto the mattress with him.

"Tech," he huffed.

Your brows moved up in surprise.

"What's wrong with him?"

Reluctantly, the Sniper grumbled, "He said some nasty things".

Astonished, you replied, " I didn't think you'd let something so trivial upset you."

His gaze shot so sharply in your direction that you almost flinched.

"I'm not insecure," he said cuttingly, "Just angry that this little shit has the nerve to say things like that to me."

"What exactly did he say?" you asked cautiously, avoiding his somber gaze.

He was silent for a moment, apparently undecided whether to tell you or not.

"Doesn't matter," he finally murmured, pulling you close and wrapping his arms around you possessively.

Tech didn't let it show on the outside, but was still seething with anger on the inside, and at the same time, insecurity and jealousy were bubbling under his skin as you walked into the cockpit, followed by Crosshair of course. The two men cast somber, silent glances at each other and you felt a little uncomfortable in your skin. Crosshair hadn't wanted to tell you, but you were almost certain that the whole thing was about you.

You had already landed on Odd Mantel. Echo and Wrecker were still on their way, Hunter was with Cid to discuss a few things with her, and the three of you were alone on the Marauder. However, Crosshair had an errand to run, which meant you would probably be alone with Tech soon.

The Sniper didn't like leaving you alone with Tech, but he had to go to a more seedy area to get black market parts for his weapon, so he'd rather not have you there. Just to be safe. But as he thought about it, he realized that Tech wouldn't hit on you or try anything like that, he just wasn't the type. Crosshair provocatively gave you a heartfelt kiss right in front of Tech, who grudgingly turned away.

"I'll be back in a few hours," the Sniper said, kissing you again on the forehead.

A little bashfully you nodded, that he kissed you so openly was a new feeling you had to get used to, even if it was nice.

You didn't know what to discuss with Tech and you decided that you would rather wait in the shuttle, so you withdrew without a word. You didn't like the strange tension in the cockpit at the moment.

Tech turned around, saw that you were gone, and felt his heart sink with a sigh. It hurt, and it didn't make sense, he felt it physically and that made him completely uneasy. How was he supposed to deal with this?

He went through some of his recordings of you. He recorded most of it, almost every day, for analysis. He had always avoided the day you two had gotten closer, but now he was watching it after all. The first thing he saw was your beautiful face and how you smiled at him, he automatically had to smile too. You were a little tipsy, just like he was that day. Tech sighed softly and fast-forwarded a bit. When he saw you slowly undressing in front of him on the holorecording, he gulped.

He had been sure he had turned off the recording for that intimate moment, but apparently he had not. With a pounding heart, he watched your clothes fall off until you were completely naked. He watched on the recording as his own hands reached out and pulled you to him.

"Tech, I want to feel you," you said pensively .

"I want to feel you too," he whispered to the holorecording.

He glanced nervously over his shoulder, there was no one there.

In the recording, you were just lying down in front of him on his bunk, completely naked and irresistibly beautiful.

He saw how he looked down at himself and removed his cod piece. He swallowed again, feeling himself getting hard.

"Damn... I shouldn't be looking at this, it's not right," he muttered softly to himself.

But still he automatically took off his cod piece and started to palm his hard length over the fabric of his blacks.

Again he glanced over his shoulder. He could get caught, he knew, but he couldn't fight the urge to see more and feel more.

He saw on the holoprojector his hands exploring your body, heard your sweet little sighs when he touched the right places and how you squirmed comfortably in front of him on his sheets.

Tech on the recording as well as the Tech who was watching this recording unwrapped his cock. He slowly began pumping his erection in his fist as he watched himself in the recording spread your legs and stroke your beautiful womanhood, his length lined up at your entrance. He moaned softly as he watched his past self slowly enter you, leaving you trembling and moaning beneath him.

"This is wrong," he spoke softly, but couldn't stop working his length as he glanced into your erotic past.

He hurriedly turned the volume down a bit when you made a particularly loud moan in the recording as he was completely submerged in you.

Suddenly he heard a voice behind him, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Hastily, he repacked his cock, put the Cod Piece back on and turned off the recording, in record time. He jumped up, turned around and said breathlessly with his face glowing with shame, "I.... I can explain."

@twinkofthedink

@tazmbc1

@kristinainspace

@ladykatakuri @inthemoshpitt

@whore4rex

@rexandechosandwich @anndraco0523

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yoonpobs · 3 years

Text

bodyguard | kth | m

pairing: kim taehyung x oc

genre: enemies to lovers, Bodyguard!AU but oc is the bodyguard, fluff?

warnings: eventual smut, sexual tension, light choking, suggestive content bc oc is a minx and so is tae, i'll add as the story progresses, kim taehyung as a rich kid

words: 2, 138

summary: you protect taehyung from people but forget about the biggest threat. yourself.

“You’re who Namjoon hired?”

You’re used to having bewildered expressions when they find out that you out of all other possible candidates was what your agency decided to provide clients with rather than an objectively more stereotypical option—the big man.

But you were here for a specific reason and you knew that your duty lied in your responsibility to the man in front of you, even if his expression of doubt irritates you.

“Yes, Mr Kim. My name is ____.” You bow your head slightly, hands held together by your pelvis as you stand with your back straight.

The man in front of you glances over at his assistant, who only shoots him a firm nod as if to tell him that he was in fact stuck with you, despite all the uncertainties he may have.

Frankly, when Seokjin first recruited you into the agency, you were merely meant to be in charge of off-field duties and act as intel for field agents, but few of your previous mentors recognised your potential and physical agility when it came to mandatory training and pushed for you to be trained as an official agent rather than a tech lady.

You were lucky that a few of your colleagues had long ditched the misogynistic mindset that women were biologically weaker than men and would serve as a liability to the agency, but there were still a few higher-ups that were traditional in every sense that stuck their noses in your business when Seokjin would assign you to high profile clients.

Kim Taehyung was no different, but you were sure he fell into the latter of the traditional man. He did come from a lineage of old money.

“But you’re a … woman.” He says slowly, eyeing you up and down.

Even the outfit you were in was far off the usual appearance that most bodyguards would take on the first day of work. A long dress with a maxi slit by your leg, which left little to imagine what lies beneath. You bite your tongue to keep the snarky remark down and nod your head tightly to your new boss.

“I best fit the requirements you listed out to my agency.” Is your simple response.

His assistant steps between the two of you before your boss can say anything else, and based on your observations you note that he probably is the rationale behind Kim Taehyung’s mind; the reasonable and objective one.

“I’ll show ____ around headquarters just so she’s aware of the layout.” His assistant says hastily.

You don’t miss the last look your boss gives you, and all you do is bow your head before you turn on your heels, pulling out the gun in your garter and hold it behind your back—ready for duty.

“Jesus fucking Christ, _____.”

You’re used to hearing Taehyung sneer at you. It was something that you needed to get used to when you first were hired for the job because while he was known as an icon, a genius behind his father’s legacy—he was still wholly immature in every sense of a man child.

“Yes, Mr Kim?” You say blandly, flipping through the brochure that was laying idly on his coffee table; clearly ignoring the glare he was shooting you as he wraps the robe tighter around his frame.

Before he can open his mouth to yell at you again, you see the silhouette of the woman that was previously occupying his bed scurry past by the two of you, offering a meek bow of her head towards Taehyung before she’s out the door.

Your eyes follow her uninterestedly until you hear the click of the door, signalling that she was out and gone.

“What is your problem? Is my sex life something you need to protect too?” Taehyung spits.

You skim your eyes over his frame and spot a few marks littered along the expanse of his neck before your eyes rest on his tightened expression; your own one remaining impassive.

“My duty is to ensure you’re safe.” You remind him.

He scoffs, running a hand through his tangled hair—a clear testament to what he was engaging in before you had shamelessly kicked the woman out, mid-progression.

“Hyunbi is harmless.” He sneers at you.

You note that his erratic behaviour was likely a symptom of being cock-blocked, so you hold your tongue and just level him with an unimpressed stare.

“Hyunbi is the heir to the Im group. Need I remind you that her father’s company is the one that threatens your stockholders?”

Frankly, you try to engage with Taehyung on business matters as little as you could because all you were here for was to protect him and ensure that his head wouldn’t be served on the plate of an assassin that was out to get him.

You scoff to yourself because men were truly blinded by their desires and he would’ve risked his family’s fortune because he wanted to get laid.

“Okay, and? She was about to suck my dick not steal intel to the company.” He scoffs.

You don’t say anything but drop the files you found in her purse as you were doing your much-needed background checks on the woman that was visiting on such short notice, especially given the fact that she managed to bypass the system on being on the list before she was sent up.

The moment the beautiful women stepped foot into the apartment, you knew something was off about her. It was intuition from years of training under your belt, but also a womanly instinct. An intuitive sense that told you that she was going to wreak havoc if she could, and it was your duty to prevent that from happening.

“What’s this?” He picks up the documents to skim over the contents.

You don’t say anything but keep your eyes focused on his expression when you see it morph from confusion to realisation and pure mortification.

“She was going to blackmail me?” He asks in a disbelieving tone.

You nod your head.

“And if I hadn’t intervened then she would have probably falsely claimed that she was carrying your child.”

Taehyung shoves the documents aside and rubs his hands across his face, releasing a grunt as he lays back into the expensive leather of his couch.

“I can’t even get laid.” He huffs.

You roll your eyes.

“Taehyung,” You call out to him sternly, and when he opens one eye to look at you, only then do you continue, “You need to be more careful with who you fraternise with. You’re the CEO of the biggest manufacturing company in Korea and that is bound to make you a target to competitors. I can’t be cross-checking every single person you come across because my job is to protect you from physical harm—not be your mother.”

He narrows his eyes at you, and you see the petulance skim the surface of his iris as he leans forward, ensuring that his gaze is kept on your blank expression.

“So, that’s it? I can’t fuck around with anyone? Just because of my position? That’s a load of bullshit ____.” He snaps.

You purse your lips and give him a pointed glare.

“Stop twisting my words. Fuck who you like but be smart about who you stick your dick into.” You tell him lowly.

“Then I might as well fuck you, right? You’re the only person I can trust.” He sneers, leaning closer to you.

Your eyes widen, and your stoic demeanour is interrupted with his blunt words.

While you couldn’t deny that your boss was undeniably attractive, and alluded major sex appeal—he was still your boss and you would never cross professional boundaries no matter how much your body betrayed you. Even the Taehyung’s banter got much more … explicit and flirty, you brushed it off as him being himself. But he’s never explicitly stated anything like that before.

When you realise you’re gaping at him, you quickly try to compose yourself but unfortunately for you, he immediately catches on your surprised expression and bathes in it.

He smirks at you, standing up to walk across to where you were sat and plops next to you, a bit too close for a boss to be to his bodyguard.

“I’m right, aren’t I? You said to be smart and fuck someone who won’t have anything against me.” He whispers into your ear and you try to stop the shivers that travel down your body.

Taehyung notices how tense you are and reaches an arm to trail down your neck, slowly and teasingly until it rests on your hipbone.

You curse yourself for wearing only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, since it was meant to be your day off until you were made aware of Hyunbi’s visit.

“Watch your mouth, Kim Taehyung.” You grit.

He snorts but nuzzles his nose into the column of your neck, and you feel the hot breath fan across your skin.

“You’re not denying it. Does that mean you want me to fuck you? Nice and deep?” He whispers the words against your skin and you can’t help the involuntary clamp of your thighs.

Taehyung, even as dense as he is, picks up on your movement immediately and reaches his other hand to keep your thighs apart, large hand sprawled across your thigh and you marvel for a moment at how big his hands are.

“Bet I could fuck the uptightness out of you, sweets.”

“Did you forget that I know everything about you?” You hiss, attempting to sound threatening but that only causes Taehyung to grin wider.

“Ooo. I love it when you get bitchy with me.” He teases, rubbing a circle with his thumb on your inner thigh as you feel desire pool in your belly.

“You’re insufferable.” You huff and you hate the way you sound breathless.

“Did I ever tell you how much your bitchiness turns me on? Always dreamed of shutting you up with my cock.” He confesses against your cheek this time and your eyes widen comically, your own hand clamping over his one over your thigh.

As Taehyung momentarily gets distracted with mouthing at your ear, you come to your senses and realise that you’re becoming the pawn in his game.

You quickly flip him over, until he’s settled under you with your knees sprawled next to his thighs, pelvis’ nearly touching as he smirks at you.

“Listen, Kim,” You whisper, leaning down until your noses are touching and you can spot every freckle on his face. He leans up to chase your breath but you don’t allow him the satisfaction of caving in.

“You’d never be able to handle my pussy.” You grin at him.

His eyes darken, and you feel his hands rest tightly on your hip.

You straddle his thighs and lean in until you’re sure his cock feels your pussy against him through the barrier of his robe and your shorts.

“Try me.” He challenges, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“You know why?” You lean into his ear to whisper, and your hands trail down his chest slowly and seductively until they reach the opening of the robe where his pelvis is, touch teasing and suggestive, especially when his breath hitches.

“Why?” He attempts to grind up to you, blinded by his carnal desire.

“Because …” You bite his earlobe and hear the grunt he lets out, cock unmistakably hardening until your core.

“Once you fuck me, you’ll never be able to fuck any other pussy without wishing it was mine.” You say as you pepper kisses down his jaw, right up to his chin until your lips are hovering above his.

But as soon as he attempts to close the distance, you push yourself off of him and return to your stoic and professional stance.

“You have a meeting with your investors in twenty.”

Taehyung gapes at you, the outline of his cock clear against the thin material of his robe as he releases heavy breaths of want as he looks at you in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious.” He snaps.

You shrug your shoulders and cock your head to the clock behind him.

“Good luck getting ready, Kim.” You say with a final smirk, enjoying the fact that you had him frustrated and high.

“This isn’t the end, _____.” He says lowly.

“You better hurry up and hope you finish in less than twenty minutes.” You tease, and you see the tip of his ears burn.

“Maybe I’ll give it five.” You say, flipping your hair over your shoulder and making sure to add a little sway to your hips when you walk away.

You briefly hear a fuck being uttered when you open the door to leave, and you feel triumphant with what you left him with.

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