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punkshort · 6 months

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i'll be home for christmas | part two

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: Having just caught your fiancé cheating on you, you decide to come back home from the big city to Austin for the month of December to try to figure out your next step. You had no idea you would be getting more than you bargained for with the handsome single dad who built your parents' house.

Chapter Warnings: no outbreak, modern day but Joel is 40, language, fluff, very soft!joel, flirting, kissing, hallmark movie tropes up the wazoo, mentions of infidelity, mentions of divorce, reader's sister is pregnant, hurt/comfort, explicit smut (18+MDNI), (somewhat) unproteced piv sex, angst (but you know there will be a happy ending, this is Hallmark, after all)

WC: 12K

A/N: I am so overwhelmed at the response I received for part one. No contest, it's my most successful story to date, and I can't thank you all enough ❤️ I really hope you enjoy this part just as much. Please read the warnings, this has some (very sweet and soft) smut at the end, so if it isn't your thing, feel free to skip it.

Series Masterlist

Joel sat in his truck, the engine long cooled down by now, as he stared blankly at his garage door, waiting for the stupid grin to leave his face before he went inside to face his brother. But he had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes, and he was still smiling behind the back of his hand.

That date with you was perfect. Well, he could have done without getting knocked on his ass by some kid, but it worked out for him in the end, so he didn't mind.

Goddamn, did you make him feel good. There was no way he would be able to sleep that night, he was sure of it. Not after the way you looked at him, touched him, kissed him. A big part of him wondered for a long time if he would spend the rest of his life alone, believing that lightning doesn't strike twice, that he would never find anyone who would look at him and want him the way you did.

He ignored the nagging voice in the back of his head that reminded him you didn't live there, that you would be going back to New York in a couple short weeks. He couldn't let that bring him down just yet, that was a problem for another day. Right now, his only problem was resisting the urge to drive back to your house and scoop you up in his arms so he could make you feel as good as he felt.

It was close to midnight, so he caved and went inside, hoping his brother would be too groggy to interrogate him. When he walked in and saw Tommy and Sarah lounging on the couch, wide awake and watching some action flick, his face fell.

"Hey, it is way past your bedtime, the hell are you doin'?" Joel scolded, sliding off his boots.

"Dad, c'mon, it's the weekend," Sarah whined.

"Don't care, you know the rules," he told her, trying to sound firm, but he had such a soft spot for her that he never succeeded in sounding threatening.

"But it's a special occasion, I wanted to hear how your date went," she grinned, sitting up and wiggling her eyebrows. Joel's jaw dropped and shot a glare at his brother while stretching his arms out at his side in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, she practically dragged it outta me," Tommy smirked.

"Unbelievable," Joel muttered, collapsing on the end of the couch and rubbing his eyes.

"So?" Sarah pushed, tucking her legs underneath her excitedly.

"I ain't talkin' about this with you," he said, biting his cheek as he stared at the TV.

"Why not?" she pouted, but Joel just shook his head.

"Go brush your teeth," he said.

"Fine," she replied, rolling her eyes as she made her way to the stairs. "But I'll get it out of you one day."

She stomped upstairs and it wasn't until Joel heard the water running that he turned to his brother.

"What the hell, Tommy? You know I didn't want her knowin' about that," he said, exasperated.

"Oh, relax," Tommy said, stretching his arms above his head. "She's sixteen, Joel. She's smart. She figured it out herself, I just confirmed it after gettin' the third degree."

Joel sighed and tipped his head back onto the sofa, closing his eyes.

"Christ," he muttered.

"What's the big deal?"

Joel sat up and opened his eyes.

"Big deal is, she lives in New York. There's no future there, we were just hangin' out, and I don't need Sarah gettin' her hopes up," Joel explained, trying to downplay his feelings, but his chest squeezed at the thought of you leaving one day.

"Ever hear of long distance?" Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That never works," Joel replied, shaking his head.

"Well, maybe you should make it work," he said, sitting up and muting the TV. "You know, Sarah just wants you to be happy, Joel. We both do," Tommy said somberly. "Told me tonight she's worried about you bein' all alone when she goes off to college."

"I'll be alright," he said gruffly, although the same thought was plaguing his mind recently, as well.

Tommy stared at his brother a moment as Joel watched the TV, pretending to follow the story even though there was no audio. He decided to drop it for now and changed the subject.

"So, you gonna tell me how it went or what?"

Joel bit his lower lip, trying to keep himself from smiling, but he failed. Tommy noticed right away and grinned, leaning forward to tap his knee.

"I know that look," he said, still grinning.

"Yeah, alright," Joel finally said with a smile. "It was great. Really fuckin' great."

"Hell yeah!" Tommy yelled, and Joel immediately shushed him, pointing upstairs.

"She's funny and she's sweet, we had a real nice time," Joel said, his grin permanently etched on his face now.

"I figured it went well since you got home so late," Tommy replied with a wink.

"I ain't gonna sleep with her on the first date," he whispered, just in case Sarah was listening. He settled back into the couch as Tommy turned the TV volume back on, letting the movie play for a minute before adding, "She's a good kisser, though."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet this girl," Tommy chuckled with a shake of his head. "Haven't seen you smile this much in years."

"Yeah, well," Joel replied noncommittally, still smiling like an idiot and staring at the TV. He decided to stay downstairs that night, finishing the movie and then starting another one on the couch long after Tommy left, unable to quiet down his mind long enough to fall asleep until nearly three in the morning.

You woke up the next day, stretching your arms above your head with a big yawn, not ready to get out of bed yet but the voices downstairs told you it must have been late. With a groan, you reached over and snatched your phone off the charger. When you saw you had a text waiting for you, your heart skipped a beat until you read Sydney's name and not Joel's. Your eyes flicked to the top of the screen, noting it was close to ten in the morning, before sliding open the text.

Sydney: sorry forgot to reply yesterday. I saw will at black & blue, he was hammered and falling all over the place

You scowled, not interested in whatever your ex was up to, so you replied with just the thumbs up emoji and set your phone back down.

Staring at the ceiling, you dreamily thought about your date with Joel. God, he really took you by surprise. You were proud of yourself for taking that first big step forward and putting yourself out there again, but you had no idea it would feel like this. You weren't even sure you ever felt like this with Will. Even when things were good, Will never treated you the way Joel did last night. He was so earnest and respectful, opening doors for you and actually listening to you talk about work. And he didn't even try to feel you up, either, although you probably wouldn't have minded. Maybe it was those Southern manners you were missing this whole time.

With a groan, you dropped your phone back on the nightstand and swung your legs over the edge of your bed, wrapping yourself in your robe, still not expecting it to be so cold in Texas. Even though it was December, it was unusual.

You made your way into the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee, tossing a wave in the direction of your parents sitting with your sister and brother in law in the living room.

"She lives!" Cassie exclaimed with a smug look on her face. You held your mug up to your lips and blew on the liquid, frowning when the whole family was looking at you with matching, goofy smirks.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" your mom asked innocently. You squinted at her as you sat down, not buying it.

"How was your date?" your sister asked. You took a sip of coffee before replying.

"Good," you said simply, nodding your head. Your mom and dad exchanged a look and you frowned again, getting annoyed.

"What?" you asked loudly.

"Nothing!" your dad said, looking back down at his newspaper. Who even still gets the newspaper delivered anymore, anyway?

"Josh, what's going on?" you asked your sister's husband, knowing he was the weakest link. He glanced nervously between you and Cassie.

"They saw you and Joel on the Ring camera," he blurted out, and your family all groaned in unison. Your face flushed beet red, gawking at them all in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" you screeched.

"We didn't mean to, Bucky. Dad was reviewing the footage because he couldn't find the newspaper this morning and, well..." your mom trailed off, trying to hide her smile.

"Oh my god," you whined, tucking your legs to your chest and hiding your face.

"Looked like the date was a little more than good," Cassie teased, and you smacked her on the leg.

"I can't believe this," you mumbled to yourself, hiding your face behind your coffee mug and praying someone would change the subject. "How much did you see?"

"Just from when he pulled in the driveway til when you went inside," your mom said with a shrug.

"That's, like, everything, Mom! Oh my god!" Your face was hot with embarrassment now.

"He looks like a good kisser, is he a good kisser?" Cassie asked.

"Shut up!" you whined, covering your face with your free hand.

"There's nothin' to be embarrassed about, he was a gentleman. Held the door open for you and everythin'," your dad murmured, and you groaned.

"Can we talk about literally anything else, please?" you begged.

"Of course!" your mom said, her eyes flicking around the room, waiting for someone to say something, but nobody spoke.

"I'm sorry, Buck, but you gotta see the the smile on his face after you went inside, it was so cute," Cassie said, pulling out her phone.

"I'm going upstairs!" you announced, jumping up from the couch.

"Wait! Are you still coming by later to help paint the nursery?"

"I don't know, are there any cameras there?" you shouted over your shoulder as your climbed the stairs with your coffee to hide in the sanctity of the guest bedroom.

"Well, no. Only because I haven't set the baby monitor up yet," Cassie called back and giggled when she heard you slam your door.

Grumbling to yourself, you flopped back into bed and picked up your phone, looking for a distraction from your embarrassment. You quickly found one when you saw you had a missed text from Joel.

Joel Miller: Question for you - when is the earliest you should text someone without looking too pathetic after you've had the best date of your life?

You grinned as you typed out a response.

You: answer - whatever time you sent this text :)

Joel Miller: Oh, good. Thought I scared you off, sent that about ten minutes ago.

You: sorry, I was downstairs talking to my family, forgot to bring my phone. And I don't think you could ever scare me off

You almost told him about the doorbell camera fiasco, but decided against it. Picking up your mug, you tried not to stare too hard at your phone as you waited for a reply.

Joel Miller: What are you doing later?

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him again so soon, then quickly stopped yourself, remembering your promise to your sister.

You: I told my sister I would help paint the nursery...

Joel Miller: That's a shame. I was hoping you could teach me something again.

You: oh? lol

Joel Miller: I just realized how that sounded - I meant wrapping Christmas presents for Sarah. I'm awful at it and I have another hunch gift wrapping is a secret talent of yours.

You giggled and rolled over in bed, your embarrassment long forgotten now.

You: you might be right... how about tomorrow?

Joel took the porch steps two at a time, eager to see you again and it hadn't even been a full two days. His finger barely pressed the doorbell when he heard your voice call out I got it! and the door swung open. You smiled up at him, your eyes lighting up before dropping your gaze to his mouth.

"Hi," you said breathlessly.

"Hey," he replied, swallowing roughly.

"Have a nice time, Bucky!" your mom's voice rang out somewhere behind you as you shut the door quickly. Joel grinned, his gaze drifting from your eyes to your mouth before leaning in. You put your hand on his chest and tilted your head back before grabbing his hand and leading him to his truck. Confused, he followed behind and tried not to stare too long at the way your jeans perfectly hugged your ass.

You led him to the passenger side of the truck, but when he reached out to open the door, you snaked your hand up to wrap around the back of his neck, pulling his face down for a searing kiss only when you were sure you were hidden from view.

"Would I sound crazy if I said I missed you?" you whispered.

"No," Joel replied, shaking his head and trying to calm his pounding heart. "Couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout you."

"Me, too," you admitted softly, gazing up at him with your beautiful eyes all wide and burning with desire.

He cradled your face in his calloused hand, the other flattened firmly against the truck door behind you as he stared into your eyes, fighting the urge to pick you up and wrap your legs around his waist so he could pin you against his truck and let you feel just how badly he missed you.

Then, you heard your dad's SUV unlock and your eyes widened in panic.

"Shit," you muttered. "We should go. I think they're heading out."

"Alright, maybe I should say 'hi' real quick," he said, pushing himself off the truck and letting his hand drop from your face.

"No! That's okay, we'll be stuck here forever if you do," you said hurriedly. He gave you a curious smile but agreed before opening the door for you and hopping into the driver's seat.

He waited until he backed out of the driveway and was heading down your street before shooting you a sideways glance.

"Everythin' okay?"

You sighed and rubbed your palms over your face before clearing your throat.

"So, remember the other night on the porch, after you dropped me off?"

He smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I remember," he teased.

"Well," you began. "My family saw us on the doorbell camera the next morning," you cringed.

He laughed, throwing his head back just a bit so he could still keep an eye on the road, and shook his head.

"Oh, I hate those fuckin' things," he said, but he was still laughing.

You grinned, your nerves and unease dissipating quickly.

"You're not embarrassed?"

"Nah," he said with a shrug, then turned his head briefly to look at you. "I'm sure we put on a good show."

You giggled, your cheeks tinting pink, and turned your head to look out the window.

"Alright," he said after a minute. "I've waited long enough and I gotta ask."

You swiveled back towards him, waiting for him to continue.

"What's the story with the nickname?"

You groaned and squeezed your eyes shut.

"It's so unbelievably stupid," you said, but he shook his head.

"Well, now you gotta tell me."

"Fine," you said, rolling your eyes, but your playful smile gave you away.

"It's Buck, or Bucky. Short for Bucket," you began.

"Bucket?" he repeated, bewildered.

"I warned you it was stupid!" you protested, and he chuckled. "Anyway, when I was little, my sister and her friends had a sleepover one time, and I overheard them swearing."

"Okay," Joel said slowly, nodding along while he kept his eyes pinned to the road.

"I always looked up to my sister, I was like her shadow when I was younger. So, when I heard them swearing, I wanted to be like them, too, you know?"

"Yeah, I follow," he replied, still not sure how the story related to your nickname.

"Well, thing is, I misheard them. They were saying 'fuck it', but I heard 'bucket'," you explained. "So I went to school and, thinking I sounded cool, I would say 'bucket' to all my friends. We were little, they had no idea what I was talking about, so I explained to them it's a swear word. Before I knew it, I had the whole class saying 'bucket' any time someone dropped something, or got a bad grade on a test, or whatever."

Joel howled with laughter, gripping the steering wheel for dear life as he tried to make it safely into his driveway.

"The principal called my parents and told them what was happening," you continued, joining in and giggling. "They got me home, and-" you doubled over, clutching your stomach as Joel put the truck in park and slumped over the steering wheel, his body shaking as he laughed.

"And I had to tell them the whole story, about why I kept saying it and-" you wiped the tears from your eyes as you took a deep breath. "And - oh my god - my sister got grounded for two weeks-" Another fit of laughter washed over Joel, tears streaming down his face.

"Wait, wait," he gasped, unbuckling his seatbelt so he could turn to face you. "You got in trouble in school, and your sister ended up gettin' punished?"

"Yes!" you squeaked, still giggling.

"Oh, shit," he breathed, panting as he leaned the back of his head against the seat rest. "Can't believe you thought that was stupid. That's gotta be the funniest thing I heard in a long while."

"Well, I'm glad I could brighten your day," you said, still grinning.

He rolled his head back towards you, his soft gaze drifting up and down your frame quickly before stopping on your eyes.

"You really do, y'know," he said quietly, and you furrowed your brow, tilting your head in confusion.

"Brighten my day," he clarified.

You bit your lower lip and smiled, looking away as the flush began to return to your cheeks.

"Come on, charmer. Why don't we go teach you how to wrap presents?"

You never really gave much thought as to what Joel's house would look like, but once you saw it, it immediately felt like him. It was a smaller, two bedroom house. When you first walked in, you entered a living room with a leather couch and an oversized recliner. A big screen TV was front and center across from the couch, with a few framed pictures of Joel and Sarah mounted on the wall next to it.

"You want somethin' to drink?" Joel asked, making sure to slide the coat from your shoulders before shrugging off his own.

"Maybe just water," you said, following him into the kitchen. You gasped when you saw his cupboards and immediately rushed over to them while he pulled two bottles of water from the stainless steel fridge.

"Oh my god, Joel," you whispered, running your fingers gently over the designs. Each one looked different but somehow they all were cohesive. Some had small flowers or butterflies carved into the corners, while others had simple, yet intricate designs grooved into the wood.

"Had to practice somehow," he said, feeling his cheeks flush as he walked over to hand you your water.

"God, it's so beautiful," you said breathlessly, unable to look away from the dark, stained wood. Your fingers danced over some stars etched into one of doors, your eyes wide with awe, but he was focused entirely on you. He couldn't get enough of watching the delicate features on your face light up whenever you found something new that pleased you.

"How long does this take for you to do?" you asked, finally dragging your eyes away to look up at him. Your throat tightened when you noticed the heat behind his stare, your pulse fluttering in your neck.

"Depends," he murmured. "Some are faster than others, but I prefer to go slow and take my time. Anythin' worthwhile takes time. Gotta show it respect, gotta care for it."

His low and sultry tone made your face flush, forgetting for a moment you were talking about woodworking.

"Y-yeah," you stammered, clearing your throat. Suddenly, you were feeling short of breath. "That makes sense."

He gazed down at you for another moment, his eyes slowly raking over your face as if committing it to memory before speaking again. Your entire body felt hot, and you cursed yourself for wearing such a thick sweater.

"Ready to go upstairs?" he murmured, still staring at you in a way that made your spine tingle.

"Huh?" you whispered, completely entranced by his deep, brown eyes.

"The presents?" he reminded you with a small smirk.

"Oh, right," you said, finally blinking and looking away. You shakily opened your water bottle after he turned around to lead you to the stairs, your mouth suddenly extremely dry.

As you walked up the steps, you tried to get a look at the pictures that lined the wall, but it was difficult to do without tripping. You thought you had finally gotten your head on straight after that moment in the kitchen, but when you realized he was leading you to his bedroom, you felt the tremble return to your hands.

"Sorry, had to hide everythin' in my closet, she's too nosy," he said over his shoulder.

"No problem," you squeaked, trying not to stare at his neatly made bed. Your eyes briefly drifted over the end tables filled with personal effects. You thought you saw a chapstick, a cord for a phone charger, and a worn paperback book, but you didn't want him to catch you, so you looked away quickly.

He opened his closet and you were surprised to find his clothes packed away so neatly. For a bachelor, he kept a really clean house. He pulled out the bags of gifts from the shelf above his clothes, then the wrapping paper, which was leaning against the corner.

"D'you think we got enough room?" he asked, glancing around at the floor.

"Yeah, of course," you said, sitting down crossed legged on the carpet. You reached out for the wrapping paper and rolled it out in front of you as he sat down at your side, taking out her gifts one by one. You felt yourself involuntarily clench as you watched his large hands deftly lay out each item on the floor, his muscles twitching slightly under the tanned skin of his exposed forearms.

"I know what you're thinkin'," he said, and your eyes widened in surprise. "I spoil her, I know, but she's such a good kid, I can't help myself."

That was definitely not what you were thinking, but you chose to keep that to yourself.

"I think it's sweet," you told him. "You seem like a really good dad."

Now it was his turn to blush. He tried to turn his head away so you wouldn't see, murmuring his thanks as you each picked an item to start. After a quick tutorial, which included way too much tape and ripped paper, Joel finally seemed to get the technique down. It only took until about halfway through the pile for you to muster up the courage to bring up a topic you couldn't help but be curious about.

"So," you began, hoping you came off nonchalant. "Is Sarah with her mom this Christmas, or..."

Joel's fingers fumbled for a moment with the wrapping paper, but he quickly recovered.

"Uh, no," he replied, keeping his eyes cast down on the shoe box in front of him. "She's not in Sarah's life anymore."

"Oh," you said, unable to keep the surprise from your voice, but you didn't push him any further. Your mind was scrambling, trying to think of something else to talk about, when he sighed and leaned back, abandoning the gift.

"I'm sorry, this is all so new to me, I probably should've told you about her sooner," he said, feeling guilty, but you quickly shook your head.

"No, you don't have to-"

"I want to," he said, cutting you off. You clamped your mouth shut and turned your body so you could give him your full attention, leaving the hair dryer you were wrapping on the floor next to you.

He drew a shaky breath in and looked up at the ceiling before speaking.

"There's not much to say, really. I'm still not always sure what happened," he began. You nodded, staying quiet and letting him take his time. "We were together since high school, ended up stayin' together after graduation. Sarah was a surprise, we were both still so young but we made it work. It was hard, but once me and Tommy got the business goin', it made things a bit easier."

Your fingers tangled together in your lap as you listened, refusing to say anything until he was done. His gaze drifted towards a fixed point on the wall as he continued.

"From what I gathered, she felt like havin' Sarah so young robbed her from doin' certain things in life," he said heavily. "Said she couldn't do it anymore. Didn't want her life to pass her by and be full of regret."

You bit your lip. The pain was clear as day on his face and it was making your chest ache.

"Well, anyway. I thought maybe she would go off for a couple months, do whatever it was she thought she was missin' out on. Parties, college... other men," he added the last part quietly, and you dropped your gaze to the floor. "Get it out of her system, y'know? But she just... never came back. Eventually, the calls came less and less, and I put two and two together. Didn't even get a courtesy call before I got served with the papers."

He rubbed his eyes, trying so hard not to look like a blubbering idiot in front of you. You reached your hand out and placed it gently on his knee, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He dropped his hand from his face to cover yours, staring at your coupled hands for a moment.

"Joel-"

"It was just so fuckin' hard on Sarah, y'know?" he said, his voice cracking. "I had no idea what to tell her. She cried almost every night, askin' me why her mom didn't love her anymore."

"Oh, Joel," you whispered, unable to hold back any longer. You closed the small gap between you, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and pulling him into your chest, your fingers gently raking through his hair. "I'm so sorry," you told him, burying your nose in the hair on top of his head, breathing in the citrus scent from his shampoo.

He didn't say a word. He just tugged you closer and closed his eyes, leaning into your comforting touch with a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to croak out. "I'm throwin' way too much at you, I know you didn't sign up for this."

"Shh," you whispered into his hair, then tilted his face up to look at you, his dark brown eyes glassy with unshed tears. "It's okay," you murmured, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. A solitary tear slipped down his cheek when he pulled back to look deep into your eyes.

"It's okay," you repeated, wiping away the tear with the pad of your thumb before placing another gentle kiss against his lips.

He hummed contently against your mouth, sliding his hand up to the back of your neck and pressing his lips more firmly against your own, scared to let you go because if he did, he was sure he would fall apart.

Your grip on his hair tightened as he leaned forward, one strong arm wrapped around your midsection and the other pressed against your back. You mumbled something against his mouth when he tried to lay you down and knocked over a small pile of DVDs.

"Fuck," he whispered and, oh god, the way he said it made your legs turn to jelly and your cheeks flare with heat.

Frustrated, he tightened his grip around you and lifted you up, refusing to break the kiss. A tiny, high pitched squeak slipped past your lips as you wrapped your legs around his hips, letting him carry you to his bed.

He laid you down carefully on top of his plush, navy striped comforter. You sighed into his mouth, your legs loosening around his waist and falling open while you dragged your hands out of his hair and down to his shoulders, wrapping your fingers around his biceps to keep him close. He hovered above you, balancing all his weight on his elbows while his fingers played with the ends of your impossibly soft hair.

He slipped his tongue easily past your lips with a low groan, the noise going straight to your core, making the ache between your legs almost painful while your tongue danced with his, the two already so familiar with each other.

You tipped your head back with a gasp, desperate for air, but he kept going, unable to stop himself. His lips brushed against your jaw before his teeth and prickly beard scraped against the sensitive skin behind your earlobe. You let out a needy whimper and arched your back at the sensation, pushing your breasts into his broad chest as goosebumps spread over your whole body.

"Oh god, Joel," you whined softly, squeezing your eyes shut.

"Yeah, baby?" he replied, his voice thick and muffled against your neck. Baby. Jesus, this man was unraveling you so fast, it was making your head spin.

"I-I know we said this was casual, but-" the words got trapped in your throat as you cut yourself off, unable to finish your thought.

"I know," he said, his voice strained. "Fuck, I know."

He lifted his head away from your neck as he stared down at you, patting your hair back and away from your face as he panted slightly for breath.

You looked up at him, eyes watering as you tried not to think about your time coming to an end in a couple short weeks. You could tell he was thinking the same but didn't want to say it, the pain behind his eyes was obvious.

He blinked a couple times, the clouds clearing as he forced himself to focus on the present. He had you here in his arms, in his bed, underneath him right now. And he was going to be damned if he didn't soak up every single second.

He leaned back down and locked his lips on yours again, this time moving slower, more gentle and tender. He wanted to treat you right. You deserved it, and he wasn't going to give you anything less than what you deserved while he still had you.

You loosened your grip on his arms and allowed your hands to drift to the buttons of his flannel, slowly and shakily undoing them. His heart began to slam against his chest when he realized what you were doing, his mind going fuzzy with desire.

He pulled his head back when you were about halfway down his shirt, looking down hazily at your fingers working open the buttons as he desperately tried to think straight.

"Dad?" Sarah called from downstairs, the front door slamming shut. "Are you here?"

"Shit," Joel mumbled, scrambling off of you as he clumsily tried to redo his buttons. You jumped off the bed, leaning over so you could see into the mirror above his dresser, raking your hands through your tangled hair and quickly fixing your sweater.

"Yeah!" Joel shouted back, glancing over at you to make sure you were decent. "Sorry," he whispered, but you just grinned. Then his eyes fell to the half wrapped presents on the floor.

"Wait! Don't come up-" he called out as he heard her skipping up the steps. Joel grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the room, closing the door behind you both just in time.

"What? Why?" Sarah asked, then froze when she saw you. She looked up at Joel, then back to you, and a slow smile spread across her face.

"Ohhh..." she said with her hands on her hips. "Now I see."

"N-no, it's not what it looks like, she was just helpin' me wrap some gifts," Joel stammered, jutting his thumb over his shoulder. You shifted your weight nervously as you looked back and forth between them.

"Then why are you missing a button on your shirt?"

You both glanced down at his flannel, and she was right. He missed fixing a button in all the chaos. Your face flushed beet red as you stared at the ground while Joel hurriedly fixed the button, cursing under his breath. When you dared to look back up at his daughter, she was smirking playfully at you. Joel cleared his throat.

"Sarah, this is-"

"Yeah, I know, I remember from the party. The pretty dress, right?" she asked, and you nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. Nice to see you again," you said awkwardly.

She nodded, still smirking and looking at you and Joel. You could tell she loved catching her dad in this uncomfortable situation.

"Oh, crap. I forgot. Uncle Tommy is waiting for you in the driveway, said he needed your help unloading some work stuff out from the back of his truck," Sarah said.

"Ah, dammit, alright. You okay for a couple minutes?" he asked you, eyebrows raised.

"Of course," you said. He nodded, walking down the hall past Sarah, muttering "be good" to her as he walked by.

You listened as Joel made his way down the stairs and out the front door, leaving you and Sarah in silence, still staring at one another.

"I'm sorry, we really were wrapping gifts," you assured her.

"It's okay," she said with a shrug. "Last year he used duct tape on my presents, I know he needs the help."

You giggled, causing her to laugh, as well.

"Do you play an instrument?" you asked, just noticing the case on the floor next to her feet.

"Yeah, violin. I had practice after school today," she said, picking it up.

"Oh, cool. I played piano growing up, but I was never any good," you said, sliding your hands in the back pockets of your jeans.

"I have my school's Christmas recital on Friday," she said. "My first solo."

"Oh my god!" you said, clapping your hands together, genuinely impressed. "That's incredible! You must be so excited!"

"Yeah, at first, but now I'm getting nervous," she said, glancing down at the case in her hand. "You wanna hear me play?"

"Duh. Absolutely," you said with a grin. Her eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across her face again.

"O-okay. This is my room right here," she said, turning to her right and opening the door. "Sorry it's messy, my dad's gonna kill me."

"It's totally fine," you said, walking in and sitting down at the edge of her bed. You glanced around the room as she set up her music stand. On the pink walls, she had posters up of her favorite bands with a calendar and string lights draped across the room.

"I really like your room," you said, squinting to look at the stickers and drawings she had on her headboard.

"Thanks," she said sheepishly. "My dad let me do whatever I wanted."

You were about to comment on the various trophies she had on her windowsill when Sarah spoke again.

"Just so you know, I don't mind that you're seeing my dad."

Your eyes shot up to hers in surprise, not sure what to say. You hadn't really had a chance to talk to Joel about your relationship and how that would affect his daughter.

"He's been in such a good mood this past week, and he won't tell me but I know it's because of you," she said, pinning you with a familiar brown gaze.

"Oh, that's so sweet, Sarah," you said, finally finding your voice. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"You're welcome," she said. "I just want him to be happy again."

You dropped your gaze to your lap, your chest tightening at the thought of Joel being so lonely all these years.

"Me, too," you whispered, still looking down. Sarah regarded you for a minute before slapping her palms against the tops of her thighs and leaned down to pick up her violin.

"You ready?" she asked. You looked up and nodded, giving her an encouraging smile and sat back to listen as she began playing a hauntingly beautiful version of 'Silent Night'.

Sarah got about halfway through the song when she hit the wrong note and abruptly stopped, dropping her chin to her chest in frustration.

"Hey, it's okay," Joel heard you say softly as he walked back up the stairs. He paused at the top, right outside Sarah's room to listen.

"It's okay to make mistakes. Just go slower, take your time. Anything worthwhile takes time," you told her, and he smiled when he heard his earlier words to you repeated back to his daughter. He took a step forward to lean against the doorframe and watch the two of you, your back to him as you sat on her bed.

"Okay," Sarah said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes before lifting the violin to her chin and starting over.

Joel listened to Sarah play the same song he's heard a million times already in just the past month alone, but kept his eyes trained on you. The way you gave her your full, undivided attention and encouraged her with a smile or a thumbs up when she would glance over at you shyly made his chest ache.

When Sarah successfully finished the song with no mistakes, you jumped up from the bed, clapping and cheering for her, making Sarah giggle and hide behind her hands.

Fuck, this was going to be so hard.

"Dad?" Sarah asked the next morning over her bowl of cereal.

"Yeah, baby girl?" he replied, frowning as he pulled his bread from the toaster. He sucked his fingertips into his mouth, trying to bring some relief to the quickly reddening skin.

"Can your friend come to my recital tomorrow?"

Joel froze, his fingers still pressed against his tongue as he slowly turned around to look at her. He dropped his hand and took a deep breath.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," he replied.

"You don't think she would wanna go?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows pinched together.

"No, it's not that, I'm sure she would," he said, trying to find the right words.

"Then what's the problem?"

Joel sighed and picked his mug up from the counter, then walked over to join her at the table.

"She doesn't live here, baby. She's goin' back to New York in another week or so, I don't want you gettin' too attached," he finally admitted, watching Sarah closely as she considered his words.

"Well, you guys like each other, right?" she asked, and Joel smirked.

"Yeah, but it ain't that simple."

"Yes, it is, Dad," she said, rolling her eyes and dipping her spoon back into her bowl. "My friend Katy was dating this guy last year and he switched schools over the summer. They're still together, it doesn't matter," Sarah said with a shrug, taking a bite of cereal.

If the topic didn't fill Joel with a sense of dread, he would have chuckled at the comparison, but instead he just sat there quietly, watching his daughter as she finished her cereal and scrolled on her phone.

Sarah pulled on her backpack and was sliding on her sneakers to catch the bus when she called back to Joel over her shoulder.

"Just ask her, okay? Please, Dad?"

Joel sighed, hanging his head between his shoulders and paused his hands over the dishes in the sink.

"Alright," he relented, and he heard Sarah clap her hands behind him before slamming the front door shut.

You: good morning :)

Joel Miller: Good Morning, sweetheart. I didn't think you would be up this early.

You: couldn't fall back asleep. What are you doing

Joel Miller: Just getting to work. Why couldn't you fall back asleep?

You thought about it for a minute from under the pile of blankets on your bed, rolling to your side before answering.

You: I was thinking about you...

Joel Miller: Good thoughts, I hope?

You: VERY ;)

His throat went dry when he opened the text. He glanced around outside his car window, making sure he was still the only one on the job site before replying.

Joel Miller: What are you trying to tell me, baby?

You smirked and bit down on your lip.

You: I was wishing you were in bed with me right now

"Shit," he muttered to himself, glancing around once again before adjusting his pants.

Joel Miller: Me too, what are you wearing?

The answer came back almost immediately.

You: nothing

He groaned and rubbed his palms roughly over his face.

Joel Miller: You're killing me, baby. I have to get working in a minute.

You: i'm sorry ;)

You: I promised my parents I would go to dinner with them tonight, but are you free tomorrow?

Joel took a deep breath, trying to clear the onslaught of inappropriate thoughts from his head when he remembered his promise to Sarah.

Joel Miller: It's Sarah's recital tomorrow night. She asked me to invite you this morning, did you want to go?

He nervously chewed his cheek for a moment before sending another text.

Joel Miller: No pressure, I can tell her you're busy.

He sent his second text right as your reply came through.

You: I would love to!

He grinned and raked his fingers through his hair. Tommy's knuckles tapped on the outside of Joel's window, making him jump. He held up a finger before sending you a quick answer.

Joel Miller: Sounds great. I'll pick you up. Try to go back to sleep. Dream of me.

Joel opened the door and slid his phone in his back pocket, a stupid grin etched across his face as he joined his brother in the half-built storefront they were working on.

"Oh man, you got it bad," Tommy said with a chuckle when he saw the look on Joel's face.

"Alright, what do you think of this one?" you asked Cassie as you stepped out of the bathroom modeling the sixth dress of the day.

"I liked the red one better," she said, glancing up from her phone.

"Are you sure? This one is a little more chic," you said, twisting around to look at your backside in the mirror.

"It's a high school recital, Buck. I don't think anyone is expecting 'chic'," she teased, and you rolled your eyes.

"Well, I just want to look nice, is all," you said, sitting next to her on your bed in a huff. You tapped your phone screen, frowning when all you had was another text from Sydney and nothing from Joel. You opened it up anyway, curiosity getting the best of you.

Sydney: OMG!!!!!!

You sent back three question marks and locked your phone with a sigh.

"You still wanna get together next week so we can look at apartments online for you?" she asked.

"Yeah," you said sadly, looking out the window.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," you told her. "Just not ready to go back yet."

"Could that be because of a certain sexy contractor?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

"Shut up," you smirked, tossing a pillow at her lightly.

"Ooo you like him! Lookit how red you're getting!"

"I'm gonna kill you when that baby's out, you know that, right?" you giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Cassie said, looking back down at her phone as the smile slowly faded from her face. "You know you don't have to go back, right?"

"What do you mean? My job is there, my life is there... everything is there," you replied. "Of course I have to go back."

"What life, though?" she asked, and you frowned at her. "Seriously, Buck. Aside from your job, which you hate, what's left?"

"Well, my friends are there. And I don't hate my job that much. I mean, everyone hates their job a little bit," you said with a shrug.

"Is this what you expected to do when you were in college? Is this what you wanted?" Cassie pressed, sitting up on the bed. "Are you even happy?"

You paused, letting her words roll around in your head for a moment.

"Well, I mean..." you trailed off, not sure how to answer her question.

"If you have to think about it this long, I think you know the answer," your sister said quietly. You groaned and rolled off the bed.

"I'm going back. I have to. I can't just give up because some guy broke my heart," you said, turning around so she could unzip the back of your dress.

"I'm just saying, think about it," Cassie replied. "I wouldn't hate it if my child's aunt was in their life more than twice a year!" she called after you as you shut the door to the bathroom.

Joel eagerly jogged up the porch steps and rang the doorbell, very aware of the camera this time while he fiddled with the cuffs on his dark red button down shirt. He heard high heels clicking on the other side of the door and the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile, which quickly vanished when you opened the door and he saw the dress you were wearing.

"Hi," you said with a shy smile, pulling a soft looking white cardigan on over your shoulders.

He thought he had greeted you. He could have sworn he said something, anything, that didn't make him look like a complete idiot, but apparently nothing came out because you scrunched your eyebrows together when you saw his face.

"Are you okay?" you asked, pulling the door shut behind you.

"Yeah, it's just - Jesus, you look so good," he managed to finally say, tilting his head back to stare up at the roof of the porch for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you," you said with a giggle. "You don't look half bad, yourself."

He rubbed his forehead, exasperated and flustered before pulling you quickly into his arms and latching his mouth onto yours with a groan.

"Joel," you pulled back breathlessly with a small smile and leaned your head to the side, trying to silently remind him of the doorbell. His eyes raked over you hungrily before shaking his head and pulling you back into a deep kiss.

Fuck the camera, let them see.

You giggled against his mouth, causing him to smile and break the kiss.

"Come on, I wanna get good seats," you said, rubbing your thumb over his lower lip to wipe off your lipstick that transferred. It caused his stomach to clench. That sweet, little intimate gesture made him ache for more so badly that he could hardly breathe.

He walked you around the front of his truck, opening the door and giving you a hand so you could hop onto the seat, the gorgeous red dress you were wearing hugging your curves just right and distracting him to no end.

On the walk around to the driver's side, he mentally scolded himself, reminding himself over and over that tonight was a big deal for his little girl and he needed to stay focused.

As he drove down the street, he realized that his hand instinctively found yours across the seat, his body craving the warmth and softness of your own. How on earth was he going to go back to the life he had before, now that he knows what it's like to bask in the heat of your touch?

Once he got to the school, he found a parking spot and jumped out of the truck. You had figured out by now that he preferred you to wait so he could open the car door for you, so you did. Swinging your legs over the side of the seat, you slid down into his waiting arms, your hands gently coming to rest on the tops of his shoulders. He gazed down at you with his arms loosely hanging around your waist. You saw his adam's apple bob in his throat while he let himself get lost in your warm, beautiful eyes. You lifted a finger from his shoulder, tracing an invisible line down the side of his cheek as you stared up at him with your plush lips parted so invitingly that it made his knees weak.

"Joel! Hey!" Tommy's voice called out from behind, snapping you both out of the moment. Joel sighed and untangled himself from you, taking your hand and leading you forward so he could shut the door before turning around to find his brother.

You could see the family resemblance immediately as Tommy approached you with a wide grin. His hair was a bit darker and a lot longer, and his beard was less full than Joel's, but he had the same soft, brown eyes that you had grown to know and love.

Love? Oh, no.

"Hey, Tommy," Joel said as he got closer, his hand pressed firmly on the small of your back. "This is-"

"Oh, I know who she is. How're you doin', darlin'?" Tommy asked, pulling you into a bear hug, taking you by surprise.

"I-I'm good," you squeaked shyly once he released you. "Nice to meet you."

"I've been dyin' to meet the little lady who's got my brother all wrapped up," he replied with a grin.

"Tommy!" Joel seethed warningly at your side, but you just giggled.

"I'm just messin' around. She knows that, right?" he said, shoving his hands in his coat pocket and rolling on the balls of his feet. "Supposed to snow next week, can you believe it?"

"Yeah, I heard we might get a couple feet," Joel said, steering you toward the doors to the auditorium. "Better get your shovel ready."

You settled in between the two brothers as you found a decent spot in the fourth row. Joel draped his arm around the back of your chair while he chatted with Tommy about work. You inadvertently leaned to the side and rested your shoulder against his chest as you glanced around the room, admiring the lit up garlands around the windows and Christmas trees on the stage with fake presents underneath.

When their conversation died down, Tommy pulled out his phone and began scrolling through social media, holding it low between his spread knees with his chin tucked into his chest.

Joel tilted his face forward to press his lips on the top of your head, breathing in a deep and contented breath. A small smile played across your lips as you turned your gaze up towards him, resting your cheek gently on his shoulder. He looked down at you with a smile and planted a chaste kiss on your forehead, and as each of you slid your eyes closed for a moment, Tommy angled his phone to snap a quick picture, smiling to himself and making a mental note to show his brother later.

The lights dimmed and you all straightened up in your seats. You listened to the music teacher make a small speech at the beginning and politely clapped afterwards. You saw Sarah twice throughout the concert as part of the orchestra, smiling at how focused and beautiful she looked in her white dress. As the concert wound down, Sarah finally came out on stage for her solo, and the three of you eagerly leaned forward. At the last minute, you remembered to pull out your phone and start a video, telling yourself you were doing it for Joel so that he could be in the moment, but you knew you would end up watching it by yourself when you went back to New York City.

The performance was flawless. When it was over, the three of you lept up from your seats, cheering, jumping and clapping, making her wave and blush as she exited the stage. You sat down, giggling, as the people surrounding you gave you all polite smiles and chuckles, then quieted down for the finale.

When the lights came back up, everyone stood from their seats, murmuring and laughing while waiting for their kids to come out from backstage and take pictures. You saw a flash of white out of the corner of your eye and moved out of the way just in time for Sarah to run and jump up into Joel's arms, burying her face in his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, his arms wrapped around her tightly, murmuring praise in her ear. You felt warmth spread across your chest as you watched them have their moment, the corners of your mouth turned up into a smile with your hands clasped together against your chest.

He let her down gently and she turned to give Tommy a quick hug. He spun her around, making her giggle and fidget with her dress before she turned to you.

"You came!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms loosely around your waist. Your eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such affection from her, but you quickly returned the hug.

"Of course I came! Thank you for inviting me," you said, pulling back with a grin. "You were absolutely perfect, I took a video, I'll send it to your dad so he can show you later."

"I did exactly what you told me, I slowed down and took my time," she beamed, and it gave you a new feeling deep in your chest that you never felt before.

"That's great, Sarah," you replied, your throat tight with emotion. Tommy dropped his gaze from you and ticked his jaw to the side, finally understanding why Joel was hesitant to let Sarah know about the two of you.

"Dad?" Sarah asked, turning away from you. "Can I sleep over at Katy's? She's having a bunch of girls over and her mom said it was okay."

"Uh, sure, baby girl. Don't you need clothes and stuff?"

"I have stuff I keep here in my locker for gym," she said.

"Well, alright, lemme talk to her mom first," he replied, glancing around the room.

"Thank you! She's right over here," she said, grabbing his hand. "Thanks for coming!" she called back last minute over her shoulder to you and Tommy, and you both smiled and waved as she dragged her father across the room.

"She's so talented," you said, turning to Tommy. He looked down at you and gave you a weak smile.

"Yeah, she's somethin' else," he said with a nod. "Hey, listen. I'm havin' a get together next week at my house. Little Christmas party, I guess. I invited a guy I met at your parents' house - Josh? He's comin' with his wife, Joel and Sarah'll be there, I'd love for you to come by if you can."

"Josh is my brother in law," you clarified for him. "That sounds great, I'll be there, thank you."

"You're welcome," Tommy said, then his brows pinched together as he opened his mouth again to speak. "Joel might kill me for sayin' this, but you gotta know how happy you've -"

"Ready to go?" Joel asked, sneaking up beside you. Tommy cleared his throat and gave his brother an innocent smile.

"Yep," you replied, dropping your hand to find his at your side, lacing your fingers together and giving him a gentle squeeze.

After saying goodbye to Tommy, Joel slowly led you through the parking lot to his truck, desperately trying to think of something else you could do, not ready to drop you off yet. He knew the time you had together was coming to an end, and he wanted to soak up every precious second. Especially after the way he saw you with Sarah: so warm and sweet and patient. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his daughter's eyes light up that way.

He prided himself on being a good father since his wife left. Always making sure to put Sarah first, that she got everything she could ever want or need. Especially his love. When his ex abandoned them, he made sure Sarah got every ounce of love he had, hoping it would help make up for the loss. But as hard as he tried, he could never fully fill both roles. There were just some things that a mother provided for her daughter that Joel couldn't give.

He didn't realize it until he saw you with Sarah earlier that night, and then it felt like everything shifted into focus for the first time in his life.

He held out his hand to help you get back into his truck, making sure your legs were safely tucked in before he gently shut the door.

Sitting in the driver's seat gripping the steering wheel, he stared straight ahead for a moment in complete silence, the keys still in his coat pocket while his mind reeled.

"Is everything okay?" you asked timidly. He blinked and turned to you.

"Yeah," he said hoarsely. He swallowed and looked at his watch.

"You wanna get coffee or somethin'? I know it's gettin' late but I'm sure some place's open," he said, deep in thought as he considered the cafés nearby.

"Don't you have coffee at your house?" you asked shyly. His eyes snapped up to yours and he saw the flush creeping up your neck and the rapid rise and fall of your chest.

Oh.

"Yeah, yes," he croaked, nervously clearing his throat. "Let's do that. I have- yeah, good idea," he stammered, fumbling with the keys in his pocket.

You smirked as you watched his shaky hand turn the key in the ignition. He twisted around to back out of the parking spot, and this time you gave into temptation, unbuckling your seatbelt so you could slide over and tuck yourself under his arm. He immediately pulled you closer, not even caring that you weren't wearing your seatbelt. He would make sure to drive safe. Nothing could possibly ruin that night. He wouldn't let it.

At stop lights, you would run your hand up his chest and plant small kisses against the corner of his mouth, filling him with a radiating bliss he never felt before.

Once you got back to his house, you shrugged off your sweater and trailed behind him as he made his way into the kitchen. You leaned against the wall and watched as he opened one of the cupboards - the one with the small birds carved into the bottom - and pulled down a can of coffee.

"I don't think I have any decaf," he said turning to look at you.

"I don't want coffee, Joel," you said lowly. He swallowed roughly and put the can on the counter.

"What d'you want, then?"

You pushed yourself off the wall and slowly walked towards him, his eyes skating up and down your body as you approached. Wrapping your arms around his waist, you tilted your face up to gaze at him, your mouth hovering over his own.

"I want you."

His eyes fluttered closed as your lips slotted against his, his rough hands immediately coming up to cup your smooth face, holding you firmly against his mouth. Christ, he would never get tired of kissing you. If he could do it every single day for the rest of his life, he would. He knew it seemed crazy. He knew you just met, but he couldn't help the way you made him feel.

"Let's go upstairs," you whispered, nipping at his lower lip.

He couldn't speak. He just nodded in a daze and let you lead him coyly up the steps, then turned around to walk backwards down the hall towards his bedroom so you could pull him tightly against your body. His big hands gripped your waist while his tongue slipped past your lips, searching for its mate.

You reached behind you blindly, your hand fighting with the doorknob as his big frame caged you in against the wood, his masculine scent invading your senses and making it difficult to think. Finally, the door swung open and you both stumbled in, a giggle erupting from your throat as your fingers got to work undoing the buttons on his dress shirt.

You hurriedly tugged his button down off, leaving it in a heap on the floor as you slid your palms underneath the white t-shirt he had on, feeling the warm skin of his stomach and chest for the first time.

"Off," you whispered, your heart getting stuck in your throat when he yanked the shirt over his head, leaving his upper body completely bare to you. Your mouth went dry as you drank him in, then lunged forward, your lips brushing up his sternum until you reached his collarbone. You sucked on a bit of tanned skin there with a moan, then slipped your tongue out to press wetly against the red mark you left, feeling drunk off the taste of his sweat.

He gently pushed you backwards so he could ease you down onto his bed, his breath growing erratic and desperate with each little bite you left on his chest. God, has anyone ever desired him this much before? Has he really been missing out on this his entire life?

"Baby, we're gonna have to stop soon if you don't want this to go any further," he murmured. He found himself in the familiar position of hovering above you while his hand slid down your leg and toyed with the hem of your dress.

"I don't think I can take much more, tell me to stop," he whispered when you didn't answer, running the tip of his nose softly against your cheek.

"I don't want you to stop," you gasped as his fingers slipped underneath your dress. You tilted your head back and moaned when you felt his fingertips brush against the damp fabric of your panties.

His mouth hungrily devoured the exposed cleavage of your breasts, growing frustrated with the fabric of your dress keeping him from seeing all of you.

"Sit up," he demanded, leaning back and pulling his hand from between your legs. You obeyed, and he made short work of your zipper, pulling it all the way down so you could shimmy out, leaving you in just your underwear.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered when he realized you weren't wearing a bra. You let yourself fall back gently on the bed, spreading your arms out above your head so he could see every inch of you in the moonlight.

He couldn't believe this was actually happening. He kept waiting for his alarm to go off and reality to slap him across the face, but it never came. His heart was pounding so fast, he was sure you could hear it as he leaned back down and nibbled at your exposed jaw while his calloused hand cupped your soft breast, his thumb flicking over your hardening nipple.

You scraped your nails over his shoulders and down his chest as you arched your back, pressing into his hand, needing to feel the heat of his skin against your own. Your stomach flipped as you made your way down to his belt, and with shaky fingers, pulled hastily at the leather.

Yanking the belt through the loops with one swift motion, you flung it across the room, making him chuckle against your skin. When you started to work on popping open the button on his dress pants, a devastating thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Shit, wait," he said, putting his hand on top of yours. You frowned up at him, your chest heaving, as you gave him a confused look.

"I don't have any protection," he said through gritted teeth. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut angrily. "I-I haven't been with anyone since my ex, and I never thought... fuck," he said, clenching his jaw.

You weighed your options for about half a second before tugging his chin up, forcing him to look at you.

"I'm still on birth control," you told him, searching his eyes. "I mean, only if you're comfortable with it, we don't have to," you said, but in your head you were chanting please, please, please.

"Are you sure?" he asked, panting for air. "I don't wanna make you feel like -"

"Yes," you said, cutting him off by grabbing his face. "Yes. I'm sure, Joel. Please," you whimpered, pulling him back down to you, his mouth crashing down on yours again.

"Please," you whispered again, tipping your head back as his lips left a trail of soft kisses down your throat. "Please, Joel, I need you."

His mouth stuttered against your neck. Hearing you beg and say you needed him when he never thought he would ever be needed like this in his whole life made his mind go blank.

"Okay," he rasped. "Okay, baby."

He tugged at the zipper on his black pants and pulled them off as quickly as he could without leaving you. You reached down to help him, hooking your fingers over the band of his boxers and shoving them down. He kicked them off before yanking down your panties, dropping them on the floor next to his clothes.

You eagerly spread your legs so he could settle his hips between them. You glanced down with a small gasp when you saw the size of him and you felt your cheeks flare. Jesus Christ.

He didn't seem to notice your reaction when he was too wrapped up in staring at the wet heat between your legs, pulsing and waiting, just for him. He slid a finger gently between your folds, making you moan and your back arch. Fuck, he loved how responsive you were to his touch.

He readjusted so he was kneeling between your legs. His palms slid up your calves, past your knees and to your inner thighs, pressing them down into the mattress so you were spread wide.

He lined himself up at your center, glancing up at you quickly to make sure you were ready. You swallowed and nodded, your eyes filled with desire, desire for him, something he still couldn't fathom but decided not to question. He pressed forward gently, notching himself against you before falling forward on his elbows.

He kissed the tip of your nose as he eased himself inside you, pausing when he heard you gasp and felt you tense under him.

"More," you finally croaked, your nails coming up to rake against his scalp. He let out the breath he was holding and pushed in further, his eyes fluttering shut and his mouth falling open as he felt you slowly stretch around him so perfectly, like you were made just for him.

"Oh, god," he sighed, dropping his face to the crook of your neck after he fully sheathed himself inside you. He dragged his mouth across your chest, leaving a wet trail from his tongue and red marks from his scratchy beard in his wake. He waited until he felt your muscles relax under him before he slowly rolled his hips, dragging himself in and out as his teeth scraped over your tightening nipples. You moaned his name softly, the sound permanently etched in his brain, a sound he will refuse to forget for the rest of his life.

He began to roll his hips faster at your encouragement, becoming obsessed with the way you felt and the sounds you made, and it was all for him. He spent so much of his life giving to everyone around him, he never truly felt like anyone was able or willing to give him what he needed in return until now. The recognition was depressing and freeing at the same time. Now that he finally had what he always wanted, what he always needed, he was going to lose you and there was nothing he could do about it.

Each moan from your throat and each kiss from your lips dragged him down deeper and deeper until he collided head first with the stunning, yet so painfully obvious, realization that he was deliriously in love with you. It was insane, he knew that. But it didn't make it any less true.

"Joel," you gasped, pulling him out of his trance and back to the present.

"Yeah, baby? I'm here. I'm right here," he whispered, planting soft kisses all over your face.

You bit down on your lower lip and squeezed your eyes shut. The sheer intensity behind his gaze coupled with the agony of only getting to experience this for one more short week made tears burn in the backs of your eyes.

You felt your orgasm begin to swell deep in your belly while your breath became more ragged and your vision went spotty. It shouldn't feel this good. This was cruel, to be able to experience something like this just to have it brutally ripped away from you. It wasn't fair, yet you never wanted it to stop.

He could feel it. It's been years, and it was never, ever like this, but he still knew. The way you whimpered and clawed at his back while your walls squeezed him so tightly, he thought he might pass out.

"Open your eyes," he panted. "I wanna look at you."

You forced your eyes open, now unable to hold back the tears that pooled there as two drops trickled down the side of your face, getting lost in your hair.

"It's okay, I got you," he whispered lovingly, staring deep into your eyes, seeing everything you didn't dare say out loud.

"You can let go, baby," he told you, his hips snapping against you ruthlessly, desperate to come at the same time.

You felt the wave rip through you like fire, the power and emotion behind it unlike anything you ever felt before. More tears poured from your eyes as you cried out his name, your thighs squeezing his hips so tightly you weren't sure you would be able to stand after.

He followed seconds later with a deep groan, spilling himself deep inside you while murmuring praise and wiping away your tears with his thumb.

"Why're you cryin', did I hurt you?" he asked, his voice filled with so much concern that it broke your heart. You shook your head, wiping the tears away with the back of your hand, but fresh ones just took their place.

"C'mon, talk to me," he urged, leaning up a bit as he softened inside you.

"What are we gonna do, Joel?" you blubbered pathetically. He took a shaky breath in and tenderly tucked your hair behind your ear.

"I don't know, baby, but we'll figure somethin' out. We gotta," he said with a sigh.

"I can't lose you," you whispered, pressing your forehead against his and closing your eyes.

"You'll never lose me, I can promise you that," he replied, pressing a gentle kiss against your swollen lips.

He waited until your tears slowed down before sliding out of you with a hiss. Rolling off to your side, he wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled you close against his chest, and as you finally drifted off in his embrace, he thought about all of the options available before you, determined to find a solution.

Tag list: @lola8888673 @pedropascalsbbg @nandan11 @sushiumex @serenadingtigers @jjlevin @survivingandenduring @amyispxnk @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @merz-8 @wonyoungismind @fandomscollide @anoverwhelmingdin @cayleejx16 @msjjekyll @lizzie-cakes @hexedbywanda @harriedandharassed @joeldjarin - lmk if i missed anyone, if your name is crossed out it means it won't let me tag you

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ambreiiigns · 2 years

Text

more whining i need to see my therapist sorry

#oh nay #i also just finished reading no longer human and i feel like that is kinda. giving me a kick to express shit. in a way #you know????? idk it feels like that unlocked something or gave me a push i didn't have #like why do i always always always feel at fault no matter what i do no matter where i am why do i always feel like i'm making everything #worse for everyone. i don't know if i've ever asked myself why this is #it's always like. it's just how it is #after enough therapy it did turn into. i feel like that and i'm wrong and it's insane to feel like that #like i can absolutely see how it's so unfair of me to see everything like that. and occasionally i can be like. no that is Wrong you're #doing nothing wrong it's alright or even. You Deserve Something‚ Actually #but idk i feel wuite helpless rn. i feel really bad i really do #i kinda just want my mom to hug me a lot right now i wish it wasn't only monday i wish it was the weekend so i could go back home and stay #w her some time. we didn't see each other much this weekend she was busy and she was sad abt it when i left #she was in the shower when i had to leave and she was sad couldn't say goodbye properly. said she was sad bc we didn't spend time together #and this is weird. she's not really sentimental like that. she's being a lot sweeter #wonder if it's because she misses me. bc i think i feel sweeter for her rn bc i miss her maybe it's the same for her #or maybe. more frightening. she's being sweeter bc of uni. bc i'm doing something that's making her happy and proud. so purposefully or not #she's kinda like. rewarding me w being sweet. and maybe she wouldn't do this/won't do it again if uni were out of the picture #she'll come here tomorrow. she has to bring my brother to guitar school. i don't know if we'll get to see each other actually #i told her i really hope we do meet up but now i don't know if i want her to? like i either lie abt the house. and don't bring it up. or??#if i can talk to someone and have good news i'll tell her. if i get bad news idk. i probably tell her either way. i've hardly ever kept #secrets w her so. if i don't hear anything abt the situation i just don't bring it up until i know more i think #god what the fuck did they put in mother/daughter relationships #the point is. i wish i could forgive myself for being a person i think. i wish i could just accept that i exist #and that my mom made me exist so she gotta deal w me no matter what and if i wrong her it's on her as much as it is on me #but also it isn't. also it's just on me. but she has to deal w it anyway #i'm no good and even when i'm any good it's nothing special it's just the bare minimum and i shouldn't celebrate it #this is not like. an affirmation this is just. me putting into words something that i feel so i can perceive it. i'm not being edgy and #negative for the sake of it. + if anyone reads this and tries to comfort me by being like noo you're good you're great i might kill u #like thank you for the thought but it really does not make me feel any better so i appreciate it but fr do not say anything of the sort it #just makes me cry harder i mean it

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penkura · 18 days

Text

First Mother's Day

Note: I decided to do a special post in what is now my OP Men as Dads series, and do a Mother's Day headcanon/blurb post. I understand this day can be rough for some, but I hope that whether you celebrate or not, whether your mom is in your life or not, that you have a lovely day otherwise and if this isn't your cup of tea, I hope there's something else that can entertain you today. <3

If you'd like my thoughts on other OP men as dads (Shanks, Kid, Usopp, etc.), please just ask and I'll give an answer! I'll include Luffy in this despite my viewing him as a son or brother, but it probably won't be x Reader based. Requests are being worked on as well.

I am using baby Ace image to break up this and the actual content from now on lol. He's just so cute. 🥺

Ace is going to go all out for your first Mother’s Day. He’s buying flowers, candies, and cards, all from him and your daughter. Even if you tell him you don’t want anything except a quiet day at home with the two of them, he’s buying you gifts.

He’ll likely buy you a bracelet with your daughter’s name on it, or maybe a charm bracelet with her birthstone, so you can add any more in the future if/when you have more children. Ace will try to make you breakfast in bed, but he ends up burning the bacon to the point your smoke alarm goes off, and you have to open all the windows to air out the house the rest of the day (at least it’s a nice day out). He orders out breakfast from a nearby diner to make sure you have something that morning, he’ll even try to take your daughter out for a walk or to Luffy and Sabo’s place for the day to give you a break, but you insist on going along.

“You should have the day off though!”

“Ace, I don’t want a day off. Rogue is only three month’s old, and I’d much rather spend the day with you and her than alone. That’s not a fun Mother’s Day to me.”

The three of you end up at Luffy and Sabo’s place, the two uncles absolutely adoring their niece as she coos and lets them hold her without any crying or fussing. When you get home later that night, Ace watches you get Rogue ready for bed. He knew from the start that you would be a great mother, and sometimes, he just wishes his own mother was around to see it, and to meet her granddaughter.

Law has a plan that gets thrown off when your son decides to be born a week earlier than expected, on Mother’s Day itself. He still tries to do something for you, even though the original plan of taking you out for brunch and giving you a quiet day at home while you waited for your baby to be born was now out the window. He should’ve known, ever since he met Luffy all his plans go haywire at some point. At least it led to you two meeting eventually.

Once you’ve gone to sleep and your son Rosi is in the nursery at the hospital, Law slips out to quickly put something together. He has a gift for you, a mother’s ring that will fit into your wedding band, he just needs flowers, or chocolate, or something to add to it. He doesn’t really like to be cliché, but he ends up with flowers, at least they’re something pretty you can have in your hospital room and when you’re released to take your baby boy home.

The girl in the hospital gift shops tells him he looks happy, even if Law doesn’t really show it. She swears it’s just something in the way he speaks while he asks her to pull together a small bouquet for you. He is happy, beyond that actually, knowing you two have a son, you both are healthy and safe. He has a family again, his very own. The flowers and ring aren’t enough to convey his gratitude to you for giving him a family to call his own, but it’s a start. There will be plenty more times for him to do so in the future.

When Law gets back to your room, you’re awake again and in the middle of nursing your son, a nurse helping you when you need it. She notices the flowers he’s brought and leaves you both with a smile, saying she’ll come back in a few minutes.

“Where’d you get off to?”

“Had to get something,” Law comes over and presses a kiss to your forehead, giving you a smile, “Happy Mother’s Day.”

Penguin has thought of what to do every day since your daughter Wren was born. He’s come up with multiple ways to celebrate your first Mother’s Day, but nothing seems just right to him. He’s thought of brunch, breakfast in bed, giving you a day out with your friends while he watches your daughter, or even a weekend trip away, leaving your baby with her grandparents, but nothing works out. Restaurants and diners he calls are all booked up already, you hate eating in bed because of crumbs, your friends all had plans either with their own mothers or their spouses and kids, and your own parents were out of town for the next two weeks.

He ends up with no real plans for the day and feels terrible about it as it approaches. Its going to be another normal Sunday for the three of you, he hates the idea of that because it’s your first Mother’s Day, it should be special, shouldn’t it?

When the day finally comes around, Penguin is up first, hearing Wren’s little babbles through the baby monitor, and going to pick her up. At nine-months-old she’s figured out how to stand up on her own, still no steps being taken by herself, but when she sees Penguin enter the nursery, she grins and starts bouncing up and down, holding the rail of her crib and shouting “da” over and over. It makes Penguin smile as he picks her up, kissing her chubby cheek which makes her squeal.

“Good morning, Wren! Let’s keep quiet, mommy’s still asleep, okay?”

“Da!”

He laughs a bit, lifting her up over his head to make her giggle again, as she reaches her little hands towards his face.

“You know…a great gift would be for you to say ‘mama’ for the first time, yeah?”

“Ma?”

“Yeah, you’re close! Now, just say ‘mama’.”

Wren sticks her tongue out while she tries to speak, Penguin helping her along for several minutes until she finally says something close to ‘mama’.

“Mm…ma.”

Penguin sighs a bit, but nods as he brings Wren down and kisses her cheek again, making her giggle as she wraps her arms around his neck.

“You two sure have been having fun.”

Both look to you in the doorway, no shortage of smiles among the three of you, as Wren lights up and starts to reach for you, trying to say she wants you to hold her. You both take just a moment too long to get her to you, and it makes her fuss and kick her legs a bit.

“Ma…ma!”

You didn’t even get her in your arms, you and Penguin both freezing in place for a moment while Wren continues to fuss and whine, almost in tears since you haven’t held her yet.

“Mama!”

“I—”

“Her first word!!” You quickly take Wren from Penguin and hug her close, kissing her cheeks and forehead telling her how proud you are of your little girl. “This is the best Mother’s Day gift!”

At least that worked out, even if he didn’t have a plan in mind.

Sanji wouldn’t have waited nearly a year to celebrate you as a mother if you hadn’t forced him to. With fraternal twins to now take care of and raise, you’ve both been through bouts of exhaustion and elation over the two babies you brought into the world. Sora and Angel, your precious blessings, were nearly a year old, and you’d already started planning a birthday party for them, completely ignoring the fact Mother’s Day was a few weeks prior to their turning one-year-old.

Sanji didn’t forget, he had a plan, one that included your twins scribbling away to make cards for you, though he didn’t expect the two to be so fussy about it and mark each other up more than the papers. He learned very quickly to not give babies or toddlers markers, unless they were washable. You still don’t fully realize how Sora ended up with a bright green mark over his right eye and Angel had a hot pink line down her left arm.

The rest was simple, breakfast in bed, made by your professional chef husband of course, and whatever else you wanted for the rest of the day. If you want to lay in bed and watch TV without interruption, he’d put your twins in the stroller and take them to the park. If you wanted to turn your phone off and sleep the day away, he’d take over and leave you alone until you needed anything. Whatever you want, it’s a day to celebrate you as the mother of his children, he wasn’t going to deny you anything.

But when you do tell him what you want, after finishing off breakfast, Sanji’s a bit surprised.

“Are you…sure?”

“Mm-hm,” you nod and try to keep Sora from grabbing the butter knife on the tray, making him whine while Angel slept in Sanji’s arms, “I want to spend the day with the three of you.”

“You…do that every day though, my love.”

“So?” smiling, you kiss the top of Sora’s head and watch Angel as she starts to stir awake, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands, “You guys are my family. I hate the idea of not being with the three of you today, so I’d rather just spend it like we always do.”

Sanji nods a bit, seeming to understand, greeting Angel when she wakes up fully with a kiss to the forehead. It makes you happy to watch him with both your children, but especially your daughter. How could he ever think you’d want to spend the day alone? Not when you had these two blessings as your children and Sanji as your husband.

“We could still take these two to the park later, maybe burn off some energy so they nap at a decent time.”

“Of course! Whatever you want, my love.”

Zoro doesn’t even fully realize that its Mother’s Day until Nami says something to him. The past few weeks with your son have been exhausting for both of you, but he can’t believe he forgot that this was a thing. He has nothing planned and isn’t sure what to do. He’s running out of time, it’s literally just a few hours away before Nami offers to take you out for the day wherever the Sunny docks in the morning. Zoro will stay with your son on the ship, and you’ll get a day off from being a mom and wife, the two think it’s the best thing to give you on such short notice, though Nami does up the interest on his debt again for this.

You don’t even get to say good morning to your husband or son before Nami has dragged you off to whatever she has planned, its really just a normal girl’s day out with shopping and lunch. Most of what you buy isn’t even for you, it’s baby items that you need or clothes you think are adorable. It just ended up making you miss your son more as the day went on.

When you do get back to the ship, your son is wailing and no one has been able to calm him down, not even Zoro while he tries his hardest and lightly bounces your baby as he shushes him gently. As soon as you drop your bags you’re taking him from your husband and holding him close to calm him down.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, mommy’s here, Keitaro. I’m back.”

He slowly calms down once he realizes its you, burying his little face in your shoulder and keeping a tight grip on your shirt. When you ask Zoro what the deal was with Nami dragging you off the ship so early, before you even had the chance to hold Keitaro that day, he explains the situation and it just makes you tilt your head.

“…it’s Mother’s Day?”

You hadn’t even realized it. That just makes Zoro feel bad that it caused your son such distress, and he and Nami both apologize for not talking to you about it beforehand. They both assumed the other had discussed it with you. You didn’t really care to celebrate, all that mattered was being with your husband and son, the rest of your day spent with just the two of them.

Note 2: Out here dropping names like I didn't say I'd make a post about that at some point lol. So, the firstborns in order of character are Portgas D. Rogue, Trafalgar D. Rosinante (called Rosi cause it's too damn cute), Wren, Sora and Angel, and Roronoa Keitaro.

#one piece x reader #trafalgar law x reader #zoro x reader #roranoa zoro x reader #law x reader #sanji x reader #penguin x reader #op penguin x reader #reader insert #black leg sanji x reader #portgas d ace x reader #ace x reader #mother's day #op men as dads

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f1byjessie · 4 months

Text

HE LIKES MY AMERICAN SMILE ━━ OP81.

love is a wild ride, and logan sargeant's sister is about to find this out the hard way.

( oscar piastri x sargeant!reader )

━━ part one.

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liked by logansargeant, oscarpiastri, and 2,798 others

yourusername yeehaw (bahrain edition)

view all 934 comments

user the only person more american than logan is his sister

logansargeant imagine spending more time with a horse than your own twin brother

↳ yourusername don't need to bc i did

↳ logansargeant this is the cyber bullying mom warned me about

↳ yourusername do you wanna see bullying? cuz i'll show you bullying

user oh to be a girl at the beach during sunset

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tagged: logansargeant

yourusername baby's first f1 race! kick some ass logie! 🫶

view all 1,452 comments

logansargeant thank you but we're literally the same age??

↳ yourusername umm i think you're mistaken cuz last i checked i was still a minute older

user LOGIE I'M DECEASED

user y/n giving us the low qual logan content we've been craving

williamsracing Best of luck to Logan! We're happy to have him as part of the team!

user WTF IS A KILOMETERRRRR RAHHHH 🦅🦅🦅

oscarpiastri i don't even wanna know how far back you had to scroll in your gallery to find that last picture

↳ yourusername careful piastri, i have some of you too and i'm not afraid to use them

↳ oscarpiastri noted.

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tagged: yourusername

logansargeant could've been better, could've been worse, but i couldn't have asked for a better cheerleader this weekend. everyone's jealous they ain't got a sister like mine

view all 2,117 comments

user RAAAAHH!! USA!! USA!! USA!! 🦅💥

alex_albon could really feel the williams love all weekend long 💙

yourusername i mean i GUESS i have to take my job as your sister seriously SOMETIMES

↳ oscarpiastri as opposed to the rest of the time when you're mortal enemies

↳ yourusername i'm glad SOMEONE understands

user am i the only one who didn't know logan had another sibling???

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f1paddockgossip_official Y/N Sargeant, sister to new Williams driver Logan Sargeant, makes her F1 paddock debut this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix! With such a bright demeanor, it was hard to miss her! It's only the first race of the 2023 season, and we hope to be seeing her around more often.

view all 7,538 comments

user THAT'S WHO THAT WAS???

user she's our all american girl and we love her

user nothing more american than twins

↳ user this literally makes no sense?? what??

user FORGET THE DRIVERS I WANNA MEET HER 😍

user becoming a logan fan just for his sister

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yourusername goodbye bahrain, you were a wonderful experience

view all 364 comments

user will you be at the saudi arabian gp???

williamsracing We hope to see you at more races Y/N! Thanks for coming out to support our team! 💙

↳ yourusername of course! i had the time of my life!

user who needs to be a wag when you can just be the sister of a driver and get the same benefits

user is this supposed to be a reference to oscar's post??

↳ user wait omg is it?

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oscarpiastri goodbye bahrain, you were everything.

comments have been disabled

━━ a/n: oh gosh, this is my first time posting anything like this on tumblr so i hope it's good! more to come eventually! still trying to figure out a style, so please excuse any mistakes or discrepancies!

#formula 1 #formula one #f1 #formula 1 imagine #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x reader #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri imagine #social media au #f1 fanfic #f1 fic

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 3 months

Text

The Farmer's Daughter 9

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Walter Marshall

Summary: You notice a peculiar change in a family friend. (short!reader, sorry size kink is out)

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

After the tense morning, you don't speak to Walter again that day. Or the next. When he arrives, he stays outside with his thermos of coffee and waits for Timothy. At the end of the day, he gives your brother an excuse about chores at home. Maybe not an excuse. He has been spending a lot of time around here.

Nearly a week after it happened, after everything changed, your mother appears in the kitchen with a crease in her forehead. You offer her a cup off coffee as she rubs her eyes. She yawns and and shakes her head.

“We'll grab a cup at the hospital,” she says, “you're father has a check-up. Timmy's taking us.”

“Oh?” You pour yourself a mug and lean on the counter, “I forgot.”

“Lots going on,” she sighs, “can't blame you for being distracted.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” you shrug.

“I called Walter, left a message,” she checks the clock hung above the door, “wouldn't be too bad if he did swing by, huh?”

“Hopefully he doesn't waste the time,” you grumble.

“Honey,” she chides playfully, “you know, I think your dad would approve… if he could. He always liked Walter.”

“Mom,” you frown, “please, I have enough to worry about.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” she whines, “I'm just… looking for a little sunshine through the clouds.”

You wince, a pang of guilt between your ribs, “I'm sorry, mom, I just… Walter's nice. He helps so much and I think… I think maybe it's too much.”

“Don't I know it. He is so generous. I gave him some money and I found the envelope in my purse,” she tuts, “you could do much worse. He… he could take care of you.”

You exhale, “mom.”

“Just listen,” her tone turns dire and her eyes gleam, “your pa can't. He's not gonna be able to ever again. I already know what the doc's gonna day and you shouldn't fool yourself. Walter won't help forever, not for no good reason. And next year, your pa won't be back on his tractor…” she sniffles and dabs her nose, “those days are behind us.”

“Ma, you don't know–”

“I do,” she utters solemnly, “I see the man I married but he's hollow. He's… a shell, honey. He's there but he's not really.”

“Oh, ma–”

“I'm just saying… we need to weigh our options. I'll look into selling if we gotta and Timmy, maybe he can go work with Walt–”

“Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?” You cross an arm around your middle.

“We shoulda been talking about this a week ago,” she shakes her head.

“Well, I can apply at the grocer or–”

“You do that,” she says, “but you think real hard. You got options,” she steps closer and cups your cheeks, “you're a pretty young thing. That doesn't last forever.”

You don't say a word as her greyness seeps into you. She draws away and you bow your head. You wait for her to go as you stare into the black depths of the coffee. You take a sip to try to chase away the ice in your veins but it only sends a shiver through you.

🌾

Your parents go off with Timmy in the truck. You set to sweeping the porch to keep yourself busy. Your mother's words ring in your ears. She can't be serious, there's more out there than the farm. Pa always said as much and you don't think he meant Walter.

As you get to the steps, the distant rumble of an engine rolls over the ground. You turn as gravel grits under treads and Walter's large truck lazily rocks along the bumpy road. You still the straw broom and grip the handle as he pulls up. Did he not get your mother's message?

He lingers in the truck as you squint against the sunlight. His door pops open and he jumps down, sending up a cloud of dust. He goes around the bed of the truck and opens the back.

He slides out a sheet of wood and drags it towards you. You watch in confusion as he stops and leans it against the side of the porch. His eyes meet yours and his brows furrow.

“Morning,” he checks his watch, “barely.”

“Morning, Mr. Marshall,” you eke out.”

His eyes flash and he nods. He turns and marches back to the truck, pulling out several planks before carrying them over. You watch him as you lean on the broom.

“What are you doing?” You ask.

He stops and looks up at you. He points to your feet and flicks his finger up, “building a ramp. For your dad.”

You look down at your slips flecked in dirt and stray strands of straw, “oh? Didn't ma call–”

“She didn't ask,” he says bluntly.

Your lips slant and you tilt your head, “that's real nice.”

“Yeah well, I'm a nice guy,” he huffs and spins on the heel of his boots, stomping away once more.

He goes back to the truck and retrieves his toolbox. His agitation roils off his tense shoulders and the stone set in his jaw. You're too afraid to ask but you do need to. He has been avoiding you.

“Well, I'll stay out of your way,” you lift the broom and back up the stairs. “If you need anything–”

“Not in the way,” he says curtly as he takes out a measuring tape.

“Oh, I know but I wouldn't wanna bother–”

“I don't mind,” he shrugs as he steps onto the stairs and measures the angle over them.

“Right, of course, do you need anything? A glass of water or–”

“Seems like I'm the one bothering,” he stands and lets the tape retract harshly.

“No?” You bat your lashes at him, “I didn't say that, Mr.--”

“Walt,” he growls, “you know what I like best in a woman. Honesty. So why don't you be honest and tell me what you really feel?”

“I…” you gulp, “Walter, er, Walt, I… I'm just… confused.”

“Don't act like a child. We both know you're not,” he crosses his arms over his broad chest. You've seen him angry before but it's never been aimed at you.

“I… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry.”

“Sorry. Okay,” he shakes his head and unfolds his arms, going back to measuring, “I'm open to talking when you wanna be an adult.”

You flinch as you watch him. He grits his teeth, ignoring your presence as he focuses on his work. You turn, hiding the hurt deep in your chest. You never meant to hurt him but you really don't know. As much as you try to wade through your feelings, you only feel as if you're drowning in them.

#walter marshall #dark walter marshall #dark!walter marshall #walter marshall x reader #drabble #night hunter #the farmer's daughter #series #au #backwoods au

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drafthorsemath · 29 days

Text

Brotherly Love

Synopsis: Crosshair can't sleep and Tech appears to him as a force ghost. Lots of comfort.

A/N: I need some kind of conclusion for my brain. Whether you accept the finale and that Tech is dead, I think I need to get this out of my system to grieve.

Word Count: 846

It was nearly pitchblack in the bedroom, save for a sliver of a moonbeam shining through the window. Pabu was quiet this time of night and usually Crosshair found comfort in that. Tonight though, he was struck by sadness. He thought of Tech and the nights they'd spend together as cadets. Crosshair's eyes would hurt from the bright lights on Kamino after long days of training. Tech would turn off the lights, get into bed with him, and read to him. Crosshair smiled as he thought about all the different things Tech read. History, science, even the occasional holonovel. He would always find comfort laying next to his brother and hearing his voice. He wished he could hear him again now.

Crosshair sat up in bed and sighed as he looked out the window. He could swear he felt Tech's hand on his shoulder; steady and comforting as it always was. He sniffled and leaned into the sensation, only to realize that it wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

"Tech?!" Crosshair jumped up and turned to see a kind of blue light around what he could have swore was his brother. "What the kriff?!"

"Yes," Tech replied, examining his glowing limbs with curiosity. "I could ask the same thing."

Crosshair reached out to try to touch him. He felt a presence and yet could see through him.

"Is it really you?" Crosshair asked.

"Of course it's really me," Tech replied with an eye roll.

"How are you doing this?" Crosshair asked.

"I am unsure," came the honest answer. "However, matter is never created nor destroyed. It simply changes form. For whatever reason, this is the form I am currently taking."

Crosshair sat back down and without warning, sharply inhaled and let out a sob. Tech put his hand back on his brother's shoulder.

"I've missed you," Crosshair said, trying to compose himself.

"I'm still here," Tech said. "I've always thought of you before I fell and I've been with you since. I cannot fully explain the latter part."

"This is the first time I've seen you like this, though," Crosshair noted.

Tech nodded. They sat in silence for several minutes. Crosshair somehow understood now. All those times he felt like Tech was with him and he tried to suppress the feeling for fear it wasn't true when in reality, his brother had never left him.

"Tech?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Crosshair looked into his brother's familiar eyes and couldn't help but let a tear slip despite his best efforts. "I'm sorry I didn't leave the Empire sooner. I missed out on time with you. I should have done better."

Tech shook his head and pulled Crosshair into a hug.

"I am just glad you came home," Tech said. Both men felt relief. Relief that there were no hard feelings between them and that they cared for each other as they always had.

After awhile longer, Tech asked, "Shouldn't you be getting some rest?"

"I don't want to wake up and find you're not here."

"I'll still be here, Crosshair. Even if you can't see me and I promise I'll do my best to show up so you can. There has to be some interesting science behind this and now I have an infinite amount of time to try to figure it out."

Crosshair chuckled. That was so like him. Then, even though Tech had changed form, Crosshair could sense his brother had a question as easily as if they'd both been there in the flesh.

"What is it?" Crosshair asked.

"Are you going to get a prosthetic for your hand?"

"I'm not sure yet. I still have my left hand and Echo's given me some tips on getting by."

"If you do get a prosthesis I would be happy to help you optimize its utility."

"Can you even hold a spanner?" Crosshair asked dryly.

"I'm sitting on your bed and just gave you a hug. If I can do that, I do not see why I cannot use tools to fix something."

"Fair point," Crosshair replied with a grin. "I'll let you know."

Without a word, Crosshair and Tech both laid down as they had done when they were cadets. Instead of reading, they talked about their brothers and Omega. How much time it took them to truly relax on Pabu after the intensity of all that had happened. How Omega was growing, having something of a childhood, and how her piloting skills were improving all the time. They were both filled with pride in her.

It took awhile, but Crosshair finally let himself sleep, still feeling his brother right next to him. When he woke up in the morning, he startled a bit. He couldn't see Tech anymore. His eyes searched his room, but Tech was no where to be found. Had it been a dream? Was his brain taunting him? Just as he wanted to curse these mind games, he felt Tech's hand on his shoulder again and took a deep breath. Tech was still there. Crosshair would never have to be alone again.

#the bad batch #tbb #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #crosshair #tech #force ghost tech #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #brotherly love

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leclerc-s · 6 months

Text

big reputations - part six

series masterlist // previous // next

sabrinacarpenter posted new stories

pre-qatar dinner and this dude looks way too fucking happy. is there an off switch or something? cars go vroom! little brother won a race or something? it's like a big deal 3x world champion or whatever jokes aside i'm literally crying?? who knew i would be crying over some silly little men in silly little cars??

alex albon ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT FUCKING HAPPENED YESTERDAY??

max verstappen i kissed daniel, so what?? george russell THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SAW BITCH!!

oscar piastri clearly you were all drunk. i saw max kiss daniel and charles. charles said it was glorious.

charles leclerc it was, i went to my hotel room and i questioned everything. pierre gasly FUCKER YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

daniel ricciardo is it suddenly not okay for me to kiss max??

yuki tsunoda HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM US RICCIARDO!! THIS IS SO FUCKED! THIS IS FUCKING BETRAYAL YOU FUCKING FUCK! YOU DICKHEAD!

esteban ocon is this why max knocked liam out the other day??

max verstappen i didn't knock him out, i simply helped him rest his eyes for a bit. he seemed tired.

alex albon I KNOW WHAT I FUCKING SAW YESTERDAY!!

oscar piastri i think you guys are cra

oscar piastri so these are the famous f1 drivers oscah and sharl cannot shut up about. nice to meet y'all!

logan sargeant oscar? you okay buddy?

max verstappen sabrina, dear god, give oscar his phone back.

oscar piastri KISS MY ASS VERSTAPPEN. I WILL DECK YOU max verstappen when you can reach me, sure. oscar piastri SOMEONE GRAB ME A FUCKING FORK!! max verstappen yup, still can't stand you. oscar piastri OH FUCK YOU SID!

oscar piastri i apologize for her, she isn't house trained.

charles leclercDID YOU JUST CALL ME A BITCH PIASTRI?? YOU'RE FUCKING NEXT!!

charles leclerc added one person

sabrina carpenter now, did you guys seen pierre kiss yuki?

pierre gasly what?

charles leclerc i swear i saw k-mag and and nico kiss

sabrina carpenter oh, you guys are allowed to say nico? i thought that was off limits because of lewis. #ripbrocedes

daniel ricciardo lewis isn't here.

carlos sainz jesus do you people have to talk so fucking much??

sabrina carpenter HEY, I HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU MR. SAINZ!

carlos sainz who is that? why are they yelling at me?

sabrina carpenter JUST BECAUSE I WASN'T AROUND FOR SPA DOESN'T MEAN I WILL NOT DEFEND MY LITTLE BROTHER OSCAR!

oscar piastri let it go sabrina

sabrina carpenter I'LL LET IT GO WHEN DANIEL LET'S THE CHARLES THING GO!!

carlos sainz what's the charles thing?

max verstappen nothing daniel ricciardo nothing charles leclerc nothing oscar piastri nothing sabrina carpenter nothing

yuki tsunoda STOP CHANGING THE FUCKING SUBJECT! DANIEL JOSEPH RICCIARDO ARE YOU OR ARE YOU FUCKING NOT DATING DAPHNE FUCKING JONES??

daniel ricciardo i plead the fifth

george russell that's a yes to me

alex albon THEY WERE FUCKING MAKING OUT AT THE BAR!! OF COURSE THEY'RE DATING!!

sabrina carpenter no, that was daniel and max. i don't know what you people saw. clearly the tension from when they were teammates got to be too much and now they're acting on their feelings. i really thought it was going to be a lestappen endgame.

oscar piastri okay, you need to get off of f1 twitter seriously.

sabrina carpenter well how else am i supposed to learn f1 lore? and it's not just twitter, tiktok has been very helpful.

george russell just how much time is she spending on f1 twitter and tiktok?

sabrina carpenter "i'm here to fight, i'm here to win, i'm not just going to wave him bye because he's max verstappen in a red bull."

sabrina carpenter "what am i now? i'm heavily depressed." sabrina carpenter "suck my balls mate." sabrina carpenter "nothing just an inchident."

oscar piastri yeah, she's gonna be doing that for a while

sabrina carpenter "bwoah!" sabrina carpenter "james, it's valtteri, fuck you." sabrina carpenter "ALL THE TIME YOU HAVE TO LEAVE A SPACE!"

sabrina carpenter okay, i'm done now. i think oscar was right when he said i needed to step away from f1 twitter and tiktok

oscar piastri you think? i have been receiving an f1 quote from you at least 8 times a day.

logan sargeant free my man oscar, he shouldn't be suffering this way

sabrina carpenter logan sargeant you're next on my list

max verstappen CONGRATS YOU IDIOTS, YOU FUCKED UP!

daphne jones you know, i can see that now, but it's so hilarious knowing the other drivers are losing their mind.

daniel ricciardo the only reason we haven't told them is because you have some stupid plan to get daphne to sing about it at a show.

max verstappen MY PLAN IS A GOOD ONE! TAKE THAT BACK BITCHIARRDO!

oscar piastri what actually is the plan??

sabrina carpenter you know that line in karma, where it's like, "karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me?"

oscar piastri yeah?

charles leclerc max wants daphne to change the lyrics to something like "karma is the guy on the track coming straight home to me?"

max verstappen why is that better than what i had?

sabrina carpenter his was "karma is the guy in the alpha tauri coming straight home to me."

oscar piastri DO BOTH!

max verstappen she can't because someone took daniel out of the season

oscar piastri I APOLOGIZED WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME??

daniel ricciardo MAX EMILIAN VERSTAPPEN IT WASN'T HIS FAULT! LEAVE HIM ALONE

charles leclerc wow we really are like a family.

sabrina carpenter max has been promoted to brother-in-law because the entire internet seems convinced that he's fucking charles

daphne jones do you have no filter?

sabrina carpenter i wrote a song called nonsense that's a euphemism for sex. what do you think?

oscar piastri i'm talkin' all around clock. i'm talkin' hope nobody knocks. i'm talkin' opposite of soft. i'm talkin' wild, wild thoughts. you gotta keep up with me. i got some young energy. i caught the L-O-V-E. how do you do this to me?

max verstappen you just know the lyrics to the song?

oscar piastri i googled them.

sabrina carpenter FAKE FAN!!

oscar piastri i never said i was a fan. i just tolerate you.

charles leclerc i can't stand either of you

daniel ricciardo peak older sibling behavior

taglist: @glow-ish @agustdpeach @msolbesg @spilled-coffee-cup @1nt3rnetgf @six-call @smol-scream @fernandoswarcrimes @arieltwvdtohamflash @Mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @chiliwhore

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! yeah, i don't know what this became towards the end. i saw one tiktok and i spiraled towards the end, i'm also a bit sleep deprived. i apologize in advance for this. you can't convince me sabrina carpenter isn't a menace to society, i bet she is.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet. enjoy!

#leclerc-s #big reputations series #daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo x female oc #formula 1 #formula 1 fic #fanfic #fanfiction #f1 #f1 smau #f1 social media au #f1 instagram au #f1 fic

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vhagarlovebot · 2 years

Text

JUST THE TWO OF US.

♡. ── gif credit. ; ( aemond targaryen masterlist. )

pairing: modern!aemond x fem!reader

summary: you end up sharing the bed with aemond.

content warnings: one bed trope, pinning, kind of cheeky aemond.

note: i don't like how this turned out but i thought about sharing it with you guys anyways. in this they all are a happy family because that is what i choose to believe. if there are any mistakes i apologize but as some of you may know english is not my first language. hope you enjoy! reblogs and likes are greatly appreciated.

AFTER A THEEE HOUR CAR RIDE and complaints from your friends, you finally arrive at the cabin you'll be spending the next four days.

"thank god!" aegon exclaims, jumping out of the car the second helaena parks. "i'll never let you drive again."

"don't be such a baby!" his sister laughs at him, only for aegon to show her the finger.

“i just need to get some rest," you say, yawning.

leaving everyone behind you enter the cabin, you've been here before, a few years ago with jace and his parents, and nothing has changed; the smell of cedar wood and vanilla is still there, as well as the hundreds of family photos.

"just keep that away from me." you hear aegon say, rushing inside.

"it's just a little spider." helaena has a big black spider with huge legs on her hand and is gently patting it.

"i'm sorry but i am not sleeping with that thing in the room." you slowly move away. you love her and her love for all kind of insects, but you cross the line there.

"you can sleep in aemond's room," jace pats your shoulder, a smile on his lips as he sees haleana playing with the big spider. "luke has a waterbed and i don't think you'd like that."

according to aegon, his brother couldn't make it because he had a big paper due this same week. and you'd be lying if you say you didn't feel disappointed. you were actually looking forward to this trip because you were going to see him after he went to college. also you were hoping his presence there would help you resolve your feelings about him.

it's no secret that you've been in love with aemond targaryen since you were a little girl. his silver hair and pretty smile making you feel butterflies in your tummy. and everyone knows about your infatuation. everyone but aemond. he's always been oblivious to your feelings.

"who's going to sleep in my room?" his voice startles you, turning around immediately.

his hair is a little longer, almost brushing his neck, and you don't know if it is possible but he looks taller. and just as handsome as the last time you saw him, waving goodbye at the train station.

he reads the surprise on your faces. "i finished early." he shrugs and his gaze meets yours.

"i–i was..." you lift your finger, suddenly feeling shy. "it was just because helaena has a new spider and you were not here, but i can sleep in luke's room." he just hums, taking his bag and going upstairs.

no one dares to speak but you can feel their eyes on you, so you try to hide how affected you are that he showed up by simply smiling and grabbing your own bags.

"as i said, i need to get some rest."

it was easier said than done.

luke's waterbed is very uncomfortable, making it impossible for you to sleep, and as you roll over on the bed you decide that maybe a cup of hot milk could help.

you try to be quiet, however, you bump into a chair as you enter the kitchen.

"yeah, i'm sure you didn't wake anyone up."

once again his voice startles you, heart beating really fast. aemond is leaning on the countertop, a cup of hot milk in his hands. "couldn't sleep?" he hands you his cup, a friendly smile on his face, and you accept it.

"luke's bed is horrible." you complain, thinking about how you'll have to sleep there for the next three nights. helaena's not getting rid of her new friend, and you're are not going into her room with that there.

"mmh," you take a sip without taking your eyes off of him. he seems to think while you drink the milk, feeling warmth all over your body, wanting to just curl up under the sheets. "come, let's take you to bed."

his words makes you think a bunch of obscenities but you are quick to hide the blush and smile on your face behind the cup.

aemond softly grabs your wrist, taking you with him to the second floor, past luke's bedroom and into his own.

"we can share the bed, is big enough for the both of us."

you have to bite your lower lip to stop you from smiling. any other person wouldn't have cared that you couldn't sleep, but not him. he's willing to sleep next to you if that means you can rest. and even if that makes you feel incredibly nervous, your heart yearns for him.

aemond doesn't wait for your answer, he just walks to his side of the bed to start undressing.

"what are you doing?!" you look away, cheeks heating up.

he laughs, "nothing you haven't seen before." you can pass out at any moment, that's why you choose to ignore whatever it is you're feeling and just go to sleep.

"if you snore, i'll kick you." you wish he doesn't hear how hard your heart beats.

"same thing for you."

you try to take up little space but aemond is having none of it, because he grabs you by the waist to draw you closer to him; your whole body is burning, and you don't dare to breathe.

"i won't bite." he says mischievously, and you are sure he can hear how your heart skips a beat.

faster than you would like you stop feeling his warmth on your back, as he has move away from you.

you try to regulate your breathing, ignoring the silver haired man next to you, and soon enough you are falling into a well-deserved sleep.

you don't really know how long has it been since you fell asleep but a loud noise wakes you, making you move closer to aemond, who doesn't waste a second putting his arm around your body, chest to your back and breath tickling your neck.

"if you wanted to cuddle, you should have just said it." you elbowed him, and he leaves a kiss on the top of your head. "go to sleep."

easier said than done.

you can’t close your eyes nor calm your nerves, even less regulate your breathing. and aemond notices that too.

“are you feeling alright? you’re breathing too fast,” you don’t trust your voice, so instead you hum as an answer. and even though aemond doesn’t believe you, he does not say anything and simply starts drawing circles on your waist in hopes to calm you down. “i’ll always take care of you.”

“you can’t,” you state. “you are far away in college all year.”

“and even far away in college i’ll always take care of you.” you sigh loudly, closing your eyes.

you thought you couldn't be able to sleep having him so close to you, his breath on your neck sending shivers down your spine, but it takes you just a couple of minutes in his arms to fall asleep again.

#📮 ⌇ my works ˖⋆࿐#aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen imagine #aemond targaryen x you #prince aemond x reader #aemond targaryen scenarios #aemond fic #aemond targaryen fluff #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon imagine #hotd x reader #hotd fanfic

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wangxianficrecs · 5 months

Text

Rewind 2023 - Part IV

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2023

It's time for the last post of our Rewind 2023. There are still a few stories left that were published this year that deserve a shout-out and I hope you will shower them with love as well. I'll also make sure to make a Masterpost for all Rewind 2023 posts, so that it's more convenient to find them.

Part I

Part II

Part III

~*~

watch your anger

by loosingletters (@loosingmoreletters)

T, 1k, Cangse Sanren | Kay's Rec

Summary: Watch your anger, her master used to say, never reprimanding Cangse Sanren for her temper tantrums, mainly reminding her of what she stood to lose if she gave in. Cangse Sanren survives. Wei Changze does not.

~*~

Day 1: Dad!Xian

by UseMyMuse (@museywrites)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of Xiantober 2023

Summary: Wei Ying is a tired single parent, but a good cup of coffee and a handsome, flirty stranger leads to a happy future

~*~

Day 4: Ghost!Xian

by UseMyMuse (@museywrites)

T, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of Xiantober 2023

Summary: Wei Ying died at the age of 10, but miraculously the little boy Lan Wangji from down the street was able to see him. They become an unlikely pair and form an unbreakable friendship. Things seem fine until a hostile presence shakes Wei Ying to his ghostly core.

~*~

waiting for us

by sunflowersfield

T, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying is in the middle of cooking dinner when Lan Zhan walks into the apartment on Friday night. As soon as the door opens, Wei Ying drops his knife onto the counter with a clatter, abandoning his recipe so that he can throw his arms around Lan Zhan and pull him close. “You’re here!” he exclaims, grinning when he feels Lan Zhan’s arms curl around his waist. “I am here,” Lan Zhan replies in his steady, calming voice, and Wei Ying’s smile grows wider. Or: Wei Ying and Lan Zhan attend different colleges, but they spend every weekend together.

~*~

Snapping The Banjo

by Anonymous

M, 8k, Wangxian & Xuanli | Kay's Rec

Summary: “A-Jie…” Jiang Cheng pushes. “I broke my husband’s penis during sex.” One quick in-out breath as Yanli raises her chin high, pivots sharply on her heel and marches back off towards the building. Wei Ying opens his mouth. Jiang Cheng slowly raises a hand to silence him, expression on his face as if he had been slapped with a wet fish. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan's date night has gone wrong. Then, Jiang Yanli calls to ask her brothers for a ride to the hospital. Jiang Yanli's date night has gone very wrong.

~*~

Just a Little Wound

by meyari

T, 4k, Wangxian | Mojo's Rec

Summary: Raising a child is sometimes a challenge, especially when you’re confronted with a little boy who has no idea whatsoever why it’s not appropriate to stab people who are rude.

~*~

a better world

by ilip13 (@ilip13)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It’s been a year, today. A year of wearing a borrowed body, and all of a sudden, Wei Wuxian doesn’t feel like getting up and getting on with his day. * Some days are not great and that's okay.

~*~

At the end of all things

by Entityx

M, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: Lan Wangji is aware that he is not the only one who is left haunted by constant bloodshed. Everyone has changed over the course of the Sunshot Campaign. However the one who underwent the most drastic change was undeniable. It's subtle- he's still friendly and boisterous with members of his sect. But he is not truly open anymore. Gone is the optimistic boy who radiated sincerity with every word. Instead he is replaced with a hollow imitation, with a smile cracked at the edges, and a laugh that is too hollow to fool anyone.

~*~

What Lies Beneath These Hallowed Woods

by meekome (@meekkome)

M, WIP, 19k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: The shadows are alive. Writhing and twisting around him, creeping over him, between his fingers, around his throat, curious and hungry. The dirt beneath is black like dried blood, which makes the shards and fragments of bones half-buried around him easy to see, white and glimmering unnaturally bright in the gloom. Then something looks at him, from behind the shadows, and Wei Wuxian flinches at the weight of its attention. “Who are you?” Wei Wuxian says, voice echoing strangely as the silence stretches and the resentment nips at his skin, held back by this thing he cannot see. You do not have a name for what I am, it finally says. Wei Wuxian sucks in a slow breath. “What are you, then?” The trees bend and snap in a sudden breeze and the ghosts around him spin and whine, and Wei Wuxian is horrified to realize it is laughing. Shall I let you see, little cultivator? Doing so has driven more humans mad than the number of bones that sleep beneath your feet. But Wei Wuxian has never been good at ignoring knowledge, no matter the consequences, and he does not look away.

~*~

an inch away from more (than just friends)

by occultings (microcomets) (@microcomets)

E, 15k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of WLW Wangxian Week 2023

Summary: “What do you think about,” Wei Ying said aloud, before she could stop herself, before she could even think twice about the repercussions. “When you.” She finally found Lan Zhan’s eyes, molten in the low light, and swallowed in a tiny, audible gulp. “You know.” On Wei Ying, Lan Zhan’s gaze didn’t waver even a fraction. “Giving head,” she said. Wei Ying was certain she’d misheard. “Getting head?” “No,” said Lan Zhan. — After a surprise party gone awry, Wei Ying surprises herself.

~*~

💙 The loudest silence

by barisan (@barisan-no)

T, 15k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: In almost two decades of peace and with a whole generation who has not known differently, it is hard for those who sit above such dangers to fear a banal death. In a lifetime of not knowing what it means to be truly and utterly alone in such a world, it is hard to understand it is often a sentence. Or, a remix of our beloved post-cql WWX whump

~*~

The lavender handkerchief

by barisan (@barisan-no)

Not rated, 1k, Lan Qiren & Wei Wuxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian’s time on the streets left a deeper wound on his mind. Lan Qiren finds him having a panic attack after being triggered during his punishment.

~*~

Song of the River Rain

by MajiLovePrincess

E, 9k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Reverse Big Bang: 2023

Summary: “Jiaoren,” the man breathes, his voice soft and his golden eyes wide. Those strange eyes dart over Wei Wuxian’s sharp ears and nails before lingering on the bloody red of his tail. “Human,” Wei Wuxian sneers. “You should have fled when you had the chance.” ... When he wakes from his winter sleep, Wei Wuxian attempts to drive a farmer from his territory. He falls in love, instead. Lan Zhan's mysterious past does not do them the courtesy of staying buried.

~*~

Fit for Purpose

by Deastar (@youhideastar)

E, 18k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian is given clean clothes, and as much food as he wants, and a blanket. He still doesn’t know what a beta is. But he knows he is one, now. And he knows that that’s the reason he has these wonderful things. When Wei Wuxian was a little boy, Jiang Fengmian brought him home to Lotus Pier; when Yu Ziyuan learned the boy was a beta, she allowed him to stay. 30 years later, a resurrected Wei Wuxian hangs around Cloud Recesses and waits to wear out his welcome.

~*~

💙 all is bright

by sunflowersfield

T, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying has slept in many different places. He has curled up on a park bench or a tiny cot in a room full of strangers. But somehow, he has never shared a bed with someone he cares about. He is realizing, now, as the sound machine fills his room with the pitter-patter of gentle rain, that he cares about Lan Zhan. Or: Wei Ying moves into his first apartment. His new neighbor helps him turn it into a home.

~*~

Your Shelter

by cosmicmilktea

T, WIP, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: “There is no need for sorry,” Lan-gege had told him, what seemed like such a long time ago, “Robes can be cleaned.” But a soiled robe in Lotus Pier means lashes on his back and a night of kneeling in the ancestral hall, even if Jiang Cheng and all the other disciples also came back with mud and reeds painting their robes. A soiled robe means hearing baba and mama's names spoken in malice and ridicule. It means a gentle chiding from shijie as she pats his head and offers him a bowl of warm soup, which only made him miss the warmth of Xian-gege's safe embrace. His back hurts, and his knees ache from kneeling so long. Beneath his robes, Lan-gege's ribbon presses close to his heart, and it reminds him how he had felt so safe with the two men. How baba and mama had also made him feel safe even without the shelter of gilded walls and roofs. He longs to be that safe again, the longing building and building in the too-small confines of his chest until Wei Ying can not hold it in any longer. He runs.

~*~

We Meet at the Thousandth Step

by Admiranda (@ladypfenix), Rynne (@rynne)

T, WIP, 142k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: As they both go wherever the chaos might be, Lan Wangji and rogue cultivator Wei Wuxian, eldest child of the famous Cangse-sanren, find their paths converging. Soon they'll discover in each other the perfect partner for night hunting...and beyond.

~*~

12 Hours In Hell and Paradise (Or: Lan Zhan’s Distinguished Guide to Seasonal Depression)

by demonicsalad (@santonali)

T, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying (1:01PM): brb putting lobotomy on my 2024 goals list Lan Zhan (1:02PM): Wei Ying. Wei Ying (1:02PM): [screenshot attached] Wei Ying (1:03PM): did i fucking stutter Or: of tears, tea, rotting, and long-overdue realizations

~*~

pale shadows of forgotten names

by Chrononautical (@chrononautintraining)

T, 56k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: To protect the Wen, Wei Wuxian throws himself on the mercy of the Lan Sect. To protect Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji marries him. To protect them all, Lan Xichen orders the Yiling Laozu's seclusion in the Jingshi. But the Jingshi had another occupant in the past. One who lingers on, furious to think that history might repeat.

~*~

Cuties and Questions

by WiseDawn13 (@wisedawn13)

T, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Suibian?” a deep voice says suddenly, catching his attention. Wei Ying opens his eyes to look at who approached and promptly finds himself without breath at the sight of the man in front of him. After all these years he shouldn’t recognize him so easily, but Wei Ying would never be able to forget those eyes. “Oh!” Wen Ning squeaks. “You are familiar with Suibian?” Wei Ying watches as Lan Zhan nods to Wen Ning. “I am. Are you the creator of Yiling Cuties?” “Ah? Oh, no. No, that would be him,” Wen Ning replies, somewhat flustered. It takes far too long for Wei Ying to realize that Wen Ning just diverted Lan Zhan’s attention to him because suddenly those golden brown eyes are staring directly into his soul and it hurts more than he would have expected. OR Wei Ying and Lan Zhan lost touch when Wei Ying's family moved away when they were kids. Wei Ying moves back to his hometown years later, meeting the man he once knew as his best friend.

~*~

💙 A New Dynasty

by One_eyed_God (@oneeyedoctogod)

T, Series, WIP, 76k, Background Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian is well-known as a trouble-maker, someone who likes jokes and chaos. He promptly proves this by disappearing without a trace from the Cloud Recesses, in the middle of the Lectures. But when war is on the horizon and tensions boil over, can his actions really be summarized as a simple prank? Or, the unbelievable story of Wei Wuxian, time traveller, told from everyone's point of view but his.

~*~

Christmas Eve at Number 16

by liulans (@liulans)

T, 9k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Wangji considers that for a moment, squaring Wei Wuxian up. And then he says, “You are asking– if I would like to spend Christmas with you?” “It doesn't have to be, like, Christmassy,” he reminds him. “We can just hang out. Maybe you can come over tomorrow evening, and I'll have you back in your apartment before midnight. And then on Christmas day, I'll bring you an apple for luck, and that can be that.” “Okay.” Lan Wangji says, after a moment of brow-furrowing contemplation. “...Okay?” “I will see you tomorrow. I will– spend Christmas with you.” --- [Prompt: Character A can’t travel to see their family on Christmas, so they invite their grumpy loner neighbour Character B.]

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Cleaning & Courtship

by Winxhelina (@winxhelina)

T, 13k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It all started with some offhand comment Jin Zixun had made about Wei Wuxian's father having been a servant. About how he should stick to that and not aim for places not meant for him. Wei Wuxian had been at a party at the time with Nie Huaisang and unlikely as it had been, Lan Wangji had been there too. Wei Wuxian had complained about money and that had seemingly inspired the comment from a man, who, Wei Wuxian was sure, had never worked a day in his life. Lan Wangji had stared at Jin Zixun so hard Wei Wuxian thought he might actually drop dead. Somehow, two months later, Wei Wuxian actually finds himself cleaning rich people’s houses. There are very few cultivators wiling to clean houses for other cultivators, but there is demand for it. You can't hire a regular maid to dust and clean your ancient artefacts, even just sword maintenance is a whole area of expertise that civilians aren't qualified to do. In which Wei Wuxian accidentally ends up cleaning his long-time friend's house and Lan Zhan's room harbours a secret.

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#wangxian fic rec #wangxianficrecs #rewind 2023 #mdzs #the untamed #wangxian #fandom event #long post #Kay's Rec #Kay's Favorite #The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation #MDZS #Mo Dao Zu Shi

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allkordelia · 7 days

Text

Keep Me Near Your Heart 19

"Jaenara, what are we here." Aemond asked as he was pull along by his wife while he glance around the castle with a look of discomfort.

Jaenara didn't answer him as she turn down a corner before walking towards a door, she opened the door and sigh in relief at the familiarity, she let's go of Aemond's hand to walk further in with a faint smile.

Her old chamber in High Tide.

It been so long since she been here, only venturing there to escape her mother or just to get away. Her grandfather was so happy when she first visited, Corlys didn't have a very close relationship with some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rhaelle's elder children loved their grandfather, but since Aeron and his family live so far away along with his statue as king, they couldn't visit him as much and Rhaelle kept her children with Daemon away from her father after years of no contact.

Corlys's relationship with Jaenara and her brothers was basically none existent until she started spending more time at High-Tide, Jaenara could never understood the drama between her elder relatives, mostly because none of her cousins know what happened so many years ago to make our family walk on egg shells around each other.

"We should get back." Aemond said from behind her as she goes over to pick up a lute, "I have no doubt my mother have sounded the alarms for our disappearance--we should definitely leave." Jaenara stop playing with the strings before turning towards her husband with a frown.

"Why?" She asked sadden, "This is the pefect place to get away and at the perfect time, we need to be alone to talk about what we gonna do to Rivers and your mother." Jaenara explains, she place the lute back where she got it before going to seat on the end of the bed.

Aemond crossed his arms with a uncomfortable look.

"I rather not talk about her...or my mother for that matter," Aemond sighs, "I rather more to forget--" Jaenara made noise causing Aemond to look at her.

"No, no more forgetting or ignoring the problem." Jaenaea snaps getting up, "We must face this, I am tired of being push around by your mother and I'll be damn to be push around by a bastard harlot."

"And what do you wish me to do about it, hmm." He raised his brow in a sarcastic way, "I can't command her to leave, she won't listen, and my mother refuse to listen to caution." Jaenara walks to her husband grabbing his hands with a smug smirk.

"That is why, sweet husband, I have a plan."

Aemond furrow his brows curious.

"You do?" Jaenara nodded her head.

"Yes, I do. But, we must stay here in order for it to work."

Aemond look at his wife with a grimace, making Jaenara's smile falter a bit at the look on her husband's face.

"Must we? Can't we just stay at Dragonstone instead--"

"No, that would be the first place they will look for us."

"But...not here?" He drawls out, furrowing his brows.

"I mean, it depends on my aunt and grandfather," She comment, Aemond glance away from his wife with an unsure look.

"I don't thi--I don't think its a good idea to stay here." Aemond admitted, it was Jaenara turn to furrow her brows.

"Why?" She frowned confused, Aemond look at his wife with a conflicted look before sighing.

"Please, don't make me say it."

Jaenara became even more confuse, she didn't understand the problem with laying low in Driftmark for a few days, it's was a perfect paradise to getaway and relax with a brilliant view.

"Aemond, I'm not going to spend these next few days arguing with you about this, so just say it." Jaenara took her hands backand folded her arms under her chest and look at her husband with a fretful look.

Aemond lock his jaw and squeeze his hands into fist nervously, Jaenara caught the movement making herself ease down.

"Jaenara, I..." He stop as he stare at his wife, and memories he buried away slowly start to resurface, causing him to close his eye and shake his head before looking at her, "I cannot say it, it is too much...it is too painful for me to revist, can't we just go somewhere else. We can go to Braavo like Alys or maybe Lys." Awmond recommend, but Jaenara wasn't hearing it as she roll her eyes.

"You know what, forget it." She says, making Aemond look surprise only to feel nothing but relieved, "Why don't you go back home, and I stay here." Aemond frowned.

"Jaenara, you know I ca--"

"Yes, you can Aemond, because if you don't than these next few days are gonna be hell...for you." She threatened, "So, you have a choice you either stay here with me and your unborn child..." she starts as her hand move along her round belly catching Aemond's eye, "Or go back home and destroy our marriage again." She shrugged, Aemond look up at her with a frown.

"You think I would do that to you?" Aemond asked hurt before looking upset, "After everything we been through--"

"Don't be draft, my love." Jaenara counter back, "Your mother is obviously unhinge and I wouldn't put it pass Rivers to not try something, so..." she steps close with a small smirk, "That's why we must stay here, away from those vultures, so we can keep our marriage intact and at the same time teach them a lesson." Jaenara grin at her husband, but Aemond look at her unsure, he didn't feel comfortable staying here but he also didn't want to make his wife mad than she already is.

"I...I guess your right, my love." Aemond said reluctantly as his eye stray from her.

Jaenara snarl with an eyeroll, she ignore his reluctance and instead grab his sleeve and turn them towards the bed.

"Do not fret, sweet husband." Jaenara purr after pushing Aemond onto her bed, "Atleast we have each other as our plan thaw out," Aemond glance up to look at her face as she climbs on top of him.

"Our plan?" He asked, Jaenara smirk a little as she straddle his hip.

"Of course, darling." Jaenara purr again, moving her hand to slide down Aemond's chest, before she leans forward to start kissing his neck, "You are the key for this plan to work, as long as you are by my side, you will never have to worry about that wench again." Aemond shudder once Jaenara's hand slip through his breeches and grasp his semi hard cock.

"B-But, what if...they find us?"

"They won't," she promise, "I trust my family to keep your mother in the dark until our return." Aemond let out a pathetic whimper.

"But--" Jaenara tighten her grasp a bit causing Aemond to choke and moan at the same time, Jaenara lift her head from his bruise neck to look down at her husband.

"What is wrong, husband?" She cock her head to the side, her hand starts to move up and down making Aemond grasp her forearm, "Don't you trust me?" She pout, Aemond open his eye with a frown as he gaze up at his beloved wife.

"I-I do." He strutted, Jaenara move her hand a bit fast with hum.

"Good," she whispered, she leans down capturing his lips as she use her other hand to unbutton his vest.

「 ⊹₊♚₊⊹ 」

It had been three days since Jaenara and Aemond arrived at Driftmark, and it has been going absolutely terrible.

Aemond has begun to sulk around the castle, something about missing his mother and their tea time, Jaenara roll her eyes and tone him out at the time.

Jaenara has become rather ambivalence towards Aemond lately, it feels like everything he does annoys her. Just him sitting next to her reading a book makes her blood boil and her heart beat with resentment, while other times she wants to fuck him. She beginning to think she's going mad, she can't tell if it's her own feelings or the pregnancy making her feel this way.

Jaenara notice her change behavior the day after they're arrival, she would snap at him for the stupidest things and call him names when she get fed up with his sulkening. At first, Jaenara was shock and confuse, shock at herself with how cruel she was being to Aemond and confuse because Aemond just took it.

Either way, Jaenara didn't seem to care in the end, and neither did Aemond.

It felt like a power trip, she never imagine stooping so low like Alicent and Aemond, she always thought her compassion and kindess was a way to show how better she was than them. But, when she belittle or order Aemond around, a little feeling in her chest she realize was giddy lock away all those thoughts and she took a little joy in making Aemond's days here hard.

Jaenara also notice that he begin to do it a lot lately, it reminds her of the little stray pups in fleabottom always pawing at her gown for food.

She had more sympathy for the small pups than her weak husband, but maybe, she shouldn't be mad at the fact but be proud. Her husband has finally crumbled, he was no longer that scary man she feared a year ago, but rather a pathetic boy wanting nothing but her attention and love.

"My love." The sound of Aemind's voice snap Jaenara out of her thoughts.

She didn't move to look up at him as she knits her son a new hat.

"What."

"Can we talk?" Aemond asked, making her stop and look up at him finally, he wasn't in his usual casual clothing but rather in his dragonriding attire.

"Where are you going?" She asked ignoring what he said.

"To clear my head," he answered as he took a seat on the armchair next to her, "I wanted to talk to you before my departure, I think it's time...we talk." Jaenara raise her brow at Aemond.

"About what."

"Rivers--" Jaenara look away from him with a roll of her eyes.

"Aemond, what did I say yesterday when you ask me this." She inquired, Aemond gulp before clearing his throat.

"This isn't about the plan--"

"So, this is about you leaving me for her again, then?" She stop to look at him again, making the corners of aemond's mouth curve down.

"Of course not, you know my heart only belongs to you--"

"Good. So, are we done with this convention now." She asked flatly, Aemond parted his lips to say something but clasp them shut when she gave him a look he become all to familiar too.

Aemond bow his head before nodding.

"Lovely, because I am famish and i would like some peaches." Jaenara demanded, putting her needles and hat aside, Aemond stood before helping Jaenara up.

"I'll stop by the kitchen--"

"No!" She snapped, pulling away from him, "Have a servant do it, the last thing I need is for you to bring me plums instead of peaches...again." she glower, moving the covers to the side before taking her book from the side table and got into bed.

Aemond bow his head at the tone in his wife's voice, "Apologies again, my love." He said as he lift his head to look at her, jaenara clench her jaw to keep her from rolling her eyes at how pathetic he is being.

"That's not the apology I wanted yesterday," she sass, making aemond look embarrassed.

"I told you I couldn't...I couldn't get it up that night." He murmur the last as if their was others in the room.

"Or this morning or during tea time, it's as if your cock and eye stop working at the same time." She snickered as she shook her head and turn to the last pashe she was on in her book.

"Hmmm."

Jaenara look up at her husband to find him standing there with solemn look, Jaenara sighs and lay the book open on her stomach.

"Do not look so fretful husband, I was just jesting." She says, Aemond looks at her before smiling timidly.

"I know, my love."

Jaenara smiled up at him.

"Good, because I expect you to pleasure me once you get back from your ride, a woman can only go so long without what she needs."

Jaenara looks away and pick up her book missing the disappointed look that shadow Aemond's features.

"Of course," He utter before step close to lean down and press a kiss to her belly before moving to peck Jaenara's forehead making groan in distaste.

Jaenara wave him away when he tried to kiss her on her lips, Aemond frown at the irriated look on her face.

"I'll be back before dinner..." Aemond trails off, moving away from the bed towards the door before turning to Jaenara, "...I love you, jaenara." He says in the softest voice that had Jaenara glancing up at him.

"Mm-hmm."

Aemond frown again as he wife turn her attention back to her book, Aemond didn't say anything before he left. When the door closed, Jaenara closed the book in her hands and toss it across the room as her mood shifted from irriated to bothered.

She hated when he goes soft like that, she hated it and carved it, sometimes she wish she didn't feel anything at her. Her emotions was all over the place and it was beginning to be draining to figure out what she wanted, why is it that when she's truely alone she starts contemplating her whole life.

Jaenara turn on her side and close her eyes, she ended to stop thinking and start relaxing. The whole point of coming here was for her to get away from all the crap going on back at King's Landing, she needed peace and calm, maybe tomorrow she go out for a walk on the beach, the snell of the ocean always calms her.

All she got to do is make sure her insufferable husband won't be there to ruin her day.

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captain19cb97 · 1 year

Text

A Surprise (M) b.c

Getting the chance to come back to Seoul for a couple months to work with your boyfriend's group, you also have the chance to show up without him knowing you're back, and the reunion is better than you hoped it would be.

Pairing: Idol!Chan x Fem!Reader | Older Sister!Reader x Felix

Word Count: 5.2k

Genre: Smut (18 + MDNI) Fluff, Established Relationship, Established Friendship w/SKZ members

Warnings: This story is 90% smut, if you are not 18 or older, please DO NOT INTERACT with this story. Unprotected sex (reader is on birth control, but regardless, be smart and safe! Use protection) Pet names (Baby, my love, love, babygirl, princess) name calling (Whore but affectionately it is unspoken but it's done consensually) Praise, cursing, light choking, casual mention of food.

You [9:35 p.m.] Min, Jinnie! I'm ready whenever you two are.

You set your phone on the counter after locking it so you could look around the apartment again for a moment. The company had paid to have some of your things shipped out, mostly clothes and things like that, because you refused to let them buy you new clothes, saying that you'd have nowhere for the new things to go once you flew back home. But you did compromise on letting them pay for everyday things, like kitchen utensils and the like, so you could actually inhabit the apartment for the close to 2 month that you’d be staying in it.

The company had asked you to come work with Chan and the guys, being that you were Felix’s older sister, and since they knew about your relationship with Chan, and how amazing of a photographer you were. You were obviously, more than happy to spend so much time with your brother, your boyfriend and the rest of the members, even if you were going to be working for a lot of the time.

It was still 2 months straight, though, and it was about to be the most amount of time that you and Chan have spent together, in person, since before getting together, since you’re living and working in a different country right now.

You stood in the doorway to the master bedroom, marveling at the sight before you. It was beautifully decorated- simple yet cozy- and there wasn't a single thing you could find to complain about as you continued to look around, even after hearing your phone go off from the kitchen counter.

You made your way back over to grab you phone, seeing that the boys had texted you back.

Minhooo [9:39 p.m.] We're on our way, Noona!

Hyunjinnie [9:40 p.m.] I'm so excited!

Little Bro Sunshine [9:40 p.m.] I can't wait to see you!

Jisungie [9:41 p.m.] Bin-Hyung and I will keep Channie-Hyung busy until you're at the dorm. Can't wait to see you either, though, Noona!

Seungminnie [9:43 p.m.] IN-ah looks like he's going to explode, he's so excited.

Innie [9:44 p.m.] I AM excited!

You [9:45 p.m.] I'm excited too, boys! I've missed you all so much

You decided that now would be a good time to text Chan, telling him you were finally home. Halfway through your flight, you'd messaged him- like you'd planned, telling him you'd had a layover for a couple hours somewhere, but that you were going to use that time to get some food and to walk around to kill time and stretch out your legs.

All in the hopes that he wouldn't question why you'd be texting him so much later then when your flight home would've landed already. You were so excited to surprise him, and you were thankful for the guys, for helping you get everything planned out.

You [9:50 p.m.] Hey baby! Finally made it home, but I'm feeling super jetlagged so I'm going to get some more sleep. I'll text you when I get up though, okay? I love you; I hope your day was good! 💕🥰

And after that, you waited for Minho and Hyunjin to knock on the apartment door and for Chan to text you back, which only took a couple minutes.

Chris💙 [9:54 p.m.] Glad to hear that you're home, my love. Okay, sleep well, I love you more xxxx <3<3 I'm going home in a bit to do the same thing.

You [9:55 p.m.] Dream about me then?

Chris💙 [9:55 p.m.] I already do, love

Chris💙 [9:56 p.m.] Get some rest, babygirl. I'll talk to you later?

You [9:56 p.m.] Cheesy boy! Videocall when I get up? If you're not busy.

Chris💙 [9:57 p.m.] Only for you. And I'll never say no.

You [9:57 p.m.] I know 💕 night, baby

Chris💙 [9:58 p.m.] Good night, love <3

After another few minutes, finally loud knocks sounded at the door, and you could barely contain your excitement as you pulled it open to two smiling faces.

You didn't even say hi, just quickly grabbed them both, pulling them in for a tight little group hug as they both laughed at your reaction, but hugged you back just a tightly.

"I've missed you both." You sighed happily, letting them go after a moment.

"We've miss you, too, Noona." Minho smiled at you as Hyunjin nodded.

"Lots," Hyunjin added, hugging you again. "How was the flight?"

You let out a soft sigh, "Not too bad, I slept most of the time knowing that I'd need the rest for the time difference. Honestly, I'm just tired from all the photoshoots I’ve done this last week and a half."

"Looking forward to a few days with nothing to do?" Minho asked with a smile.

You grinned, "Absolutely. After that, it's going to be a busy and long few weeks. But I can't complain when I get to see you guys so much again finally."

The boys smiled, "Well," Minho started, "You could complain, but we all know that we're going to make sure you have no reason to."

"Or have plenty of reasons to." Hyunjin laughed.

You shook your head, rolling your eyes at both of them, "You two are ridiculous."

"And you missed us." Hyunjin pointed out, a wide smile on his face. "But that's a topic for another time, because Changbin-Hyung texted me and they're leaving the studio soon so we need to go."

"Let me grab my things then," You said, spinning around towards the counter only a few steps away from you, glancing back at Minho, "Did Jisung order dinner like we planned?"

He nodded, watching you quickly pull a familiar looking hoodie over your head, "Yeah, it'll get there about the same time as us, if we leave now."

You scoffed playfully, pulling on both shoes, "Alright, alright, come on then." You smiled, making sure you had the key to the apartment in case you couldn't remember the code, before shoving your phone into the pocket of the Chan's hoodie and following them back out the door and down the hall, making sure the apartment door was shut and locked behind you.

The whole drive was spent just talking to them about everything that had been going on since you'd all been together back on their last tour, Chan had finally gotten the chance to spend some time back home with his family after a few years and you'd been so excited for him.

When Felix told you that he was going too, you were even happier, knowing your little brother was getting the chance to go home to be with the rest of your family for a little while, even though you were a little upset that you couldn’t also be there.

The boys told you about the few concerts they'd had since coming back to Seoul, some things that had happened in the studio when they were practicing and just everyday life for all of them- little things that Chan or Felix didn't always have time to tell you when you would talk to either of them.

The closer you got to the dorm, the more excited, and nervous, you became, and they both noticed- even in the dark of the car. Minho glanced at you after he finally parked at the dorm, offering you a small smile, "It's going to be great, Noona. Don't worry too much, okay?"

Hyunjin put his hand on your shoulder before you guys got out, "Yeah, Channie-Hyung isn't going to know what to do when he sees you."

"All I know is that I'm definitely going to cry." You mumbled, climbing out of the car, "How much time do we have?"

Hyunjin unlocked his phone, "Hannie said they just left the company, so we have like 15 minutes or so."

You nodded, following behind them into the building, "I'm so excited to see the rest of the boys."

"Yongbok-ah's been freaking out most of the day, he barely slept last night." Minho mentioned as you guys stepped off the elevator finally.

You cooed softly, "Yeah, he'd been texting me nonstop until my flight boarded about how excited he was. I missed my little brother." You smiled as they stopped in front of the dorm and Hyunjin put the code in before turning the handle. He smiled down at you before he slowly pushed the door open for you, motioning for you to go first.

There was a loud gasp as you stepped through the doorway, "She's here!" You heard Innie yell before three sets of arms engulfed you into a tight hug.

You giggled, squirming a little to get your arms free to hug them back, "Hi, boys!"

Felix laughed, "I can't believe you're actually here!" he exclaimed.

"I missed you, Noona." Innie grinned.

Seungmin smiled widely, "Took you long enough." He joked softly.

You managed to get your arms free, and touching each of them as you smiled happily, "I missed you guys, too." You told them before you all pulled apart from one another before you grabbed Felix for a long hug. “I missed you.” You whispered, feeling your eyes sting slightly as you hugged him.

It had been a long time since you guys had been together and since you and Felix have always been so close, it’s been hard being apart this long.

He immediately relaxed against you, hugging you just as tightly, as he sighed softly, “I missed you, too, Noona. I’m so happy you’re back.”

10 minutes or so later, you were firmly planted on the center cushion of the couch, facing the front door and watching Hyunjin accept the takeout boxes from the delivery guy with a smile and a soft 'thank you' bow before closing the door and facing the rest of you with a smile.

"Food's here, now we just need the star of the show." He joked, taking the bags into the kitchen.

"Han just texted me," Minho looked up at you, "Changbin-ah just parked, so they'll be up in a minute."

You let out an excited but shaky breath, "Oh, man, I'm weirdly nervous." you admitted softly.

Felix dropped his head to your shoulder and let out a soft chuckle, "That's okay, Noona! This is how Channie-Hyung was in LA before you got there."

You grinned at him, tightening your hand around his for a quick second, "Really?"

Seungmin nodded, "Oh yeah. He couldn't sit still, from the second we got back to the hotel until he ran out of the room to meet you at the elevator."

You grinned at the memory of that night, at how excited you had been to see Chan standing outside those doors when they opened. You hoped that's how he'd feel now.

Minho looked at the boys, "Okay, they left Channie-Hyung in the lobby, so they're coming in in a second and then he'll be up after that, so we should go hide in the kitchen." He looked at you as they all started getting up and walking away from the living room, "Ready?"

You took a deep breath and nodded, "Ready."

He smiled just as the door burst open with two panting boys who quickly looked around the room for you before they ran at you for a quick hug.

"He's almost up here, we waited by the elevator until he got on." Changbin said quickly, letting you out of the hug.

"He must have found it weird that you two just left him like that." You chuckled softly, watching them head for the kitchen too.

Han shook his head, "We were messing around before that to make it look more real. Changbin-Hyung 'chased' after me for smacking his hat off outside the car." He explained.

You just let out a quiet laugh, "You guys really went all out for this, huh?" You asked softly.

They both smiled at you as you stood from the couch to stand a little ways away from the door for when Chan opened it. "For you guys? Yeah! And we'd do it again." Han grinned.

Minho grabbed his arm, "Sentimentality later, he should be at the door in a minute." he whispered, tugging Han into the kitchen with him.

You just shook your head and spun around, keeping your eyes on the door until you heard the handle starting to turn and your heart began beating so fast, you were worried it would beat out of your chest as the door was slowly pushed open.

"You know," Chan's voice started before he had even put a foot through the doorway, "You two are lucky that there wasn't anyone in the lobby, to see you guys being-" He stopped talking, his eyes landing on your pair of shoes by the door as he stepped inside, before his eyes slowly landed on your figure in the middle of the living room, the rest of his sentence slowly falling from his lips. "Like that.."

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as you smiled at him. "Surprise." you whispered finally.

Already, you could feel your eyes stinging with tears as his mouth dropped open slightly as you stared at each other for a solid 10 seconds before he launched himself at you. Dropping everything he had been holding in his hands to the floor before his arms wrapped around your body, tightly, pulling you into his chest until your feet were off the ground.

He buried his face in your neck, breathing deeply as he somehow pulled you closer to him- not fully believing that you were there, that you were in his arms again as he heard you let out a soft cry into his shoulder where you had buried your face, your arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and your legs around his waist.

"You're here. You're really here." He breathed out, a few tears dropping from his face onto the fabric of the hoodie adorning your body. "I can't believe you're actually here." he whispered, cupping your tear-streaked cheek as you nodded slowly.

It was so nice to be home.

"I'm really here." You whispered back before he quickly blanketed your lips with his before you both pulled away again, hugging each other tightly as you finally put your feet back on the floor.

He took your face in both of his hands, his vision slightly blurred from happy tears as he smiled down at you, "You lied to me." You let out a tearful laugh and nodded, he sighed, leaning down to kiss you again, his lips brushing yours lightly, "I missed you so fucking much."

You eagerly kissed him back again, fisting the fabric of his jacket at his waist, "I missed you, too." you mumbled, pressing your forehead to his once you'd both pulled away.

As soon as the boys realized you guys were done kissing- Han had peeked his head out the kitchen doorway to double check- they all quickly emerged into the living room again, cheering loudly like the dorks they are, for you both.

Chan looked at them, a mix of bewilderment and pure surprise on his face as the realization hit him, why they'd all been the way they had been since the day before, "You guys knew?"

"We helped plan this." Seungmin answered him, a proud smile on his lips.

Chan glared playfully at Felix, “You! You knew too?”

Felix couldn't stand still, bouncing happily on his feet, "Oh, it was torture having to keep this a secret from you, Hyung." He breathed, "But so totally worth it!"

Chan felt you lace your fingers with his, making him look down at you, "Definitely worth it." You grinned up at him.

A couple hours later, after you’d all eaten and enjoyed just spending the time together, you and Chan got ready to leave for the night. The boys had told him that he had the next few days off, to just enjoy spending time with you before you and Felix spent a day or two together, before your busy schedules really started.

Chan looked down at you and nodded gently, before turning to look back at the guys, "If you guys need anything, just text me. Or her."

"Chan, they know." You giggled, offering the boys a smile, shouldering your purse finally. "Either or though, doesn't matter."

Minho shook his head, "We'll be fine for a few days. Just like when you went home, hyung. Now get out of here and spend some time together."

He smiled wide, nodding in response, "Thank you, guys. Really. We'll see you in a couple days, I guess."

You grinned, throwing a smile back at Felix then the rest of the boys, "See you guys this weekend, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Han laughed, "Knowing you, Noona, that's not a lot."

You faked a hurt expression as you pulled open the front door, "Wow, Ji, just wow. I mean, you're right but still, damn." You sighed playfully, "Don't do anything that will get you in trouble." You offered instead, smiling back at them, "Better?"

Chan let out a soft sigh, "I'm worried about what you talk about with them." He joked, taking your hand in his, "Have a good few days, boys."

You giggled at him, rolling your eyes playfully, "Nothing bad, obviously." You looked back at the rest of them, "Bye, boys! Goodnight."

Finally, after hearing them all bid you goodnight and goodbye, you and Chan disappeared through the front door and down the hall, enjoying the soft silence that had enveloped you both as you made it down to his car.

"Princess." He grinned, opening your door for you before quickly throwing his backpack into the backseat.

You let out a soft laugh, shaking your head as you slid into the seat, "Thank you."

He chuckled, rounding the car himself, after making sure you were in the car and your door was shut. After a minute or so, he'd put his music on low, and grabbed your hand in his, pulling it up to his lips, "I still can't believe you're actually here." he whispered again, lips grazing your knuckles.

You smiled, leaning over to kiss his lips. Keeping your hand on his cheek as you slowly pulled away, "I hope it was a good surprise."

He nodded quickly, touching his forehead to yours for a moment, "You know how much I've missed you; I couldn't be happier right now."

You pecked his lips again before settling back in your seat fully, "Neither could I."

He grinned over at you, squeezing your hand once before finally pulling away from the dorm and onto the road to your apartment, following the gps that you’d put into the dash when you first got in the car.

The drive was quiet, comfortable, and your hand never left his until you both were getting out of the car a couple minutes later. You waited at the front of the car for him to grab his bag from the backseat, and it was only then that you realized he didn't have his laptop. Which you pointed out as much when you guys got into the elevator.

"If I have the days off, and I have you, I don't need my laptop." He answered with a smile, "I'd rather spend all this time with just you, and not worry about working on anything."

You could feel the warmth of his words spreading through your body as you made it to your apartment door, "As much as I adore that sentimentality, baby, what are you going to do when you can't sleep and want something to do?"

You felt his chest against your back as you went to open the door, stopping when you felt his lips graze your ear, "Why would I want my laptop, when I can just do you, instead?"

Your breath hitched and your barely turned your head to look up at him. Seeing that cocky, smug grin on his lips didn't help the sudden want growing within you, "You're shameless." You said weakly.

His smug look only worsened as he finished opening the door behind you, "When it comes to you? Yeah." He muttered, gently pushing you inside the apartment, keeping your gaze as you both moved, before shutting the door with his foot.

You pulled him closer to you, not even bothering to properly put your things down before you pulled his lips down to yours in a heated kiss, moaning softly at the feel of his hands on your ass as he pulled you closer to him too.

It was a miracle that neither of you crashed into anything as you led him down the hall and into the bedroom, clothes trailing behind you after being haphazardly pulled from your bodies. Lips and hands barely left each other's skin as Chan laid you on your back on the bed, moving to hover above you, a lovesick grin on his face the second he looked down at you.

"I don't know how I got so lucky to be with someone as beautiful as you." He whispered, cupping your cheek lightly.

You flushed under his gaze and words, diverting your eyes from his, "You know damn well I think that same thing about you." You mumbled, meeting his eyes again and reaching up to cup his cheek too.

Chan grinned, turning his head to press a soft kiss to your palm, "6 months is way too long without you. I'm going to show you how much I missed you, my love." he whispered, leaning down to capture your lips with his.

You nodded just barely, relishing in the way he was already running his hands softly over your body, "Show me." You pleaded gently, arching your back as his hand found purchase between your legs.

He trailed his lips down your neck, lavishing your skin in unspoken confessions as he rocked his hips into yours- limbs tangled, wrapped around each other as you both steadily found yourselves closer to the edge.

You gasped, feeling him thrust deeper, but keeping the same pace, "J-just like that, baby, fuck yes."

He grunted above you, watching your face scrunch up in pleasure as you clenched around him again, "You're so good to me, love," He panted in your ear, "So fucking good to me."

You whined, throwing your head back into the mattress as you clenched around him and dragged your nails down his back, "You're the one doing all the work, baby." You hissed, feeling his lips latch around your nipple. "I should be telling you how good you are to me."

He chuckled, barely lifting his head to fully gaze up at you, "The sounds you're making are telling me enough, babygirl." He grinned smugly, lapping his tongue around the perked bud again.

You arched your back at the feeling, eyes closing as you sighed in pleasure before pulling his face up to yours, both of your hands on his cheeks as you met his eyes, "I love you," You panted softly, your lips grazing his, "Ruin me, baby. I want more. Please?"

He closed the space between your lips, grunting into your mouth as he hoisted your leg over his hip, his fingers digging into the flush on the back of your thigh, "You want more, huh? I'll give you more, babygirl."

If you thought you were rushing towards an orgasm before, you had no idea what you were truly in for. Chan braced himself with one hand on the bed up by your head, the other still tightly holding your thigh as he picked up his pace, moaning at the feeling of you clenching around him again as you moaned out loudly at the change in pace.

"This what you wanted, huh? You wanted me to fuck you instead of make love to you?" He let out a dry chuckle, bowing his head a little, and watching his cock disappearing inside you. "Do you want me to fuck you like you're a whore? My little whore?"

"Yes!" You cried, hands gripping the sheet beneath you as you squeezed your eyes shut, "Fuck, baby, yes. 'm your whore, I-I wanna be your whore."

He quickly pulled out, leaving you gasping and confused until he roughly grabbing your waist, "On your hands and knees then, babygirl. Whores don't get to look at me when I fuck them."

You had to keep yourself from moaning at his words as you did as he told you, dropping onto your forearms as he gripping your ass with both hands, squeezing and spreading your cheeks a few times, before you felt the tip of his cock at your entrance again.

You had no idea where this sudden change came from. The few times you guys have had sex since getting together, sure he'd fucked you, but, God, not like this. Not that you were complaining, you'd gotten a taste of this Chan on the many, steamy phone and videocalls over the long months, but this was different- this was first-hand, and you were living for it.

You moaned at the feeling of him rubbing his tip up and down your folds, wiggling your hips slightly in anticipation, "Please?" You begged, turning to look at him over your shoulder.

He put his hand on the middle of your back, pushing your chest further into the mattress, "You'll get it, babygirl. Behave."

And as he finished saying the words, he slowly pushed back into you, bottoming out before pulling out again just as slowly, listening to you gasp at the difference in angle.

As much as you both liked being able to look in each other's eyes, grabbing each other's faces to pull the other into heated, deep kisses during sex, this angle was making him hit every spot within you, and he knew it too, just from how you were crying out, and burying your face into the sheets as you clenched tightly around him, pulling him deeper.

You could feel the burn in your knees from the prolonged stance as you pushed back against him with every hard thrust. You could feel his fingers digging into your hips as he pulled you backwards into him each time, too. And listening to him let out low, deep groans as he fucked into you was quickly sending you headlong into an orgasm you knew was going to hit you hard.

You could feel it as he pulled you up and back into his chest, bucking up into you as he wrapped an arm across your chest, the other falling between your legs as his rubbed rough figured 8's onto your clit- the overstimulation making it harder for you not to fall limp on the bed, and had it not been for Chan's arms, you would've.

One of your hands gripped around his wrist on the arm across your body, taking his hand and moving it to the base of your neck, the other reaching behind you both, around the back of his neck as he continued to thrust, panting heavily into your neck.

"Are you close?" he grunted, enjoying the feeling of your body pressed tightly against his as your hand fell to his ass, grabbing a handful.

You nodded quickly, dropping your head back onto his shoulder, "So close, baby, I'm so close." You whimpered as he gently tightened his hand around your throat, as the knot in your stomach quickly tightened. "Fuck, I’m gonna cum.”

Chan's hips faltered for a moment, feeling you clench around him before he picked up the same pace, letting your throat go and grabbing your chin to make you look at him. "Cum for me then, babygirl." He demanded, "You've been such a good girl for me- my pretty little whore." He brushed your lips with his as your walls tightened around him again.

You cried out, letting him silence the sound with his mouth on yours as you finally came, ears ringing as the pleasure overtook you as he continued roughly thrusting into you, letting you ride it out until his hips stopped and he spilled inside you only moments later, panting heavily as he let go of your jaw and pulled his hand from your core.

He held you against his chest as you both tried to catch your breaths, bodies sticky with sweat from the heat between you both.

You felt his lips at the base of your neck after brushing your hair to the side, "You okay?" He asked, adjusting you both as he pulled out.

You whimpered softly at the oversensitivity, but nodded, "Perfect, you?" You asked, turning to look at him as he stood from the bed.

He grinned down at you, a tired expression on his face, "Never been better."

You barely huffed a chuckle, slowly moving to put your feet on the floor to stand too. "Shower?"

Chan didn't reply, only held his hand out to you, helping you stand on wobbly feet before following you to the bathroom. He looked at you, an amused look in his eyes as you stood slightly unsteadily as you turned the shower on, waiting for the water to get hot. "You sure you're doing okay?" He teased.

You glanced back at him, splashing a small handful of water towards him as you stuck your tongue out at him. "I'm probably going to be a little sore in the morning, but yeah, I'm fine."

He nodded as you turned back around, his eyes shamelessly raking over the naked expanse of your body as you paid him no mind. His heart felt full, having you home with him again, and even though the distance was tough and sometimes painfully hard, in this moment, he felt like it was worth it.

He hadn't realized that you'd finally turned back to look at him, ready to tell him the shower was ready. You caught his eyes, your brows pinching together in question as he just stared at you still.

"What?" You asked finally, the word spoken so softly, it was almost drowned out by the stream of water behind you.

He took the two steps between you both, hand coming to rest gently on your waist and smiled down at you- a look of pure love and adoration in his eyes as you tilted your head up to look him in the eyes. "I’m just so happy you’re home again. I love you." Was all he offered in response before he gently pressed his lips down to yours in a chaste kiss.

You sighed into the kiss, smiling as you both pulled away, "And I love you. Not to ruin your sappy love moment though, but can we get into the shower now? I, uhm, have your cum coming down my thighs." You said softly, cheeks slightly darkening before Chan let out a quiet laugh and nodded, letting you go before slapping your ass as you climbed into the shower.

You yelped at the sudden contact, spinning to playfully glare at him as he followed behind you, pulling the shower curtain closed, "Really?"

“It was right there,” He sent you a cheeky grin and shrugged just barely, "Couldn't resist."

#bang chan au #stray kids x reader #bang chan x reader #bang chan smut #stray kids smut #chan smut #chan x female reader #chan x you #stray kids fluff #stray kids imagine #chan fic #stray kids fic #chan x y/n #chan fluff #stray kids drabbles #chan drabbles

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cyclondoojay · 2 months

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a very dear headcanon to me in 3

yeah yeah okay okay all you want

rgb siblings is very cute and all that, but you can't change my mind about Lloyd seeing Jay and Nya as parentals figures. no. no you can't.

this is my religion and i belive in the jaya parents for lloyd and I'll take this hc to my death bed.

like one time, when Lloyd was still a child, but also after some time from "child's play" (don't really remember if this was the name of that episode, but you get it) and so around Nya's age, he called Nya mom by accident, and she was like "omg how you just called me-" (and if you think about her growing without one is even better) and then she was like the most Lloyd had spend his time with on the bounty, so for me it make so much sense, but keep listening.

yesterday i read this really cute oneshot where jay comforted lloyd and had some cute time together and then this really grow strongly on me (sorry i can't remember the name but it was really good and cute i can't.. but it was like arin & agentwalker bonding and then younglloyd & youngjay also bonding) (<- i really recommend it, it's on Ao3) anyway- (after a brother) he sees jay, with the years going on, more and more like a father

(cuz the brother role for him is mostly occupied by kai ofc)

anyway, also jaya was the firt couple that lloyd has seen and grow with even before pixane, and don't even get me start with when they broke up and lloyd was really sad for like the first months, hoping that they could go back together again (and when he sees them after all that trauma called "skybound" although some years had passed, he was happy that they were back again)

and yeah, you think now that he is all grown up, and everything, he changed his mind? I'll answer that for you

NO. NO. AND NO.

even if Lloyd did not call jaya dad or mom, he still sees them as, metaphorically talking, parents, and when he really need like a motherly hug or a fatherly talk he goes to them, and absolutely love and feels a child again when the three of them are together (even if it doesn't seem so from like Motm, but trust me, I'm like this to. like from my face it seems like am bored, but inside am so happy while doing something that i like, it's simply called teenage life... or trauma in their case)

anyway, i don't really remember anymore what i wanted to say, but I'll conclude saying that when Nya and Jay fights over something, Lloyd's "sad" too, or when they go out on a date or just act like a married couple he's just so happy. Let's talk seriously now, they're the first couple he's met since he was like 10 and he subconsciously associates them as second parents, so it's obvious that sometimes he feels like he's their child when he's with them.

(also don't totally saying that now his couple standards got better after skybound and ALSO after seabound... let's pretend all that harumi and lloyd stuff doesn't exist in this)

i know, you don't even know anymore why you reading this, and i don't even know what to write anymore, but if want to end this post well, i had to..

(its a really big SPOILER for DR2 Pt1 so read at your own risk)

now Kai isn't there again, but even before, they hadn't seen Jay, so now Lloyd is alone with her mother Nya (and also the others yeah but) and this means that his "parents" and brother aren't there for him (again) and i can't wait any longer for all the oooh so lovely angst- HELP ME)

okay, finally I'm done. thank for listening to... this.

#we really need some Jay & Lloyd bonding on screen #if think we all need it #like i love rgb too #but also the other ninja deserve some bond with the gremlin #ESPECIALLY Jay #like cmon #ninjago #jay walker #nya smith #ninjago jaya #nya jiang #lloyd garmadon #sorry if there are grammatical errors #petition to make Jaya Lloyd's adoptive new parents #he deserve them #i swear

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sasusakucoded · 6 months

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The 7th Hokage visited Sasuke and invited him to an izakaya [pub] for some drinks to congratulate him for his latest mission.

Sasuke: You're just making up excuses to leave work and drink.

Naruto: *laughs* Well, you may be or you may not be wrong.

Waiter: Sasuke-san! Long time! *looks at Naruto* Oh, your best friend visited you?

Sasuke: No, my wife is at home.. I'll take the usual. Just double it for his order.

Waiter: Got it! *leaves*

Naruto: Teme, what's with wrong with you?? Am I not your best friend??

Sasuke: No. Sakura is obviously my best friend. Your best friend is Hinata.

Naruto: No— I mean— It doesn't work that way! You can be married but not necessarily—

Sasuke: *sighs* I consider you as my brother.

Naruto: Oh. Of course! *smiles widely* I'll take that! That's better than a best friend!

Sasuke: Whatever pleases you..

Naruto: *laughs* Before I left the village, one old man died..

Sasuke: What does that have to do with me?

Naruto: Listen first, dattebayo! *sips water* The guy's wife died a month earlier. He died because of sadness..

Sasuke: *nods*

Naruto: That's it? That's your reaction?

Waiter: *walks back* Here's your order! *places the snacks and drinks on their table*

Sasuke: Thanks. *nods at the waiter as it leaves*

Naruto: Hey, no reaction to my story? *takes a bite from the karaage*

Sasuke: *takes a tempura* What's so surprising about it?

Naruto: What do you mean what's so surprising?

Sasuke: If my parents didn't die together and my mother dies before my dad, I'm sure he'd die after a month.

Naruto: What makes you say that?

Sasuke: *chugs his beer* My mom was perfect. My people.. The Uchiha.. Are greatly devoted to love.

Naruto: *chugs his beer too*

Sasuke: *wipes his mouth* Sakura is the same as my mom. She's perfect just like her.

Naruto: *nods; gets tempura*

Sasuke: I really think that the most harrowing idea is that I'd spend any part of my life without her. *chugs his beer again*

Naruto: You mean when you're away from her?

Sasuke: No.. Usuratonkachi, I thought we're talking about death?

Naruto: S-Sorry! Well..

Sasuke: Being far from her— I can take that.. *gets gyoza* Because I know she's always there waiting for me..

Naruto: But being dead is way different, you're saying?

Sasuke: If she's gone forever, that would be a level of loneliness and irreplaceable— Iredeemable emotional desolation that I couldn't possibly contemplate. *finishes his beer mug*

Naruto: Whoa! That's— That's deep.. But I totally understand..

Sasuke: So yeah.. If she will die first, I'm sure I won't last a week. I'll follow her..

Naruto: Don't say that! You still have Sarada if that happens. *calls the waiter to fill their mugs again*

Sasuke: Sarada is my 2nd best friend. She'll understand me. She won't let me be miserable. By then, most likely she has her own family..

Naruto: *nods*

Sasuke: If my daughter will allow me to go, I will. If she will ask me to live, I will. Because I know Sakura will also follow Sarada's decision if she's in that situation..

Naruto: ...

Sasuke: ...

Naruto: Sasuke.. Why are you so sure that Sakura will die first?

Sasuke: I made a promise that I will live past her..

Naruto: To take care of her?

Sasuke: Yes, but more importantly, I won't let her suffer because of me again.. I know the pain of losing your loved one..

Naruto: Yeah..

Sasuke: I will not let her experience that pain.

Naruto: *smiles*

Sasuke: Are you drunk? We only had one glass? You're red and smiling like an idiot.

Naruto: I'm not!! *laughs* I'm just.. I'm just happy that you think that way.

Sasuke: Hm?

Naruto: You're my best friend, my brother.. And so is Sakura. She's a sister to me.. So, hearing you talking about her like that makes me happy.

Sasuke: You're too emotional over a glass of beer. *shakes his head*

Naruto: Hey, you were the one being really deep about love moments ago!!

Sasuke: *laughs*

Naruto: We should.. We should have more meetings like this, you know. Let's invite our wives next time. Or maybe a team reunion.. Something like that.

Sasuke: I see, you're really making a list of excuses to get away from work, huh..

Naruto: I told you, I'm not!!

Sasuke: *smirks* Yeah.. Breaks like this is good too.

Naruto: See? You also enjoyed my company!

Sasuke: I didn't say that. Don't be assuming.

Naruto: Sasuke!!!

#sasusaku #sasusaku headcanon #ss headcanon #sscoded no 276

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flyingwargle · 19 days

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bokuaka fanfic recommendations!

i am uncharacteristically nervous about posting this haha i read a lot of fanfic and always enjoy looking at other people's recommendations, so i thought, why not share some of my favorites?

all these recs are sfw!

oneshots!

banana bread by leuralo_1 gen. 2.1k words. bokuto pov. bokuto and his roommates have too many bananas and akaashi takes the train overnight to make banana bread with it. that's it, that's the fic. it's so cute, i'm begging you to read it.

spending all, spending all my time (loving you) by hyeyu gen. 3.4k words. bokuto pov. akaashi is a dimension traveler and gets nailed in the head by bokuto's serve, so he stays until he fixes his dimension travel device. one of my first bokuaka fics that i read, very cute and the pining is palpable.

in the same room, at the same time by quel_nightmare teen. 21.5k. alternating pov. marriage proposal fic! i read this all in one sitting and my heart was ready to burst by the end. very cute, i won't spoil anything other than that <3

astronomy in reverse (it was me who was discovered) by flumes teen. 22.1k. akaashi pov. a non-linear narrative about akaashi pining over bokuto from high school to the future. very poetic and lyrical, with the boys discovering their feelings for each other in the end. i also read this all in one sitting.

longfics!

background check by ghostystarr gen. 2 chapters, 8k words. msby4 changes bokuto's lockscreen picture for fun since he doesn't lock his phone, but the game changes when he changes it to a picture of akaashi. a very fun and cute fic with the msby4 gang helping their bro out.

truth is such a violent force by inaminute teen. 8 chapters, 41k. it starts with akaashi's 1st year at fukurodani and explores his dysfunctional family, growing relationship with bokuto, and deals with homophobia. i love the fukurodani boys in this, and how supportive they are of one another. there's also a sequel that is just as heart-wrenching as this one! (both have happy endings, don't worry)

flightless owl by volleydorkscentral teen. 31 chapters, 57.6k words. bokuto gravely injures his leg and has to sit the rest of his third year out. this fic focuses on his recovery, his relationship with akaashi developing, and overcoming the pain of his injury. has a happy ending, as well!

the way you look at me by mocaw teen. 36 chapters, 79.2k words. bokuto sees train guy every night on his commute after practice until he decides to take the first step and introduce himself. this fic is the reason why i ship bokuaka. it's slowburn, deals with anxiety and ptsd, developing relationships, and is just beautifully written (i am also extremely biased because this shaped my undergrad years). please read it, i'm begging you.

the death of our hands by bershlate teen. 25 chapters, 109k words. this longfic explores akaashi's ocd, his dysfunctional family, and an amazing oc older brother, along with his relationship with bokuto. i read this recently and finished it in a few days because of how gripping the story is <3

i'll let you shatter me with your pain by kuromantic teen. 23 chapters, 160.4k words. akaashi is an empath and when he brushes against bokuto, he gets the biggest shock of emotions of his life. this fic is very heavy, dealing with abuse, malnutrition, trauma, and homophobia. it has a happy ending, and our boys do get together <3

i'll reblog this from time to time to add more recs as i keep reading! of course, feel free to check out my own bokuaka fics >:3 i might post more?? for other pairings and general recs?? and for genshin too since i have a lot there haha okay enjoy bye!

#text #fanfic recs #haikyuu fanfic recs #personal #if you can tell what kind of fics i like to read based on my recs #its a lot of angst and fluff #i like to make sure both boys suffer equally #since they're in love and all #also i don't like reading about too dark themes #there's enough suffering in the world #let our boys be happy #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji #bokuaka #fukurodani

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bumblesimagines · 1 year

Text

When Fire Meets Fate

Part 3

Request: Yes or No

these are much shorter than I’d like them to be but I’m trying to be strategic about pacing

~~~

Stepping into the nursery, his eyes immediately found his sister. Her fingers drummed against her swollen belly, head turned toward the open window as a light breeze came in. Alicent stared outside at the sky, lips pulled into a small frown and eyes heavy with longing. Hearing soft babbling, (Y/N) looked toward his nephew as a maid gently bounced him in her arms. Aegon, they'd named him. A true Targaryen with a head full of silver hair and pale skin. Just looking at him made (Y/N)'s stomach churn. Aegons' mere existence meant his sister was forever tied to her husband.

"My Lord!" The maid gasped and bowed her head upon noticing him, the other maids turning and following suit. Alicent turned her head and smiled, attempting to rise from the chair by herself but wobbling in the process. The maids quickly flocked to her side, helping her to her no doubt tired feet. (Y/N) grimaced as she took a few steps forward but Alicent smiled, albeit tiredly, and nodded toward her firstborn.

"Would you like to hold him? I know you haven't since his birth." Alicent chuckled, one hand moving to rest at her back, supporting her stance. The maid stepped toward him and Aegon turned his head, pulling his chubby fingers out of his mouth and reaching toward his uncle with glee. (Y/N) looked down at his little hand for a moment and shook his head, turning back toward his sister. Aegon whined and (Y/N) ignored him.

"What did you need me for, Alicent?" Alicent frowned at his lack of affection for his nephew and sighed, stepping toward her son and stroking his head.

"As you know, today is Aegon's second name day. I wish for you to join us for the Royal Hunt... and for you to perhaps convince Rhaenyra to come as well. I've noticed the two of you have gotten closer in the past years. It would please me considerably for all of us to spend time together as a family." Alicent explained.

"I've never cared for hunting, you know this. If that is all-"

"I am asking you as your sister, not as Queen Alicent, but as the girl who came out of the womb minutes after you. I have sensed us growing apart and I wish for our relationship to be repaired, (Y/N). I miss you." Alicent pleaded, reaching out to take his hands in hers, eyes watering in desperation. As much as the marriage had disappointed him, (Y/N) couldn't say no to his sister's tears. Not when she'd put her body through such pain to birth her son and would continue to do so until King Viserys could no longer impregnate her. Such had been the fate their father had coaxed her into.

Inhaling softly, he glanced at the chubby prince in the maids' arms and nodded. "I suppose some time away wouldn't hurt. I'll see what I can do about Rhaenyra, but I can't promise she'll listen." Alicent beamed and wobbled forward, barely able to wrap her arms around him. Stepping back, Alicent rubbed her belly and smiled.

"You know, I cannot wait to see your children, (Y/N)."

"I have no plans to marry or have children, Alicent." (Y/N) reminded her, eyeing Aegon as the maid sat down and set him on her lap.

"You say that because of Father... But, I'm sure when you find a lady of your choosing, you'll be more than happy to have your own brood. I expect you'll have many sons, as they seem to run heavily in our family." Alicent smiled fondly, eyes twinkling at the thought of her brother having his own family. More excited than she seemed about her own growing family.

"If I were to have children, I'd prefer a girl." (Y/N) admitted and Alicents' brows raised. "I'd be able to give her Mothers' belongings... Perhaps she'd even get Mother's name."

Alicent smiled sadly and hummed. "That'd be lovely... Mother would've loved to hear you say so."

Leaning over to kiss her temple, (Y/N) rubbed her back before stepping back and leaving the nursery. Aegon's second name day brought him no joy but if he could at least make his sister feel more comfortable given the circumstances, he'd tolerate the festivities. But he knew his new friend wouldn't be as easy to convince. She'd been stone cold during the wedding, and even more so when Alicent showed signs of pregnancy the following year. King Viserys and Alicent had given her space, per Ottos' advice, and Rhaenyra had used that space to build a wall between them and her.

Hearing a soft voice singing caught his attention and he stepped out into the Godswood, spotting Rhaenyra settling down on some pillows propped against the roots of the weirwood tree. She placed a large book on her lap and flipped it open, studying its contents whilst the minstrel strummed his instrument and sang a familiar song. Heading down the stairs and stepping onto the short grass, (Y/N) quietly approached him, raising his hand to stop the minstrel from standing up to greet him.

"No feast for you, I gather?" He called out with a grin. Rhaenyra snapped her head in his direction and a wide smile broke out on her face.

"I'm afraid I've already eaten." She responded, watching him move closer. "I take it you've done the same?"

"Perhaps." (Y/N) responded and lightly shrugged, leaning down to pull a pillow out from underneath her and plopping it on the spot beside her. He settled on it and exhaled, tilting his head toward the sky. The dark red leaves of the tree brushed against each other as the branches rustled with the gentle breeze. Feeling something land on his lap, he looked down.

"I know your love for histories so, I got you some books," Rhaenyra explained, leaning over to bump her shoulder against his. Humming, (Y/N) looked over the leather covers. Rhaenyra eyed his reaction for a moment, chest puffing out in pride before she reached over to the tray beside her, picking up what appeared to be a journal, and offering it to him. (Y/N) glanced between the journal and her, brows furrowing in question as he took it from her pale hands.

Rhaenyra cleared her throat. "I know you've been wanting to learn High Valyrian for some time now." Opening the journal, (Y/N) chuckled, looking over the words and their meanings. Pages upon pages in Rhaenyras' familiar handwriting. The princess had taken time out just to write him a little book and it warmed his heart.

"Thank you, Princess."

"It was nothing." Rhaenyra dismissed with a shake of her head and looked back down at her book with the smallest of smiles. (Y/N) continued to flip through the pages until he reached the last page and ran his thumb over the single sentence written in the middle signed by Rhaenyra.

Avy jorrāelan, (Y/N).

"I'll have to translate this myself, I assume?" (Y/N) turned his head to look at her. Rhaenyra glanced at the page and grinned, nodding as the tips of her ears turned a light red. (Y/N) flipped back to the first page and began reading, listening to the minstrel sing.

Reading with Rhaenyra had turned into a common practice during long, dull days. When the septas gave her things to read and memorize, she'd find her way to (Y/N) and settle down with him, sometimes reading aloud or listening to him read. Sometimes they'd find their own books and sit in each others' presence. The silence never grew awkward or uncomfortable, and most knew to leave them be. Though, Rhaenyra occasionally studied other things. She'd watch (Y/N)s' concentrated face, brows sometimes raising or falling when he read something particularly surprising or confusing. The corners of his lips would pull into the smallest of smirks when he found the contents of his books amusing. Rhaenyra found it pleasing when he'd rest his temple against his fist, eyes fluttering close every few minutes until his breathing slowed and his eyes remained closed.

Looking away from her book and back at the Hightower, she smiled. She'd spent so many years wondering what it'd take to get (Y/N) to trust her, to like her. Now, he actively sought out her company without being asked to. Her smile fell as her gaze shifted to the figure dressed in red watching them. Alicent slowly made her way toward them, her pregnant state making it harder for her to walk without growing exhausted. A state Rhaenyra prayed she never found herself in.

Upon seeing their queen, the minstrel scrambled to his feet and bowed. "Your Grace," He called out in greeting and Alicent smiled warmly in return.

"Did I say to stop?" Rhaenyra asked, returning to her book as (Y/N) turned his head to look at his sister. Clicking her tongue, she sighed. "From the beginning." She ordered and after a moment of hesitance, the minstrel lowered himself onto the ground and began singing once more.

Swallowing, Alicents' gaze flickered toward her brother before she called out to the princess. "Rhaenyra?"

"Yes, My Queen?"

"Your presence is wanted in the outer courtyard. The royal hunt readies to depart." Alicent explained, rubbing the side of her belly as she watched her former friend.

"I've decided to remain here and read with (Y/N) instead," Rhaenyra replied, and (Y/N) sighed, closing the journal and collecting the other two books Rhaenyra had gifted him. Rising from his spot, Rhaenyra peered up at him curiously, brows furrowing.

"You may go, Samwell." Alicent dismissed the minstrel and he rose from his spot, reading to depart.

"You are to stay by order of the Princess," Rhaenyra ordered, though her eyes remained trained on (Y/N), almost as if ordering him as well. The minstrel glanced between Rhaenyra and Alicent, nervously shuffling his feet as he debated whose orders to follow and whose to disobey. Looking at the poor conflicted man, (Y/N) nodded.

"Go, Samwell." The minstrel swallowed, clutching his instrument close to his chest and glancing at Rhaenyra one last time. He bowed and cleared his throat, quickly leaving the weirwood tree to avoid further conflict between the two girls. Rhaenyra huffed in annoyance, looking back down at her book. Alicent gave her brother a thankful look and stepped closer to the tree.

"The King wishes for you to join us."

"The King has much to celebrate. He does not need me."

"He wants for all of us to be together. And perhaps... the hunt could be... fun." Alicent attempted, fingers curling atop her belly. Rhaenyra avoided her gaze and clenched her jaw, the words of her former friend barely coaxing her into considering it. Licking his lips, (Y/N) reached down and grazed his fingers along the top of Rhaenyras' head.

"I'll be going as well, Rhaenyra. You might enjoy watching the men make a fool of themselves to impress your father." (Y/N) murmured and Rhaenyra looked up at him and sighed, fingers tightening around the edge of her book.

"Is it the King's command?" She questioned.

"Yes, but-"

"Then at once, Your Grace." Slamming the book shut, she took (Y/N)s' offered hand and pulled herself up, tossing the book onto the pillows below. (Y/N) met her irritated gaze and quirked a brow, getting a soft huff in return. Rhaenyra released his hand and stepped over the roots, ignoring Alicent.

"But it needn't be. None of it needs to be this way in truth, Rhaenyra!" Alicent pointed out, face falling when Rhaenyra continued walking without glancing her way. She exhaled and pressed her lips together, watching Rhaenyra disappear down a hall. She shook her head, gazing down at her belly.

"She'll never forgive me." She whispered.

"There's still a chance she will, Alicent. But it is ultimately up to her. It cannot be forced." (Y/N) stepped toward his sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her lean against him as they walked back inside, making their way to the outer courtyard where carriages awaited them. Alicent squeezed (Y/N)s arm before she climbed inside the royal carriage after Viserys'. Rhaenyra casted a glance toward him and begrudgingly entered the carriage as well.

Sighing, (Y/N) turned toward his father and followed him to their carriage, entering and sitting across from him. Neither (Y/N) nor Otto attempted to break the silence as the carriage began moving, taking them through the streets of Kings Landing and beyond its walls. The two men glanced at each other every so often but otherwise kept to themselves until Otto cleared his throat, hands folding in his lap.

"I've looked over some ladies I'd like you to meet, (Y/N)." He began. "Ladies from good families that already reside here in court. If you could make time to-"

"I'd rather not." (Y/N) muttered, hand falling down to the cushioned seat in an attempt to steady himself as the carriage traversed on a bumpy road.

"A marriage to a powerful family-"

"You already got that with Alicent, did you not?"

"What will come of you, (Y/N)? You refuse to engage with the other men your age, you refuse to marry, you've decided against knighthood. Do you wish to drink and fuck your youthful years away? It'll only be so long before one of the maids appears with a babe in hand. Bastards you'll saddle this family with. Alicent has done something for this family whilst you go against my every wish. I advised you to pursue Princess Rhaenyra, to comfort her during her time of mourning and secure a place by her side." Otto ranted, waving his hands around as he spoke.

"You wished for me to seduce Rhaenyra. You wanted me to taint her so we'd be forced to marry when I'd likely be killed by King Viserys himself for daring to touch his daughter in such a manner!"

"You're smart, (Y/N). You wouldn't have tainted her." Otto clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You're a Hightower, you're my very flesh and blood. I would never do anything to put you in harm's way. Heavens, if I did your mother would rise from her grave."

(Y/N) scoffed, fingers digging into the bright red cushion. "You've already brought harm upon Alicent. All she'll be doing these following years is have child after child. She'll be destroying herself, her body, her well-being... Is that what Mother would've wanted? For you to use her daughter? When you retire you should open a brothel, you've proven you got what it takes to run one."

"If you had been more cooperative then perhaps you'd be married to Princess Rhaenyra by now and Alicent could be courted by a man of her liking. Your sister made sacrifices you were too stubborn to make. Your mother would be sorely disappointed at how you failed to protect your own sister!" Otto sneered, jabbing a finger in his direction. The carriage fell silent afterward, neither party daring to utter another word, for it would surely evoke another argument. (Y/N) crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, turning his head away from Otto.

Hearing the sound of people shouting outside, (Y/N) felt the carriage slow down and relief flooded his veins. Otto adjusted his clothes and sighed, lifting his dark gaze to look at his son. "I did not mean to raise my voice-"

"I don't wish to speak of this for the rest of the day, Father." (Y/N) interrupted, scooting closer to the door and standing once it opened. Upon stepping out, he was greeted by cheering faces, though they mainly cheered and clapped for King Viserys as he stepped out of his carriage and greeted his people. Otto slapped his hand over (Y/N)s shoulder, giving it a hard squeeze before he walked toward the tent. (Y/N) watched him go, jaw clenching hard enough for his teeth to hurt. His eyes scanned the crowd until he spotted horses, feet taking him toward them. He easily mounted one, tugging on the reins and encouraging the horse forward toward the treeline.

"(Y/N)-"

"I'd like some time alone, Uncle." (Y/N) clicked his tongue and the horse quickened its pace into a jog. (Y/N) kept going until the chatter had been replaced by singing birds. Until he felt the weight of his surname lifted off his shoulders. Until he could finally breathe without feeling suffocated. The sounds of the forest offered him peace and signaled the lack of humans, something (Y/N) desperately needed to shake off the last of his anger. He slowed his horse down to a slower pace and continued his trek through the forest, coming across a slow-moving river. His fingers released the reins, falling onto the saddle and tracing the wrinkles in the leather.

The Kingswood had always been a beautiful place, though (Y/N) rarely visited for royal hunts. While his father reminded that the food they ate had to come from somewhere, (Y/N) had never been keen on listening to the squeals and cries of a panicked animal or watching the blood soak the earth and the clothes of everyone who got near it. He'd rather see the animal once it'd been cooked and served up. But, King Viserys enjoyed hunting, even if he rarely had a part in the actual tracking and capturing, and wherever he went, the Hand followed. And (Y/N) had the pleasure of being the son of the Hand.

"Princess! Slow down!" Ser Cristons' familiar voice echoed through the forest along with the sound of horses galloping.

"Peace is so fleeting." (Y/N) sighed, reaching over to rub the side of his horses' neck as it moved around anxiously in response to the sudden commotion. It didn't take long for him to spot a white horse with a silver-haired rider being followed by a knight on a dark horse. Rhaenyra slowed her horse down, forcing Ser Criston to move off to the side to avoid a collision. His horse breezed past (Y/N), nearly barreling into the murky water.

"My father wishes to sell me off to Jason Lannister!" Rhaenyra exclaimed, pulling on the reins once she was close to (Y/N), eyes flickering toward the panting knight.

"Out of all men..." (Y/N) crinkled his nose. He'd had the displeasure of meeting said Lannister. A woefully arrogant man who only seemed capable of speaking about himself.

"Tell me, (Y/N)," Rhaenyra breathed, fingers pushing strands of straight hair away from her face. "Would you build a dragonpit for me?"

"He offered that? As if he wouldn't piss himself upon seeing a dragon up close." His words brought a smile to Rhaenyras' face, replacing the bitter look she had on previously.

"May I ask what you were doing out here alone, M'Lord?" Ser Criston asked, slipping off his helmet and running his fingers through his long hair.

"Enjoying some peace and quiet. But, it seems the royal family has a knack for finding Hightowers." (Y/N) grinned teasingly and Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, skin turning a light shade of red as she looked away from him.

"Mere coincidence."

"Yes, I'm sure." (Y/N) chuckled. "Regardless, I should head back before I anger my beloved family. I'll see the both of you back in camp."

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶

The Royal Hunt had proven more interesting than the previous years; the white stag had eluded the hunters and Rhaenyra had returned to camp the following hour drenched in boar blood. The latter had been the more interesting part, of course. But the amusement of it all had vanished as soon as they left Kingswood and (Y/N) was forced back into a carriage with his father. This time, however, they both bit their tongues and enjoyed the silence for the next hour or so until they reached King's Landing and went their separate ways, much to Alicents' dismay.

Sliding his rings off his fingers, he glanced in the mirror as the doors to his bedroom opened. Rhaenyra entered, waiting for the doors to close before sighing and taking a seat by the fireplace. (Y/N) hummed, looking at the princess over his shoulder.

"Did you not enjoy being covered in blood, Princess?"

"Hilarious." Rhaenyra scoffed softly. "But, I came here for something else, (Y/N)."

"What is it?" (Y/N) ran his finger over the journal she'd given him before turning around and leaning back against the desk. He nodded for her to continue, noting her fidgeting. Rhaenyra toyed with her own rings, teeth gently digging into the flesh of her bottom lip.

"What if... What if we were to marry?"

"Why would we?"

Rhaenyra blinked, lifting her gaze to look at him. "I believe it'd help us both. Neither of us wishes to be pushed into the duty of marriage. We enjoy each other's company and while our marriage could be... loveless... Most marriages in the realm are. I know our fathers have spoken about it, even our mothers before their passings."

Pushing himself away from the desk, (Y/N) approached her. "You are heir to the throne, Rhaenyra. A throne I've resented for years... I care for you, you and I know that well enough. But I would not be happy as a king consort, not if it means tying myself to that throne." He spoke softly, standing in front of her and lifting one hand to cup her cheek. Rhaenyra leaned into his touch.

"Many men would die for the opportunity-"

"And those very men have sent letter after letter to your father in hopes of gaining an audience and winning your hand in marriage. If you had been a Dornish princess or a lady born to another family, I would've accepted this proposal. But I am not my sister. I will not sacrifice my happiness and wishes for the sake of another. I am certain you'll find a husband to keep you company, or a lover to warm your bed when your husband does not. I'll be by your side. As a friend and ally."

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