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#anyhoo i love this prompt
silhouettecrow · 8 months
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365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 253
Adjective: Remarkable
Noun: Soul
Definitions for those who need/want them:
Remarkable: worthy of attention, or striking
Soul: the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal; a person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity; emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance; African American culture or ethnic pride; soul music; the essence or embodiment of a specified quality; an individual person; a person regarded with affection or pity
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From: @jazzjlan
To: @dasalright
Message from Santa: "Hi there! Merry Christmas! My name's Alan, known online as JazzLAN, and I was your secret santa this past month. I looked through your Tumblr and I love your art! Also, Solace's design is super creative and I admire you for that. I could've drawn more for you but unfortunately I got super busy and tired so I couldn't do much. I initially was gonna submit my Solace artwork alone but I felt super bad so I wanted to make something Dedede related last minute since I noticed you seem to love him (i do too), and wanted to go with your DDD and Waddle Dee wishlist prompt. I was looking through pictures online for references and I found this funny picture and I wanted to recreate it so bad, so here, a meme for you! Anyhoo, super sorry again for not doing much, but I hope you like what I drew for you! Have a wonderful holiday, and take care."
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thetopichot · 7 months
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•°♡ Swoon!~ Prompts ♡°•
Hell yeah, new series of prompts where it's basically things that make me so down bad. (*´∀`)♪
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"Jeez, you're so cute. I could keep you in my lap all day."
"Good. Very good."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that my hands were shaking. I'm just really happy, I suppose."
"Can I kiss you again?"
"I would gladly give up everything if it meant that you'd still be mine." (I LOVE YOU, BUT PLEASE DONT)
"I love every part of you."
"I would rather have all my dreams be about you."
"I like it when you make me nervous. It feels exciting in a way."
"I like thunderstorms. Mostly because I get to hold you in the blanket."
"Hey, you wanna share a milkshake?" (I love you & that's very sweet, but I'm lactose not very tolerant.)
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☆ミ Author's Notes Underneath 👇 ☆ミ
🩷 - God DAMN I'm getting close to 100 followers. Where are you guys coming from?? I didn't know you guys like my writing that much??
Anyhoo, I'm absolutely hyped for October. October is going to be so fucking fire. The FNAF Movie drops, Yandere Finn might come back or maybe later (Doesn't really matter to me), & new spooky month episode!! Besides that, I'm happy & even if those things don't happen this month, I like to celebrate those things by writing & tons & tons of daydreaming. Either way, it's gonna be fucking epic.
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missmaywemeetagain · 5 months
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A Pink Scarf Thanksgiving 💗🧣🦃
A very happy Thanksgiving weekend to those who celebrate! ❤️
This blurb came out of nowhere, in a fit of Thanksgiving inspiration (and a special thanks to Norah for inadvertently nudging me towards a Thanksgiving prompt)! Because of this, it is not overly edited or revised. I will say, I'm not sure yet just how canon I want this to be in terms of the PS Universe, but I figure it came out of me for a reason, so I decided to go with it for now. 
I think my current moody headspace influenced the vibe for this--for us fans, it's a slightly indulgent "what could have been" scenario. But that's PS in a nutshell, isn't it?  🥹
Anyhoo, I hope this hits you in the feels! And I hope you know just how much you matter to me, even though I've been a bit MIA recently. 
Much love xoxoxox, Madi 💗
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TW: It's 1977, so...medical issues/trauma/strife. Panic attack. Thanksgiving stress. A little hint of sexy at the end bc I couldn't leave you on a melancholy note! 💋
A Pink Scarf Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 1977
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. P, but the oven is out. Lamar took a peek, but the thing is as cold as ice and don’t look like it’s gonna be warm any time soon,” Mary says, looking as distraught as you feel. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch it sooner.”
The naked, trussed, and cold turkey on the counter mocks you.
“No, no, it’s not your fault, Mary. We’ll…figure something out,” you try and reassure her, but it feels like a weight has just been placed on your chest. You pinch the bridge of your nose to stave off the massive headache that began early this morning when Nicky barged into your room at the crack of dawn sobbing because he’d had a nightmare that Mr. Gobble Gobble, a monster turkey, had eaten Daddy instead of the other way around.
This was one of many nightmares that your poor little boy had suffered since August, but certainly the first starring a murderous Thanksgiving turkey. He’d barely been consolable and neither of you had gotten back to sleep.
You take a deep breath, holding back the tears that threaten your vision.
Today needs to be perfect. It was supposed to be perfect.
But you should have known. After all, this year has been far from perfect.
You force yourself away from the wave of despair trying to overcome you. No, we’ve been lucky, you think. It could be so much worse.
Unfortunately, your nerves are shot, which makes sense considering the last few months you’ve had. You’ve kept it together so well. You’ve had to. For Nicky. For Elvis. But that tried resolve begins to crumble with the pressure of it all, as though everything that has happened is hitting you all at once.
Now you have a house full of hungry people, Elvis will be home any minute, and your usual quick-footed problem-solving skills have flown out the window. Your hands begin to tremble.
The panic swells as the kitchen swarms with people looking to you for direction, and in that moment, Nicky runs through the adults, chased by one of the other kids. It happens so fast—you barely have time to register the commotion before disaster strikes.
You watch in horror as the kids fly into the sideboard, knocking the precious side dishes and desserts onto the floor with a resounding crash.
The collective gasp of the adults in the room sends your panic into overdrive.
Thanksgiving is officially ruined.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” you shout. The entire room goes silent. It’s not everyday Elvis Presley’s calm and collected wife loses her shit. No, that is something usually reserved for the man himself.
“Well, that’s not quite the welcome home I was expecting,” a familiar baritone chuckles from behind you.
You whip around, your bottom lip quivering. “Elvis?” you whisper.
He’s standing right here—standing! On his own!—leaning on his cane for support, a twinkle in his eye that you haven’t seen in ages. One you weren’t sure you’d ever see again. And the sight of him finally being home again after so many months in the hospital is more than you can bear. After standing tall and strong for him for so long, you crumble into a thousand pieces. An uncontrollable sob chokes out of you, your tears overflowing.
“Aw, honey,” he says quietly, slowly making his way to you, waving everyone else out of the room with the commanding flick of his hand. They exit in a flash with their concerned and pitied looks. Not that you care, because the second you can, you are falling into your husband’s open arms.
“I’m so sorry…your homecoming…it’s all ruined,” you sob into his chest, being mindful of the long scar down the center. Feeling the warmth of him engulfing you is overwhelming. His scent, untainted by antiseptic and hospital smells for the first time in a long time, swirls around you, caressing your senses.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay. Let it all out, Satnin,” he coos, stroking your hair with his free hand. “Hers has been so strong for hims, but hims is home now.”
The tenderness of his baby talk in your ear sends a fresh wave of tears to your eyes, staining the silk of his blue dress shirt. He’s dressed up, you think absently, knowing this is a huge thing. Even before that fateful August morning, he’d been mostly wearing his tracksuits when he wasn’t performing. He’d been so uncomfortable and in pain, you’d understood why.
You bury your head into his neck, pent up emotions violently shuddering through your body as you let your tears fall freely for the first time in months. You can barely breathe with how you wedge yourself into him, with how he holds you tight. He’s so much slimmer now that the edema is gone and his colon has been tended to, you realize, but he’s still soft in all the right places. You still fit against him perfectly, and his grip on you makes you realize he understands just how raw you are.
You cry more, thinking about how the last time he was here was when you’d found him unresponsive on the bathroom floor. How you’d never been so scared in your entire life, not even when you yourself had brushes with death.
It's a miracle he’s here at all. None of you, doctors included, were sure if he’d ever step through the doors of Graceland again. Not after the heart attack, or the coma, or the complications from his various surgeries. It had been one blow after another, for weeks, months. But somehow, in true stubborn Elvis fashion, he’d pulled through.
He’d gritted his way through healing, through physical therapy, through weaning off so many of the meds he’d been on before and during his hospital stay, and he hated every second of it. He’d been livid about the colostomy, but you’d had no care for his vanity when you’d had to make the decision to save his life. You didn’t care if he hated you because at least he’d be alive to tell you so. He’d gotten past it, mostly, especially once he was feeling better.
The entire ordeal had terrified him. Something had changed in him in those weeks he’d lingered between life and death, something he wasn’t ready to talk about just yet, but even with all the setbacks, his determination to come home was intensely motivating.
Which is why you’d wanted it to be special, and why it being Thanksgiving had so much meaning. Elvis was finally coming home. Then everything had gone to hell in a handbasket.
“I wanted everything to be perfect for you. You deserve it,” you say quietly, sniffling, holding him as tight as you dare without wanting to hurt him.
“Darlin’, just bein’ back home with you and Nicky is more than I ever dreamed of. I don’t need no big fancy dinner or welcome home committee. I jus’ need you.”
You pull back then, your heart about ready to burst, and look at him. He looks downright debonair with his silvery hair (which you’d convinced him not to dye back after it had grown out during his illness), freshly cut and shorter than it had been in years, fluffy but brushed back off his face in a style reminiscent to when he was younger. His apple cheeks are full and have more color than they’ve had in months.
“What?” he asks looking down at you, almost bashful under your gaze.
You reach up and cup his freshly shaven cheek, smooth and soft under your palm. Those deep ocean blue eyes of his threaten to swallow you whole. Staring into their depths, you don’t want to imagine a world without him in it anymore.
“I just love you,” you whisper, barely able to get the words out without choking up again. “So much.”
Eyes shining, Elvis pulls you up and into him. His lips are as sweet and as soft as you remember when they press into yours. The kiss is full of yearning, of love, and of everything you two have been through the past twenty years. It’s truly like coming home.
The kiss turns hungry then, more so than you expect. It’s been so very long since you’ve had each other in this way and it surprises you how readily your body remembers, despite all the pain and trauma you both have experienced. You open for him, and he moans when his tongue brushes against yours. A fiery wave of heat blisters through you then, hastily banishing away your tears.
Despite all the challenges you’ve faced over the years, you’ve always felt the pull of him in your soul. You’ve always wanted him, neededhim, even when you convinced yourself to forget because you thought you couldn’t have him. And now, after almost losing him for good, you can think of nothing else but him. The warmth of his body pressed against yours causes you to melt. The way his lips and hands roam over the curves of your body sends you soaring.
You thought you’d never have this again. It had almost broken you.
“I’m here, baby. I’m home, I promise,” he mutters into your skin, as if reading your mind.
You kiss him deeply, yanking him into you by his pretty shirt, taking his breath away.
He pulls away and presses his forehead to yours, and you can feel him sway on his feet, a little unbalanced.
“Good news—looks like Little Elvis is back in working order,” he says breathlessly, pressing his thickening erection into your belly. He seems pleasantly surprised.
Honestly, with everything dire that happened, it hadn’t even crossed your mind as a concern, but it makes sense that it could be an issue. You grin up at him with the knowledge that it isn’t, then roll your hips against him.
He groans. “Bad news—not sure I have the energy to do all the things I wanna to ya, and we got a house full of people.” Doesn’t stop him from grabbing a handful of your bottom, however.
“Oh, that’s never stopped us before, now has it?” you muse, walking your fingers gently down his chest and over his belly to palm his length.
“Lord have mercy, woman,” he moans, his eyes fluttering closed. You notice him lean more heavily on his cane and instantly ease up. One blue eye opens with a quirked brow. “Hey now, I din’t say stop.”
You laugh. “Well, it seems dinner is ruined anyhow,” you say, surveying the disaster of broken dishes and scattered food all over the floor, and the cold, raw turkey on the counter. “Maybe we better get you upstairs to rest.”
Rest is, of course, the furthest thing from your mind now, which you let him know with a little squeeze to his butt.
“Mmhmm, yes, I definitely need to lie down,” he mumbles as he peppers you with kisses. Suddenly, he freezes against you. “But, honey, I-I-I’m not sure how much I can do,” he whispers, a wave of uncertainty washing over him.
“Hey, it’s okay. We’ll take it slow. Real slow. One step at a time, like fumbling teenagers,” you say lightly, cupping his face and looking up into his eyes. “Or we can just kiss and hold each other. I’m just happy you’re here, baby.”
He nods, seemingly reassured by this. “I know I don’t say it as much as I should, but I thank God every day for you and for what we have together, Satnin,” he says quietly, brushing your hair behind your ear, kissing you gently. “I love you.”
Your heart and body ache for him. “We better get you upstairs to “rest”before I start crying again,” you snuffle, laughing, slowly walking with him toward the stairs.
“Well, tears aren’t entirely off the table…I can think of a couple good ways I can make you cry,” he teases, nibbling at your ear.
“Elvis Aaron, you did not just…” you gasp.
“What??” he says innocently. “Am I wrong?”
A shiver runs down your spine and settles in the heat of your belly.
You’ve missed him. Terribly.
But you do have so much to be thankful for this year, namely for the infuriatingly talented, generous, and stubborn man you married and are gingerly leading up the stairs for the first time in months.
In fact, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
*
Taglist Pt 1
@eliseinmemphis@russian-soft-bitch@tattywood
@sassanoe@thella @suspiciousmidge @hiddlepiddlediddlewiddle@carolinesbookworld @juggernort @aesthetic-lyss @stitchattacks @donnamarie23
 @littlebitofgreen@paigevis@bugg06@xhannahbananax03@artlover8992
@18lkpeters@frozenhuntress67@girlblogger2002@kendralavon7@misspresley
@be-my-ally @whositmcwhatsit @vintageshanny @ellie-24 @thatbanditqueen @powerofelvis @from-memphis-with-love
 @precious-lil-scoundrel @stylespresleyhearted @prompted-wordsmith @crash-and-cure @elvisgf @lookingforrainbows @fic-over-cannon @godlypresley @ab4eva @whatstruthgottodowithit @elvisabutler @amydarcimarie@idontwanttoputanything @callieselvisobsessed @captainamerica1235-blog  @xenaspace3-blog 
@simplyamberj@claire-elvisgirl@everythingelvispresley@louisejoy86@deniseinmn @madelynpresley
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thesoulbonder · 10 months
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Nuts and Dolts Week 2023 - Day 7 - First Kiss
Hey peeps!
So hey! That was one hell of a Nuts & Dolts Week! Huge props to everyone who participated in this lovely week, because goddammit I desperately needed the serotonin
(Also sorry I couldn’t do all the prompts! I still had some timing issues and couldn’t get everything done when I wanted it to be. Sorry!!)
Anyhoo, here we are! First kiss
I really wanted this piece to be special, so I went ham on absolutely everything
I concepted Vacuo Outfits! I nitpicked every little pose/position! I made sure the facial expressions were perfect! I had really fun lighting! Background could be better but who cares! Let these girls be happy dammit!!
So yeah!
Happy Nuts and Dolts Week, and I can’t wait for next year!
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kreerain · 2 months
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I have a crack idea now where Danny became like Pariah dark like Ward like you know teaching him to be the future King of the Infinite Realms.
Pariah dark's idea is to continuous his legacy just in case he is ever defeated again after Danny's defeat him the first time
Put whatever magical reason you want to for Pariah Dark being out of the casket of forever sleep
But in my own opinion Danny's parents dissect him and now Danny is now being forced to living with Pariah in the Ghost Zone which in his own opinion is so much better than being with the fruitloop
Pariah's holding of trying turning him into his Prince to continue the legacy Danny decides to play along cuz you know what it's fun let him be the villain for once but Danny decides the entirely do it in a different way
Fighting outfit is a pink crop top with the words cute on it and a pair of leather pants with pink hearts on the side of them he is practically channeling his dressing of Harley Quinn like he wears two different color clips in his hair and he uses a chainsaw as a weapon with the words DP spraying on to them just because he can
Danny also 100% like every chance he can comments on the fact that Pariah dresses so old like imagine fighting the ghost tyrannical leader standing around but shopping bags in hand while his son is walking around shopping
Also Danny and Klarion are totally dating because Teekl Klarion's cat accidentally met Danny and a whole lot of shenanigans happened ever since Danny and Klarion have been dating
But the main point is I've just been imagining the ghost King showing up to the DC dimension and demanding for the Justice League to tell him where the Mall is at in this dimension and then walking himself and the skeleton army all the way to Hot topic are any other clothing store that sells pastel clothing in the mall
Pariah Dark: Daniel you went all the way to this dimension to go shopping. When you could have done that and the ghost Zone.
There stands a boy with black hair that has White highlights, unhumanly bright blue eyes that seems to be wearing a green jacket, a black crop top, and a pair of bright pink pastel pants broken with black hearts all over them rolling his eyes at the ghost king of all people and answering with the most sarcastic teenage tone voice
Danny : yeah old man not all of us can dress like it's medieval Royal times plus what are these matching shirts be amazing for us
One of the shirts is a pink crop top that say disappointment and the other a normal t-shirt that says The Father Of The Disappointment
Pariah Dark: Daniel I don't consider you to be a disappointment that boy you call your boyfriend is a disappointment but not you
Danny: thanks Dad anyhoo a few more things and then we can go back home I heard this place has a froyo that absolutely sounds amazing
Pariah dark: and if it's is not as good as the mortal say we'll take over the dimension just for displeasing your taste buds my son
The froyo is actually really good for the sake of the dimension Pariah Dark does not end up taking it over but his son Danny will be visiting
This the entire time the Justice League is in the background shocked and terrified about realizing the entire time they had a mini God living in this dimension.
I just see Pariah being a really caring and loving parent to Danny while also trying to being a tyrant most of the time Danny does keep him from the tyrant part though but it's even funnier if Danny goes to School in Gotham just imagine having the ghost tyrant show up to a parent-teacher conference.
Sorry I just have lots of time to write out these prompts I'm not a good writer but I love to share my ideas.
That does sound like a lot of fun. This idea sounds more like something I'd read, than something I'd write though. I might try to write something for it, but it will be a little while.
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slinket · 4 months
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Smutmas Day Something
I'm so far behind at this point, I've decided to use multiple prompts per written smut. I've found that I prefer to write in long form anyways, and also I am posting all of the rest of them before 2024 if it freaking wrecks me.
Anyhoo, this one is using prompts:
11 - Such a needy little thing, aren't you.
16 - "My parents are home." "Then I guess you'll have to be quiet."
NSFW, featuring Ominis because I am so freaking horny for that man
Since the night MC had made it clear to Ominis that she was not content being just friends with him, they had been exploring each other's bodies as often as possible. Her parents had remained out of town for a few nights, so they had become familiar with the others' moans and sounds of longing.In her room once more, Ominis and MC were, once again, laying atop her bed. They were both still clothed, she on her back, legs spread, while Ominis slotted himself between her legs. He was nuzzling his nose into her neck, kissing her softly nipping at her skin and then licking his tongue over the teeth marks, making her giggle.
“Are you laughing at me, darling?” Ominis sat up slightly, running his hands down her body and back up, his left hand tracing up her right arm until their hands met. He linked their fingers and slid their clasped hands above her head. His right hand moved to her hair, twisting a lock around his finger and then pulling her head to the side, bringing his mouth back to her shoulder.
“Am I being too gentle hmm? I don’t think you’ll be laughing when I suck hard enough to leave a bruise on your skin.” He flicked his tongue against her before closing his lips, sucking hard, causing the blood to rush to her skin.
“Ominis,” her voice husky with lust, lifting her hips to press against him.He pressed his body back against hers, moving his lips from her shoulder, down to her clavicle, dragging his tongue around slowly.
“Tell me darling,” his free hand moving to her chest, gently prodding around until he finds her stiffened nipple, rolling it between his fingers. “Tell me what you want.”
She lowered her voice to a whisper, “I want you to touch me,” her one hand still laced with his, she ran the other into his hair, pulling on it lightly, asking him to bring his lips back to hers. He kissed her quickly, and then held his lips above hers, not letting her open his mouth for a deeper one.
“Give me details love, where should I touch you, how should I touch you?” Ominis continued to rock his hips against hers, pausing only to press more firmly, making sure she could feel exactly how being with her affected him. MC moaned into his lips when he brought them back to hers, but each time she attempted to move her tongue into his mouth, Ominis would hold his lips closed and smirk, “tell me,” he would just say to her before kissing her gently.
She let out a sigh, “I….I want you to touch my…you know.”
“I don’t know, be specific.”
“Fine,” her voice filled with frustration, “I want to feel your fingers inside of me. Inside of my cunt.” Her words were angrily whispered, trying to meet his demands while keeping the volume low.
Bringing his lips back to hers, Ominis finally opened his mouth and let his tongue dip into hers, kissing her deeply, shifting his body to make room for the hand he planned to dip inside of her. “That I can do,” pressing his finger to her damp panties, just allowing her to barely feel the sensation of his touch.
MC sat up slightly, moving her legs together. “Ominis, I want to, but we can’t, my parents are home. He responded by forcing her legs back apart with a shrug, “I guess you’ll just have to keep quiet.”
She groaned, a mixture of excitement and worry, as she laid herself back down onto the bed. Ominis brought his hand back to her center, softly running his finger up and down her slit, letting her panties soak up more of her fluid. She closed her eyes as he pressed his thumb against her clit, one hand grabbing onto the bed sheets while the other moved to her mouth, stifling her cry.
Sliding her panties to the side, Ominis dipped his finger between her folds. “Such a needy little thing, aren’t you.” Skimming his finger across her a few more times, he paused in his manipulation of her body to bring his finger to his mouth, tasting her on his fingers. His smile widened and he let out a pleasurable sigh as MC whispered to him to put his finger back, to touch her again. He could not believe how wet she was. As he slipped a single finger inside of her, the sound her pussy made was obnoxiously loud. Ominis, extremely turned on by this sound leaned his body over her once again, bringing a second finger to meet his first as he began to thrust them into her. “And here I thought your parents may hear your cries for me, I didn’t realize you would be so wet that they may end up just hearing my fingers fucking you.” He slammed his fingers into her as he whispered, taking long, deep strokes, pushing in, loving the sound of her wetness being shoved back into her. He would hold his fingers as deeply as he could, curling them upwards to bring her more pleasure, before pulling them out again. MC lifted her hips again, wanting to take more, and Ominis was ready to provide for her.
He pressed his thumb against her clit again, moving his fingers at a quicker pace. “I can hear you getting wetter for me darling.” With every thrust of his hand, the splashing sound of her liquid pleasure filled the room. Ominis knew MC was close to cumming, her body was trembling, and she was having a difficult time staying quiet. “The only thing I want to hear when you cum are the sounds your cunt will make as I fuck you through your peak.” Ominis pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling her nod in response to his demand.
As he slipped a third finger inside of her, the pressure became too much and MC tumbled over the edge, Ominis quickly covering her mouth with his hand. He could barely hear her quiet moans over the sound of the liquid pouring out of her pussy and onto his hand. One final plunge of his fingers, leaving them rooted inside of her as he uncovered her mouth only to replace that hand with his own lips, he pressed hard into her, the force of his lips mimicking the fingers inside of her.
After he pulled the final spasms of her orgasm from her, he removed his fingers and pulled away from her lips. MC went to speak, but before she could, Ominis was pushing his fingers into her mouth. “Stay quiet while you clean these off, don’t want your parents to suddenly come up here.”
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thana-topsy · 9 months
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Hey so no pressure whatsoever to answer this sleep-deprived ask but I have (once again!!) been reading Breathing Water for that Comfort Fic dopamine, and I realised that to travel from Winterhold to the Nightgate Inn they would have to pass through my absolute favourite location, the Wayward Pass shrine!
It's an interesting little shrine to Arkay and I was wondering what kind of reaction you think Teldryn and Neloth would have had to it? I can imagine of course as more daedra-leaning worshippers they might not look twice but it's always where I take my OCs and wondered if you had any thoughts
Hope life's treating you kindly <3
Thank you SO much for this lovely ask and this interesting prompt! Idk if you meant it as a writing prompt, but that's where I took it. (I love that BW is a comfort fic for you, that is such a high compliment). But anyhoo, I even fired up Skyrim to go wandering around the freezing north to get a feel for the area. So here you go! Please enjoy a retroactive cut scene of this leg of Neloth and Teldryn's journey.
---
“Admit it, we’re lost.”
“We most certainly are not.” Neloth cast a guidance spell, the snaking purple light fettering out a few feet ahead of them. He dropped the charge and pursed his lips. A sweeping gust of wind rolled up the mountainside from the sea and nearly pushed him over, adding insult to injury. 
“I told you to buy a damn map from the innkeeper!” Teldryn said, holding a fireball in his palms for warmth. “But oh no, of course the Great and Powerful Master of House Telvanni is beyond something as tried and true as cartography.”
“Will you shut it,” Neloth snapped. “I need to concentrate.” The cold was getting to him—a deep, bone-numbing cold unlike anything he’d ever felt—creeping death at its worst. He cast a quick flare of his warming spell, reserving his magicka while briefly returning feeling to his toes and fingertips.
“That looks like a pass over the mountain,” Teldryn said, his voice weak beneath the howl of the wind.
Neloth squinted through the snow. “Where?” 
“Up there, look where I’m pointing.”
Neloth stepped beside him to follow the line of Teldryn’s finger. Sure enough, there appeared to be a gap in the mountain’s sheer rock face. 
“If we hike all the way up there and it’s a dead end, then I’m–”
“Yes, yes,” Teldryn interrupted, waving him away as he began to trudge forward through the deepening snow drifts. “You can eat me first when we run out of food.” 
“Gallows humor!” Neloth called after him with a humorless laugh. “At a time like this?” When no response came, he began to follow silently in the path Teldryn had carved through the snow.
It took them an inordinate amount of time to reach the top of the mountain, battling against the growing blizzard the entire way. By the time they reached the pass, Neloth had moved beyond the point of shivering, frozen to his core. They paused in the shallow grotto, panting and regaining some of their warmth. 
“Oh,” Teldryn said with quiet surprise, prompting Neloth to look up. 
Seemingly cut into the rock, partially hidden from the elements, a single skeleton lay in front of a shrine along a stone slab, carefully arranged, accompanied by various offerings—a longsword, armor, dried herbs, bits of gold and jewelry. 
“It’s a shrine,” Teldryn said. 
“Obviously.” 
“To Arkary, it looks like.” 
“Which one is that?” Neloth asked, and received a withering look from Teldryn in response. 
“You’re joking.” 
“Partially, yes,” Neloth said with a twitch of his lip. “God of cycles and death and what-have-you. I’m not that out of touch, Teldryn, please. Have a little faith.”
“Faith, right,” Teldryn grumbled. He brushed some of the snow off the statue at the center of the altar, then picked up one of the pendants that lay by the skeleton. “They say a body that’s received the proper blessings of Arkay is immune to necromancy,” he mused to no one in particular. “Seems useful, honestly.”
Neloth pursed his lips, eyes narrowing. Yes, he’d heard such things, but never had he been presented with the opportunity to test the theory. Purple light swirled into his palm, a micro-rift into the realms of Oblivion, and with a small push—subtle enough that Teldryn wouldn’t immediately notice—he directed the rift into the skeleton that lay across the altar.
The rejection was strong and immediate, like a door slamming shut inside of Neloth’s head, followed by a wave of nausea that he only barely managed to swallow down. He dropped the spell and turned to brace himself against the opposite wall, taking deep breaths through his nose.
Teldryn set the amulet down then turned slowly towards him, expression hidden behind his chitin helmet and goggles. “Tell me you didn’t just do what I think you did.”       
“The opportunity for an experiment presented itself,” Neloth argued through the taste of rising bile in the back of his throat. “All in the pursuit of knowledge.”
“And did you come to a conclusion?” 
There was smugness there that Neloth didn’t appreciate one bit. He hoped his scowl conveyed as much. “Let’s just keep moving. At this rate we’ll be corpses ourselves, and I don’t see a priest of Arkay anywhere to lend a helping hand.”
“Whatever you say,” Teldryn said, still far too smug. “Lead on.”
--
Shoutout to @paraparadigm for the "door slamming shut" imagery inspiration from her fic "Always Read the Fine Print".
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moodymisty · 9 months
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Hi hi! I have a request if that’s ok! Death is such a grimy and grumpy old man. Could we maybe have a soft moment with him? Maybe a rare cuddling moment where he opens up a little or maybe even a soft moment the human/reader brushing his rats nest called hair or just taking care of him? Thank you!
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Author's note: While I love all the Horsemen Strife I absolutely love writing Death. I especially love writing cute prompts like this for the Horsemen. Anyhoo, this idea popped into my head when I read 'soft moment', and thought it'd be cute. Enjoy :3
Summary: It's pouring down outside; And with Death taking a rare rest, you decide to ask him about a few of his old wounds.
Relationships: Death/Fem!Reader
Warnings: Not really any, just some cuddles and looking at Death's scars
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The storm outside cracks the sky with a large boom of thunder, shortly after lighting up the room. It’s one of the most intense storms you’ve seen in quite awhile, and it doesn’t seem to have plans for letting up anytime soon.
Not as if it matters however, as you sit snug safely in bed.
“If you prod anymore of them, I’d well believe you’ll reopen one.”
Death comments on your curiosity over his scars but doesn’t make any sort of actual effort stop you, feeling the soft skin of your fingertips ever so gently graze over his marred skin. He can barely feel your touch at times it’s so soft, as if you think merely brushing them will somehow hurt him. While the gesture is pointless, Death surprises himself by being pleasantly buzzed at the idea that you would care about such a thing.
It’s an intoxicating feeling; Death finds himself greedy and feeling pleased your interest in his healed wounds hasn't faded yet. You sit behind him, legs tucked to one side while you look over his back.
“They all look so different.” Death sits facing away from you, taking in an extremely rare moment of genuine relaxation. Had you been anyone else, he’d never allow himself the luxury.
Meanwhile Dust lets out a content little warble; He's been perched on the headboard of your bed this entire time, fluffed up as he sits almost as round as a crow can get. The bird is content as can be, and if you were within reach, the temptation to pet him would be too hard to ignore.
“Rarely do I meet the same weapon twice.” One could take that as a cocky declaration of skill, but he is more than likely referencing the sheer amount of beings he’s fought, over the years.
“How did you get this one?”
Death sighs. He can feel your fingers under his left shoulder blade, jolting slightly when a large crack of thunder startles you; Dust as well, the bird abruptly stands and lets out a squawk at the sudden noise. The rain is battering down on your window with such force that he's glad he botched your efforts to play around in it. He doesn't understand why you would even want to to begin with.
“Do you truly think I remember each any every one?”
When you mumble something snide about his age under your breath, he grabs a firm grip of your ankle and you let out a small squeal as he tugs you closer.
“Keep talking like that girl, and you’ll get in trouble.”
He lets go of your ankle and you adjust your legs so that you're crossing them instead, and resume your mapping of his skin in silence. He can feel the curl of your lip as you glare at the back of his head; But you're not genuinely displeased. He enjoys irritating you, though if he's good at hiding that fact. At least most of the time, there's been a few instances where you can tell he goading you, as you can see the bottoms of his eyes push upward as he smirks behind his mask.
Your curiosity still hasn't been sated, feeling your index finger against what he assumes is an old burn. The feeling is dulled, but still soft against the bottom of his ribcage. When you lose interest in that one your fingers brush against the middle near his spine, over a long, wide scar.
He remembers that one.
“That is from Chaoseater.”
You halt for a moment, partly from the fact he actually is indulging you; The other being the realization that you very much so recognize that title. You furrow your brow and stare at the back of his head while you speak up.
“Wait, War’s greatsword? When did he stab you?” Death shifts his body, toying with the wraps around his wrists as his black hair parts over his neck.
“War was not always able to control his temper.”
You hesitate to say 'temper' is an adequate term to use when someone decides to nearly gut you, but since Death is fundamentally immortal, perhaps he has a looser definition of the word.
"Geez. I hope he at least apologized for nearly putting you in two pieces." Death lets out a short, harsh laugh. His shoulders move when doing so.
"I would be more surprised by him apologizing, than attempting to gut me."
You would be too, if what little you've seen of the red rider has anything to say for it.
A hard burst of rain batters down on the window for a moment, the wind shaking the trees outside. You're glad Despair can vanish like he can, you'd feel awful if he was stuck out in this dreadful weather. At least Dust can come inside and preen himself.
Rising up onto your knees you wrap your arms around Death's shoulders, leaning forward enough to sick your head around and see part of his masked face.
He has to push down a feeling that tenses his shoulders, at the act of someone suddenly coming up on him from behind so close to his head. A deeply ingrained habit of defense; He doesn't need it when it's just his little human climbing on him.
"Too bad none of my scars are interesting," You say, showing him a tiny little white scar of your own. Death gently grasps you close to it, before you can tell his brow is furrowing behind his mask. His hand tightens a bit as he speaks, though his grip is still incredibly gentle.
"I hope you aren't implying you want to rush into battle." You laugh, and lean your chin in the crook between his shoulder and his neck. Death's tone was incredibly warning, not even going to entertain the thought of you getting hurt. His lazy crow lets out a little warble at the stern tone of his master, but doesn't make any real effort to move away. He's gotten too comfortable again, laying on his legs and puffed up like a little black orb of feathers. A few are scattered on the pillow; After he's preened and plucked them.
"No, but saying 'I got stabbed by a living sword that feeds off of bloodlust' is far more interesting than 'I cut myself with a kitchen knife' or something like that."
His hand is still on your bare skin, feeling the warmth radiating from it. He hesitates to pull his hand away, just because he wants to enjoy it. He does so silently for a moment, before looking away from you. His fingers tap on your skin in succession as he thinks, feeling the way your body lays against him.
"If it will keep your mind off of those sorts of ideas, I will sate your curiosity one more time."
It takes a second to realize what he means, before he feels you tense against his back as you exclaim: "Really?!"
Death quite visibly rolls his eyes at how oddly seriously you're taking this, but he doesn't actually say anything. Not often does he get to see someone happy, let alone because of him. He shakes his head and you feel his hair brush against your arm, before he sighs.
"Yes. But do choose wisely."
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starkwing-co · 5 months
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Damn, why I haven't posted this earlier...
Anyhoo, last summer I designed a Fakémon based on ma boi 9-Volt inspired by 'Turning Video Game Characters into Pokémon' series by Truegreen7 on yt and recently it got featured in a video by UmbreonLibris '58 artists make Pokémon from the same prompt'
The name took a while to figure out but I love how multi-layered it ended up being (the 'original' Japanese name is Funyaboruto, combination of fun, fuwafuwa (onomatopoeia for a soft light fluffy thing), nya (Japanese 'meow' equivalent), bolt and the romanization of the Japanese pronunciation of 9-Volt's name (Nainboruto))
The shiny is based on 9-Volt's pal, 18-Volt, of course!
I'm also planning on making some additional artwork of Flurizzkit attacking with its 'yo-yo' stones and skating around on its hover board tail... And I've already done concept sketches for a counterpart mon based on Fronk with a fun additional symbiosis & fusing gimmick
If you haven't noticed, I took some inspiration from some of my fav Electric types (Shinx and Alolan Raichu) for this design (and Ampharos' glowing orb tail, I guess) I have a soft spot for Fakémon referencing official Pokes, I don't think it's entirely lazy, more like people mirroring real life species and convergent evolution
Flurizzkit's signature ability Bolt Beats works somewhat similar to Toxtricity's Punk Rock (boost to sound-based moves and immunity to any sound moves from opponents) except the boost multiplier is 2x (like Adaptability)
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silhouettecrow · 7 months
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365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 285
Adjective: Rebellious
Noun: Tissue
Definitions for those who need/want them:
Rebellious: showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention; (of a person, city, or state) engaged in opposition or armed resistance to an established government or ruler; (of a thing) not easily handled or kept in place
Tissue: any of the distinct types of material of which animals or plants are made, consisting of specialized cells and their products; tissue paper; a disposable piece of absorbent paper, used especially as a handkerchief or for cleaning the skin; rich or fine material of a delicate or gauzy texture; an intricate structure or network made from a number of connected items
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furious-rogue-stuff · 6 months
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Congratulations, you so deserve all the followers and many, many more!!! As you know I am a HUGE fan of Heat and recommend it to all my friends. Anyhoo my ask is ⚖️🤨✨
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My wonderful and most prolific cheerleader! I’m SUPER sorry for the ridiculous wait on this, but I finally got around to your wild Marcus Pike/Sex Pollen?! prompt. I really hope I did this sweet boy justice and that all the banter and smut make up for keeping you waiting so long~!
Thanks, as always, to @just-here-for-the-moment for putting up with my ass and beta reading to make sure this wasn’t complete trash and smutty enough.
Disclaimer: Written in 2nd person narrative, you can safely assume our heroine and love/lust interest is a Spanish woman, written by a Latina. Here’s my philosophy on my writing, for further context.
Rating: Mature/Explicit 🔞
Word Count: 17,000
🚨Author chooses not to include detailed warnings, but the following: Mentions of Teresa Lisbon, marriage, con artist behavior, crime, past relationships, unrequited love, sex pollen, deception, undercover work, graphic depictions of unprotected sex, and slight hurt-comfort.
Haze
There was a time when you were simply a skilled vixen – an entrancing, expert wheeler of the power of suggestion who'd been skimming your way through affluent circles from city to city, but never enough to draw attention to yourself. At least unless you wanted to.
Then, it'd all changed with a chance fumble that was spotted by the least likely source.
He'd been the special agent that had ensnared you and brought you into the fold – propositioning you into using your talents to sharpen the skills of the task force he'd taken the lead position in D.C. for. His team admittedly needed the consultation of someone with the experience and sophistication of being entrenched in the art world, albeit from the wrong side of the law. And you fit the bill.
You hadn't had much choice, considering the prospect of prison for your femme fatale lifestyle to date, and the precarious situation you'd been caught in by said special agent. So, you'd agreed to a career as an indentured asset to the bureau, with the tenure of your time working within the task force at his total discretion.
It had been a contentious adjustment.
Part of you was incredulous that you'd been foiled by the likes of Marcus Pike, and part of him was perplexed that rather than be eager to happily oblige the task force – and him, as its leader, you instead were intent to buck all conventions. This included a vexing, seemingly incessant need to push his buttons – buttons he never even knew he had.
Overtime, though, you'd both found a status quo – a begrudging understanding of how you'd each need to operate and let the other maneuver in order for the arrangement to work.
"—Hope you're not having another late night, Savedra. Not with all the work we have to tackle on this case—"
"Ah, I wonder: Was there ever a time in your life that you weren't in your pajamas and nursing your warm milk before Nick at Nite comes on, Pike? That you went out and had fun without fretting over an early bedtime? Don't worry, I'll be in bright and early—"
"That's what you said the last time, though—"
"Extenuating circumstances beyond my control, Pikey boy—"
"A 'couture trunk show' is Manhattan is hardly a good enough excuse to blame as an 'extenuating circumstance'—"
"To someone who wears the same rumpled suits? Oh, I'm sure it isn't. Now c'mon, Pike's Delight, tell me: How hard did the cashier at Kohl's laugh at you when you bought three versions of the same tie on-sale?"
"They did not—! This tie was a gift, actually—"
The pinch between his brows, the twitch of his lips fighting not to pull into a scowl, and the gruff way he countered back were his unmistakable tells that you'd needled him just right.
"You literally wore one that looked exactly like it the other day, and there was the blue version you had on for the inter-agency ops meeting last week—"
"They're completely different colors, though—"
"But they have the same dull polka dot configuration and they're the same exact semi-satin fabric, which makes them different versions of the same tie—"
"Alright, Dandy Lion. Give it a rest, and go before I set a curfew for your comings and goings."
Your smirk had been charming as you turned to lope down the hall towards the elevators, tossing a casual wave over your shoulder.
"Have a nice night, Pike."
The snappy repartee between you two had become notorious within the task force, and many couldn't help be amused – and take bets – on which of the two of you would have the last word, and the best zinger. Pike tended to score the most in the former, while you easily dominated the latter.
Still, though, Marcus found ways to rein you in, and started to take secret satisfaction in exasperating you right back.
"—I do not appreciate you freezing my accounts, Pike—"
"First of all, it's a single account, although I am considering having all your accounts frozen. Even the ones you think we don't know about—"
"That seems punitive and uncalled for—"
"The account in question is a corporate account, Savedra. It is for work-related expenses, not for lavish shopping hauls at Nordstroms—"
"Um, excuse me, that was a work-related expense. You want me to impersonate a wealthy socialite traveling to London for a black-market art auction, remember? I can't seriously be expected to do so without having the latest Fall must-haves—"
"Oh, so three Mooglar dresses and three Loubootan heels are the Fall must-haves, eh?"
Your full lips flattened in that peeved way for a nanosecond – the tell that indicated he'd successfully annoyed you before you placed your hands on your hips and smoothly deadpanned, "It's Mugler and Louboutin, Pike. And yes, they are essential if you want anyone to believe my cover—"
"You can expense one outfit. The costs of the other two will be docked from your stipend for next month—"
"So, it wouldn't be a good time to mention that I also pre-ordered a limited-edition Chanel purse…?"
"…How much?"
"Oh, it's an absolute steal! And, it'll only go up in value—"
"How much, Dandy Lion?"
You knew he meant business whenever he refers to you by your codename.
"Just a little over six grand…"
"That's more than three times your monthly stipend—!"
"…So then you'll let me expense it to the corporate card?"
"...Close the door on your way out, Savedra."
The smug purse of your lips indicated you'd been teasing him, and you confirmed so by chiming over your shoulder as you strolled out, "No worries. I already have a Chanel bag that'll work for the trip."
"Good. I'll make sure to call the Shanell store and let them know to go ahead and cancel that order, then—"
Pausing at the door, you turn to shoot a berating glare at him where he's sat behind his desk, and scoff condescendingly, "Oh my god, you are purposely butchering the label—you know damn well it's Cha-nel, not Sha-nell!"
You see the sly little quirk to the corner of his mouth he coolly veils by dropping his chin low as he shrugs and drawls, "Dully noted, dandelion."
You pursed your lips and grunted a cavalier sound before strutting out, deciding then and there you needed to do some forensic accounting of your own.
According to his records – the ones you pulled up after hacking into the bureau's internal database, Marcus Pike had been an FBI agent from right out of college. Graduating with honors from a Criminal Justice major, he'd been recruited, gotten stellar marks in Quantico, and received several letters of recommendation. He had an impeccable record, and was frankly a poster boy for a government do-gooder.
A few more backdoor breaches and search engine deep dives later, and you were able to paint quite a full picture from the social media collage-like bits of information you were able to access from college buddies, family friends, and federal databases.
Circumventing the encryption of his email provider allowed you an administrator's view of his account, and you were mystified that this man archived so many communications, no matter how inane, dated, or of innocuous consequence they seemed.
At least until you found the consequential stuff.
There was the correspondence with his divorce attorney from over a decade prior, the utility bills for the home he'd once shared with his ex-wife, the frank and disarmingly candid emails between said ex and him – one of which had the doozy of a line: I love you, Marcus, but I don't think I'm in love with you. I'm not really sure I ever was.
You felt guilty reading his response. Not because you were invading his privacy, but because you could feel how sympathetic he was towards basically being told how having married him had been a mistake – that they'd been fools who rushed into it at a young age before they even knew what they wanted in life. His answer, which was brimming with a veiled, resigned sadness to it that tugged at a heartstring – I guess I just got ahead of myself and took you along with me. I'm sorry – was a window into Marcus you didn't expect to get, nor feel deserving of having.
And then seeing the emails between him and an Agent Teresa Lisbon? How they'd gone from platonic forwards of suggested restaurants to check out, to apartment photos sent back and forth between them? Jumping then abruptly to a galling 'Dear John'-style email from her where she apologizes to him and offers to go in person in order to handle the shipping of her belongings back to Dallas, and promising to properly discuss her decision to break things off with him and not take the job he got for her at the D.C. FBI Major Crimes unit after all?
You'd been astounded.
"Did he really ask her to marry him after a couple of months of dating?!" was your flabbergasted rhetorical question to your empty office during the afterhours snoopfest.
Using your powers of suggestion, you'd eventually gotten more of the details from the task force's tech expert who'd come from the Dallas office with Pike, having befriended the congenial guy who tended to get very chatty over caffeinated drink breaks.
"—Totally brutal. Like, one minute he was smitten and cajoling her into picking an apartment, then he was fist-pumping about her saying yes to his impromptu proposal, and boom – she dumps him for Jane. Talk about getting mind-fucked," he prattled on over coffee, none the wiser that you were internally cataloguing everything.
However, this wasn't the usual fact-finding on a mark that you were used to undertaking.
Pike hadn't struck you as a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and you perplexingly felt complicit in capitalizing on manipulating your way further into the good graces of the bureau thanks to him vouching for you with the powers that be, knowing now how much of a true-blue good guy he was. Even when he was getting his heart torn out and stomped on.
You ignored the thought about the parallels between he and you in that regard.
"—You with us, Savedra?"
Focusing back onto the meeting you're currently in, you curtly nod to Pike and quip, "Yes, I was just thinking about who would be best suited for the undercover side of the operation, since no offense, none of your fellas really fit the bill."
"Oh?" Marcus crosses his arms and leans back into the wall next to the projector screen that's currently displaying the pattern of the art theft ring's hits. "Care to share why you think so?"
Glancing across at the male agents, before arching a brow when you look at Pike, you gesture to the screen and explain, "The museums aren't the pattern; it's what they took that reveals the pattern. The items taken were antiquities – meaning requiring large crates and secure shipping out of country. Antiquity theft is a perfect front for the real heist: Moving narcotics across borders. They get packed in with the stolen piece, and act as payment for the traffickers moving it."
As you explain, you pull out your tablet and take over the screen of the laptop attached to the projector to screenshare several examples of police busts showing drugs packed in with stolen sculptures.
"There is a very elite pool of players with the means and networks to pull this kind of heist off, and based on the size of these antiquities? I think we're dealing with The Jackal."
Everyone exchanges looks of varying degrees of confusion before Marcus furrows his brow and queries, "Who?"
You roll your eyes as you seamlessly pull up the digital dossier that you'd taken the liberty to compile for the meeting. "It's a wonder how this task force is meant to achieve a damn thing, with the lack of intel you guys have involving actual international art theft…" is your aloof musing as you pull up a database cataloguing the thefts of antiquities and ancient artifacts. "So, The Jackal, boys and girls, is the head of an intercontinental ring of thieves operating in the Mediterranean the last five years or so. No one knows his true identity, but many of the buyers who were captured and cooperated with authorities in Egypt and Greece have given details about how they network."
"Ok…and what leads you to believe that no one here is suited to go undercover on this?" Marcus questions, crossed arms tightening as he eyes you intently when you give him a mischievous look.
"So, there's no way to actually infiltrate this ring. Which makes this operation moot. However, if we impersonate the ring to one of the trafficking syndicates, we might be able to find the buyers and retrieve the artifacts. And right now? None of your fellas resemble the description on file for The Jackal—"
"Wait, you want an agent to go undercover as The Jackal?" Marcus cuts in before he braces his hands onto the conference table so he can lean against it after you nod dramatically. "Well then. Care to tell us your plan?"
You do, detailing the honeypot-trap-style plan and how you'd be the facilitator for The Jackal and the targeted traffickers.
"—However, like I said, we don't have anyone who currently fits the bill for The Jackal—"
"And what is the bill?" Marcus inquires before remarking, "You just said so yourself. No one knows what this guy looks like—"
"No, but most do know rumors of what he's supposedly done, and his physical description leaves a lot lacking, but paints a general picture: Tall, broad-shouldered, boxer-like physique, tan skin, dark hair, strong jaw, dark eyes, and a well-kept beard. His demeanor is intense, intimidating, reticent, but quickly prone to violence," you elaborate, pointedly glancing around at every agent at the conference table, silently noting to Pike how none of them fit the description.
"However, I think with some sprucing up and a change of grooming habits, we might have a decent candidate," you remark coolly before you tap on your tablet screen to pull up a current badge photo of an agent in the task force that you think could be transformed to go undercover.
Marcus glances over at his own I.D. photo and watches the gif animation you created that augments his appearance by adding a beard and lengthening his hair slightly.
Some of the other agents have to stifle snickers or check their smirks as you innocently smile at their boss, who is glaring sharply at you.
Needless to say, when it's just you and him in his office after the meeting, you are able to argue your case effectively.
Marcus spends extra time at the gym, and grows out his hair in preparation. He even agrees to allow for your styling of him when the time comes.
A month later, Marcus has grown a beard and let his hair shag out into a more rugged style. You've been covertly taking notice, appreciating how his boring dress shirts now cling to his shoulders and accentuate the muscle of his pectorals and arms. It would still be another month before the seeds you'd planted for the sting operation had taken root, and likely a couple of additional weeks after that to actually execute the operation, so you figured you'd use the time wisely while your guy Pike threw himself into work across the task force's other major cases.
Marcus had gotten to a point with you where he didn't see you just as a rambunctious asset anymore, and with your cooperation and aptitude for the work, he began to categorize you as an integral member of the task force.
After all, you'd ingratiated yourself with the other agents and techs, helped train everyone in how to spot forgeries from the real things, and had volunteered to be the lure on certain cases, as well as his expert when it came to navigating relations with the bigger international agencies. There had been many times now he'd been complimented on the ingenuity of employing you to the cause, and there'd at least been one offer to take you off his hands if he was inclined to part with your expertise and charm.
Marcus took the praise in stride, and summarily declined the offer.
You were smart, resourceful, and masterful when it came to the work. His team was better for it, and he recognized – privately – that he was lucky to have you helping the task force look so skilled in cracking cases.
And the fact you were the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen wasn't bad, either.
Still, he'd learned his lesson on courting while on the job, and you were definitely not someone he could earnestly consider as, well, anything more than an unconventional resource with a riskily long leash he was responsible for.
However, he debates about how sustainable this whole arrangement was, long-term. He'd gotten better at reading you, though, so he decides to bide his time for the right moment to discuss where your ambitions currently sit. After all, just because you were an 'indentured servant' didn't mean you weren't looking ahead to things – to a life after you'd done your time.
He wondered if you might want to become an in-field consultant, permanently. You'd partnered with the agents on his team on a whole variety of cases, and had earned their respect. Hell, they trusted you, and from what he could see, it seemed to be vice versa with you as well. And with every case you participated in, Marcus saw something new that slowly peeled the mystique and chipped away at the impression he had of you.
From witnessing how truly charming you could be while talking to foreign officials, to how genuinely kind and selfless you'd been when empathizing with victims of a museum heist, to the infectious warmth you exuded when the team was on downtime after a particularly grueling case. All these different facets had started to form a better picture of the woman you really were, and Marcus found himself looking forward to learning more.
When he returns from a short trip to Dallas for a deposition after a couple of days and heads up to the task force's floor to catch up on work late in the evening, he walks by your office and finds you pacing around with your tablet, in the middle of strategizing the big operation.
"That's a big artifact you've pulled from the archive," Marcus comments after he's watched you map things out.
You whirl around and snicker at seeing him lope in to survey what you've pinned to the transparent board in your office.
"Go big or go home, Shaggy," you can't help razz, grinning when he gives you a deriding look. "What? It's a good look for you, Pike—"
"Careful, Savedra. That sounded dangerously close to a compliment," he puckishly taunts and slips his hands into his gray slacks pockets when you squint humorously at him.
"Well, that's because it was," you remark simply, turning to retrieve your stylus from the desk and missing the way his features etched with surprise. "I think another couple of weeks of beard growth, and you'll be ready. Oh! And at some point, we have to go get you fitted for a couple of suits—"
Frowning, he crosses his arms and grumbles, "I have plenty of suits—"
"Correction: You have plenty of sad, drab, 'I clearly work for the FBI' suits. Nothing dashing and stylishly-tailored like what The Jackal has been rumored to wear," is your matter-of-fact counter as you sketch out a floorplan for the honeypot's meet room.
He grunts noncommittally and runs his fingers across his moustache as he looks over the map of the warehouse planned for the fake stolen art depot. "Well, it's a good thing I have a fashionista on the books who'll help spruce up my wardrobe, then, wildcat," he drawls in a raspy musing, and you can't help glance his way and admire the broad set of his shoulders under the gray blazer.
"So, how was Dallas?" you find yourself asking as you busy yourself saving the schematic that's on your tablet screen.
He turns halfway to look at you, as if surprised, before shrugging and recovering the aloof look on his features while he turns back to the board. "It was uneventful," is all he replies, but by the way he balances his weight onto one leg and crosses his arms tight, you can tell he's lying, but trying to be cool about it.
He's lying to himself—trying to convince himself it was uneventful.
You hum, and set your tablet and stylus aside on your sideboard before sitting on the edge of your appointed desk. "Well then, Pike's Delight! Please tell me you'll do something eventful? Have a wild weekend planned? Or are you going to spend it organizing your sock drawer—?"
He turns with a snort to snicker, "Give me a little credit. If you keep the sock drawer organized, you don't have to spend time getting it organized," and at your chuckle, he adds, "I'll spend it likely how I did last weekend—"
"Oh, let me guess: Farmer's market, then back to your place for dinner in front of the TV—"
"…I don't always go to the farmer's market to grocery shop, but yeah, dinner and a movie, sure—"
"Bet things were riotous at the produce stand—Oh! And I bet you watched something racy on Lifetime?" you can't help jibe irreverently as you cross your arms and lean into your perched seat more.
"Nope," Marcus smoothly refutes, before admitting, "It was TCM, and nothing racy."
You smile, truly amused. "Food shopping outside, cooking, and a Turner Classic Movie? Sounds like some action-packed shi—"
"Instead of ragging on it, you should try it out for yourself," Marcus finds himself blurting charismatically before he's registered the gravity of such a proposition. Your features betray mild intrigue, as if you're waiting for him to say something else to signal it's a joke. When he begins to muse, "Ah, I only mean—it's a cool spot with great vendors. I'm not much of a splurger on that kind of thing, but every once in a while, I go and get stuff to whip up a nice dinner—"
"Oh? Have you been holding out on me, Pikey boy? Are you a secret foodie?" you chime with a lilting tone, smile brilliant when he scoffs, as if caught. "You are! Well then, now I gotta see this 'nice dinner' and be the judge of your culinary compétence, cowboy. Although, I'm pretty sure I can whip up a way more delicious supper—"
"I'm gonna have to see that for myself, so it's settled, wildcat."
How you ended up making plans to meet up at the farmer's market on a lovely autumn afternoon to ingredient shop and have a cook-off at Pike's place is beyond you, but then again, he had a way of wearing your guard down into lightheartedness, and it wasn't the first time you'd had fun just bantering with him either. So, here you were, with your canvas tote at your shoulder over your nondescript leather carryall purse as you glance around for the agent in the promenade's foot traffic. Thinking about the puckish smirk he had on his full lips when he called you 'wildcat' – the nickname he seemed to prefer when he wanted to disarm you, while 'dandelion' is what he used when he was charmed by you.
"Well, you actually showed."
You turn to see Marcus in a pair of comfy-looking jeans, light-gray Henley shirt, and dark leather jacket with matching boots and belt.
He eyes you with an appraising glance before admitting, "I had to do a double-take to make sure it was you. I think I've only ever seen you in fancy tailored outfits the entire time you've been with us."
"I'm just channeling a cool and relaxed normie at a farmer's market," you tease as you smoothen down your comfy thin-cotton terracotta sweatshirt, feeling at ease in the formfitting black jeggings and cognac-colored boots.
"It suits you," he compliments before his brain has registered the inappropriateness of it.
You can't help smile before you hand him the shopping tote and deride, "That's quite the compliment, I suppose. Now make yourself useful and carry this so I can have my hands free to peruse, hot stuff."
Huffing in amusement, he takes the tote and falls in step with you as you both start strolling through the bustling outdoor farmer's market.
It's an afternoon filled with light conversation, quipping repartee, and lots of shopping thanks to you both agreeing to a friendly cookoff back at Pike's place. Once your shopping tote is full and he's carrying two paper bags filled with items, you both head down to the nearest metro station and ride the line to his stop.
The walk to his apartment is pleasant, even though you're arguing.
"—Why keep it a secret?"
"Because you'll have a smart remark and develop an instant bias—"
"We're cooking in the same space, Pike—"
"So? You just make your dishes without spying over at mine—"
"Ugh, fine. Oh, we haven't discussed what the winner will get—"
"Lifelong bragging rights?" Marcus proposes smugly as he keys open the entry door and holds it open for you.
"That's it?" you snicker while opening the foyer door and holding it open for him.
"What else is there?" he jokes as he leads the way to the elevator.
Once you're both in and he's pressed the button for his floor, you chime, "How about if you win, I'll quit ragging on you for a week, and if I win, you let me out of my servitude—?"
"That's hardly equal in value, dandelion," is his glib counter as the elevator doors slide open.
"Alright, M. Then what do you propose?" you lilt sardonically while he leads the way to his door and keys in.
Marcus grunts a humored sound, thanks to your James Bond codename reference growing on him the more you use it in convivial conversation.
"Winner gets to pick the movie?" he compromises as he opens his door and gestures for you to enter.
You do so, and take in his bachelor abode with so much veiled intrigue that it takes you a moment to think of a retort to his proposal. "Uh, fine. Sure," you finally singsong, as if resigned to it, but really you don't mind it.
After all, you're too busy admiring the art on his walls.
The apartment was cozy. He had a large L-shaped sectional couch and mid-century modern side tables mixed in with functional bookshelves and accent pieces that made the space warm, yet tastefully elevated compared to the general bachelor pad.
It's an open floorplan, so the kitchen is adjacent to the living room with the island separating the spaces, making it easy for Marcus to catch your appraising surveying after he's set the grocery bags down on the counter next to the stove.
"Alright. C'mon, let me have it," he charismatically jibes, gesturing for you to go ahead and voice your critiques of his place.
You chuckle and shake your head irreverently as you lope over to set down your full canvas tote onto the opposite side of the kitchen island from where he's standing.
"I'm impressed, actually," you tell him honestly, smirking when his brows arch up in surprise. "No, really. Being confronted with proof that you do have good taste is quite gratifying—"
"And there it is," he scoffs and blows a raspberry as he sheds his leather jacket and tosses it onto the nearest kitchen table chair's back before hiking up his Henley's sleeves and drawling, "Alright, Barefoot Contessa, let's get this show going. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
Placing your purse on the end table with the lamp and strolling around to go to his sink, you nod towards the record player stand with the organized shelf filled with vinyl albums you spotted next to the entertainment center and remark as you wash your hands, "Impressive collection. What's the last record you had playing?"
He's just finished setting out all his ingredients onto his designated end of the kitchen island when he quirks a taunting brow and drawls, "Nothing you'd be into, I'm sure—"
"Hah, try me. Put it on, and I bet I can guess what it is—"
"If you can't, then you have to tell me your favorite album, and if I don't have it, you have to pull it up on your phone and play it," he challenges with a charming smile as he goes to the record player.
"Deal," you chirp as you take stock of his kitchen before checking in the bottom cabinets for the pots and pans that you'll need.
You get a head start on setting up for your cooking thanks to him fiddling with the record player before you hear the speakers crisply come on as the distinctive intro to the song reverberates through.
At the melodic plucking of guitar strings, you smirk and shout over your shoulder, "'Roundabout' by Yes, off of their album 'Fragile'."
Marcus is impressed, poking his head around from where the wall beam blocks you in the kitchen. "Well, shit. It didn't even get to the chorus—"
"I told you, Pike. I know my stuff," you smugly rub in as you start to chop vegetables on the cutting board you found in the nearest drawer.
"Marcus."
You pause and look back over at him with a curiously arched brow when he lopes in and leans his shoulder against the beam after crossing his arms, casual and relaxed as he stares with warmth in his dark brown eyes at you.
"We're off the clock, so…you can call me Marcus," he elaborates.
"Well then, you do the same," you tell him softly before dipping your chin down to hide your delighted smile as you resume chopping.
He leaves the album to play, and you can see his broad frame near in your peripheral. His baritone is like velvet over steel when he says your name, then rasps, "—We're each doing three courses still?"
Your brain fixates on how Marcus said your first name for the first time. Not the shortened version some of the other agents and techs refer to you by while at happy hour, but your full first name, and he enunciates it the way it's meant to be, which sends an exhilarated, effervescent tickle up your spine.
Heat tingles into the seat of your core, for some odd reason. "Yes. Best of two out of three wins, and gets to pick the movie," is your smooth retort as you cube the rest of the tomato. "Now, quit cheating and go to your corner of the kitchen!"
He chuckles and hops to it, seeming unconcerned with the needing to do any prep for his dishes.
"So, you're into 70's rock?" he queries as he washes his hands in the sink.
"I like all music. But c'mon, that was a classic. Anyone would've guessed right—"
"You'd be surprised," he counters affably as he dries his hands on a dishtowel. "If it isn't from the last decade, most people can't name it—"
"By most people, do you mean 'most women I break out the record collection to' can't name it?" you joke, smirking over your shoulder at him when he turns to look at you coyly. You're tempted to ask, 'Did Agent Lisbon pass your music test?' but decide against it, and instead muse, "Well, lucky for you, I have great taste – in all things."
Marcus glances over at you, and smirks, remarking in a cool hum, "It would seem so."
The cook-off becomes more of a banter session while you both work on your dishes, maneuvering around each other and trying to keep your attention on your individual courses in order not to spoil the surprise of the grand reveals.
"—You were in a band?!"
"Yep. Back in the day—"
"Oh! Let me guess…you played rhythm guitar—"
"Nope! I played bass, and sang vocals. Well, backup vocals, mostly—"
"So you can totally play the bass riff in 'Roundabout', right?"
"Most definitely. Although, don't ask me to sing—"
"I wasn't. I was going to demand that you sing—"
"Quit trying to distract me. I'm doing delicate work here, wildcat—"
"You've literally not started anything on the stove—"
"My dishes are fairly quick, though, so I'm being chivalrous and giving you the advantage…for now," Marcus roguishly quips while seamlessly uncorking a bottle of wine, pouring a serving into a nice glass before handing it to you with easy charm.
You giggle despite yourself before sipping the wine.
Before long, you have enough of your meals in progress that you offer to change the record while Marcus starts marinating and whisking things in the kitchen.
"Oh, you do have my favorite album!" you exclaim convivially, causing Marcus to grin as he seasons his main entrée's protein. "Ok, I'm putting it on, and you better be able to guess—"
"Ah, I will, dandelion. Go on," he lobs humorously over his shoulder as he starts to cook.
The aromatic cornucopia of cooking fills the apartment with so many interwoven scents that it's difficult for either of you to decipher what the other's dishes are, and all his pots and pans have opaque lids, or are in the oven covered with tinfoil.
Marcus is contemplating taking a little peek at one of the simmering pans you have on the back burner when he hears the record start playing.
The instrumental piano bars sound prescient through the speakers, but Marcus knows instantly what album it is.
"That's 'Imagine' by John Lennon, off of the 'Imagine' album," he declares as he gets the griddle hot on the available burner, smiling broadly before asking, "This is really your favorite album?"
"Yes! I love John Lennon—"
"I'm more of a Paul McCartney guy."
And so begins the next round of banter between you.
Soon enough, though, you're both plating your dishes and hiding them on the opposite ends of the kitchen's countertops before Marcus sets the table and brings over the bottle of wine to top off both your glasses.
"—Alright, ladies first," Marcus declares as he sits on one end of the square table.
You are more than happy to go first, believing there's no way he can top any of your three dishes.
"Well, M. First, I present a bruschetta with both heirloom and cherry tomatoes," you place the dish before him, and Marcus marvels at how delicate yet rich all the ingredients look on the toasted crostini-style breads.
"Next, is a black bean and mushroom risotto," is your lilting announcement as you return and place the piping dish down, smiling as he leans forward to catch the curling aroma wafting up from the center of the risotto.
"And finally, herb roasted chicken breast with garlic confit mashed potatoes," is your confident declaration as you place the dish down.
"Wow," is all Marcus can muster as he eyes the gourmet-looking spread you were able to whip up. Begrudgingly impressed, he scrapes his palm along his bearded cheek as he marvels, "This…this is good—"
"You can't say so until you've tried it," you snicker as you sit across from him. "Well? Time to show yours, Mr. Confident."
Marcus's lips quirk at the moniker, and the dark gleam of cocky amusement warms his eyes before he stands from his seat.
"Ok, close your eyes. I'm gonna carry all three out at the same time."
You do as you're asked, smiling goofily at the mental image of him in a ruffled apron effortlessly flouncing around a kitchen with all the dishes balanced in his arms.
"Ta-da!"
You open your eyes, and stare dubiously at the three courses he's placed before you before shooting a snarky stare up at him.
"Oh my god. You literally went the Denny's route?!"
"Hah, Denny's got nothing on any of my dishes! Here is my special vanilla-cinnamon French toast with homemade sausage patties and pure maple syrup. Texas-toast grilled cheese with Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese – with a creamy tomato soup with freshly-picked basil sprinkled on top for dipping. And last, but not least, cheese burgers with lettuce, onion, and tomato, and hand-cut steak fries, with my own mix of salt, pepper and dry-rub buffalo seasoning sprinkled on 'em," Marcus grandly presents and gestures to every dish before giving you a boyish little smile.
Diplomatically, you stand to arrange all the dishes to be within reaching distance for you both before you pat the chair nearest you, indicating he should sit there rather than across from you.
"Ok, cowboy. Let's dig in while it's all still hot!"
You both try each other's dishes, and are blown away by how delicious they are. Then, you eat from your own courses, and trade compliments. Soon enough, the bottle of wine is dry and you're both full – unable to eat another bite. So you help Marcus pack what's left and store it away while continuing to rate which of you won out in the cookoff.
"—How about this: We call it a tie, and we'll surf through the channels until we find a movie we both want to watch?" Marcus proposes as he uncorks the new bottle of wine while you take your boots off and set them aside by the front door.
"No! C'mon, no participation trophy draw," you challenge with a goofy scoff before rounding his couch to meet him halfway to take the offered glass of wine.
"Ok, then you tell me, who medaled in each course?" he derides as he puts the bottle onto the kitchen island and joins you on the sofa with his own topped off glass.
"Hmm, let's see…I think scrumptious breakfast always trumps its challenger, so my bruschetta is out," you rationalize out loud and cross your legs as you lean back into the comfy cushion. At his proud grunt, you quickly caveat, "But! While I really liked your burger, I think my herb roasted chicken was slightly better."
"Alright, so then the tie-breaker is the second course round," he remarks, and at your hum in agreement, he honestly rumbles, "I really liked your risotto."
"And I really liked your grilled cheese and tomato soup. So I think we're stuck with one win each," is your faux huff, but the smirk pulling you lips is impish when he squints dubiously at you. "What? Do you disagree with my assessments?"
"I don't," he drawls, picking up the remote with his free hand before offering it to you. "Start surfin', wildcat."
You do, and end up surprising him by stopping on the TCM channel and looking over at him when the movie description lists Gold Diggers of 1933 as the film that was about to begin.
"This is a good one. Up for watching it—?"
"You like old movies?"
"Well, yes. There are few good ones. I think I've must've seen Casablanca in six different languages at this point," you retort with genuine delight and shrug when he balks at you.
"Really? Casablanca?" he asks, truly charmed when you smile sheepishly for the first time. "No, I'm not teasing. I just don't think I've ever met anyone other than my grandmother who liked that movie too—"
"Well, I moved around a lot, and no matter where you're at in the world, classic cinema will be playing on some channel or at a theater. Watching old movies overseas – when they dub over the English, or at least list the subtitles beneath? It's a great way to learn the language," is your thoughtful rationale as you shift to comfortably sit in a way that you're angled towards him. "They're filled with old-fashion charm, glitz and glamour – even when they're dark and tragic stories...but this one is a silly romp of a musical, if you're into that kind of thing."
He knew your history from the intel reports he'd been given after you'd been detained. Clearing his throat, he set his wine glass aside and got comfortable on his end of the sofa, making the split decision not to broach the topic further.
"I've only seen parts of this one, so I'm good with watching it," is Marcus's easygoing remark, glancing over at you with a smile as he assures, "Go on. Stretch out and take a load off. If you get chilly, help yourself to the throw blanket."
You don't have to be told twice.
Soon enough, you're both engrossed in the film. You sit with your legs tucked underneath you, the blanket over your lap, and your arm folded over the back cushion while Marcus lounges with his sock-clad feet propped up on the edge of the coffee table. Every so often, one of you points out something, or joke around during the short commercial breaks.
"—I find it real telling how you spent so much time raggin' on my low-key evening plans," he chuckles now after he's finished his latest glass of wine. When you feign incomprehension, he rolls his eyes and rumbles, "You're just as big of a relaxed homebody as me—"
You snort, conspiratorially leaning towards him, a bit uninhibited now that the wine is cruising through your bloodstream, and confide in a flirty murmur, "What can I say, Marcus. I just enjoy hassling you."
A flicker of thrill flares in his apex at your words and the beguiling smile you give him. The alcohol's started flushing his cheeks, but the blush that creeps up his neck is definitely not from all the imbibing.
"I kind of picked up on that…eventually," he finds himself replying, lopsided smirk infinitely endearing to you. He was just about to say something else, when the commercial break ended and the movie returned on screen.
Before long, that film ends, and you're both in such a mellow state that you end up watching the next movie that runs right after it.
You talk during the breaks for that film too, and are charmed to learn more about each other.
"—So your mom liked art?"
"Yeah. She loved watercolors. Every so often, she'd take me to the museum when they had a new exhibit. Growing up, she wanted to be a painter…"
He tells you about how he'd grown up of humble means. His father had died when he was still very young, so his grandparents – a retired police deputy and first-grade teacher – helped raise him while his widowed mother held down two jobs. It explained a lot about him – his timelessly endearing charm, the chivalrous way he comported himself, and his love for classic films.
"…My grandmother loved Gone with the Wind the most. My granddad would watch old Jimmy Stewart Westerns pretty exclusively, though," he finishes remarking with a faraway smile on his features.
You can't help smirk as you lilt, "A real Bandolero! fan, then?"
Marcus snickers after draining the last of his wine. "Yep. Although The Man from Laramie was his favorite."
You both enjoy the rest of the movie once it resumes, but at some point, all the food and wine catch up with you both, and the movie on the TV becomes the perfect ambient-inducer for slumber to occur.
You don't know how, but when you eventually wake early the next morning, you find that in your sleep, you'd stretched out length-wise on the couch – and had slept snuggled between Marcus and the back cushions, with your head resting on his shoulder and your arm around his waist, while his was folded around your back.
Besides the sobering shock of it, your senses are flooded with the appealing whiff of his faint cologne, and the intermingled scents of his soap and natural musk. His body against yours felt good, and the alluring urge to nuzzle into his neck has arousal tingling down into your core before you're able to come to your senses and jolt up.
Marcus wakes groggily at the shift of the cushions as you amble up and shimmy away from the spot next to him you'd just vacated. The TV is still on, playing Father of the Bride, and it isn't until you're tossing the throw away from your legs that he snaps fully into awareness.
"Mmph, shit—sorry. I didn't mean to doze off like that," is his gruff mutter, baritone rough from disuse as he yawns and stretches.
You're too busy trying to hide your mortification as you bolt up from the sofa and round it to grab your purse before heading for your boots. "Um, yeah. It's morning, so, I'm just gonna let myself out—"
He sits up and frowns as he scratches at his mussed hair, realizing indeed, it's before dawn.
"Hey, you don't have to rush out. I can give you a ride to your place – I'll make us coffee, and whip up some breakfast before we go," Marcus offers warmly, not realizing you've already got one boot pulled on and are fussing to get the other on.
"No, that's alright. I'll catch a cab," you're telling him as you stand, looping your purse over your shoulder, crossbody, before self-consciously brushing your hands over your hair and finally sparing a glance his way as you remark, "I don't wanna impose any more than I have already—"
Marcus springs up from the couch, internally swearing at the morning wood he's sporting, while already assuring, "C'mon, you're not imposing at all—"
Bemused, he's just turned after covertly adjusting himself in his jeans to see you already at the door.
"See you at work, Pike."
You're out the door before he's even able to articulate a response.
If you were both honest, there had been a not-so-subtle buildup occurring between you.
However, after cookoff-gate, things had swerved into a direction neither of you seemed equipped to maneuver.
Your guard was all the way back up with him. So much so, you weren't even verbally sparring with him at the office anymore.
Marcus handled it the only way he knew how: Focus exclusively on work, and leave no question that his intentions were recalibrated back onto what he assumed you expected. That you wanted nothing but a professional rapport, and to rebuff anything else.
Even after that theory was tested with the club incident soon after the distance between you began – a torrid event that had left him pining for something more, Marcus was left more confused than before when you instead became even more distant.
You were on the precipice of uncertainty for the first time since you'd been ensnared into the task force.
So much so, that you were planning on making the antiquities sting your last.
None of this was because you didn't feel anything for Marcus. Quite the contrary. Your attraction was magnetic, and you hadn't realized how much you'd longed to be safe with someone the way you did when you were with him. It was too dangerous to give into it. That's why you intended to keep your walls up and to suppress all your feelings on the matter in order to concentrate of your impending exit strategy.
But then, things are never that simple.
Marcus is livid when he gets off the elevator and storms at a stalking pace down the corridor several days before the undercover operation is targeted to begin. Everyone takes notice, but the uncharacteristic glower on his rugged features is so intimidating that no one dares check in with him.
He makes it to your office, abruptly enters, and slams the door after himself before stomping to where you're sat behind your desk.
"What the hell possessed you to go around my back and contract an informant without my authorization?!" he shouts forcefully as he looms over you while you stare up at him and frown.
"Nothing. He's been part of the plan since the beginning—"
"Part of the plan that you haven't disclosed to me. And had you told me about the fence you recruited from within the group we're trying to take down, I would've never allowed it!" is Marcus's furious harangue, hands going to his hips to prevent him from gesticulating angrily at you. "You went to the U.S. Attorney and secured an immunity deal with him without my consent—!"
"There was no feasible way to infiltrate this organization without someone on the inside willing to vouch for me, and who can also co-sign that you're The Jackal. He's one of the very few people in the world who has actually seen him and knows his demeanor. And, he's got the motivation to not screw us. He wants out of the life, and knows we're his only chance of making it out alive," you rationalize as you stand and round your desk to point at your transparent board. "See? He's given me key coordinates, and after this morning's intel session with him, I have even more crucial info—"
Marcus grabs your elbow to steer you around to face him and his unwavering scowl. "You are not an agent, Savedra. All you are is a resource – an asset to this team, with no standing to orchestrate these kinds of things behind my back—"
"Listen, Pike. I'm the last person you have to remind of how short my leash is here. I've never forgotten that, least of all that you're the one holding the other end of it. Your task force is a joke, mostly. If you're going to be meek about how you go after these syndicates, then you might as well close shop and go back to Dallas," you snap and shrug your arm out of his hold, staring at him fiercely as you add, "Now, be mad all you want, but if you pull the plug on things now, you're going to derail weeks of work, and set your team back months. I, for one, would like to make all the effort count."
Clenching his jaw, Marcus exhales through his nose and pins you in his dark glare as he grounds out, "Fine. But this is the last time you pull a stunt like this. Understood?"
You nod curtly before turning away to recalibrate your poise as you sigh out.
"Now that we got that out of the way, I set up a session with him so he can detail to you what you need to channel when you're undercover."
Said session does nothing to assuage Marcus, but at least he gets the needed context of what this middle-aged criminal knows, and is briefed on key intel no one has on The Jackal.
The initial meet a few days later with the traffickers goes according to plan.
You convince them of your expertise as a collector of privately-acquired relics, and they buy your explanation of needing the help of a network in order to transport the large, archaic limestone Greek statue of the sphinx you sought to move overseas to a wealthy buyer. The fence, Elio, steers the crew to The Jackal being the appropriate track, and as planned, arranges the fake meet between the traffickers, you, and The Jackal himself.
Marcus didn't need a lot of motivation to channel a reticent, stony man quick to intimidation. His intense demeanor was exactly what everyone in the room expected, thanks to The Jackal's reputation preceding him. However, Elio had divulged one thing that no one outside of this kind of black-market syndicate knew about the head of the Mediterranean art theft ring.
"—Before I give my blessing to this transaction, I'd like to get to know who I'm doing business with."
You'd turned to Marcus and expertly portrayed cautious intrigue. It really wasn't hard, with how dapper he looked in his dark black suit, sans a tie and with a matching open-collared dress shirt underneath the tailored blazer. His hair was swept back, curling in shaggy whisps at his nape and behind his ears. And while his beard wasn't as thick and full as Elio had mentioned The Jackal's being, you thought he looked roguishly handsome, nevertheless.
"And I would be obliged to do whatever necessary to make our business nothing but successful, Sciacallo," you tell him, using the Italian moniker The Jackal favors when doing business.
As planned, Marcus leads you out of the impromptu gathering at the hangout the traffickers use and escorts you to the private quarters upstairs. However, unlike you'd planned up until five minutes before you'd entered the hideout for the meet, you and Marcus weren't dropping your covers once the door to the room closes.
You can't. Not with Elio mentioning that they had installed hidden cameras throughout the hideout, and he couldn't guarantee that the security goons monitoring the feeds wouldn't leave any camera or audio device on in the private quarters.
Marcus had been fuming when you'd faked leaning in to flirt with The Jackal, and whispered about the cameras in the room upstairs. His eyes had hardened and his jaw clenched, but he feigned like he was annoyed by someone talking too loudly close to you both.
So, having not planned this part, you were anxious and exhilarated.
The door clicked shut behind you, and Marcus gave the room a cursory stare before turning to you and murmuring, "See? Much better. We can hear ourselves talk. Perhaps you'll repeat what you said downstairs?"
You feel butterflies in your stomach as you approach him sultrily and caress your hand over the lapel of his suit. "I said, I'm eager to partner with you, handsome," you purr, eyes inviting as you glance up at him through the fringe of your lashes.
"That's what I thought," Marcus husks before trailing his hand up your arm to graze along your shoulder before snaking across your collarbone and up to clasp the slender column of your neck and wrap his thick, dexterous fingers around your throat lightly. He can feel your pulse racing, so he backs you up slowly into the nearest wall before cradling your jaw with a possessive caress of his hand as he rumbles, "I like eager and beautiful women."
Your body reacts, arching into him as you tilt your head back and stare alluringly at him before he leans down and kisses you with voracious zeal.
You dimly wonder if it's truly improvised undercover work when you've wanted Marcus to kiss you like this for weeks – maybe even longer, if you were being honest with yourself.
Marcus is wound tight in his chest with worry, but the way you loop your arms around him and hum into his mouth when he deepens the kiss gives him some relief that maybe this isn't a complete clusterfuck. The thought that they could be watching you both, though, kept him on edge – focused on not getting carried away in how phenomenal having you like this was and instead hyperaware of staying on task.
Mercifully, before things got carried away, a clueless underling walked in on you both, which gave Marcus the perfect opportunity to showcase the infamous fury The Jackal was known for.
He was off of you and slamming the guy up against the doorframe in an instant, yoking him up and contumely cursing him out before the dude could stammer an apology and the girl he had brought up with him ran off to avoid any wrath herself.
Fracas smoothened over by the underling's leader, who profusely apologized to The Jackal, things went back on track as planned, and you were able to leave the hideout with a guarantee that your antiquity could be smuggled overseas and sold to your contact.
The final meeting for the sting operation, however, did not go as planned.
You'd made it all the way up to the handoff at the warehouse when the boss of the trafficking syndicate suddenly tried to change the terms of the deal, by trying to make you reveal the name of your buyer overseas. There you were, surrounded by underlings and enforcers who were packing the crate housing the artifact with the contraband supplied by The Jackal, when you had to smoothly refuse.
The burly man had approached you swiftly, making a veiled threat you'd already composed a rebuttal for when all hell broke loose. You don't even know how it happened, but one second the tactical team rushed in and the guy pulled out a knife while he was lunging to grab your elbow. In a blink, though, you're yanked away and the knife swung wide and slashed at one of the stacked bundles near the crate.
You'd given up on trying to regain your bearings with how your eyes and sinuses were burning, vision watering and stinging as you blindly let Marcus haul you out of the sting's warehouse – having barreled into danger to extract you. The unidentified powder was part of the narcotic contraband to be stored in the crate with the artifact, but the contents of the torn bundle went airborne and caked over you before he was able to whisk you out of the fray and to a safehouse.
Even in the hyper rushed aftermath, his ears were still ringing.
Marcus had yanked you away from being attacked or taken hostage, but not before the powder exploded out like a confetti-cannon over you while shots started ringing out in the warehouse.
The pink haze had the consistency of dry cement as it fluttered down, and even he wasn't spared the hit of it flitting against the side of his face in the chaos.
The fallout was technically his fault, but the main target of the sting had threatened you, so he'd rushed in with backup. The ensuing pandemonium of the raid and the frenzy of pink powder haze and bullets flying had made it a frenzied operation for him.
He'd acted first and thought second, which was not the norm for him. But the threat? It had propelled him to determinedly bust in to extract you, cover being blown be damned. As far as he was concerned, it was unimportant now and of little consequence to him.
Well, now, while he hissed and scrubbed the chemical residue from his face as he locked the door and engaged the security system, he did let his anger swirl up in him all over again.
He hears you coughing in the bathroom, and no matter how exasperating you've been, something fierce coils in his chest at the distressing sound of you dry heaving and gasping to catch your breath.
Tucking his service weapon into the holster underneath his leather jacket, Marcus finds his way down into the narrow hall where the bathroom is, squinting the entire way as he absently wipes at his heated features in attempt to get the strange powder removed.
He knocks on the door before grousing lowly, "Hey, you ok?"
You croak some sort of scoff before running the faucet again and trying to get the cakey residue out from your nostrils so you can breathe without wheezing. Once you've splashed water over your face, you mumble, "I think so."
The door cracks ajar before Marcus pokes his head in to survey you. "What?"
"I said, I think so," you snap, cupping your hands under the faucet and splashing water messily over your flushed features.
"Damn…here, come sit and let me have a look at you," you hear him grumble as his footsteps approach you from behind.
He cups your elbow and firmly tugs you away from the sink to steer you towards the bathtub's ledge, yanking a hand towel from a nearby rack as he sits you down so he can try helping you scrub the remnants of the bubblegum-pink powder off your face.
You sneeze, which causes an itchy sensation in the back of your throat that sends you into another coughing fit, so Marcus hurriedly gets the glass you'd left on the sink vanity and refills it with cool water before placing it in your hands and helping guide it to your lips.
"Small sips. Take it slow," he murmurs in a firm baritone, ignoring his own discomfort to tend to you.
"Mmph," you grunt before taking a breath and shaking your head. "What the hell—what is this stuff?!"
"I'm not sure—"
"What if it's some kind of toxin?!" you exclaim as you try to stare at him without having your eyes water from the menthol-like burn.
"It's not. Remember the narcotic contraband was loaned to us by DEA. There's no way they'd let something toxic be used for a sting—"
"Then why is this stuff making me feel like I just got hit with powdered speed?!" you gripe as you snatch the towel from his grip so you can scrub your face more.
Marcus feels feverish and antsy himself, so he goes to the sink and runs the tap to splash his own features with cool water. "Probably just an irritant from the pink dye—"
"Ugh, I'm covered in this crap," you grouse as you begin to scrub the damp cloth down your neck and decolletage, ignoring how your slinky black dress is hanging in a racy, askew manner at your bustline from the strap drooping off of your shoulder.
Marcus catches himself staring at your cleavage before he hoarsely clears his throat and turns away. "I'll go see if there's anything you can change into," he croaks as he rushes out of the bathroom, heading for the spartan bedroom at the end of the hall and into the armoire across from the bed.
It's then while he's muttering crossly to himself, that he realizes his phone is vibrating in his jacket's pocket. Swearing, he retrieves it and answers, "Pike."
"Jeez, man! I've been calling yah nonstop," the DEA partner, Agent Jarvis, who helped coordinate things with the narcotic contraband for the sting, is barking in his ear. "Where are you?!"
"At a safehouse—"
"I was told your asset got a face-full of one of the powder bricks when shit went south—"
"She did. I caught some too, in the melee of trying to extract her—"
"…Shit. Ok, so, we have a problem," Agent Jarvis warns, before seriously instructing, "Listen to me very carefully, Pike. You and your asset were exposed to Pheral. If you haven't already, you're going to start feeling some effects from it—"
"Whoa, what the hell are you talking about? Pheral? What even is that?"
"So, it's a designer drug out of Amsterdam that's becoming big in the affluent, socialite drug scenes at clubs all around the world. It's a synthetic chemical composite of human pheromones, but it's potent and has the same effects as doing ketamine and acid. However, it's a disinhibitor; it hits the system and can cause coronary distress—"
Marcus is listening in horror while the man instructs him to remove any tainted clothes and rinse the residue off as soon as possible, all as he feels the effects of the drug start to palpitate in his chest. His pulse had been racing and he'd chalked it up to the adrenaline of extracting you from the botched sting, but now he's realizing that it's an elevated sensation pounding in his veins and zinging south, making him feverishly aroused.
"—How do you stop it?! Is there an antidote?"
"Lab hasn't been able to come up with one yet. It's absorbed through mucus membranes, so it hits the bloodstream quick. Get as much fluids in her to clear it out as quick as possible, but mostly, just keep her from hurting herself, Pike. She's going to be jonesing for physical gratification like a hellcat in heat. It's supposed to be the ultimate aphrodisiac—a heightened state of euphoria, but only when done in dab-like doses. If she was doused bad…I don't know. Users get so desperate from the effects when they overdo it that they lose sense of their pain thresholds—"
"I gotta go."
Marcus ends the call quickly before discarding the phone and then pulls the holster with his gun from the back of his waistband to be plopped onto the dresser in order to sprint down the hall to check on you.
He hears you whimpering just before he burst through the bathroom door.
"M-Marcus."
You're in a state of amplified arousal that is bordering on hyperventilating distress. Sweat has broken out along your hairline, and your bare skin is dewy from the overheated racing of your pulse. The ache of desire has you squirming in discomfort, feeling hypersensitive and raw-nerved as you stare wildly up at him from where you're curled into the corner of the floor by the tub.
He rushes to your side to cradle you against him as he hurriedly turns the shower's faucet handle to start spraying cold water into the tub. He says your name firmly before explaining in a hoarse rasp, "—I gotta get this stuff off of you and you're gonna have to drink more water for me."
You sob and grip onto his shoulders, trembling as you whine, "What's happening?!"
"It's the drug," is all he says as he hastily sheds his leather jacket in order to ease his own overheated discomfort, grabbing the glass to fill it to the brim with water before chugging half of it and refilling it in order to kneel down and insistently press it to your lips so you can guzzle as much as you can. When you drink your fill and push the glass away, he blindly sets it down on the back of the commode's tank lid before he rasps, "Now, c'mon, dandelion. I gotta get you under the cold water—"
"Come in with me?" you plead as he lifts you to stand on shaky knees. "You got it all over you too, Marcus," is your watery whisper as you caress his face and swipe at the pink smudge on his cheekbone.
The contact to his skin makes Marcus shudder, and against his control, arousal throbs riotously into his apex and pulses in his loins.
Rock-hard now, he huffs raggedly as he insists, "I gotta take care of you first, so let me get this off of you."
You're feeling like liquid fire is thrumming under your skin and your pulse is at your center, blood pumping from the silken clutch in your pelvis rather than from the organ in your chest. The usual tingle of arousal is instead a rapacious, searing heat at your core – making you quiver and drip with desire while Marcus rushes to gently remove the slinky black cocktail dress off your torso.
Your blush feels like you've been sitting under the Saharan sun, and the brush of Marcus's touch over your ignited body has you shivering and biting back a whimper as he strips you to your black cotton and lace thong before lifting you into the tub and under the cold spray of the showerhead.
The yelp you let out when the water beats down on your bare skin has him scrambling to grab you as you writhe to be in his embrace. "N-No, the water will help—"
"It feels like needles!" you cry and cling to him, quivering as you grip on to him desperately and chatter, "You feel good," before nuzzling his neck and giving yourself over to the urge that's become an incandescent force inside your body.
Your bare breasts press against him, nipples studded and tingling for gratification while your pussy clenches at how good his skin tastes when you suckle a kiss into his neck.
Marcus can't keep a lid on his own baser urges any longer at your distress melting away the more you touch him.
"Fuck, I'm sorry," he gravels out and kisses your burning cheek, and at your breathy mewl, he kisses your mouth. The water on your body soaks into his shirt and jeans as you clamber to wrap your legs and arms around him with intoxicated urgency.
When he breaks the kiss to catch his breath, he has to soothe you when you whine for him.
"Can't—I can't just…don't want to lose control—"
You kiss him possessively and slink down his front while simultaneously yanking on his clothes he now desperately tries to peel off of himself.
Feeling his feverish skin press against yours after he shoves his clothes down and rushes to sit on the edge of the tub to kick the remainder off while simultaneously yanking you down – settling you to straddle onto his lap, you moan at having the length of his cock nestle against your damp cloth-covered crotch. You can feel your folds drench with arousal, making you ache to be split by him to the hilt – to be filled by his throbbing erection.
"No antidote—can't lose control. D-Don't want to hurt you," is all he's managed to string together as he gropes you against him and grazes wet, open-mouth kisses along your neck and jaw. Your clit throbs when he grips your waist and starts edging you onto his cock.
"You won't! W-Won't hurt me," you groan and encircle your arms around his shoulders before whining, "Please, please, Marcus—"
He shakes his senses loose of the horny haze to press, "Listen to me, wildcat. We need to wash this shit off. It'll be quick—we'll do it quick, and once it's off I'll do whatever you need—"
"Need you. Want you," you exhale in a frenzied state, staring with blown-out pupils at him as you start to pleasure yourself by rubbing your aching pussy along his cock. The friction of your soaked panties along his velvety, pulsing erection has Marcus buzzing from the electric pleasure sparking across his nerve endings.
"You'll have me, dandelion. C'mon, be a g-good girl for me," he husks and stands, holding you in his arms as you cling to him and whimper.
Once sure you won't bolt, he gets in under the shower spray with you.
The water doesn't feel as horrid against your skin as it had the first time, so you snap out of the hedonistic daze once Marcus has stood under the frigid spray for a few minutes and clumsily scrubbed the pink residue from your shoulders and back for you.
You hurriedly unlatch yourself from him to stand on quaking legs in order to wash the pink powder remnants quickly off your skin and hair, then help Marcus get it off his beard and neck while he lets the water spray directly into his face in hopes to get the maddening sensation to cease.
Now that the water going down the drain is no longer tinged in pink, you and Marcus maneuver so the spray can run down his back while you sway on your feet and try to regain your wits. Instead, you both end up standing in the cold cascade, staring into each other's flushed features.
It feels like a fever dream – seeing his naked body like this, and your pussy clenches around nothing when you caress your palms down his abs and watch his ruddy, pulsing erection twitch at your sensual touch.
He murmurs your name when you lean forward to kiss along his heated skin after nuzzling your face into his pecs, chasing his delectable scent.
You're dialed into this primordial attraction, so you kneel at his feet from how your mouth waters to have his cock stuffed in it – to have the weight of it on your tongue before he fills your pussy with it the way you're convinced he needs to in order to stop this feeling from consuming you like a leaf flung onto a blazing fire.
Marcus shakily cups your jaw as he rasps your name again, and at the skittish unease of his tone, you stare up at him and snake your other hand between your thighs to touch yourself while you mewl for permission to do what you hunger for. The sight of you has him trembling, and his thumb grazes over the corner of your mouth, attempting to tow you back up to him, but then you lick it and make a needy sound that sends a jolt of insatiable arousal to his cock.
"T-This'll make you feel better?" Is his hoarse whisper, cold cascading water raining onto his back completely forgotten.
"Yes, hot stuff. I want you in my mouth—"
He groans, muscles flexing in anticipation. "Wanna give you what you need, baby—"
You gratefully hum and finally put him in your mouth, savoring his salty pre-cum and the velvety smooth thick of him you suck lustfully on.
His hand buries in the back of your wet hair, a raspy moan tumbling from his lips as he grapples to stay balanced with the other planting against the tiled wall.
You're enthralled by his reaction, sucking him off while gripping the base of his cock and pumping him in your fist every time you let his thick cock slip from the warm purse of your mouth so you can catch your breath. All while you rut against the palm heel of your other hand to try and ease the ache of arousal pulsing beseechingly for gratification.
It's when you grind too hard and whimper like it hurts that finally snaps Marcus to focus on you and not the exquisite pleasure that you're giving him.
Your senses sway as Marcus manhandles you off your knees and picks you up to be carried out of the cold shower.
Latching your arms and legs around him with a yelp, you wail, "M-Marcus, wha—?"
"No hurting yourself," he grumbles heatedly as he hurriedly stalks as best as he can, in the state he's in, to the bedroom with you. "M'gonna make you feel good so you don't hurt yourself by accident—"
You hiccup, "Hurt?! What's h-happening to us, Marcus?"
He makes it into the room and puts you on the bed. You're both still drenched from the shower, and he eyes you intensely as he peels your soaked panties off of you whilst trying to soberly explain, "The pink powder? It's a designer drug. The way you're feeling—that we're both f-feeling is because of it. You got dosed with way too much of it—"
You rear up onto your splayed hands and gape at him once he's tossed your drenched thong aside. "C-Can't they give us something to counteract it—?" you begin, but he shakes his head vigorously and sends water droplets to halo about before a shudder makes him wring his hands across his overly-heated features.
He's still rock-hard, and completely naked in front of you now, and the insatiable force in you is suddenly dismissing your panic to instead fixate on him.
"Marcus?"
"Hmmph?"
"Are we going to die?"
"N-No! Jeez—no, of course not," he begins to assure as he drops his hands from his face and rushes to convince you, but ends up avidly staring as you provocatively spread your legs to show him how needy you are for him, keeping your gaze fixed on his blown-out pupils. He watches you sit up and beckon for him to come to you while you shimmy backwards onto the bed.
"Ok then. Take your socks off and get over here, now."
Marcus looks down and realizes that indeed, he still has his socks on. They're sopping wet from the shower, and explain why he had such a difficult time getting traction over the tile and floorboards as he carried you from the bathroom to the bed.
Yanking them off with as much dignity as he can muster, with how worked up and ravenous he is, Marcus tosses them and clambers onto the bed after you. You admire the way his broad, muscularly toned physique looks under the bedroom's track lighting, thrill tangling excitedly in your core at how thick and hard his ramrod cock is as it bobs from his prowling towards you.
Once he's in reach, you loop your arms around his shoulders and pull him down for a rapacious kiss, wanting to have his weight on top of you finally.
His hands are warm and assertive as he pulls you into him while his tongue plunders your mouth, and yours encouragingly grope down to grab his ass when you mewl and roll your hips into his.
He breaks the kiss suddenly, as if compelled to keep his wits about him while he stammers, "W-We don't have to do this. I-I can just—"
You roll your positions so that he's on his back with you straddling him now.
"You said I could have you. I want you, Marcus," you husk silkily as you brace your palms over his broad chest and undulated your hips to grind yourself against his ramrod cock. He groans and grips your thighs, so you lean down to kiss him before you purr against his panting lips, "Now let me have you, handsome."
Marcus feels like you've hit the payload that is his stockpiled arousal he's been trying to keep buried deep in his gut, unleashing a feral desire he's never allowed himself to experience.
You gasp in surprise when he sits up and lifts you by your waist so he can nudge his cock between your soaked folds in order to notch the smooth tip at your dimpled entrance before plunging you onto him to the hilt.
The moan that falls from your lips comes out almost like an overawed wail at how amazing he feels inside you, making you arch into him and cling to his shoulders as he starts fucking up into you with bruising, ruinously precise thrusts that have him stroking nerve-melting pleasure to flare inside you.
"Oh my god!" you cry out when Marcus starts using one hand clutching the small of your back to slam you over and over onto his cock while the other squeezes one breast before pinching your nipple while he suckles the other into his mouth.
He barely registers the sting of your nails pinching into his upper back when you whimper his name after a particularly nippy suckle onto your pebbled flesh, and he doesn't realize how overcome you are with pleasure until you start begging in a frantic tone he's never heard you use.
"Marcus, I—I can't—oh Marcus! Please—"
His hand abandons your breast to instead grip the back your neck and anchor you to him as he nuzzles your cheek and soothingly coos, "Tell me, gorgeous girl."
You feel overwhelmed. The heat of it singed across your face. It has you sobbing against his jaw, "I want more – w-want you to use me. Please, Marcus. I need you—"
There's something primordial that you're both dialed into, and at your words, Marcus just knows what he needs to give you.
Pivoting up on the bed with you, he tosses you onto the mattress before manhandling you onto your hands and knees so he can possessively yank your hips to be positioned just right for him to spear his cock back into your molten pussy from behind.
"Fuck," Marcus grits between clenched jaw at how your walls clamp greedily onto his shaft while you let out a sound akin to a hearty cry of triumph. When he crowds you and starts to pound into you insatiably, he moans at how you rock back to meet his thrusts.
You feel like an animal in heat. Like all there is right now is his cock inside you and his body enveloping around you and his taste and his scent and his sweat and it all has your head spinning in the best way while you interlace your fingers in his and crane your neck out so his face can fit perfectly in the crook as he suckles on your dewy skin.
For Marcus, it's like something was turned on inside him – an undiscovered feeling of belonging and power and accomplishment was cresting free, and the more he reveled in you, the hotter and brighter it was burning in his chest.
It was so liberating that he let his feelings escape the hive-like place in his heart where he kept them trapped away.
"You make me feel things I've never felt before," is growled into your jaw, and you clench around his cock like a silken vise while you moan and arch into him.
"Marcus—"
"M'gonna protect you. Was scared—scared I'd lose you—"
You whimper, "Oh, Marcus—"
"Tell me what you want, wildcat," he gravels in a rough timbre that rakes exhilarated desire through you.
"Fuck me, Marcus. Want you to fuck me until this feeling stops—until I'm yours. M-Make me yours—"
All inhibitions are gone from him now.
Marcus fucks you with abandon, railing you with such ferocity that you're turned into an alight, moaning mess as bliss tears you asunder with a deliriously scorching orgasm that has you bowing down into the bed while Marcus pounds through your fluttering cunt flooding his apex with your climax.
His hands grip your hips as he pivots back onto his haunches and prolongs your ecstasy, eyes glazed with his lust for you and watching you continue to mindlessly rock back to meet his thrusts.
He's throbbing for release, but this heightened state of arousal caused by the drug has an insatiable, prolonging effect – extending his libido's hold-out like a refractory period.
When you dissolve into the bed face-first with an exhausted mewl, Marcus pulls out and marvels at how much slick coats his cock and drips down his apex.
The scent of sex permeates the once sanitized-smelling air that came from the filtered vent system. The room feels humid from how elevated your body temperatures are, blood pressure feeling like it's sky-high as your pulses race. He knows that's dangerous, and in the syrupy miasma of his sex-dazed mind, he remembers the instructions he was given.
You are a blitzed-out heap of tingling nerve endings. So much so, you barely absorb when Marcus rumbles, "Gonna get more water. Be right back, dandelion," as he rolls you onto your back and pets the damp hair sticking to your warm skin away from your face.
"Stay," you mumble and take his hand, kissing the inside of his palm.
He grunts a reassuring sound before kissing your forehead and promising, "I'll be right back."
You vacantly nod and roll on your side with a tired sigh.
Marcus strings together enough control of his fine motor skills to rush out of the bedroom and go for the closest source of water. He enters the bathroom and finds the shower spray still on – having not realized he'd completely forgotten to turn it off. After doing so now, he grabs the discarded glass and refills it in the sink. He guzzles several glass-fills down, feeling more clearheaded the more he rehydrates. His body is running hot, tremors of arousal like muscle spasms in his apex that leave a tingling throb in his loins and have him idly palming and stroking his erection – gauging the muted sensation compared to normal – as he chugs the last of the water before he tops the glass off to take back to you.
When he enters the bedroom, he finds you still on the bed, but you're now restlessly trying to get yourself off – hand between your thighs and panting harshly as you grind against it.
He goes to your side and places the glass down on the night table before wrangling you into his arms.
"No, you'll hurt yourself doing that," he protests while you whine and squirm in his embrace. "I'll take care of you, baby. Just settle down enough to drink some water—"
"I don't want water. I want you," you complain heatedly, slinging your arms around his neck to anchor him down into bed with you.
He picks you up to maneuver you both on the disheveled covers, attempting to appease you before pressing, "I know. I want you too, wildcat. But you need to get fluids—"
"Marcus, you need to keep fucking me until you give me those," is your raunchy counter, smiling when he gapes at you before you start kissing along his cheek and suckle on his earlobe. He groans and ruts up against you, so you purr, "Please, I need you inside me. All of you—"
"Alright, then sit on my cock, naughty girl," he husks bawdily and clasps his hand to the back of your nape to tow you back so he can stare intensely into your dazzling eyes as you squirm in excitement. "You can use me – ride me as hard as you want. But first, you have to drink the water for me."
You look sinfully delicious as you worry your bottom lip between your teeth and arch your brows to obediently nod while already reaching between your bodies to guide his erection to be aligned with your plunging undulation over his lap.
Marcus groans hoarsely and guides you to remain still – flush over where you're both now joined – before hurriedly reaching for the glass and offering it to you.
Compliantly, you drink, and realize how parched you are, so you end up chugging the water until you gasp in relief and uncaringly glide the glass back onto the night table before burying your hand into the back of his damp hair and pull him into a hungry kiss.
Your tongue flicks and twirls against his as you start to fuck yourself onto his cock, mewling heatedly from the effort while Marcus fondles his hands possessively over the globes of your ass before squeezing them when he bucks up into you.
After you reach bliss riding him, shouting his name and staring at him in euphoric satisfaction, Marcus rolls you onto your back so he can dominate you into the bed, spinning you up into delirium all over again as he snaps his hips into a devastating angle that has him colliding dead-center with your nested pleasure clustered deep inside your fluttering sheath.
Time is lost to you both as you couple like animals during mating season.
He can't count how many times he makes you come, nor keep track of all the positions he takes you in, and you're so far flung in the throes of insatiable need that you don't realize until he's just got you off after fucking you with your legs propped up against his shoulders, that he hasn't orgasmed once.
While he slows his barreling thrusts into you once you've melted breathlessly under him, Marcus kisses along the crook of your neck and relishes how you quiver from the aftershocks of your climax. He's just about to shift back and pull out when you clench your floor muscles suddenly around him.
"Oh fuck, mmph," he moans gruffly before maneuvering your legs off of his shoulders and hooking the backs of your knees at his forearms so he can rear back and haul you with him as he says your name warningly and growls, "—You keep doing that and I'm going to lose control."
Your pussy aches, every muscle is sore and protesting, but still the insatiable heat persists, so you stare sultrily at him under heavy lids and coo, "I want you to lose control, you dope. Want you to fuck me until you come, and then keep fucking me until we both can't move or think anymore—"
He swears gruffly, but you feel his cock throb inside you, clearly betraying how enticed he is.
"It's not like I've been holding back. The drug takes the edge off and changes our pleasure and pain thresholds; affects sensation. I don't think I could come even if I tried," Marcus admits lowly as he wrings his hand over his heated features, clearly embarrassed.
"Hey, M."
"Hmm?"
"You're gorgeous when you're all flustered and naked and hard," is your silky murmur, smile cheeky when he pauses swiping the sweat off his brow to stare at you heatedly. Your smile sobers meekly as you admit in a mumble, "And, you're so sexy. Even when you're being maddening and all I want to do is wring your neck and run away…"
Marcus feels that incandescent pressure in the back of his sternum – the one that makes him feel like his ribs ache but feel full at the same time.
Overawed, he sits back on his heels and pulls out of you with a hiss before leaning over you to kiss a worshipful path up from your navel to your jaw. After he presses a kiss to your cheek, he nuzzles your ear before murmuring, "Don't run away. Stay with me, dandelion."
You feel stripped raw and soothed over at the same time by his words, and before you can stop it, your heart wrings in your chest as you confess, "I want to. I've wanted to for a while, b-but I can't help feel this way—"
He props up to gaze wondrously at you. "Feel what way?"
"Ugh!" you groan and cover your eyes with your forearm, too jelly-jointed to do much else to keep your frazzled guard up. "You know, M—"
"No, I don't," he firmly huffs and stretches out onto his side next to you in order to pull your forearm away so you have to look at him.
"…It doesn't matter. This is a mistake – a fluke accident and the weirdo horny mating drug doesn't change that reality—"
"What reality?"
"This!" you shout and weakly gesture between you and him. "Whatever this has become is a mess. I am a fool to feel this way, knowing how reckless you think I've been already and how badly you want to be done with the hassle—"
"…You're serious," Marcus deadpans, derailing your ramble, and when you focus on him, he scoffs and shakes his head, as if astounded, before rumbling in a honeyed baritone, "You don't even know, do you?"
You frown, confused.
Marcus sidles close, dark brown eyes softening as he exhales sardonically before caressing your chin between forefinger and thumb so you can't turn your face as he looks at you purposefully.
"I feel the same way," he tells you, smirking softly before professing, "I love you."
You can feel his body heat and see the unwavering truth in his handsome face, and your flustered mind is processing that this is real while you're carnally supercharged already for him.
"That's the drug talking—"
"No, it's not—"
"Marcus—"
"If you don't feel that way, it's fine—"
"That…that's not it. I'm saying we can't trust what we're feeling right now. We're literally in heat—"
"I fell in love with you before getting hit in the face with pink dust, wildcat—"
"Attraction is not the same as love, Marcus—"
"Oh trust me, I've learned that the hard way plenty already," is his deriding huff as he tucks his chin and smiles self-deprecatingly.
You pout and cup his bearded cheek, caressing it lovingly before mumbling, "You're too good for me. Literally – I don't think I can take how sweet and considerate and…and wonderful you are—"
He says your name huffily before caressing his touch along your side reassuringly, crooning, "—Don't be like that. A sexy little smartass like you can't be contrary all the time."
"Oh yeah? You're seriously not dying to unload me, after everything?" you mutter as you brush your lips along his bearded jaw and card your fingers through his hair. "It isn't just the libido drug making you talk crazy?"
"All the drug is making me do is stay rock-hard and be bold about saying how I feel," he says honestly, and smirks when you hum interestedly before palming his thick erection. When you trace your touch along the underside of the shaft, he husks throatily, "You've clearly grown on me, dandelion. P-Pressed all my buttons, made sport out of challenging me daily, and I hated it all…until I started liking it."
You feel your heart summersault in excitement at that, so you nuzzle his cheek after you carve your hips around his to nestle his throbbing hard-on against your warm, wet pussy, lightly grinding on it as you whisper, "Liking is not the same as lov—"
"Tell me how you feel."
You pause and stare into his eyes. Pressed this close together, you can see how brown his irises are, and how free of judgment they are twinkling soulfully at you.
"I—I care…care more than I ever have, and I feel things that I haven't felt—that I haven't felt in a long time. I just…" you trail off, huffing at yourself before admitting, "The way I feel about you is something I don't know how to manage."
Marcus keeps your hips rocking against him, all the while you flustered to the truth.
"That kind of sounds like the same thing I'm telling you I feel about you, stubborn girl," is his amused rumble. You can't help snort and bashfully curl into him. He doesn't let you hide your face in his neck, though. "C'mon, look at me."
You do, shivering when he cups your jaw and pins you into place with his passionate stare.
"I love you."
"I love you too," you whisper, feeling like you've just jumped off a cliff with no idea what's beyond the precipice.
But the look Marcus gives you – the way his handsome features brighten with delighted surprise, it makes something twinge warm and hopeful in your chest. You kiss him before girlishly scoffing, then stammering, "W-What're we going to do?"
"Right now?" Marcus sits up and caresses his hand down your body to touch where your warmth is flush up against his twitching member. You mewl and melt a little when he teasingly grazes his lips over yours before purring, "Right now, we're gonna keep fucking like rabbits until this damn drug is out of our systems."
You giggle enticingly before timidly snickering, "I'm exhausted, cowboy. I don't think I can manage doing anything but this right now," as you undulate against him for emphasis.
Smirking, Marcus hums, affectionately squeezing your thigh as he croons, "I got an idea."
He assertively rolls you over onto your opposite side and spoons up behind you while possessively fondling your curves. You mewl at the feeling of his warm body up against you from behind while his cock starts rutting against your pulsing womanhood.
Marcus lets you acclimate and simply revel in the feeling of being in his covetous embrace while you rock back against him lustfully. When he starts pressing his throbbing arousal into your pussy from behind, you moan an ecstatic little sound before whimpering, "More, Marcus. Please."
With a deft thrust, he gives you more, and more, as he cups your pussy and grinds his fingertips over the hood of your clit while grazing his teeth down your neck to claim it with a rough kiss at the base.
You reach your arm backwards to sling around his neck so you can keep his mouth on you while you both set a ravenous rhythm, bucking backwards onto him while he fucks forward into you.
The hand that cradles the curve of your waist tightens when you cry his name and desperately loop both your arms backwards to hold onto him as you're lost to the euphoric ecstasy of reaching bliss like this.
Marcus aches when you sob a gratified cry, and he feels pride crackle in his chest when your hands grip the hair at the base of his nape so you have leverage to pivot in his grip in order to kiss him passionately.
His cock pulses inside you when you break the kiss to lick at his bottom lip before you susurrate, "I want you to fill me with your cum, Marcus."
Incredibly turned on by the prospect, Marcus bucks into you with a gruff groan before gravelling tensely, "Now that's the drug talking—"
"No, it isn't," you contradict and look at him with sultry heat blazing in your eyes as you purr, "What's a girl gotta do to get you off, Pikey boy."
You feel him strain enticingly against your fluttering walls at the pet name, which has you shivering in delight just as Marcus growls, "Keep telling me what you want. Please."
That has you divulging things. Some seductive things, like, 'Want you to be all mine, cowboy,' and some salacious, authoritative orders, like, 'Fuck me like you want me, Marcus. I want you. I'll let everyone know you're mine, but only if you make me yours.'
The more you tell him what you want, the more worked up into searing arousal Marcus gets as he buries his moans into the back of your neck whilst he fucks you faster and harder – hands clutching you to him as your pitch gets more alight from your own pleasure cresting incandescently through you.
He's feral with need by the time he's got you on your stomach with your ass up for him to plunder his cock deep into your fluttering cunt. You're blitzed out – lasciviously keyed into the wild throes of carnal elation of being ravished by him. Sweat and slick and the heat of your flesh pressed together is making both your senses flare with rapturous yearning – panting breaths wild as you both are finally at the precipice of savage release together.
At his thrusts picking up frenzied pace that has your warm flesh colliding rhythmically over your hearty sounds of pleasure, you press the button he didn't know he had in him.
"Please, m-make me yours, sweet boy—"
The exhilarating, searing pleasure that snaps loose from Marcus at your airy mewl has him barreling ferociously into you while moaning in guttural, incredulous bliss just as you cry out and orgasm with him.
He buries his cock deep and clings over you as he shudders through the bursts of his climax that fill your rippling sheath while you exhale a rapturous, sated sound and melt under him, toes curled and arms draped around his as they clutch you to him. You feel made whole as the warm bloom of his spend filling you diffuses through you, and Marcus feels like lightning struck him and the electric buzz still scintillates through his sinew.
Reduced to trembling, breathless heaps tangled against each other, you and Marcus lay on the sullied sheets for a while. You can feel his heartbeat against your back, and he can feel your pulse against the hand pressed between the bed and your womb. Neither of you can think beyond the content reassurance that the other is still there, warm and safe.
Feeling returned to yourself a disorienting amount of time later, you shift clumsily under him to squirm around and face him. Marcus heavily rolls off of you and grunts from the effort, but groggily rubs at his forehead to get the matted hair off his skin.
You tiredly rest your hand on his tacky chest, caressing it along his broad pectorals soothingly.
"…You ok?"
"…Yeah…can't move."
"Same…you feel ok?"
Marcus snorts exhaustedly before lulling his head to stare with hooded eyes at you. "M'feelin' like I fucked a marathon. You?"
You snicker girlishly. "I'm feeling like the marathon you fucked."
His laugh is raspy, features dewy and relaxed from sweat and all the over-exertion. Your hand reaches up to trace his bearded jaw, affectionately caressing along it until he hums and closes his eyes contently.
"Do you still feel in heat?"
"It's more of an aroused little tickle now versus the raging inferno of insatiable mania of before," you answer as you continue to caress his handsome features. "You?"
With a cleansing exhale, Marcus rumbles thickly, "About the same. I'm gonna need a few before I can go again, though—"
"Oh my god. I just said I'm not in nymphomaniac-mode anymore, you dope—"
You catch his sly smirk when he cracks an eye open to goadingly peer over at you. "You're cute when you're all worked up, gorgeous—"
With a scoff, you silkily mutter, "You're so lucky I'm too wrecked to slap you around, hot stuff—"
"C'mon, wildcat. Wouldn't you rather just have your way with me instead?"
You laugh, as if intrigued, before sidling up to him and giving him an alluring look, purring, "Is that what you want, sweet boy?"
Marcus feels arousal skitter down into his loins, zinging pulsing want into his cock before he can even try to not react to the titillating pet name that was much of his undoing.
"Yes. That's what I want, wildcat," he husks, too tired to be timid about it.
Appeased, you slink up against him and loop your arm around his midriff. "Good," you lilt around a yawn before murmuring, "That's what I want too, sweet boy. After we conk out for a bit."
His chuckle is like rich honey to your senses, and the warm tingle that tickles down into your womb when he nuzzles a kiss to the top of your mussed hair has you shivering with delight.
"Sounds like a plan, dandelion."
_____________________________
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Taglist:
@redsilentwolf28 | @just-here-for-the-moment | @mandosmistress | @sarahjkl82-blog | @knittingqueen13 | @mamacitapascal | @hylasposts | @hnt-escape | @eri16 | @gracie7209 | @casssiopeia | @athalien | @qwertymx | @rosiefridayrogersunday | @pascalesque | @maknimuk1 | @kirsteng42 | @greeneyedblondie44 | @littlemisspascal | @southotheborder | @rosegxoxo | @in-for-a-pennyx | @dolly-on-the-dotted-line | @harriedandharassed | @deadhumourist | @trickstersp8 | @pedropascalsx​ | @flowersandpotplantsandsunshine | @angstylittlepascal | @mrsparknuts
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hiiii, if you're developing the protective prompts, i think 'they'll never understand our connection.' would be amazing for rory & the cap 😌 🖤 (there are more but i'm not gonna spam asdfsa)
Thank you so so much for this Malk, I have been slowly but surely working on this one (and hope to some day be able to add it to one of my full length fics for these two) but here's a bit from post MW3 Rory and Price *spoiler: I do want to have these two get quietly married*. I did edit the prompt a little to make it fit, but anyhoo
warnings for smoking and implied sexual activities at the start (they're newlyweds don't blame them) otherwise mostly shippy conversation stuff with a sprinkling of angst with mentions of the events of MW3.
word count: 1.9 K
Captain Price x Rory Sinclair (OC)
Curled into the weight of him, lying in their matrimonial bed, Lt. Rory Sinclair – John's new bride, and partner for the last eight years – felt like she was home. She had traveled the world, fought in countless fights and yet with John, it didn't matter what nation's borders surrounded her, or which four walls closed them in. She was safe. Protected in a way that she had only ever felt with John. 
Watching him smoke one of those bloody cigars of his, she quietly laughed to herself. Well versed in the addiction to smoking both her and John shared – for him, it was cigars, and for her, cigarettes – it was a nasty habit, and yet, the scent of that rich and heady tobacco that permeated the air and his clothes, that seemed to seep from every one of his pores, was one she couldn't live without now. Better than any cologne when mixed with his sweat and the smell of whiskey on his breath. That was John, cut down to his very essence.
Holding her chin in his hand, his rough fingers pressed into the soft flesh of her cheeks as they gazed hungrily into each other's eyes. The desire for each other was always there, forever lingering even in the background when their thoughts were solely focused on the mission at hand and not on the pursuit of loving one another. His mouth claimed hers, pulling her into a needy kiss after a drag from his cigar, and she found herself lost in the depth of his kiss, feeling the smoke curl and cloud down her throat and inside her lungs. Filled in totality, brimming with him. 
Rory locked eyes with him, returning a flirty smirk before blowing smoke rings towards the ceiling – a practiced art, as much as her ability with a sniper's scope or an interrogation room. Biting her lip as the last streak of smoke trailed from her parted lips, hazel doe eyes looked back with the intensity of a predator staring at its prey through the fog.
His eyes never left hers as smoke rings blew towards the ceiling, a mischievous glint flashing in their blue depths. Chuckling low in his chest, the vibrations caused his collection of body hair to quiver against her skin. "Bloody gorgeous," he murmured, his voice husky. Leaning forward, he breathed in, inhaling deeply the scent of smoke, whiskey, and her. The corners of his mouth curving upward, revealed a hint of amusement. "God, you smell like heaven." But as quickly as the newlywed joy sparked between them played out, his expression turned serious, his eyes burning with an inner fire. Tracing the outline of her lips with a sweep of his thumb, he grazed the sensitive skin with a tender touch. "Think I'll keep you captive," he whispered, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. Tangling his fingers in the short, choppy strands as he stroked her hair, he pulled her head closer to him and his voice dropped to a whispered promise, "Never gonna let anyone else in. Only me. My girl. Forever."
The words sent a ripple of excitement through her core, followed by a wave of relaxation, knowing she was exactly where she belonged – wrapped around John Price, the man who would stop at nothing to protect and claim her as his own. Her warm eyes radiating the loyalty and devotion she felt for him. That desire to be protected, saved from a life full of loss and pain, was one that John eagerly filled for her. Hell bent on making sure she never had to weather another storm without him, using the same ruthless persistence he had when it came to dealing with a target.
"I'll happily be kept by you, my darling. Won't even try and run," she purred, her voice soft like velvet and as smooth as silk, made thick with the smoke that curled inside her throat. "All yours, John. Always." Her solemn vow as she stared into those piercing blue eyes of his, ones she could sink into, finding comfort in that strikingly cold gaze and the unknowable depths behind them that he allowed her to peer into – one of the few he did – never taking that for granted. This was the man she loved, all rough edges and darkened corners.
There was a flash of triumph in Price's eyes, that same determination that sharpened his gaze in battle igniting in his irises. He grinned, a dangerous curl tugging at the corners of his lips. A primal satisfaction filled him as he nodded, accepting her surrender with a subtle lift of his head. His fingers drifted down to massage her jawline, his voice as rough as his calloused palm, was filled with magnetism and promises, drawing her in further. "That's right, love. No runnin’ away, no escape. You’re Mrs. Price now. We fight together, just us two, against the whole world."
The quiet sentiment remained unspoken between them, but the way he crinkled his brows and narrowed his gaze made the underlying threat clear: mess with her, and he wouldn't hesitate to tear someone apart with his bare hands – an unnecessary warning for her, but comforting nonetheless.
"Two against the world." Her smile curled her full lips and her eyes sparkled with assurance that this was the man she was meant to be with. "Just how it's always been, eh?"
Rory knew exactly what Price was capable of: the violence, the threats, the lies and manipulations – a man willing to do whatever was necessary to succeed. Dangerous. But no matter how terrifying those traits might have been to his enemies, to her he had only ever been good. Gentle when needed, when her nightmares and flashbacks threatened to terrorize her, or strong and unshakable like a mighty fortress when threats came knocking on their door. She saw sides to him no one else was ever allowed to see. They had a trust built up after years of working together and born from a mission where he nearly lost her. An ill-fated op that nearly got her killed under his command became the roots for a love that had grown plentifully over nearly a decade together. They weren't just lovers or partners, they were everything to each other. A connection that no one else would ever understand, and neither of them was willing to try and explain it if someone was foolish enough to ask.
Price's smile widened, the creases around his eyes deepening as he leaned in, his nose brushing against hers. "Always. Wouldn't have it any other way, my girl,” he said, voice dropping to a whisper, the words tinged with emotion.
Pausing, his gaze drifted off, lost in memories of the past and the darker parts of their history that had brought them to this moment all etched into his mind like scars on his skin. Swallowing hard around the lump forming in his throat, he re-focused his attention on the woman in his arms. "Y’know, Rory," he said, his tone low and gravelly, "Never thought I'd find someone like you. Someone who understands me, loves me despite...or maybe because of..." His eyes locked onto hers, searching for any sign of unease and finding none, but shrugging it off not wanting to assume. "Well, despite my many flaws."
The admission was a near impossible rarity from him. For someone like John Price who built his reputation on being unbreakable, it took more than just courage to acknowledge his weaknesses, it took the threat of torture - but for her, for her he was willing ignore his ego and the many guards he'd built up throughout his life.
"Could never ask for anyone better than you, darlin’," he said, pulling her close, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. "You’re all I need havin’ to face this never-endin’ fight."
Brushing her fingers through the hair at his temple flecked with gray, she could only imagine the thoughts that currently stirred the cogs inside his head. Through their time together she had come to learn to understand how John thought, why he acted, what motivated him, but even after all this time there were parts that still remained a mystery even to her, parts of himself that he still kept secret - whether for his own safety or hers.
"We all have our flaws, John. Besides,” she said with a scrunch of her nose, “it's not like I'm any better, eh?" Her cheeky smile grew as she tried to add levity to the situation - she had never been very good about dealing with hard conversations. "Though I will say, I do hope one day the crusade might end. Maybe find a little peace together. Grow old and gray and fat. Be happy."
Meeting her gaze, his expression softened at first, then became firm once more when she mentioned the idea of finding peace someday. "It's a nice dream, love." His hand gripped hers, holding it tightly. "But we both know that won't be happenin’ soon. Not while men like Makarov are out there. Not until we've cleaned up this mess once and for all." His brow furrowed, the steel returning to his eyes again. "And when it's done, when we do finally find our peace, I'll spend the rest of my days makin’ sure you're comfortable. For now, let's enjoy these moments when we can.”
Huffing out a sour laugh, Rory knew that as much as (deep down) John may have wanted the same calm, quiet life she did, war was all he really knew. He had been shaped by it. A soldier from the age of sixteen, to him there really was no other life. Duty called, and he had sworn to answer it until the job was complete. If she were really being honest, she knew he likely wouldn't even know what to do with himself if he did find some semblance of peace. Even in serene moments like this, she could see the anxious twitching, the tics of a warrior that knew silence could mean danger was ahead.
Raking her fingers through her hair before resting her head on his chest, she listened to the steady thrum of his heart. "I know, duty calls. Hell, we were lucky we even got to have a bloody honeymoon." She offered him a small grin, but the weight of the threat of Makarov and the death of Soap still hung heavy over them, over everything.
His hand lingered on her back, rubbing gentle circles into her as if trying to erase the years of stress etched into her muscles. His heartbeat thundered against her ear, a reassuring rhythm that soothed and grounded her. "We were lucky, love," he agreed, his voice deepening with nostalgia. "That honeymoon was somethin’ rare during all that bloody chaos."
Fingers tightening slightly, a silent acknowledgment of the weight that still hung over them – the ghost of Soap, the specter of Makarov, the relentless march of duty - it was all an uninvited guest in their lives. Yet, there was acceptance in his voice rather than defeat, a reminder of their strength and resilience. "We'll finish this, my girl. We owe it to ourselves." Falling silent for a moment, he allowed them both to wallow in the comfort of each other's presence until he released a slow, weighty exhale, his arms wrapped firmly around her. "Until then, we'll find peace where we can, eh? Even in the small victories."
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thetopichot · 6 months
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•°♡ Comfort Prompts VI ♡°•
ENCORE EDITION (人´∀`)♪
It's almost Halloween! Well, not really, but we're getting there! It's the thought that counts. Anyhoo! *Throws more comfort prompts in your face* (っ`Д´)っ・:∴
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"Close your weary eyes."
"& it's so nice being with you."
"I rather be sure that you know I'm there."
"I will always be a part of whatever you do."
"Oh, I got the sweetest things to tell you every day."
Preparing warm, comfy clothes for you before you get out of the shower. (Bro, nothing is better than warm clothes out the dryer 😩)
Cuddling at you guys watch the sunset at the beach.
Taking the train home as they hold you in their lap.
Being eachothers asses in Mario Kart to help get your anger out. (SPECIFICALLY DOUBLE DASH I LOVE THAT GAMEEEEE)
Them messing around with ai voice to make a silly little song for you.
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☆ミ Author Notes underneath 👇 ☆ミ
🩷 - I have been a bit distracted by gorgeous vampire goth men for a bit. Sorry about that 😩. Auron is just too fine, but this ain't about him.
I've seen ya'll reblogs. Yeah, yeah, you guys aren't slick, but don't worry, they're not bad. I actually I love reading them! Here is some of favorites!
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I'm happy to see that I somewhat inspire you guys to write. Less inspired more like a spark! I love reading your reblogs. They make me so happy & kinda gives me a push to write more! I hope I can continue doing what I do to help you guys do what you guys do!
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missmaywemeetagain · 5 months
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A Pink Scarf Thanksgiving...out today for Patrons and tomorrow for everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate, my babies! 🦃❤️🍁 My gratitude has no bounds for the lovely people I've met here and I hope you have a great weekend. 💗
This blurb came out of nowhere, in a fit of Thanksgiving inspiration (and a special thanks to Norah @thatbanditqueen for inadvertently nudging me towards a Thanksgiving prompt)! Because of this, it is not overly edited or revised. I will say, I'm not sure yet just how canon I want this to be in terms of the PS Universe, but I figure it came out of me for a reason, so I decided to go with it for now. 
I think my current moody headspace influenced the vibe for this--for us fans, it's a slightly indulgent "what could have been" scenario. But that's PS in a nutshell, isn't it?  🥹
Anyhoo, I hope this hits you in the feels! And I hope you know just how much you matter to me, even though I've been a bit MIA recently. 
Much love xoxoxox, Madi 💗
Patrons can read it HERE today! 🎉
It will be out tomorrow evening for everyone! 💋
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Taglist Pt 1
@eliseinmemphis@russian-soft-bitch@tattywood
@sassanoe@thella @suspiciousmidge @hiddlepiddlediddlewiddle@carolinesbookworld @juggernort @aesthetic-lyss @stitchattacks @donnamarie23
 @littlebitofgreen@paigevis@bugg06@xhannahbananax03@artlover8992
@18lkpeters@frozenhuntress67@girlblogger2002@kendralavon7@misspresley
@be-my-ally @whositmcwhatsit @vintageshanny @ellie-24 @thatbanditqueen @powerofelvis @from-memphis-with-love
 @precious-lil-scoundrel @stylespresleyhearted @prompted-wordsmith @crash-and-cure @elvisgf @lookingforrainbows @fic-over-cannon @godlypresley @ab4eva @whatstruthgottodowithit @elvisabutler @amydarcimarie@idontwanttoputanything @callieselvisobsessed @captainamerica1235-blog  @xenaspace3-blog 
@simplyamberj@claire-elvisgirl@everythingelvispresley@louisejoy86@deniseinmn @madelynpresley
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actualbird · 10 months
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Hi Zak!! This is a pretty random ask but i was just wondering if you have any tips for starting a fanfic/story? I just keep getting stuck on how to start one (I really love your work/blog 🙏 feeds my tot brain rot fr!!)
hi anon, im glad you like the stuff i make ;w; !!! and ohhh, sure i got tons of tips for that!.....so many that i actually wish i cld get u back here to ask what specifically about starting a story u'd want tips on but for now, i'll go for a general overview :D!!
cuz....to me (i.e. based on my writing process, which i'll be drawing heavily from for these tips), the act of Starting comes in three distinct steps, one after the other:
Idea Generation (what is the story gonna be about and how do i get ideas for that?)
Concept Organization/Outlining (how is the story going to be about this idea and how will i be executing it?)
Creation (GAH, HOW PUT WORDS ON PAGE!?!?!?)
so i'll give general tips for all three!!!
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Idea Generation Tips
(this is the step that i personally have the least trouble with because my brain makes 5 new ideas every day. it's kinda a curse now because it leads to me having too many wips and concepts and only 1% of them gets to the Creation period jhvjhVJKSHFVHJS BUT ANYHOO, TIPS-)
Check Out Prompt Lists (super fun and easy way to get an idea! theres tons of story and fic prompts out there that you can search up here on tumblr, some of them being lists of lines of dialog or lists of AUs or scenarios. even if you dont follow a prompt exactly, they can be great at kickstarting ur brain into thinking of something related that you Do wanna pursue)
Open/Ask For Prompt Requests (if ur brain doesnt have any ideas, u can ask around and see if anyone ELSE has ideas theyre alright with you writing! my tot fics "reviews for Time's Antiquities, South Stellis | Average Rating: 4.8 Stars" and "but little do we know, the stars welcome him with open arms" were both inspired by anon asks i got!! to those anons who sent those asks, i owe u my life....but yea, maybe other people can give ideas to you! or, again, give Something that can inspire another thing in ur brain to take shape)
Just Ramble With A Friend (SO MANY OF MY FIC IDEAS started because i was just goofing off and playing idea volleyball with fandom buddies in our DMs (shoutout to sam samsspambox, z lukevonhagen, and beck beckthebeetle for being the main culprits of this). like, what started out as a joke conversation eventually makes go "oh no wait i actually wanna see that as a fic" and then boom, Idea Has Been Acquired. but fr, talking with another person makes your brain create things u never thought about before. it's both tons of fun to chat with a buddy as a sounding board, and it yields awesome concepts for stories!)
For Fanfic Specifically, Think About What You Want To See In Canon But Hasn't Happened And You Want It So Bad It's Driving You NUTS (this can be anything from missing scenes you wish were expanded on, scenes you wish went a different way, character relationships you wish you could see more of in canon, go nuts! the fun thing with fanfic is that it's a fertile playground for all the what-ifs, and a lot of my fics' ideas were simply found because i thought "man i know tears of themis is never gonna show me deep found fam moments/artem ptsd consequences after main story 6.2/mariluke, so imma make it myself" JHVSJDHF. ideas are hard to make sometimes, but brains are so good at desiring things. and all those desires? those can also be Ideas for a fic!)
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Concept Organization/Outlining
(very much skippable if your writing style/personality is more receptive to free-wheeling!! im just the type of writer who always needs an outline to begin something. it helps me structure a raw idea with no shape into something clearer that i can envision a story for)
Outline A Rough Chain Of Events Chronologically (this can be as simple as three bullet points, what happens at the Start of the story, the Middle, and the End. or maybe you can go list down the portions of your fic according to the Freytag's Pyramid Plot Structure: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, etc etc.)
Outline A Rough List Of Stuff You Just Want To Happen In The Fic (if your brain is like mine and isnt too great at chronological thinking, make a list of just all the plot points and events or even dialog exchanges u Want to see in the fic. you can organize it in the order u want later once uve put everything down)
Outline The Themes (moving away from plot, many stories are more focused on feelings or characterization or themes. so make a list of the Concepts you want to tackle. this is something i do for my fics that are more introspective, so i outline shit like "EVENT THAT MAKES LUKE INTERNALIZE SELF-LOATHING followed by EVENT THAT MAKES LUKE'S VIEW BE NOTICED BY ANOTHER CHARACTER")
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Creation
(the worst part of writing....is the writing JAVFJVSDKHFDJHJ but nah fr this is the part i have the hardest time with, so here are tips that help me kickstart the word engine)
You Dont Have To Start Writing The Fic From The Beginning Of Its Story, Start Writing Wherever (confession: a good 75% of my fics are ones where the first scene i actually wrote down was not the start. instead, i just wrote the scene i was most excited to write. and usually thats somewhere in the middle! i do this cuz it makes my brain happy, and a happy brain is much easier to pull words from than a sad brain. plus, when i see the scene I Like Best already written, it gives me motivation to do the rest of the fic because oh my god i want everybody to sEE THIS ONE DANG SCENE!!! start writing the fic at whatever point you want, in whatever order comes most naturally to you, is my point. you can fill the rest in later, but hey, starting to write where you Want has gotten you Started. now you just gotta finish, and finishing when you already have something down is much easier than starting from 0)
Set Tiny Wordcount Goals. And When I Say Tiny, I MEAN TINY!!! (writing is intimidating but if you set a goal of say, 100 words written for a wip per day, at the end of one week, you'll have 700 words. at the end of two, you'll have 1400 words. at the end of a month, 3000. small goals help since it makes you do Something, and that Something will inevitably compound, no matter what goal uve set. and let urself be proud of the goals uve achieved!!! writer brain gets happy when you tell it it's done a good job at reaching a wordcount goal, and like i said earlier, happy brain is much easier to work with than sad brain)
Give Yourself All The Time You Need (i know this sounds counterproductive but sometimes....the best thing you can do for the part of your brain that wants to start creating....is waiting til it's ready. dont pressure yourself, cuz brain will get sad. dont be too hard on yourself, cuz brain will get sad. start when you want to start in the way that works best with your brain and see where things go, but be patient with yourself. sometims Starting is actually the longest part of writing a story and thats fine. it will happen. trust)
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thats all the tips ive got! and of course, what will work for me wont always work for other people, so please feel free to take what you think applies to you and discard what doesnt resonate.
i hope some part of this can help! happy writing :D
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