#but I gave up on trying to refine it...
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I had this idea, where Idia hugs or pets Grim right after I saw their fight at guest room. I mean, why else would they fight...
#idia shroud#grim#twst grim#twstファンアート#twisted wonderland#twst#twst fanart#ignihyde#disney twisted wonderland#my art#not really happy with the result#but I gave up on trying to refine it...
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Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny II
Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny II - Eris x Archeron!Reader
Summary: You find yourself ensnared by a sly, cunning fox. A very handsome, irritating one.
Warnings: none
a/n: sorry for the long wait with this one! Hope you guys like it!
Part I
· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·
You slipped into the private library in the House of Wind, humming slightly to yourself. The faint scent of crackling embers and something else indiscernible met your nose as the door slammed shut behind you but you brushed it off, figuring it must've come from the fireplace on the other side of the large room.
You meandered to the section that was filled with romance books—the ones Nesta had made sure to stock up on ever since she became the owner of this place along with Cassian. You brushed your fingers against the spines of the books, pulling out some that had interesting titles and stacking them in your arms.
A Heart Ablaze.
The Prince of Fire.
Your skirt flitted against the tops of your boots as you walked. You bit your lip, pulling out another book. This one titled, The Flames that Bind Us. You’d read it before but it was one of your favorites.
“You should be a bit more aware of your surroundings, bunny. You have no idea what sort of monsters are lurking around.”
You gasped, jumping in fright and dropping your stack of books to place a hand on your chest. You whirled around with a wildly beating heart.
You had recognized the voice immediately but you were still taken aback to see Eris lounging in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. He was sprawled out in the chair like it was his throne, a glass of whiskey in one hand and his other lightly stroking the soft velvet of the armrest. His red hair gleamed the same color as the burning flames behind him.
Your gaze dipped to his chest, to his cream colored tunic that had a few buttons undone, exposing the silver layered jewelry resting against his chest. He wore dark brown breeches, perfectly tailored for his long legs and brown riding boots. How he managed to make such casual clothing look elegant and refined was beyond you.
When you met his eyes again, those devastating amber eyes, Eris gave you a fox-like grin that looked anything but friendly.
“What are you doing here?” you asked as you bent down to pick up the books you had dropped. You held them against your chest like a shield.
“That is no way to address a Lord,” Eris purred.
You huffed, fighting the urge to roll your eyes.
“Apologies, my Lord,” you replied, sarcastically. “What a delight it is to see you again. What brings you to our humble court?”
Eris’s eyebrows rose in amusement.
“If you must know, I’m here for a meeting with your High Lord and Lady,” Eris said. “Pray tell, what are you doing here, bunny?”
His eyes darted to the books in your arms and you blushed, trying to discreetly cover the titles. Eris didn’t need to know your reading preferences.
“If you must know,” you said, mocking him, “I live here.”
You split time between here and the River House. Mostly because Nesta had once accused you of favoring Feyre. You hated nothing more than to be used as a pawn against your sisters. But being the youngest, your role in the family oftentimes required you playing mediator between your siblings. Sometimes, messenger too.
“Poor little bunny,” Eris teased. “Locked up here in a cage.”
“Stop calling me that!”
You glared at the handsome Lord, hating the way that made him seem even more amused.
Eris said nothing, just twirled the glass in his hands as his eyes assessed you. You felt the hairs on your arms stand up, felt a chill run down your spine at his look. His smirk never left his face. You were quite sure he had been born wearing it.
“Don’t you normally meet with Rhys and Feyre in Hewn City?” you asked, unable to take the silence. You should probably leave, but something kept your feet glued to the floor.
Eris shrugged. “Sure, when our business involves Keir.”
He spat out the older male’s name with disgust.
“I’m surprised they didn’t order you to stay in your room knowing I was here,” he continued, his amusement back once more. “Can’t let the little bunny be ensnared by a fox again.”
His grin was more of a display of teeth. It did nothing to quell your nerves.
“They never tell me anything,” you murmured, annoyed.
Your lips slammed shut when one of Eris’s eyebrows raised, like you had just unknowingly passed along information you shouldn’t have.
The doors to the library slammed open and you jumped, sucking in a breath at the sudden noise. Azriel stormed in, his eyes narrowed at Eris. You suddenly felt tense, sensing the way the energy seemed to shift in the room. He stopped once he was in front of you, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed at the redhead. “You’re supposed to be waiting for Rhys and Feyre in the war room.”
Eris didn’t seem frightened in the slightest, unlike most fae did when staring down the shadowsinger.
He plucked a piece of lint from his tunic, unbothered. “Apologies, shadowsinger. I got lost.”
You doubted that and by Azriel’s growl, you realized he did too. He turned to look down at you, his lips pressed in a straight line with a stern look.
“Go,” Azriel barked, nodding his head towards the door. You bristled at the command, as if you were a dog he could order around.
But it was Eris who stood to his full height and snarled, “Don’t speak to her like that.”
Your eyes widened in surprise. You stepped out from around Azriel to see Eris staring down the shadowsinger. You swore the flames in the fireplace grew, the crackling of the wood the only thing breaking the tense silence.
You shifted on your feet, clearing your throat as the temperature rose—Azriel’s shadows growing with it. You placed a hand on Azriel’s shoulder, trying to calm him.
“I’ll leave,” you said softly, glancing up at Eris but his focus was on your hand touching Azriel, a muscle in his jaw ticking.
“It was lovely speaking to you again, my Lord,” you said, sarcastically, bowing your head at Eris. At the sound of your voice, you watched as Eris’s mask slipped right back into place, all the tension leaving his body.
His gaze met yours and he shot you his infamous fox-like grin. “Indeed, Lady.”
Azriel growled, lowly, and that was your sign to leave. You scurried out of the room, ignoring the butterflies in your stomach—the ones that had been there since the moment you laid eyes on the handsome Lord of Fire.
· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·
It had taken a lot of persuasion on your part, but you had finally talked Rhys and Feyre into letting you have more of a role in their court. They had decided to let you shadow Lucien as an emissary, but so far the only place you had gone with him to was the human realm—not that you minded.
You were currently in the deserted manor that Vassa, Jurian and Lucien were now living in since the end of the war. You had just had a meeting and dinner with them, but out of politeness, had offered to clean up which left you in the kitchen alone, scrubbing dishes. You supposed you could’ve used magic, but decided on doing it the only way you knew how: the human way.
“I thought I smelt a bunny in here.”
You let out a squeak of surprise, dropping the plate you were drying back into the filled basin. Water and soap splashed all around you, speckling the smock you wore over your dress and the counter.
You yanked a small hand towel free and began to blot at the water spots as you whirled around to face Eris. The grin he wore only infuriated you even more.
“Must you always sneak up on me?” you grumbled, tossing the towel back on the counter.
“You need to be more aware of your surroundings, bunny,” Eris purred.
“Oh, for Gods’ sake, stop calling me that!”
“Perhaps when it stops to suit you so well.”
“It doesn’t suit me now,” you argued back. “I am not some little bunny.”
“Are you sure about that?” Eris took a step towards you but something about his demeanor made you mirror his step backwards, your backside hitting the counter behind you. His grin sharpened at your movement.
“Are you scared of me, bunny?”
Your cheeks flushed, your heart skipped a beat in your chest.
“N-no,” you stuttered.
He took a step closer, that fox-like grin still on his face.
“Really?” Eris mocked. “You seem quite scared.”
“You tend to have that effect on everybody.”
“Do I?”
You knew he was teasing you, but it didn’t stop your heart from pounding nor did it do anything to quell the butterflies in your stomach. He was close enough now that you had to tilt your head back to look up at him. You had almost forgotten how tall he truly was.
You nodded, losing your voice as he took another step closer.
“And why is that?”
You cleared your throat, your hands finding the edge of the counter behind you so you could brace yourself. “It probably has to do with your reputation.”
“I have a reputation?”
The question sounded more like a joke on his tongue. Eris raised his eyebrows at you in suggestion and you swallowed audibly.
He took another step closer, now easily within reach of you. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, a small tremble shook your legs. But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It was more like anticipation. But for what? That was the part you couldn’t figure out.
“You know you do,” you said, narrowing your eyes. “You’ve gone to great lengths to make sure of it.”
Something inside of you could see the mask Eris liked to wear. Another step closer and you could feel the heat coming from his body. It seemed to reach out to you, like standing near a warm fire. Your body softened in response.
“You’re right. I have,” Eris cooed. “But I don’t care about everyone. I want to know if you are scared of me.”
He was so close now, only inches away from you, his handsome face looming over you. The sun setting caused a golden hue to stream through the window, making his crimson hair shine like molten metal.
“No,” you whispered, your head now fully tilted up to look at him. “But I think…I think I should be.”
Based on everything you had been told about him, at least.
Eris’s eyes darkened as he gazed down at you. The silence was thick, the tension in your body heightened. You were captive to his stare—to those whiskey amber eyes. Something ached terribly in your chest.
Eris reached out a hand, hooking some of your hair behind a pointed ear. He leaned down, resting his hands on the counter behind you, caging you in. It almost seemed as if he was going to kiss you but instead his mouth landed by your ear.
“You’re right, bunny,” he purred. “You should be.”
A chill ran down your spine as Eris stood back up. He seemed to relish in the way your body had responded to him, his grin turning smug and haughty. You should step away from him. Logically, you knew you should move. But something kept your feet ensnared—just like that day in the library.
His stare held an intensity that made your mouth dry. Something loomed beneath–the weight of all the secrets he seemed to keep. Your eyes were a stark contrast to his. Wide and full of every emotion that ran through you, no deception to be found.
Footsteps coming towards the door to the kitchen broke whatever spell you had been under. In a blink of an eye, Eris was almost on the other side of the room, his back resting against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
The doors pushed open and Lucien walked in. He paused on the threshold, his eyes narrowing on his brother before they drifted to you. He looked you up and down, as if he was inspecting you for damage. Seeming content that you were in one piece, he glanced warily at Eris.
He rolled his eyes at his brother’s grin.
“Leave Y/n alone,” Lucien grumbled. “She doesn’t like your little games. Come, you requested a meeting with me. Let’s get this over with so I take her home.”
He nodded his head towards the door before leaving Eris to follow him. Eris gave you one last parting look on his way out. A look that would linger in your mind for the following weeks.
· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·
The Dawn Court was radiant and you couldn’t stop spinning in circles, taking in the opalescent golden stone palace, grand staircases and ornate archways. Morning glories wrapped around pillars, drooping wisterias hung from every railing. It was beautiful, breathtaking. You could hardly believe your eyes.
You smoothed down the skirt of your midnight blue ball gown, feeling slightly out of place amongst all the pretty pastel colors of the Dawn Court. It was the first time you’d been out of the Night Court, besides that slight, accidental trip to Autumn.
Later today, you would be meeting with the rest of the High Lords, as well as Vassa and her court to discuss a peace treaty. Rhys had insisted on bringing you despite Feyre’s hesitation. But he had made the point that the humans might take more kindly to someone familiar, someone who used to be like them.
Nesta had been the first choice, but she and Cassian were still away on their mating vacation. Elain had been set to come today instead of you until Rhys had found out that Lord Nolan and Graysen would be attending the meeting and thus, Elain was spared the uncomfortable reunion and you were put in her place.
Not that you were complaining. You were excited to finally be involved.
The courtier from Dawn led your group to the suite your court would be staying in. It was carved from sunstone, with a lavish sitting area and private dining room—all decorated beautifully with jewel-toned fabrics and cushions stacked along the thick carpet. Bird cages hung from the ceiling in the corner of the room, right next to a large window that overlooked the countryside.
Once the courtier left, Rhys was quick to throw up several wards around the room. “Don’t get too comfortable yet. Eris is slipping by to meet before the official gathering.”
Mor groaned and plopped down on a settee, throwing her arm over her eyes.
“Perhaps you’d like to go rest for a spell in your room, Y/n?” Your sister suggested.
You saw her words for what they were though. They didn’t want you around when Eris came. You might’ve tried to argue against it but decided to not push your luck today. They were already letting you come to the meeting.
You gave her a small nod and disappeared into one of the rooms. Still feeling a bit nauseated from all the winnowing, you laid down on the soft bed and drifted off into a mid afternoon nap.
It only felt like a second had gone by when you eventually woke. You cursed as you looked out the small bay window, seeing the sun far lower than it had been when you had fallen asleep. You rose quickly and smoothed out your hair and dress.
You sat down at a small vanity and touched up your makeup before finally leaving your room, not even checking if they were still in a meeting with Eris or not, not wanting to be late.
Your door creaked open and several heads twisted your way—including a very handsome one with flaming red hair. You blinked in surprise, your cheeks turning a bit pink at the sudden attention.
“My apologies,” you murmured, embarrassed. “I didn’t know we still had company.”
Your eyes darted to your sister, hoping she wasn’t upset with you, but Feyre’s face didn’t falter. Her eyes only softened as she looked at you. “It’s okay, we’re almost done here anyways.”
Eris shot up suddenly, knocking his chair back.
“What is she doing here?” he hissed.
Your eyes widened in shock, taken aback by both his words and his tone. Rhys’s eyebrows raised and Feyre frowned at the redhead.
“What does it matter to you?” Rhys asked, his face carefully blank.
Eris scoffed and straightened out the sleeves of his coat. The frazzled look in his eye flickered away and his perfectly crafted mask was back in place. “It matters little to me. But considering you’ve gone to such lengths keeping her hidden, I’m surprised you’d allow her here knowing who will be at this meeting. My father is going to be displeased to know that you have not three but four Made females residing in your court now. It might make him…less agreeable.”
“You think having her here is going to cause problems with your father?”
“I know having her here is going to cause problems with my father.”
You bristled at the way you were being spoken about as if you weren't standing in the very same room as them.
“Why should we care about your father’s feelings on the matter?” Azriel spat out, crossing his arms.
“You want him to sign your little peace treaty, do you not?” Eris sneered at Azriel, his tone full of condescension.
“We also need the humans to agree upon the treaty,” Feyre cut in. “And Y/n has been working with your brother as an emissary to gain their trust. Since Lucien cannot be here, it is vital that she is present at this meeting.”
“You're delusional if you think it’s going to be harder to get the humans to sign the treaty than my father,” Eris said in that haughty tone of his. “He still thinks about that kernel of power you took from him. Power is all that matters to him and having all four made sisters in your court is going to be an issue in his eyes.”
“We have other ways to entice your father,” Rhys said with a shrug.
You were still taken aback, unable to even form words to leave your mouth. You hadn’t been aware that your presence would cause such drama. You were nothing. No one. Just another Archeron sister. You didn’t even have powers outside the normal High Fae ones, like summoning things and winnowing.
You didn’t miss the blink of fear that passed through Eris’s eyes, but no one else seemed to catch it. He still stood, his palms now pressed against the table separating him from the rest of your court.
“Why is it that no one knows about her, anyways?” he asked. “Why is it that all reports only mention the other two sisters being put in the Cauldron and not Y/n?”
A shiver ran down your spine at the sound of your name on his lips. But whatever feeling that was passed as a memory of that horrid day came at the reminder of the Cauldron.
“Put the little one in first,” the King of Hybern ordered, smugly, as he kept eye contact with Feyre. She was pleading with him to let you go. Pleading and begging with her own life. You knew why he chose you to go in first. He knew that it would cause Feyre more grief, more stress.
The feeling of hands all over you as you fought against your binds. Hands that were dragging you closer and closer to the huge Cauldron that sat in the middle of the room. You were screaming through your gag. Tears were streaming down your face.
You could even hear your sister’s ex lover demanding the King put a stop to this.
“She is just a girl, a child,” someone in the room hissed. “Stop this!”
And you supposed you were—especially to the fae. You were almost seventeen, your birthday falling on the Autumn equinox, when both day and night were equal lengths. It was all you kept thinking about as you were dragged to the Cauldron.
Four months.
Four months until Autumn.
And then you had been pushed underneath the dark water and your humanity had been stripped away from you.
Your heart was pounding at the thought of that day, of everything that had happened afterwards. Eris’s eyes flickered to you for a moment and you got the sense that he almost knew where your mind had drifted. Feyre gave you a look of concern.
It struck you now that it had been three years since that day.
Three years.
Three years since your life had been forever changed.
“Your contacts must not be very good at their jobs,” Rhys said in answer to Eris’s question. But you were also pondering it. Why is it that most of Prythian did not know of your existence? Why is it that the reports of that day only ever mention Nesta and Elain?
Eris didn’t look like he believed Rhysand either.
“Fine, whatever, I don’t have time to argue with you. My father is expecting me back any moment now,” Eris finally said, standing to his full height. His gaze drifted to you for a second before he glared down at Rhys.
“Send her away,” he spoke through his teeth and then he winnowed away, leaving only crackling embers in his wake.
· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·
a/n: I got a lil inspired by that tiktok audio that’s like “I’m spooky? Do you think I’m spooky?” or whatever for the kitchen scene if you couldn’t tell haha. I hope this second part did not disappoint! So sorry for how long you guys had to wait to read it!
Tag list: @dwkfan @pinksmellslikelove @vellichor01 @whatdoyxumean @minnieoo @hnyclover @daughterofthemoons-stuff @ferrarisbitch @thaynarajejheje @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @the-sweet-psycho
*If you asked to be on the taglist and you don't see your username, tumblr wouldn't let me tag you for some reason :(
#acotar#acotar fanfiction#acotar x reader#acotar x you#eris fanfic#eris x y/n#eris x you#eris vanserra#eris x reader#eris acotar#autumn court#archeron sisters
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Hello! I saw your rules so I decided to I guess rerequest in the way you asked. I was wondering if you could write about a female reader coming in one day with a sundress and Miguel just goes absolutely feral. He’s just trying to keep it professionally but ends up failing and just going ham on the reader
OMG anon i'm kissing your brain hehehehe (summer is killing us all besties : please don't forget to hydrate yourself <3)
summary : miguel sees you in a sundress
content warning : SMUT (18+) minors dni, fingering, biting and marking, this man is so in love with you, fem!reader, no use of Y/N, praise
word count : 1,6k
Summer had arrived, and as in most dimensions, except for the apocalyptic two or three where everything was frozen or the weather had simply declined with little chance of a return, it was hot.
And although the air-conditioning was in every room and corridor of the spider society, that in no way prevented members from dressing a little more lightly, although some might find this a sign of a lack of professionalism, one in particular, needless to mention, whose name began with Mi and ended with Guel.
Today was a fairly hot day, and all the spiders were practically fighting for ice cubes, a spot of coolness that would bring them comfort. Many of them were dressed in shorts, a variety of shirts, t-shirts, skirts and even tank tops.
So you seized the opportunity and put on a summer dress. It was charming, in your favourite colour, not too long and not too short, stopping just above the knees, with a beautifully plunging neckline to show off your curves. It was light, incredibly comfortable to wear, and needless to say that in spider society, it was a change to see you like this.
Like most of the members, people were used to seeing you in your suit, or in civilian clothes that could be considered professional. But this dress? It was a little ray of freshness.
Miguel was chatting in the cafeteria with Jessica and Peter, all having a serious discussion that you were supposed to join. You entered the cafeteria, looking around for them.
"Oh, hey over here!" called Peter to you with a smile, "Oh. My. God. What's the occasion for you dressing like that?"
Miguel, who until now had been stubbornly focused on getting Peter to stand still for this meeting, huffed before turning his head and...
He became static, his breath caught, his eyes wide open as he watched you come towards him. All the others were oysters, and you were a pearl: the best of them all, the most beautiful, the purest.
You offered a gentle smile as you came closer, and his lips parted slightly as the gesture gave him the warmth of thousands of sunbeams.
"It's true that you look ravishing, cutie," Jess admitted as you sat down next to Miguel, facing the other two on the opposite side of the table. "What's the occasion?" she repeated after Peter's question.
"Yeah," said Miguel, clearing his throat as he straightened up and pretended to keep a straight face, "what's the occasion?
You gave them all a small, smiling laugh.
"Nothing in particular, I'm just trying to beat the heat," you said as you took your seat, "why? I shouldn't have?" The possibility that your attire might pose a problem in maintaining the balance of the multiverse hadn't occurred to you.
"No!" The strength with which Miguel denied this surprised you all.
He swallowed, his sentence had come out a little stronger and a little more involved than he had intended.
"No," he pulled himself together as he took on his usual grumpy tone that everyone knew well, "although it's a lack of professionalism, we're not going so far as to prevent your freedom of clothing in the Society."
Well caught up, he thought as he brought his glass of water to his lips. Around the table, he was the only one wearing his suit. Because it was made of pixels and produced by a refined technological composite, he didn't suffer from the heat. Jess was wearing a t-shirt and cycling shorts, Peter a shirt and trousers, and you your summer dress.
Jess and Peter exchanged a quick glance, a mischievous smile stretching across their lips. Most of the elite and close teammates knew about your relationship with Miguel, and although he wasn't always the most public about your relationship, he cared about you immensely, and they both could only imagine the effect you were having on him.
"So, what did I miss?" you asked.
Jess started to explain the situation, but Miguel wasn't really listening. His eyes were obviously riveted on you, and even when he tried to refocus on the conversation, his thoughts and eyes were redirected in your direction as if magnetised.
You were... radiant, beautiful, and... for a moment his eyes went down to the bench you were sharing: the skirt part of your dress was slightly pleated, exposing the skin of your slightly spread thighs, sinking into the space where your cunt was.
He suddenly had the urge to slide his hand over your soft skin, to press it between his fingers and see the bounce of it brimming over under the grip of his hand.
And your cleavage was showing your bare skin, and he wanted to kiss your neck, to nibble your collarbone as he kissed down to the hollow of your breasts...
Keeping his hands to himself was becoming complicated, every little movement you made, even if it was just to readjust your sleeve over your shoulder, was becoming intoxicating. How was it possible to become even hotter by wearing more clothes?
His professionalism really started to take a hit when your leg inadvertently brushed against his, a shiver running down his spine.
But he couldn't touch you here, there was no tablecloth at this cafeteria table that could conceal his desires.
How he longed to do it, even if it was just to touch your thigh with his fingers, to run his hands over your sublimely covered body and to-
"Miguel? Can you remind us about what the last reports stipulated considering the last anomaly?" asked Peter, bursting Miguel's thought bubble, "I can't remember it for the life of me, it must be the heat." he complained. "What do you guys say we postpone this meeting? I can't think straight no matter how many fresh cocktails i drink."
It was true that the glasses had accumulated on Peter's side. A sigh escaped Jessica's lips.
" I regret to say it, but I agree. We can't think properly with the temperature."
Tell me about it, thought Miguel. He didn't care about the temperature, the real distraction was you. He exchanged a glance with you, and you looked at him with a small smile, waiting for his answer.
"Good," he said, simply nodding. "I won't detain you, you can leave."
Peter let out a small chirp, he and Jess getting up from the table to leave. Once away, you turned to Miguel, tilting your head to the side in playful puzzlement.
"The great Miguel O'Hara closing a meeting like that? Summer really does have its magic."
If summer could let him see you every day in that outfit, he'd make sure it lasted forever. His eyes roamed your silhouette again, biting the inside of his cheek. His hand skimmed the side of your leg, hovering gently over it until he placed it on the inside of your thigh, pressing.
You breathed a small sigh of relief, his eyes returning to yours.
"I'm guessing you like the dress," you said more softly.
"Very," he replied simply.
His behaviour was becoming less and less... acceptable in public. So he took your hand and led you out of the cafeteria. Would he be able to wait until you returned to his quarters ? Probably not.
But he knew every nook and cranny of the building, it was his, so you passed down one corridor, then two, then three, until you came to an alleyway you'd never seen before, darkened by the lack of activity.
He glanced in each direction, then immediately came to press you against the first wall you came to, kissing you hungrily.
"That dress is going to be the death of me," he murmured as he came to kiss your cheek followed by your neck, his hands placed on your waist and thigh as he feasted on your skin.
His hand slid up your leg, gripping the warm skin of your thigh as you let out a moan. His fingers moved up your inner thigh almost hastily, unable to contain his need to touch you.
"You're so pretty," he breathed as he came back to kiss you, "all pretty for me, nena."
His fingers reached the fabric of your panties, your body arching. His fingers went under the elastic of the latter and down to your cunt.
"Tengo la novia más linda del mundo," he whispered, kissing the back of your neck, tracing the line of your pulse as he made circular movements around your clit. "Such a beautiful body," he inserted a finger inside you, making you whine softly, "such a beautiful voice," your wetness was starting to stick to his hand. "And it's all mine."
With his other hand, he shifted the short sleeve of your dress, exposing more of your shoulder and placing soft pecks on it. His lips caressed your skin, and his fangs grazed it as he added a second finger.
He was curving his fingers in a sublime way, the strokes combining perfectly with the undulations he was making and hitting the perfect spot.
He kissed the skin of your shoulder, sucking it until it left a bluish mark.
"All mine," he repeated in a murmur as he ran his tongue over the mark he'd just made.
Your moans multiplied, breath hitching, bringing you closer and closer to orgasm, the hot cloud in your lower belly and back spreading.
"Come nena, let me see your pretty face when you do," he said, kissing you a little before pulling back and watching you with his drunken eyes.
You came, your legs all wobbly as Miguel's hand came to rest on your back to keep you upright. He kissed your temple and forehead, calming you gently.
"You're a dream," he said, covering the mark he'd left on your skin with your sleeve as you trembled, only he was aware of the hold he had over you.
Needless to say, from that day on in the summer, the air-conditioning became suspiciously faulty, because he had every intention of seeing you wearing that dress again.
#madschiavelique ⟢ ݁ ˖‧˚₊ ☁︎#mads' requests ⟢ ݁ ˖‧˚₊ ☁︎#miguel o’hara x reader#miguel o'hara x you#miguel o'hara x y/n#miguel o'hara x fem!reader#miguel o'hara smut#miguel o'hara#miguel o'hara one shot#miguel o'hara across the spiderverse#miguel ohara#miguel ohara x reader#miguel x reader#miguel x you#miguel x y/n#atsv miguel#atsv x reader#atsv smut#miguel spiderman#miguel atsv#miguel spiderverse
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about a girl
carmy berzatto x reader (no use of y/n)
warnings: mutual pining, friends with benefits, bdsm dom/sub undertones (some much needed dom! carmen), implied age gap, dirty talk, choking, masturbation, lots of lewd thoughts
wc: 3.8k
a/n: getting excited for season 2 & decided to write a fic for the first time!! staring everyone’s husband & a newer employee at the bear. lots of mutual pining and tension. this was done in a mad frenzy on my phone so i apologize about lack of refinement! please enjoy my horniness over carmy :) i’m thinking about maybe writing a part 2 so stay tuned if you like it <3
nirvana - about a girl
it was never supposed to go this far.
it was never supposed to end up in this position, with her big eyes gazing up at his towering stature, her lips slightly parted, breath heavy.
all of the deliberation, the firm decisions to not pursue, the promises he made to himself, the longing eyes torn away too soon.
he brought his big hand to caress the side of her jaw, and scanned his eyes over her flushed face. she stared up at carmen with blown pupils, leaning into his touch. he likes the way she looks right now—entirely at his mercy, so eager for more of his touches. he continues, running his thumb along the soft skin of her cheek, then delicately tracing it over her supple lips. he swiped over the swell of her bottom lip, pushing it to the side and gently down to reveal her teeth. he fought the urge to push his thumb into her mouth and watch her plump lips suck.
“please,” she breathed out
he clenched his jaw, tore his eyes away from her lips and into her doleful eyes. how he loved the way she sounded and longed to hear more; longed to hear his name exhaled from her mouth; longed to hear pleads and whimpers. he reminds himself to be slow, with gentle sweet touches as to not to startle her; pushing away the many images of what he wants to do to her out of his mind.
“please what?” he asks, thumb still resting on her lip.
her hand creeped up his leg, then fingers timidly hooked onto his belt.
“can i…” she sheepishly turned her face, darting her eyes away. carmen slightly tightens his grip on her jaw, pulling her back to meet his eyes.
“fuck” he exhales sharply, “you know what you do to me?” he takes his finger off her lip, brushing her cheek gently and trailing his fingers down her neck to caress; very delicately squeezing— just enough to hear her let out a sweet sounding breath and watch her cheeks flush at the action. he noticed very quickly the way she gravitated towards his natural dominance; the way her body relaxed and eyes would soften when he gave her commands, or hover over her like this.
his hand traces from her neck and down over the black crew neck shirt she wears, grabbing the hem and pushing it up over her breasts. he groans at the sight, bringing an inked hand to softly caress her right breast, checking her face before gently squeezing before rubbing his thumb over her perked nipple. she fights against a whimper, biting her lip to keep it in. he continues soft circles around the bud, then gently pulls it. her mouth falls open with a pant. carmy brings his left hand to caress her other breast, squeezing them in tandem before removing his hands completely, earning a huff of frustration from the girl. to this, carmen brings his hand back up to grab her face. he leans over, their faces inches apart, and stares into her eyes. “don’t give me that,” he says in a gruff tone. “you know what you’re here for.” cold blue irises overtake her vision, and she attempts to relieve herself of the intense eye contact, eyes darting down to his soft lips, but then quickly back up. the rule was no kissing, as both agreed early on that it blurs the lines too much. he tightens his grip, slightly. she could feel his warm breath on her lips and shifted, trying to alleviate the slick ache in her core.
“carm,” she breathes out, leaning forward, lips ghosting his, he smells so good. he removes his hand from her face, pulling away and standing, a stiffness in his jaw. she leans forward to touch his thighs, “can i just… suck it? to make up for today?” she sweetly asks, kissing his clothed thigh a few times, inching towards his firm bulge.
“fuck” he groans in response, taking in every detail of the scene in front of him. he smirks a bit and rubs a hand over his face, looking at the slightly cracked ceiling of his dark office— then back down at her kneeling form, with eager eyes and soft fingers teasing the threshold of his pants and bare skin.
“yeah? you- you wanna suck it? make up for being a brat earlier?” he asks in a low tone, feeling a pulse in his pants. she enthusiastically nods, biting the edge of her lip. he goes to unbuckle his belt when a loud and sharp bang on the closed door of the office interrupts the two— eliciting a sharp gasp from her. carmen reacts quickly by grabbing her arms and pulling her to her feet, helping her shove her shirt down over her bare chest.
the door swings open to reveal richie, who’s eyebrows raised at the two’s proximity— noticing carmen’s deep breaths and the girl’s flushed face.
“am i interrupting something in here?” richie said with a growing grin on his face.
“no,” carmen retorted quickly, eyes glancing at the girls figure next to him. “i was just telling her she’s fine to go home”. he turns towards the desk and away from richie with the hope to conceal his tented pants. the girl meekly nods, meeting his eyes one last time with a wanting gaze.
“goodnight chef,” she offers softly before slipping by richie and out of the small office. he watches the way her fingers brush her hair past a golden hoop and behind her ear revealing her soft neck, dark with a mark from where his lips had been earlier.
carmy tears his eyes away, taking deep breaths to cool down. he runs a hand through his tousled hair, patting his pockets in search of his cigarette carton.
“what do you want?” he asks gruffly. richie begins his tangent— complaining about “some fuckhead customer coming in at close” and continuing by ranting about his troubles with the new register system. carmen could care less, zoning out as he watched her figure pass by the office door and exit out the back. he was stupid for telling her to get down on her knees in his office, he thought. at least while closing with the most disruptive employee at the bear.
“yo. yo, cousin! you listening to me man?” richie shoved his shoulder, bringing him back to the conversation.
“yes, i was fuckin’ listening,” he snaps, bringing a tattooed hand up to squeeze the side of his neck. he was blatantly lying— richie knew the same, and persisted.
“no you weren’t, you were watching her leave. shit, you know, you better not have the hots for her, man. it’s best to leave the college girls alone, trust me!”
“fuck richie, i told you it’s not like that.” carmen snapped, shoving past him and through the door of the small office, cigarettes in hand.
“okay, whatever man, i saw the guilt all over your faces once i opened the door.” richie continues, “just don’t come crying to me once you’re in too deep, alright?”
carmen tenses. “i don’t get involved with my employees. you’re imagining things.” he runs a hand through his curls. “now get the fuck out of here already, cousin. i’m going out to smoke.”
“yeah, yeah, whatever.” richie turns to leave, pauses and turns back, “you know i wouldn’t blame you one bit, carmy. she really is a hot piece of a-“
“fuck richie! go home!” carmen interrupts with exasperation. he just wanted the topic to be dropped completely; her name never gracing anyone’s lips but his. any teasing carmen endured regarding her would make him snap almost immediately— because he knew it was completely true. she was younger than him, in her fourth year at the university nearby, and he knew how bad that looked, especially being her boss.
but he had such little self control when it came to her, for reasons unknown. the pull towards her was almost magnetic.
carmen pushes out the back door, cigarette resting in between his lips and a furrow on his brow. a breeze brushes past him as he steps out into the alleyway, the night warm and air thick with june moisture. he notices her to the side of the building almost immediately, letting her thick hair down from a claw clip, waves cascading over her bare shoulders, body clothed by a small halter top tied around her neck. his jaw twitches, raking her in with his eyes and admiring the newly exposed fabric, which he had shamelessly eyed peeking out from under her work clothes earlier. he clears his throat, catching her eye, and walks over to the side of the building.
“hey,” he says simply. her lips shyly curve upwards.
“hi.” a soft response
they share a beat of silence. carmen fishes a lighter out of his pocket and sparks a flame, deeply inhaling the smoke. “you got plans?” he asks, gesturing to her change in outfit, eyes quickly raking over her exposed shoulders and midriff. she shakes her head no, leaning against the wall of the alley, eyes forward. he doesn’t break his stare.
“it was really warm in there…” she elaborates, letting out a breath. a slight smile cracks his face for just a moment, bringing the cigarette to his lips for a drag.
“embarrassed?” he asks, ever so slightly teasing. she whips her head to face him, cheeks reddening.
“are you not?” she exasperates.
carmen shakes his head slightly, “no, he, uh…he didn’t see anything.”
he watches her visibly untense, as her creased brows relax a bit, and she slowly nods her head, “okay, good… i thought i might’ve given richie an eyeful.” carmy lets out a short breath through his nose in humor and clears his throat, eyeing the girl next to him before speaking.
“yeah, uh…that’s my bad. we probably shouldn’t mess around in the restaurant.”
she nods in agreement, with an utterance of a soft, “yeah, we shouldn’t,” trying to hide her slight disappointment. she waits a moment, seeing if he’ll say something else. yearning for an invitation to continue what richie interrupted earlier somewhere else. she takes in his standing form, muscled arms clad in pristine white and imagines what it would be like to sleep in those same arms, to be protected from anything and everything.
she lets out a soft sight, tearing her eyes away, pulling out her phone and checking the time before saying, “i should probably head home, it’s kinda late.”
carmen glances at her. “you got a ride?” he asks.
“no,” she shakes her head, “i’m only like 20 minutes away. just gonna walk.”
“what?” he asks, brows furrowing, “no you’re not.”
“uh, why?” she asks with uncertainty. he scans her face, in disbelief to her obliviousness, but finds she is completely serious.
“because it’s 11 o’clock. and we live in chicago” and you’re dressed like that and i can see your nipples through that shirt and i don’t want anyone to fuckin’ abduct you he chooses not to add, flickering his eyes over her form. she crosses her arms, turning to face carmen, moving closer.
“i have pepper spray,” she rebutes. his facial expression doesn’t change, stoic and wholly unconvinced. “aand,” she adds with a smile, flexing her bicep, “i have these babies.”
his face breaks, unintentionally smirking and looking away, which eggs her on.
“i’m serious, carm! i’ve been hitting the gym. they’re almost as big as yours,” she says, poking the small muscle. he watches her with a soft smile on his face, entertained by the girl's antics to try and convince him. carmy takes a final drag, drops the butt of the cigarette and steps on it, then begins walking.
“cmon,” he says to her, “ ‘m gonna give you a ride home.”
she was confident she would be able to get home safely by herself, as she had done many times before that. that being said, she wasn’t necessarily eager to turn down a ride and endure a long, anxiety-filled walk home. so she follows after carmy, lightly smiling to herself. he manually unlocks the older car, climbing in and opening the passenger door from the inside. she says a soft thanks as she gets in the car, closing the door behind her. she looks around, as carmen starts the car with a rumble, at the various items scattered in the confined space. the interior smells like cigarettes and dark roast.
“uh, sorry for the mess,” he apologizes. she wasn’t really focused on the mess- empty coffee cups and papers scattered about- just how her heart continued to inexplicably pound against her ribs. she offers him a small smile, “i don’t mind.”
carmy shifts the gear into drive, and she points with her finger, listing off a few directions, to which he nods. it’s a fairly quiet drive before he lightly clears his throat and glances at the passenger.
“i, uh… i didn’t know you were walking home every night,” he breaks the silence.
“yeah, it… can get sketchy sometimes. but it’s really not that bad,” she replies. he looks over with a concerned expression on his face. a beat of silence.
“i’m gonna drive you home from now on,” he tells the girl.
she glances at him with confusion on her face, “huh? carmy, you really don’t have to. i don’t wanna put you out.”
his jaw tightens a bit, “i don’t want you walking home alone when it’s dark,” he solidifies. a moment of quiet falls before he decides to add, “you’re not puttin’ me out, either.” she goes quiet at this, heart relentlessly beating in her ears at the gesture. they go silent for a moment, stopped at an empty red light, waiting for it to change.
“carm?” she asks. he turns to meet her eyes, face cast in an orange hue from the glow of traffic light. she continues, now under the pressure of his gaze, “is-…does earlier- i mean,” she lets out a breath, “in the office, does it…count?” she stammers out, avoiding his eyes. he fights a smirk, as he so often does with her, eyes shifting back to the road, light now green.
“count? you mean, as a punishment?” he asks, “for being bratty, when i gave you orders?” there’s the slightest edge in his tone, a gruffness to it that reignites the ache in her core and makes her face feel incredibly hot. she slowly nods, eyes daring to creep up onto the man’s side face, admiring the curvature of his nose, his lips, jaw, neck, chest— ignoring the growing urge to grab his face to smash her lips against his, or even devour him completely.
“what do you think?” carmen asks, quickly glancing at her up and down, “you learn your lesson?”
she bites down on her lip, hard; a dull pulse in her lower regions, clenching around nothing. she had never come across anyone who had such an effect on her with just simple words, the combination of his demeanor and voice making her head spin with infatuation and an arising goal to get back on her knees in front of him tonight.
“what lesson?” she challenges with, a smile ghosting the edges of her lips. he wanted so badly to pull the car off to the side of the road, drag her to the backseat, fuck her into submission, his head swimming with lust.
“guess not,” comes his reply, low in tone.
she presses her thighs together, focusing on the remaining road in front of them as they approach her street. the car slows to a stop outside her apartment unit, engine idling as she unbuckles her seatbelt. she mentally encourages herself to be bold— turning to face the driver, sitting up and pushing her chest out a bit, allowing her growing lust to give her confidence and take a chance. she pushes a piece of hair behind her ear, “do you…want to come inside?” their locking eyes increasing the fire between them.
his automatic instinct, entranced by her, is to say yes, follow her upstairs, and blow off some steam (which god knows he needed). but he falters, deliberating their relationship and the complexities that would arise as they continued to spend time together and grow closer. the two’s relationship was anything but appropriate, given their circumstances, and carmen knew this. he feared the possibility of stepping into an apartment that smells completely of her, that emanates her essence, and would subsequently be unable to leave, completely wrapped around her finger. he opens his mouth to answer her, but the pause she receives from him was enough to signify an answer, and she drops her eyes to the ground, grabbing her bag and opening the car door.
“nevermind,” she get out of the car, ears feeling hot, “thank you for the ride, really,” she reiterates, now standing on the asphalt outside her complex. she moves to close the door, and he says her name.
“- hey, wait a second.”
she pauses, locking eyes with him as her face heats up, eager to make her exit after the sting of rejection. he looks away, then back at the girl, bringing a hand from the steering wheel to rub his chin.
“why don’t you come over to mine tomorrow night, after we close?” he asks. she looks away from his unwavering gaze, crossing her arms. she felt a small jump in her chest at the thought of going to his place for the first time, but decides to even the playing field slightly. she pretends to deliberate the invitation a bit, knowing full well where she would be the following night.
“you only scheduled me until 7,” she reminds him.
“i’ll pick you up,” he offers, “on my way home.”
she lets a small smile grace her face, uncrossing her arms.
“okay,” she responds.
“okay,” he says back, “good.”
she adjusts her top, slightly pulling it upwards and revealing to him more of her rib cage, teasing the threshold of the soft skin under her breast. he briefly questions if his decision of staying in his car is the wrong one.
“goodnight carmy,” she chimes
“yeah, ‘night,” he tells her before watching the car door slam shut. his eyes follow her, car idling, as she walks across the pavement and up the stairs to her complex. she fumbles with the key a bit, and opens the front door, turning back and giving carmen a small wave. he puts his hand up, returning the gesture, and watching as she safely gets into her apartment for the night. once the door closes he lets out a breath, shifting the car back into drive, and continuing home, alone.
once in his apartment, sliding his shoes off and throwing his keys on the table, he collapses on the couch and runs his hand over his forehead, rubbing his face. he closes his eyes, leaning his head back and taking a moment to breathe. his days at the restaurant felt longer than ever, as now the cherished times where could talk to the girl one on one usually only came while they weren’t working. he brings his hand to the dip of his neck, squeezing the tight muscles as he tilts his head to the side for more access. he thinks more about the girl— the stretch of fabric around her body, what color was it? he sighs, recalling nothing but the way the chill wind outside of his car raised the thin fabric. he lets go of his neck and drops his hand to his lap. her flushed face flashes in his mind, her heavy breaths, reminiscing of the way her body quivered under his delicate touches. he feels a twitch under his palm, entrapped by jeans and a zipper. breathing deeply, he slowly runs his hand over the length of his clothed member, stiffening quickly. he could physically feel the pent up sexual tension within his body, hips rutting up against his hand. without further thought carmy unbuttons his pants and shoves his underwear down far enough to comfortably remove his hardening cock from confinement. he’s immediately reminded of her earlier attempts to take care of his needs, doe eyes gazing up at him obediently. he lifts his shirt over his stomach, wrapping his fist around his length and squeezing slightly, clear precum beading at the head. as he slowly begins to pump his hand, he throws his head back closing his eyes, letting out a quiet but guttural “fuuck..”
behind his closed eyelids all he can think of is her. hair falling over glowing shoulders, shapely ass confined by tight jeans, the smell of her coconut perfume as he would pass her closely by. his pace picks up as he remembers the feeling of her breasts, skin soft and delicate under his calloused hands, aching for more of her to be touched by him. he feels a knot form deep within his stomach, amplified by the quickening strokes that can hardly keep up with his imagination. straightening his posture and shoving his pants down further, he imagines what it would be like to fuck her, the opportunity not yet having graced him. he figures she would be just as responsive as earlier, if not more when he’s burried deep inside of her. he gets more and more riled up at the thought of claiming her completely, making her dependent on his cock, his face flushed and hips snapping upwards to meet his hand. he can hear her voice in his head, smell her skin, and it’s all too overwhelming. with a stutter of his hips and a few more pumps, carmen cums, letting out a strangled moan and shooting out thick white ropes onto his stomach, eyes tightly shut. he folds forward slightly, breathing ragged, agonizingly thrusting his slick cock into his hand to ride out his orgasm, muscles contracting. he tingles from oversensitivity, falling backwards against the couch and catching his breath. he feels a small pang of shame, having just masturbated to the thought of one of his employees, it becoming impossible to even refer to her as only that. he groans at the mess, stripping his white shirt to clean the cum off of his abdomen, then standing to discard his pants and underwear completely. he tosses the pile of clothes into the hamper in his bedroom, walking to the bathroom and turning on the shower, not bothering for the water to heat up before he steps in and allows the water to engulf him.
it was never supposed to go this far— and the extent to which carmy found himself yearning to see her the next morning at the restaurant was off putting to no end, trying to convince himself that these feelings must be the novelty of the two’s newfound “friends with benefits” relationship. he reassures himself, anticipating the feelings to diminish over time as the thrill wears off, and the both of them get what they’re looking for, which was some simple fun. a functional relationship was next to impossible for his lifestyle, he reminds himself for the umpeenth time.
he still remained in control, he told himself, he just wanted to taste her before ending things, feel himself inside her.
it was never supposed to go this far— but he just wanted a little bit more.
—
thank you so much for reading! pls let me know what you think! <33
part 2 - safe in your skin
#carmen berzatto x reader#carmy x reader#carmy berzatto#carmy berzatto x reader#carmy berzatto smut#carmy berzatto imagine#the bear imagine
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Spotlight: Adam Stockhausen
Production Designer, The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar
Oscar winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (not pictured above, that’s Benedict Cumberbatch), whose work you may know from Wes Anderson films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Asteroid City, The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, and Moonrise Kingdom, as well as titles like Bridge of Spies, and West Side Story (2021), took the time to answer some questions.
Which details from or aspects of The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar did you focus the most on while adapting it to the screen? How did you meld Roald Dahl and Wes’s worlds?
The details on this one started with Dahl’s writing hut! We matched the details pretty carefully and exactly. As soon as we step outside of the hut though we start to move through the world of the story and the world of the stage at the same time. Wes had the idea of how he wanted to do this from the very beginning. My main challenge was trying to figure out how to pull it off—making the parts move and getting each to have the right detail.
What’s a small change you made on a project that ended up having an unexpectedly significant impact?
Lots of times this happens—where what seems like a small thing at the time becomes a very significant turning point. I’m in Berlin now writing this and remembering being here scouting for East Berlin for Bridge of Spies. We were struggling to find a section of town that still felt old enough to show the early 60s, and decided to take a chance on a quick search in Poland. That quick search changed the whole production plan and ultimately gave us the look of our East Berlin.
How has technology changed the way you approach your work?
Technology has definitely changed the way we plan the work. We used to model everything in cardboard or sometimes just plan in two dimensions with pencil and paper. We can now plan in 3-dimensional space using modeling programs and see what real lenses will do. This allows for more accurate planning and makes scenery moves like the casino set in Henry Sugar possible.
Do you have any signature easter eggs you like to leave? Any small details that you are particularly fond of?
I wouldn’t say there are easter eggs in this one. But there are loads of special details! I think my favorite might be the levitation boxes where we painted a perspective view of the background onto a prop box. The actor sitting on the box appears to be floating in a very special and theatrical way.
Did you talk about reflecting the iconic Quentin Blake illustrations in production design? How would you go about doing that?
Not really. They are such incredible drawings and I’d say they’ve been inspiring me since I saw them as a child! But for this the starting point was really the machine Wes devised to move us through the story—and pairing that to specific references scene by scene.
There is such an intentionality to the aesthetics of a Wes world. Is there a set or frame that took you a long time to get perfectly right?
All of them! It’s a very labor-intensive process getting these frames right. Occasionally one will click right away, but usually it’s a process of refining and refining. The jungle for instance went from sketches to models to samples and back again several times before the final look settled.
If you had to present one frame that showcases the best of your work, what would it be?
Oh my. Maybe the jungle? I really enjoyed making the jungle!
With all the moving sets in the trailer for The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar, it feels reminiscent of a theatre production. Are there distinct differences in approach between film and theatre and how much do you blur the lines between them in your work?
I think the lines are blurred completely! Or maybe they aren’t even there. I love that Henry Sugar is so incredibly theatrical in its storytelling. It allows us to show the artifice of the sets all the time which somehow makes them even more satisfying when they finally do line up and create a complete picture. I think the casino set is a perfect example—the pauses where it all lines up for a second are even more enjoyable because we get to see it broken apart and sliding away.
Thanks, Adam!
#spotlight#entertainment spotlight#adam stockhausen#wes anderson#production design#filmblr#wes weaving#web weaving
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Teaching Aventurine how to dance... 😫👀
Love this so much anon!! 😫😫 cause like
ahhh, just imagine teaching aventurine how to dance, it's making me giggle and kick my feet. Like, I can imagine him being somewhat shy at first because it's you and he likes you (but doesn't want to admit it) but then gradually becomes confident and taking a hold on the situation once he has the steps down (mainly because he doesn't want you to notice how easily you are able to fluster him without even trying) 😳👀
Imagine that Aventurine must attend a banquet of some sort for the IPC but it requires him to dance with a few refined ladies that will be attending.
"Now place your hand on my waist like this."
Which was how he found himself holding you against himself. The palm of his hand gently cradling your own hand. While his other hand fell to your waist and your free hand finding purchase onto his shoulder.
"Since you'll be the one leading, you'll want to move your feet like this. Remember not to go too fast or you'll be dragging your partner around like a ragdoll. But don't go too slow either or your partner will end up stepping on your toes."
He could feel the heat radiate off of you as you gave him gentle instruction on how to move across the floor to the beats and tones of the music playing.
"Do you know the steps now?"
Aventurine nodded. He couldn't trust his words right now. Not with the way you were pressed against him.
"Want to try leading?"
Another nod.
You found it unusual at how silent he was being. No quips or remarks. Just pure focus. When he originally asked you to teach him how to dance, you thought he was joking. Though, as he held you close and moved you slowly throughout the song that was playing, you were glad that it wasn't a joke and that he was taking this seriously.
"You're doing so well!"
He couldn't stop the blush that started to form on his cheeks. He knew he had to do something quick or you would start to notice his bluff of concentration, "well, it helps that I have such a wonderful instructor," he said with ease as he dipped you. His hand moving to your lower back as he held you.
You were surprised that he did such a move, but impressed nonetheless when he went to pull you back up with such ease and within tune of the song no less!
And to be completely honest, even though you were teaching him how to dance, you were glad that his first dance was with you even if that does sound selfish on your part. (Little did you know, however, he felt the same.)
"That reminds me, my dear instructor?"
He made a sudden movement, his arm moving to encircle your lower back and pull you tight against him. Your noses were barely grazing each other, your breaths mixing together.
"The invitation to the banquet says I can bring a plus one, so how about it instructor, care to join me?"
"But what of all those rich young ladies waiting to dance with the ever so handsome, blonde gambler," you said ever the dramatic, your lips forming a little grin as you did so.
He chuckled lightly, "now that I know how to properly dance - I believe I want my lovely instructor to be my one and only dance partner."
Aventurine was glad he was able to calm his beating heart and actually conquer the furious blush that coated his cheeks. Because you may be the one teaching him how to dance, but he plans to be the lead from here on out.
Besides, it frustrates him how you are able to fluster him so easily without even trying. Just once he wants to see you become a stuttering mess and not the other way around. (And who knows, maybe he can get a few more dance lessons while he was at it too.)
#honkai star rail#hsr#aventurine#hsr aventurine#aventurine x y/n#aventurine x you#aventurine x reader#honkai star rail aventurine
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What condition does donnie have in EW?
Schizophrenia?
Well, it’s a mix of PTSD from his childhood trauma, and hallucinations from being slightly exposed to Empyrean. So, while it’s all partly a cause based off fantasy, I do try and do my research to keep it in the realm of something concrete. Donnie has audio/visual hallucinations, depersonalization/dissociation, memory blanks, etc…. Pile that all, on top of his genius brain fighting a chaotic, disorganized mind that’s constantly in fight or flight mode.
I’ve had a few people say they recognize certain aspects of themselves in my Donnie, and so I think it’s less about assigning a specific name to what Donnie has, and more about the story of how he and the people that love him, help him in figuring out how to live a good life, while handling all the trauma he’s been through!
I’m right there with you, and that’s probably one of those things I gave all the boys to some extent, because damn, if that wasn’t me when I was younger 😅. I’ve since moved on to using less harmful means of stress relief, but it remains something that I just instantly read as an anxious habit lol—it’s just the levels and ways each of the boys exhibit it that vary.
Leo is the one more likely to pick and scratch to harm, because unfortunately, he does his as a type of holdover, self-flagellating from even the tiniest of mistakes. Mikey gets distracted with thinking up ideas, and bites his nails, sometimes a little too deeply. To the point where he’s drawing blood—it also sucks because he loves painting his nails. Raph will chew on his palms and knuckles from anxiety, but his skin is so tough, that he rarely does actual damage. Donnie will pick and scratch at everything—his hands, his arms, his face—especially when he hits a frustrating road-block. It won’t even register that he’s broken skin—his pain tolerance is so fucked up.
Donnie’s worst near death experience was, of course, the vivisection. He didn’t follow any after-care instructions, and infection very nearly killed him. Most of the other stuff was, of course, physically and mentally scarring, but not life-threatening. Thanks to being spaced out, with time for recovery, where Draxum just flat out ignored Three’s existence. As far as testing his endurance in the sleep department. Draxum made Three create a smaller, more refined version of the collars he made for Big Mama. When Draxum was tired of dealing with Three, but still feeling slightly generous, he’d force him to wear the device, rather than just chaining him up to the table. The watch would track Three’s heart rate and keep his path confined to set rooms only. Any time the watch detected Three was falling asleep, or outside of his approved perimeter, it would, you guessed it—shock him!
#rottmnt#rottmnt fanart#tmnt#tmnt fanart#rise donnie#rise of the tmnt#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#ask slushie#separated au#rottmnt separated au#Empyrean Weeping Au#ew au#my art#rise Leo#rise mikey#rise raph#rise draxum#tw self harm#tw skin picking#tw electrocution
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𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏: link
𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭, 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫, 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫, 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: reader is of age
note: do not let his dick fool you he is a bad man
𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞? 𝐍𝐨, 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
As you went in, William had his arm around your body which was covered in a towel. He held you close, while your wet feet slowly stepped onto the carpet. From an outsider's point of view, William seems like a friendly older man helping his son's friend. But you knew better. And he knew better too. Only Michael would stare at you two, with a small flash of alarm in his eyes, while the rest of the kids stare at the television. His father gave him a smile, which felt genuine, but Michael felt an uneasy feeling he couldn’t explain. Williams' smiles always left him unsettled. Always had him thinking. It had been since he was young. And this was no different, as he sat on the couch powerless.
As you went into the bathroom to change from your purple swimsuit, you heard the door locking behind you. You glance to the source of the sound, there stood William eyeing you up and down, leaning against the tiled walls. “Now. I wanted to be with you privately.” He says, deeply in his baritone voice.
“Didn’t want to have a conversation with all those interruptions. Can you blame me dear?” A rich chuckle left out of his mouth. It sounded comforting, but the way he peers at you could say otherwise. He gradually walked closer, and once he was finally near you, his stare went down to your doe face. “I just wanted alone time with you, love. That’s all.”
You nodded to his words, however it almost made you nervous. But you can trust Mr. Afton. Right? He was such a nice man. His praise, and his charm. His touch, and his words. You can trust him. Right?
“Do you need help with those straps?” He said kindly, his figure towering over you. Dwindling you so much more– his company becoming domineering. You look up at him, and give him an awkward nod. “That be.. Uh, great.” He hums in response and comes closer to you, putting his fingers right near the tight ribboned straps on the shoulder. You could smell the wisp of cigarettes and whiskey from him, reminding you of the time he made you moan in the kitchen months ago. Reminding you of the time of how he deflowered you on that damn table. You look down to the ground, trying to shake off the thought, but you could feel your cheeks becoming heated. It also didn’t help that you could smell the scent of his cologne. Expensive, refined and strong. Fitting for him.
As he unties the straps of your swimwear you could feel yourself being backed against the marble countertop where the sink resided. The space between you two is becoming less and less. The deafening silence between you two is becoming more and more. The only sounds were your breath and the rustling of fabric within his hands. “You know..” William suddenly said, breaking the tension.
“I missed you.” You immediately look up to him as he says that, your eyebrows in a confused furrow. “Missed me.?”
“Yes. Missed you.” He answered, with a smirk on his face. He then chuckles harshly, “God, I missed you.. I missed your face, your smile, your eyes. That scent. That voice. I missed it all– I was loosing my fucking mind.” Your mouth agape, as you continue stare eye to eye.
“Do you know how hard it is for me? Do you know how much I crave you? God.. Every night without you, I was stroking myself thinking about you. Thinking about that first time, where I saw your pretty face in tears and your pretty body all covered in marks.”
He started to hastily take the straps of your swimsuit, as he continued to hushedly speak. Impatient. Starved. “I dreamed about you, you and your lips screaming my name. Your eyes rolled back, your hands trembling, your thighs all slick and wet. Love, do you understand how I have to take you again?
Nothing came out of your mouth. But you stared at him, face all red and body against the counter. Like the time he trapped his body against you to take the flour from the cabinets. Like the time he held you against the kitchen table. He took the last strap off, and finally your top was exposed. He stared at your chest for a good second, until he looked up at you. A smile spread upon his face, but it wasn’t a polite one. A more, perverse one. It was a wolf in bunny clothing.
“William, I-” And before you could even speak in response to his question, he held your wrist and planted his lips against yours. Hungry. Famished. He continued to kiss you as you were pressed against the sink, while you breathed heavily. You could feel his hands trailing up on your body, and immediately starting to rub your tits in up and down motion. “Fuck.” He mumbled in between kisses, “Fuck, fuck. Christ! Do you know what you do to me? I’m a bad man, doll. You shouldn’t tease bad men.”
You kissed back, trying to keep up but William kept on going deeper into your mouth. “I-I teased you?”
“Yes. You teased me. You teased me, when I saw you in that cute little white sweater and skirt of yours. You teased me, when I saw you in that purple swimsuit. You teased me when my son was all over you!” His hand on your wrist becomes even more tighter, and his words turn into harsh sentences, as he kisses you more and more. He laughed, sinister sounding. “I need to take you. I love pretty things, darling. And, you are a pretty thing I want to take. I have to.”
“Will you let me, darling?” His voice suddenly turned into warm honey, as he gazed into your eyes. His mouth was still close to yours, but pulled away. You could see the trail of saliva between you two. His eyes, gray and piercing, almost sweet looking. But that sweetness was laced with venom. He knew it. You didn’t.
You nod. He hums, and chuckles. “That's it, that’s my pretty girl.” He then put you against the counter, and plated his lips on your neck. Putting kisses one by one, trailing down from your collarbone, then down your chest. Marks all over you. It was a claim. It was a possession. His head was now near your lower torso, kissing your lower abdomen, then his mouth near your inner thighs. “I wonder how you taste.. Will you taste as sweet as I remember? Hm?”
He then put your bikini bottom to the side, and started to insert his fingers right in. It was as tight as he remembers.
“Oh darling.. I’m so glad. You really didn’t let anyone fuck you after I did.” He chuckles, and starts to move his fingers back and forth in and out motion. “H-ha.. M-Mr. Aftonn!”
“Already whimpering? My, my.. You’re still so sensitive, even after all these months?” You nodded shyly but you continued to whine. Almost falling apart by just his hands. He laughs, amused from seeing how quick you were to give in. He then starts going into a faster motion, and puts his lips against your pussy. Putting his tongue, licking up and down. Your fingers clenched against the rim of the counter, your eyes watering as you pant. You could feel some of the pressure going against your clit. “Needy, needy. Aren’t you?” He tutted, still having his face between your thighs.
You could feel your feet standing up on its toes, as you grasp the sink. The noises coming out of you were lewd and filthy. He continues to chuckle from your reactions. “Oh bunny, I don’t think you’ll ever moan like this with a boy your age. They won’t ever make you feel this good. No, no, not like how I do.”
You shake your head no. He was unfortunately right. You could tell that this was a man so experienced, dealing with your body which was untouched and untainted. Will a boy in your high-school hit your g-spot continuously with just his fingers? Will a boy your age make you squeal and squirm just from his tongue? Maybe, but it was much more certain that pleasure will come when an older man fingers and licks you stupid. All the while as you were hazed, he continues to plunge his tongue more, shaking his head down and up. “Mr. Afton— ghh, a-ah! ah- I’m gonna—“
You felt yourself tensing up, and your eyes water. The pressure getting worse, it was pleading for release. “You going to cum, hm?”
“Yes– yes! I’m gonna– cum! Mhm!” You practically plead under his touch and mouth. You couldn’t handle it. His tongue goes back and forth, while his thumb stimulates your clit. All you could do was whine helplessly as he worked on you.
“Aww..” He stopped. “Too bad.”
You felt his fingers and his tongue pulling away from you. You let out a sharp gasp, with tears streaming down your face, desperate and wanting from your ruined release.. “N-no.. no.. I was so close.”
“You think you deserve to cum, hm?” He laughed, as he pats your cheek in a mocking manner. “I don’t think you do. Not after being such a teasing little slut.”
“You’ll cum. But only when I tell you to.”
As soon as he says that, he grabs your body and makes you face your back. Your stomach laying onto the sink countertop, with the mirror in view. You could see yourself, flushed and dazed, almost dumb from his touch. Were you that easy?
“Look at you, sweetheart.” He said, a tone smug and proud. “So dazed. Your pretty little head couldn’t take much of it, yeah?”
You nodded, humiliated from his words sent to your ear in a whisper. He hums in approval, pleased to see you so obedient, so cute for him. Then, he wraps his fingers around your neck. His calloused touch against your soft skin, making your back jolt. You could feel it tighten around you. While it does, your eyes widen, looking at him in the mirror, seeing that cruel grin on his face.
“When I’m done with you, I assure you, you won’t be able to say anything but my name.” He says, in a quiet voice behind your back, you couldn’t see him, but you could hear the lust coming out from his words. Immediately, he puts himself inside you- touching the deepest part. You let out a loud moan— eyes all crossed and teary.
“Ah, ah, ah.. Shh. You don’t wanna let my kids hear you, do you? Keep quiet.”
His hands tightened around your neck, almost choking your moans out. You could feel your chords restricting, your eyes being all fogged up, as you look into the mirror at your disheveled state. Every thrust, every inch sent a tingle down to your stomach, all the while his other hand covered your mouth. The noises coming from your pussy were obscene, loud– it was embarrassing. You felt shameful– but god, why did it have to feel so good?
You could feel yourself turning pale, a bit lightheaded from the cut off air. “Look at you, turning a pretty shade of blue, hm?” He mocked.
Even if it was humiliating, you could feel more heat pooling down in between your legs. How could a man so seemingly polite, be so filthy with his words? He laughs at your response, going faster at you. The pace was brutal, hitting every ridge of your insides. You could feel yourself clenching around him, as you gripped the rims of the sink. He grabs your face, forcing yourself to look at the mirror as you get pounded against the counter. His touch is harsh and cruel, as your cheeks pucker up.
“You see that?” He hummed, as he made you look at the glass. You see your state. Dazed, drooling, whimpering, whining. “That's the face of a little slut. A tease who likes to fuck older men, and pant just from a simple touch.”
He pushes against you more, hitting your g-spot. “The face of a whore who knows that no boy her age will make her scream like I do. The face of a pretty little thing who knows that her best friend can’t fuck her like I do. The face of my girl who belongs to me.” He said against your ear, fanning his breath. He peppered your cheeks with soft kisses as you kept on whimpering and crying.
“Mr. Afton- it’s so good! It's so-so– a-ah! S-so deep– so much!” You said between pants, a bit muffled from his hand covering your mouth. Tears streaming down your face. “I know, darling, I know.” He says sweetly, contrasting from the harsh grip and fucking he’s giving you, he kisses your tears away, licking them up on your cheek.
He took his hand away from your mouth, taking the other away from your neck. Allowing you to finally whine and babble under him. Writhing beneath him as your breasts are pressed against you, your hands fumble against the surface, immediately reaching to grab the faucet. More tears fall down your face, as you feel his fingers interlocking with your hair, you could feel your scalp burning as he grabs it. You let out a sharp gasp- your breath becoming shorter every second.
“That's it, cry for me, baby.” You keep on moaning out, all you could do was mumble his name over and over again. The only thing that was in your mind, was the way your pussy is being filled, the way his dick rides you in and out, the way your eyes were all crossed and teary for him. “Such a good girl, taking me so well. You were made for me.”
“I can feel your pussy milking me– are you gonna cum, sweetheart? Hm?” He chuckles, you could see him in the mirror, towering your trembling body. “I-Im gonna cum–c-cum- Mr. Afton!”
“Go ahead, pretty girl.” You immediately spilled all over him, the fluids dripping your thighs. His name being let out from your parted lips, your body shaking against the cold surface. But he keeps on going– oh god, he’s still going? You should’ve learned from your mistakes last time, you should’ve known that Afton wouldn't let you go for one round, but here you are, feeling your overstimulated insides thrusted in and out.
“Noo- no- please, please, please–” You said in broken whines. “It’s so much, I can’t take it-” You feel your cheek being slapped, it wasn’t harsh, but it definitely made you let out a shriek.
“Ah, ah, that’s not how it works. You keep on taking it like a little slut. Go on. Keep taking it.” He demanded, even trailing his other hand near your clit. Rubbing it up and down, just to get your body to shake more and more. Your words become even more incoherent, you let out only pleas and his name. “Mr. Afton! Mr. Afton- is that all you can say, darling?” He chuckles, amused from your needy state.
“What a pathetic little thing. Earlier on, you were begging to cum when I was fucking you with my tongue- now you can’t take it anymore?” He taunted, his words feeling fire to your skin. “You don’t know what you want, do you, whore? You just get all so dumb and slutty for me.”
You let out more whines in return, you could feel your head resting against the skin, as your drools seeped onto the surface. Your eyes were hitting the back of your head, your grip on the faucet being looser as you got used. His hand circles on your clit, eliciting even more sharp gasps, causing you to get tighter. His grunts can be heard behind you.
“G-god.. Your cunt is getting real tight. M-mhm.” The first time you hear him break into a moan. You felt so good around him, he couldn’t get enough of it. If you weren’t in such a dumb state, you would’ve felt a bit proud for getting that reaction out of him.
Both you and William, pant and whine. Bodies colliding, sweat rolling down from the face, lips parted and out of breath. You were in a much more ruined state though, as you looked at the mirror, body all splayed out and marked. Neck ridden with hickeys, thighs covered in bruises. Tears streamed down, as you felt your head becoming empty each second. All of his work on you.
“I hear you getting louder again. So noisy. I can’t take it- it's so much! Do you hear how desperate you sound? How much of a slut you’ve become?” He laughs, but you could tell the brutal pace had an effect on him too. His breath became much more heavy, his hand around hair gripping a bit harder. He continues to go at full speed, his head against the back of your neck. “No man will ever make you feel this much, hm? You need this. Say it. Say it, whore.”
And even in your incoherent, fucked silly state, you parted your lips and whined out to him as he commanded. “I need this– I need it.. No boy– no boy will make me feel this much– t-this- ah- good! I need you, need, need, please Mr. Afton- please, W-William!”
“That's right. And you wont be such a slutty fucking tease, right? You’ll be a good girl for me?” He hushed, going in more and more. Rubbing your clit fast. “I’ll be a good girl– I’ll be good, I’ll be good! Please, please please– I need to-”
“Cum?” He finished your sentence, with a wide smirk on his face. You frantically nodded your head and he hummed in approval. “Look at yourself in the mirror, as I count down.”
“1.” His fingers stroked against your clit in circles. You see yourself, hiccupping with sobs.
“2.” His mouth against your neck, biting you as it spills a bit of red. You see yourself whining, your throat sore and weak.
“3.” His last thrust inside of you, hitting you deeply. You see yourself, mouth agape and eyes all stunned.
You let out a loud whine. Your hands fumbling to grab his dress shirt, as you moaned into the sinks surface. Legs shaking, and hands trembling, feeling your body all becoming jelly and weak. You felt yourself slowly sliding down to the floor all tired and used. William puts a towel around you and makes you look up at him, with a big smirk on his face. “Good job darling. Now.. I think it's time to come along, no?
You nodded your head tiredly. And stood up with a stumble, the towel grasping around you. He opens the door for you, as he grasps your back softly. You came outside of the bathroom, and there sat Michael on the couch, sleeping peacefully. You feel the older man's hand on your shoulders as you look at his son, Williams' dark smile directed towards you, making sure he knows that you’re his. He whispers into your ear, “Don’t let Michael ever fool you, that I’m taking you away from him. Using you. That's a lie.”
Only he knew if it was.
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The reader looking so pretty at an event in the agency, co worker dazai can't help but stare at her :> make sum scenario :>
"I SEE YOUR PRETTY EYES AT MINE, MISTER~"
Sypnosis: Dazai just cant keep his eyes to himself when a colleuge of his is looking so darn pretty!
Dazai x fem! reader
Genre: suggestive, romance
Warnings: reader is sort of cheeky, suggestive as hell, implied alcoholism, author gave the reader on what attire shes wearing.
A/N FINALLY A REQUEST AFTER SO FUCKIN LONG
The agency had decided to hold another party in celebration of a huge deal which would help the agency .
And of course you were invited, almost everyone was. You decided to look extra pretty today because why not, not because of others but for yourself.
You had picked out a extravagant ebony coated frock which covered all the way up to your legs and ended with glistening white layers of laces.
The party was at 8 o clock, you had time plus what would you do getting there so early?
Gently tapping on the tubes of lipsticks you picked out a vermillion shade and smoothly applied the waxy substance on your lips. The colour suited the rose tied around your neck really well.
Finally adding some final touches you rushed out the door and walked along to the agency.
There were colourful lights and food everywhere, Atsushi teaching Kyouka how to make decorations, doctor Yosano taking a bit too much of wine, ranpo staring at powdered donuts... To think of it you remember him taking 5 of them sneakily one night and you wonder why hes so obsessed with them.
But one thing you could notice was a certain someones eyes on you... Dazai.
You walked up to atsushi and kyouka, talking to them and teaching them some tips and tricks to fit in with the agency.
You could feel at all times though, a certain pair of eyes glancing at you from time to time from the corner of the room.
"Excuse me, i will just fix my hair and come back" you politely end the conversation before walking towards the door and going outside.
Despite your heels clacking against the floor, you could feel another set of shoes following them.
"Dazai-san, may i know why i feel your eyes on my at all times?" you ask putting a perfect spot from the distance between your figure and the mans figure.
He chuckled.
"Bella, i must say your quite the smart one arent ya'?" osamu replies back with much cheekiness in his tone as yiu turned to him, he had a black tuxedo, a polished and refined one, it hugged his body quite tightly too.
You just sighed at his remark, he was a ladies man you knew but you have never seen the glint and love in his eyes on a girl ever before, it amde your stomach turn slightly in a good way, of course.
His teasing grin drops and turns into a more soothing smile as he walks over to you which makes you back towards the wall unsure whether to trsut him or not.
He lowers his head a bit to reach your face taking in all of it's features.
"Are you trying to woo me, dazai-san? It seems like it"
"Haaah, maybe. The thing is bella you just look so.." you expect him to give you some compliment like every boy does when they see a girl sitting pretty and all but instead he gently took a strand of your hair, took it to his lips and uttered every single quality and flaw about you, it was as if hes born to have a poets tongue with you being the muse.
"I just want to admire you all day, my darling. Its not lust nor a small crush, it isnt even close to love but something beyond the world and beyond the universe to attend to, i dont know i could drown in your eyes right now but i would prefer staring at them for an eternity as if its a gorgeous piece of art hung on a museum"
he said softly, oh god did this man made your heart drop down your stomach and melt into your intestines.
With each word he spoke through his charming voice, you could feel his breathe and hands going closer towards your sweating body and at last, he asked for your permission to which you only looked at him with a slight embroidery of embarrassment on your cheeks.
Dazai tenderly kissed your forehead but though it lasted short you wondered whether he tried to go for your lips instead because of the shift in his body.
"Oi, dazai and [Name] if your done with your cheesy af encounter than come back to the party! Presidents calling you two!"
Atlast after moments of intimate interaction which wasnt even intimate because of the silent yearn for something neither the two of you could preach. Both of you decided to go back to the party.
Later in the relationship you realised that your first kiss with this loverman was not the type of kiss those possessive men would do which would take your breathe away but more of a desperate one as if to reach out for something which one already got.
In the end nor dazai or you could just confess normally without making each other look like two pieces of magnificent artwork looking at each other.
A/N: i hate this more than dazai hates him self :(((((((( btw reader is wearing this dress
Divider crds! : @cafekitsune
Tags! : @inojuuy @silverbladexyz @atlasnessie @tsuunara @elizais @saelique @chuuyasboner @atzuhi @riiwrites @ruanais @biscuits-spooky-corner @rusmii
#sakira!#sakiras writing notebook!!!#bsd x reader#bungou gay dogs#bungou stray dogs#bsd#Bsd fanfic#Bsd drabble#Drabbles#dazai#dazai x reader#dazai osamu x reader#Osamu dazai#Bsd dazai#Spicy
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— sugar
sirius black x reader ★ 1k words
a/n : first post ! ty for reading <3
Honeydukes was packed with witches and wizards of all ages as it always was on the weekends, tables and shelves stocked with most colorful and exciting sweets in the area. You made your way to the back of the shop where your favorite treats were, relieved the see this part of the store empty.
As you scanned the wall for your sweets, someone cleared their throat behind you. You turned to see a man grinning at you, leaning against the shelf behind him. He was wearing a fitted black shirt, and a leather jacket. His dark curls perfectly framing his defined face.
"You've got good taste, I see. Honeydukes always has the best sweets. What's your poison, chocolate frogs?"
You eyed the handsome man in front of you, then offered a smile towards him.
"I'm more of a sugar quill girl."
The curly haired stranger chuckled, his grey eyes crinkling in the corners.
"Ah, a woman of refined tastes, I see. Sugar quills are definitely a good choice. The only problem is, you're going to need something to wash them down with. Say, a butterbeer?"
"That is quite a problem, isn't it?" you bit your lip, your eyes twinkling mischievously.
His grin widened, a knowing sparkle in his eye.
"Sure is. Lucky for you, I've got a solution. Allow me to take you to the Three Broomsticks, where I can ensure you have the most delicious beverage available to pair with your equally delicious snacks."
You couldn't help but smile, his charm almost impossible to resist.
"Take me away, handsome."
"Sirius Black. Shall we, sweetheart?" He offered you his elbow, a gentleman through and through.
You took his elbow and gave him your name, grinning up at him as your eyes twinkled with excitement.
The two of you walked up to the counter and after a few "Sirius, no!"s and a "I've got it, sweet girl", the cashier handed you the bag of sweets Sirius paid for. You thanked him as you left the candy shop and walked down the streets of Hogsmeade together.
As you entered the Three Broomsticks, Sirius escorted you to the bar, pulling out a stool for you. He ordered a round of butterbeers and pumpkin pasties for the both of you, the bartender nodding to his request. As you waited for your drinks, Sirius leaned back on his stool, watching you with amusement.
You looked around and smiled softly at the cozy atmosphere, then turned to him when you noticed him watching you. You smiled nervously, bringing a hand up to your mouth.
"Do I have something on my face?"
"No, you're perfect, love. But I wonder.. why a woman like you would be having a butterbeer with a known troublemaker... some might think you have a thing for bad boys."
"And what if I do?" You smirked at him, taking a small sip of your butterbeer.
Sirius's eyes twinkled in response. He seemed to find your spirit and openness refreshing.
The two of you talked about anything and everything as you drank together, Sirius especially interested in your work with magical creatures.
You cut your pumpkin pasty in half, sliding one half over him before taking a bite out if your own half.
"Here, before it gets cold."
Sirius chuckled, reaching out to take the offered half. Their hands touched briefly, and he felt a tingle run down his spine. He blinked, trying to play it off.
He felt his cheeks grow warm. Even the way you ate a pumpkin pasty was endearing. His eyes flitted across your face, his heart pounding in his throat. His mind was racing with possibilities, thoughts that he hadn't let himself think in years. He was in trouble.
"Um, would you care for another butterbeer?" He motioned to the nearby bartender, who nodded in acknowledgement. He was going to need a whole tankard of butterbeer if he had any hope of keeping himself from completing embarrassing himself in front of you.
He knew he should stay cool, but there was something about you that threw him off his game. Before he even realized what he was doing, he blurted out, "Godric, you're beautiful."
Your eyes widened and you let out the biggest laugh, throwing your head back. The blush on his cheeks deepened as your laughter filled his ears. He leaned in, his words filled with sincerity.
"And you are the kind of woman who can make a man forget about all of his worries. I could listen to you laugh all night, love."
He reached out, taking your hand in his, his thumb stroking the back of your hand gently. He was falling for you hard and fast, and he had a sinking feeling that he was in trouble. But at the same time, he couldn't be happier.
"You're trouble, you know that?"
You looked down at Sirius stroking your hand, then looking back up at him with a teasing smile.
"Trouble? You're the one who kidnapped me."
Sirius chuckled, the soft melody of your laughter tugging at his heart. He felt warm all over, his lips curving into a soft smile. He was never the romantic type, but there was something about you that made his heart ache with longing.
"I may have kidnapped you, but you're the one who's stolen my heart." Sirius's voice was soft, a whisper meant for your ears only.
It was your turn to be flustered, your cheeks turning pink as he looked at you sincerely.
"Merlin, who knew you'd have such a way with words." You chuckled softly, tilting your head to the side.
"Maybe I've been saving them all for you." Sirius took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure.
A small gasp left your mouth, giggling at the man sitting beside you.
"Sirius Black, where have you been all my life?"
Sirius chuckled, his eyes twinkling at your reaction. He knew you were feeling the same way he was, and it made him feel alive. You had lit a spark within him, one that he thought had died long ago. He was thrilled to have found you, and he wasn't about to let you go. He leaned closer, his voice just above a whisper.
"Waiting for you, sugar, waiting for you."
#sirius black x reader#marauders x reader#sirius black#marauders era#sirius orion black#sirius x reader
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Okay we see how Bruce, Dick, Jason, Tim and Cass become Yanderes for reader what about Damian, Steph and Babs?
That question is exactly why I'm kind of debating on making a kinda "Part 2.5" sort of thing, and it would show how Tim and Damian got further roped into things like Bruce, Dick, Jason and Cass. Along with how Steph and Babs take the news of "heyyy, um. you know Y/n? yeah that one sibling of ours that's lived here for years that we've barely have like, 10 conversations with collectively? Yeah, that sibling. Uh, we just figured out they've basically been living an entire life without any of us knowing, and might've run away because we were barely involved in their life despite them making multiple attempts to have us be there. So, we kind of need your help to find them. Like. Now-"
Though honestly I'll just put the run down here, so-
Bruce kind of gave Damian the little push he needed before hopping on the train, kind of like what he did with Jason but a little different. With him finding Damian, and some questions being thrown around, before Damian just decides to help look for you.
Honestly I can imagine that Damian wasn't super serious about finding you or anything at first, and was more so just trying to help because Bruce and Dick were looking for you. Hence why he looks for Alfred first with the intention to get the search done and over with. Though, that does begin to change a little when he eventually stumbles upon your room and gets that small glimpse of all he's missed out on after having talked with Alfred.
The room itself doesn't necessarily get to Damian — not like it does with Bruce and Dick — but it's more of the contents of the room itself that get him started on the yandere path.
Honestly, how Damian and Tim begin to develop their more Yandere thoughts and feelings for the reader is through finding something in your room, leading them to find more stuff, and that eventually getting to the thought process of "i didn't know they did this... i would've liked to know about this before/share this thing with them." Which then leads to a more yandere-like mindset.
For Damian (since we're already on the topic of him), he finds that one art award that you got, and becomes curious. Eventually he finds the unfinished art pieces that Bruce had found earlier, and while he isn't impressed or anything at first, the more unfinished pieces he finds the more he kind of begins to see your potential, and that leads to his own thoughts on the matter. With him wishing he knew about how you liked to do art too, and that eventually leads to him thinking that he could've helped you refine your skill, and the both of you could've drawn or painted together.
What strengthens that mindset is when he gets his hands on a notebook that you had used to practice whatever you were struggling with, and left notes for yourself on how you could improve upon certain things as well. Maybe if Damian had known you were into art before, he could've helped you, and you both could've improved together. Refine each other's skills, and just be able to create together. Which Damian really begins to like the thought of. Especially as he sees how you improved the deeper into the notebook he gets.
So, he also sets out to find you, but with a more positive mindset and thought process.
Honestly, out of everyone, Damian is the least worried about you and your well-being. Not because he necessarily has faith in your abilities to stay alive in Gotham, while also potentially being by yourself, but rather he isn't focused on that part? Not as intensely as some of the others, anyway.
Besides, if you were to turn up dead, then he'd have the "you die, I kill you" mindset. You aren't allowed to be dead or 'missing' in his mind, and so you aren't until proven other wise — but even then he's going to need a lot of solid proof to even believe it.
Damian is just more focused on the "we have a common interest and I want to do this thing with them" part of learning that you're into art. Even if you aren't anymore, just knowing that it was something that you used to do is enough to get him jumping on the yandere train. You'll be doing art with him one way or another, and you can't do shit about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Sure his reasoning isn't a strong, but it's enough to get him started and to go looking for you with the others when they eventually start tearing Gotham apart in hopes to find you. Damian now has a sudden need for quality time and your his main target, sorry not sorry.
Tim on the other hand just sort of, stumbled upon your room, and thanks to Dick was very quickly roped into this mess (as mentioned in "Not Here").
He actually looks through the box with all of your more personal belongs first as Dick tries to call and text you like crazy, while also trying to figure out more stuff.
The first thing he minds is an mp3 player, which, again - as mentioned in "Not Here" held very early versions of songs you were working on at the time, along with some of the very first songs you ever wrote. Which, after listening to a few of them, is immediately a big fan. Though that ends up being both his downfall and how he begins to develop his more yandere tendencies.
Like Dick, you had tried to call and message him about certain performances and such you thought he'd like, and hoped he'd attend, but to no avail. It sucks even more for Tim now because if he had just given your music a chance just a little sooner, maybe things would've been different between the two of you. Maybe you wouldn't have left.
Not to mention that, since he now really loves your music - just knowing that he's wasted so many opportunities to hear more of it, and the completed, fully fleshed out versions of some the songs on the mp3 player makes him upset. He really feels the hit of neglecting you, and that hit only lands harder when he goes through that 'List/Progress' notebook that Bruce had seen earlier in "Not Here".
A notebook which does reveal a lot about you, and how you only did so many activities because you hoped that if anyone in the family was into one of the activities/hobbies you tried, then you'd be able to bond with them over it. Though look at where that got you. Countless awards hung on your walls, with a number of accomplishments to your name - and yet not once were you able to use them for their original purpose. Not once were you able to hold a full, long conversation with any of them about any of the things you've done.
It wasn't even your fault because you tried to put in the work, Tim could really see that now, but you just weren't given the chance to actually put it to good use.
Maybe that's why he ended up helping Dick as much as he did, and maybe that's why he took the time to download some of your songs before heading out to look for you. He wanted to feel closer to you then he really was, and wanted your music to be something shared between the two of you.
Tim wants to not only get closer to you, but to hear everything you've ever made music wise. A want which he fully intends on making a reality.
Stephenie and Barbara are a bit different, however. Since, as stated in "Not Here", both of them are informed of what's going on after everyone else but Damian and Alfred absolutely loses their minds over you not being in the Manor. Though, again, both take the news a bit differently.
Between the two, Steph easily feels the worst. So her motivations and actions — like Bruce, Dick, Jason, Cass, and Tim — are more out of guilt and regret. She already doesn't like the thought of her own neglect having caused you to keep so many things to yourself that you basically hid yourself away, but the idea of her — along with everyone else — having pushed you so far away that you ran away? That... doesn't make her feel good, to say the least.
Sure, she doesn't feel as bad as Bruce or Dick - who easily feel the worst because of their respective roles in the family, and them feeling like they failed to even be a semi-present figure in your life for you to recognize them as your Father and Older Brother (to which they are correct, but aren't aware of that yet) - but it's still enough for her to try and look for you too.
Kind of like Bruce when he was looking in the Manor, Stephanie doesn't know where to start looking, and that only worsens her regret.
I guess her development comes more with time? Since the more she and the others look, not only do her feelings grow, but she also learns more about you as everyone starts sharing information over the intercoms. Things they just found out about you — like how you spent your birthdays alone with Alfred and had waited for them each year until recently, how you made music, what kind of competitions and such you've participated in, who were your teachers, how majority of what you did wasn't even for yourself - but rather a chance that one of the many activities you did try out was something anyone of them were into, so that way you could actually have a conversation with them - and more. (Which may be shown later? Not in a official post/part to the series but perhaps in a sort of side thing that shows the mayhem going on. But who knows?)
Case and point, while they are all looking for you - Steph slowly becomes more yandere for the reader the more she learns about you and how her and the other's actions impacted you. Like some of the others, she wants to make it up to you, but isn't entirely sure how she'd even go about doing that. The more aware she becomes, the harder she falls.
Barbara on the other hand, I'd say, is more lowkey as of now when it comes to her development as a yandere?
I mean, Dick, while very much panicking, basically told her it was an emergency and he really needed her on the bat computer because he had to look for you. Which, in the same breath, gave a list of locations and possible teachers you might've had in the past (you can thank Tim for trying to figure all of that out) and if she could look into it.
It's safe to say that Barbara's introduction into the whole situation was very chaotic. An emotional, worried, and panicked Dick is never a good one, so that was fun to deal with while slowly drowning in confusion.
Eventually, she got the run down and was quick to help, but like Bruce, Cass, Damian, and Jason - she was more confused at the start.
Ouf of everyone, and maybe besides Jason, Barbara has had the least amount of interaction with you - and the room for possible interactions with you for her were much smaller anyway considering that you aren't a vigilante, and never intended to be. So, it only makes sense that one of the people you've easily had the least connection with, was the person who communicated and mainly interacted with the rest of the Batfam when they're doing vigilante work.
What didn't help is that she barely even saw you at events or even holiday gatherings and such the family would have, with you being so neglected that they just... failed to even notice you missing at the time. The day she was introduced to you was when you were first adopted, and that was basically both the first and last full interaction either of you have had with each other. Other than that, she would hear small comments about you sometimes from the others, but even then it wasn't much and those soon died out as one could've guessed.
Even when she was in the Manor, she might've caught a few glimpses of you, but nothing else - so the beginning of her fall into being a yandere is definitely much slowly and lowkey when compared to the others.
I feel as if this whole situation may encourage Babs to want to get to know you better? After all, your disappearance did cause the whole family to basically start a whole manhunt just to find you, so I feel as if that would be enough to get Barbara interested at the very least. Not to mention all of the things she's hearing about you from everyone - it would be nice to try and actually meet you, not just know about you.
In other words, I feel as if Barbara may develop more as a yandere in part 3, seeing as I can see her more yandere tendencies begin to develop once she actually 'meets' you. Y'know what I mean?
So tldr; Damian becomes a yandere for the reader by finding out they're into art/have done art in the past, and now has a deep need to bond with them.
Steph becomes a yandere through her guilt and regret, and like some of the others, want to make it up to the reader.
Babs, on the other hand, hasn't exactly become a yandere just yet, but will once she 'meets' the reader and see them for herself. As of right now, she's just curious, but we'll get there in part 3.
Also, this is unrelated to the ask, but I would like to point out how pretty much everyone in the Batfam thinks you ran away rather then you just leaving. Do what you will with this information for now :]
Anyways, I hoped that answered your question, even if I got a bit rambly! If there's anything else in particular anyone else would like to know, feel free to send in an ask!
#a bit of a ramble- whoops#though that is generally how it goes#and again i might write some of this out- but mostly the things i mentioned about steph and babs#yandere batfam#platonic yandere batfam#platonic yandere#yandere dc#yandere x gn reader#gn reader#sibling reader#neglected reader
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・⸝⸝﹒₊˚ UNDRESS ★・⸝⸝﹒₊˚
an album dedicated to Arlecchino.
TRACK 001.
What Looks So Strong, So Delicate
𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: psychological horror.
𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: Arlecchino X You (Reader)
𝖈𝖜: possessive behavior.
𝖘𝖞𝖓𝖔𝖕𝖘𝖎𝖘:
You’ve grown tired of Arlecchino’s antics when it comes to her trying to overprotect you from head to toe, let alone keep you from seeing other people she deemed as a threat. After holding back your urges to end the intimate relationship between both of you, you finally gave into your plan of packing your belongings, ready to travel back to your family’s home. To compensate for your absence, you left a note in her office while she was gone, stating your intentions of breaking up with her and leaving for good.
Little did you know, days after arriving to see your family out of fearing confrontation, your family was nowhere to be found. After thinking you’ve had the chance of a successful escape, you just had to surrender every bit of your pride upon confronting your crazed lover.
𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗’𝖘 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊: Something from the vault. Unreleased.
Banner credit by @benkeibear.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
All it took was one voice that rendered you weak on the knees, its tone penetrating your eardrums. Before even looking back, you were greeted with a shadowy figure towering over you from behind. Your eyes widened in shock. You stopped dead in your tracks, caught within the predator’s trap this time, not knowing where to go and what to do. That kind of voice seemed familiar, you thought, as it sounded deep and threatening; it sounded as if someone was about to kill you at that very moment, your instincts telling you to jump out the window in fear.
It was definitely the voice of someone angry, someone completely crazy over your presence alone.
Your heart rate increased as you turned your back to face the Knave herself. Not knowing how she got access to your home in Mondstadt was something that creeped you out, shivers sending chills down your spine upon realizing that fact.
It’s been days since you last escaped from the Fatui Hideout in Fontaine, defeating all your lover’s most loyal guards and escaping the possessiveness that overfilled the hole of your relationship. It was to no denial that your combat skills were refined and belonging to that of a seasoned warrior. After all, your valor and competence in the art of war was what caught the Knave’s attention, so far as to confess her feelings to you.
After months of arguing over financial matters and resisting The Knave’s desire for control over your freedom, you thought to yourself that YOU had enough of her bullshit. Packing your belongings didn’t feel like a chore, it felt like something you could do forever, for as long as you kept your distance from The Knave. You just didn’t want to be associated with her antics anymore. So all you did was write a sincere letter to her office stating your intention to split up, and that you were leaving to Mondstadt with your family for good.
Days passed since your escape. You spent your quality time bonding with family and enjoying a cup of tea while indulging in joyful chatter. Things went well. However, these memories came to a halt upon witnessing the sudden disappearance of your family when you woke up from a nap tonight. Oh, how the tables have turned. You didn’t expect such a sudden change in the atmosphere when you realized there’s twe was someone who had entered your home.
“Let’s not beat around the bush, shall we?” the Knave spoke. “Tell me, dear, are you tired of us now?”
“I’ve had enough of you.” you replied. “Let’s cut to the chase, alright? I escaped because I felt as if our entire relationship was suffocating me. That letter I sent you is proof of it.”
“Ah, yes…..that letter you gave me. A great argument, but that’s NOT enough.” the Knave said darkly. “I just wanted to surprise you a bit by holding your family captive while indulging ourselves in a rather…. decent conversation. Take this as a moment to clear any form of misunderstanding between us.”
“What is there to be misunderstood, Arlecchino?” you asked. “I already stated my side of the story through that letter. I want freedom. I want to end our relationship.”
“End our relationship?” the Knave chuckled. “Don’t make me laugh. You swore to the Tsaritsa that you shall fight for our relationship to the death once you gave yourself to me. That was a hard promise.”
“Promised? I only mentioned fighting for our relationship to the death because I had faith in you, Arlecchino.” you replied. “But things happen, and people change. We were never fated to be together, knowing all you desired was control over my life and decisions. I’m leaving.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” the Knave warned you. “One escape attempt, and I’ll make sure your family will never see the light of day again.”
“Anything but my family…..” you thought.
“Cat got your tongue?” the Knave sneered. “Poor little creature cares way too much about their family…..I’m almost jealous.”
“Let them go.” you said darkly, your eyebrows furrowing. “I won’t hesitate to run if need be.”
“Are you really going to make things harder for us, my dear? No. You’re not leaving. I won’t allow it.”
“Make me.” you said bravely. While you started running, you were ignored by the Knave this time. However, you felt a knife slash through your arm. Despite the pain you felt from that swift slice, you didn’t stop running. Surprisingly, there was no blood gushing out of your wound as you continued to run. The escape was uncalled for, but you just had to run away to call out someone to help you out, like Amber.
While making your way out of the house, you felt your limbs cramp and your vision starting to blur. It was as if you were about to be paralyzed. You couldn’t feel your legs, your knees wobbling as you lost balance and fell into the ground face first. Looking up, you couldn’t make sense of whose silhouette it was. But it was definitely the Knave’s heels.
“As I thought.” the Knave muttered. She knelt down to grab you by the neck, while your consciousness was about to fade. The last thing you saw was her smirk, her mouth speaking inaudible words as your eyes closed.
“I’m going to have a little fun with you tonight.”
#arlecchino#arlecchino x reader#x reader#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact#genshin x you#genshin women#fatui x reader#yandere x reader#yandere x you#yandere x darling
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Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny Part II Preview + moodboard
Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny - Eris x Archeron!Reader
Part II Sneak peek
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You slipped into the private library in the House of Wind, humming slightly to yourself. The faint scent of crackling embers and something else indiscernible met your nose as the door slammed shut behind you but you brushed it off, figuring it must've come from the fireplace on the other side of the large room.
You meandered to the section that was filled with romance books—the ones Nesta had made sure to stock up on ever since she became the owner of this place along with Cassian. You brushed your fingers against the spines of the books, pulling out some that had interesting titles and stacking them in your arms.
A Heart Ablaze.
The Prince of Fire.
Your skirt flitted against the tops of your boots as you walked. You bit your lip, pulling out another book. This one titled, The Flames that Bind Us. You’d read it before but it was one of your favorites.
“You should be a bit more aware of your surroundings, bunny. You have no idea what sort of monsters are lurking around.”
You gasped, jumping in fright and dropping your stack of books to place a hand on your chest. You whirled around with a wildly beating heart.
You had recognized the voice immediately but you were still taken aback to see Eris lounging in one of the armchairs by the fireplace. He was sprawled out in the chair like it was his throne, a glass of whiskey in one hand and his other lightly stroking the soft velvet of the armrest. His red hair gleamed the same color as the burning flames behind him.
Your gaze dipped to his chest, to his cream colored tunic that had a few buttons undone, exposing the silver layered jewelry resting against his chest. He wore dark brown breeches, perfectly tailored for his long legs and brown riding boots. How he managed to make such casual clothing look elegant and refined was beyond you.
When you met his eyes again, those devastating amber eyes, Eris gave you a fox-like grin that looked anything but friendly.
“What are you doing here?” you asked as you bent down to pick up the books you had dropped. You held them against your chest like a shield.
“That is no way to address a Lord,” Eris purred.
You huffed, fighting the urge to roll your eyes.
“Apologies, my Lord,” you replied, sarcastically. “What a delight it is to see you again. What brings you to our humble court?”
Eris’s eyebrows rose in amusement.
“If you must know, I’m here for a meeting with your High Lord and Lady,” Eris said. “Pray tell, what are you doing here, bunny?”
His eyes darted to the books in your arms and you blushed, trying to discreetly cover the titles. Eris didn’t need to know your reading preferences.
“If you must know,” you said, mocking him, “I live here.”
You split time between here and the River House. Mostly because Nesta had once accused you of favoring Feyre. You hated nothing more than to be used as a pawn against your sisters. But being the youngest, your role in the family oftentimes required you playing mediator between your siblings. Sometimes, messenger too.
“Poor little bunny,” Eris teased. “Locked up here in a cage.”
“Stop calling me that!”
You glared at the handsome Lord, hating the way that made him seem even more amused.
Eris said nothing, just twirled the glass in his hands as his eyes assessed you. You felt the hairs on your arms stand up, felt a chill run down your spine at his look. His smirk never left his face. You were quite sure he had been born wearing it.
“Don’t you normally meet with Rhys and Feyre in Hewn City?” you asked, unable to take the silence. You should probably leave, but something kept your feet glued to the floor.
Eris shrugged. “Sure, when our business involves Keir.” He spat out the older male’s name with disgust. “I’m surprised they didn’t order you to stay in your room knowing I was here,” he continued, his amusement back once more. “Can’t let the little bunny be ensnared by a fox again.”
His grin was more of a display of teeth. It did nothing to quell your nerves.
“They never tell me anything,” you murmured, annoyed.
Your lips slammed shut when one of Eris’s eyebrows raised, like you had just unknowingly passed along information you shouldn’t have.
The doors to the library slammed open and you jumped, sucking in a breath at the sudden noise. Azriel stormed in, his eyes narrowed at Eris. You suddenly felt tense, sensing the way the energy seemed to shift in the room. He stopped once he was in front of you, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed at the redhead. “You’re supposed to be waiting for Rhys and Feyre in the war room.”
Eris didn’t seem frightened in the slightest, unlike most fae did when staring down the shadowsinger.
He plucked a piece of lint from his tunic, unbothered. “Apologies, shadowsinger. I got lost.”
You doubted that and by Azriel’s growl, you realized he did too. He turned to look down at you, his lips pressed in a straight line with a stern look.
“Go,” Azriel barked, nodding his head towards the door. You bristled at the command, as if you were a dog he could order around.
But it was Eris who stood to his full height and snarled, “Don’t speak to her like that.”
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#acotar#acotar fanfiction#acotar x reader#acotar x you#eris vanserra x you#eris vanserra acotar#eris vanserra fic#eris vanserra x reader#eris imagine#eris x you#eris fanfic#eris vanserra#eris x reader#eris x y/n
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Asteroid Bella (695): Understanding its Signs and Houses
Navigation: Masterlist✦Ask Rules✦Feedback Tips
Askbox✦Sources✦Paid Readings
₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ About the Asteroid: Have I found something in my asteroid sources? No. In general sources, the asteroid Bella (695) talks about beauty.. and that's it, that's why I gave a deeper look into what beauty is to make this post.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sources and inspirations:To make this post, I used what is seen as beauty in the aesthetic area, which goes beyond personal taste, which are factors such as: symmetry, proportion, youthfulness, ,familiarity and similarity, I also used the birth chart of women by the Golden Ratio. The image template in from minikyuns on deviantart.
Asteroid Bella by Sign
✧. ┊Aries: Bella's presence in Aries ignites a magnetic force, drawing attention with youthful exuberance and boldness. The face possesses an angular charm, arousing curiosity and daring others to keep up with the swift pace of life.
✧. ┊Taurus: Bella in Taurus unveils an embodiment of earthly beauty, where proportion and symmetry are paramount. Facial features are refined and harmonious, evoking a timeless allure that echoes the grace of nature itself.
✧. ┊Gemini: In Gemini, Bella's influence manifests as an ever-changing visage, versatile and captivating. The face carries an animated charm, often enhanced by lively expressions, reflecting a familiarity that spans diverse connections.
✧. ┊Cancer: Bella's energy in Cancer enhances the allure of familiarity, drawing on nostalgic appeal. The face emanates a warm and comforting vibe, inviting others to find solace in its welcoming features.
✧. ┊Leo: Bella takes center stage in Leo, radiating an undeniable facial magnetism. Symmetry reigns supreme, and the face exudes a captivating confidence, inviting admiration from all who gaze upon it.
✧. ┊Virgo: In Virgo, Bella lends an understated elegance to facial attractiveness. Subtle proportions and immaculate grooming enhance the visage, creating an allure that stems from a meticulous attention to detail. This placement carries the apex of proportion.
✧. ┊Libra: Bella's placement in Libra emphasizes the aesthetic balance and symmetry in facial features. Grace and charm exude effortlessly, drawing others in with an air of harmony and refined beauty. This placement carries the apex of symmetry.
✧. ┊Scorpio: Bella's influence in Scorpio manifests in an enigmatic and intense allure. Proportionality takes on an alluring edge, and the face carries an aura of mystery that beckons others to explore its depths.This placement carries something that we all like but is not on the standard list, the mystery of trying to understand that person's intentions, people thinks you're mysteryous and that's why they want to know more.
✧. ┊Sagittarius: In Sagittarius, Bella radiates a youthful and adventurous appeal. The face reflects the spirit of exploration, with features that embody the essence of wanderlust and open-minded curiosity.
✧. ┊Capricorn: Bella's presence in Capricorn bestows a dignified and refined attractiveness. Symmetry and proportion are elevated, resulting in a visage that commands respect and admiration, mirroring the aura of a wise elder. This placement has the quality of not being so apparent when the native is younger, but retaining youthfulness over the years.
✧. ┊Aquarius: Bella in Aquarius imparts an otherworldly allure, marked by unique and unconventional features. The face carries an eccentric charm, captivating others with its distinctiveness and originality.
✧. ┊Pisces: Bella's energy in Pisces lends an ethereal and dreamy beauty to the face. Proportions may be fluid and elusive, evoking a sense of enchantment that draws others into a world of imagination and sensitivity.
Asteroid Bella by House
✧. ┊1st House: With Bella in the 1st house, your physical appearance becomes a canvas of attraction. Proportion and symmetry manifest strongly, creating an aura of personal magnetism. Your face exudes youthful energy and a confident allure, drawing others to your charismatic presence.
✧. ┊2nd House: Bella's influence in the 2nd house enhances the allure of your possessions and values. Your facial features reflect the harmony of proportion, making your expressions an asset in both social and material realms.
✧. ┊3rd House: In the 3rd house, Bella enhances your communication style with facial expressions that speak volumes. Youthful charm and familiarity in your interactions draw people to engage with your ideas and stories
✧. ┊4th House: Bella's grace in the 4th house infuses your home and family life with a comforting beauty. Your facial features may hold a resemblance to family members, evoking a sense of shared familiarity and connection.
✧. ┊5th House: Bella's presence in the 5th house adds a touch of artistic allure to your self-expression. Your face becomes a canvas for creativity, exuding an irresistible charm that sparks romance and infuses your creative endeavors with aesthetic appeal.
✧. ┊6th House: With Bella in the 6th house, your health and daily routines become more harmonious and attractive. Your facial proportions may reflect a commitment to self-care, inviting others to take note of your disciplined approach.
✧. ┊7th House: Bella's energy in the 7th house enhances the attractiveness of your partnerships. Facial symmetry and proportion play a significant role, drawing others to your side with a sense of familiarity and compatibility.
✧. ┊8th House: In the 8th house, Bella's allure takes on a mysterious and transformative quality. Your facial features hold an enigmatic charm, inviting others to explore the depths of your persona and engage in meaningful connections.
✧. ┊9th House: Bella's influence in the 9th house bestows a worldly and adventurous attractiveness. Your face carries the glow of youthful curiosity, enticing others to join you on journeys of both the mind and spirit.
✧. ┊10th House: Bella's presence in the 10th house enhances your public image and career pursuits. Your facial features reflect an air of professionalism and authority, attracting attention and admiration from those in your professional sphere.
✧. ┊11th House: With Bella in the 11th house, your social interactions are infused with a sense of similarity and camaraderie. Your facial expressions resonate with shared experiences, fostering connections within social circles.
✧. ┊12th House: Bella's energy in the 12th house lends an ethereal and mystical allure. Your facial features may possess a dreamy quality, drawing others into your spiritual insights and inner world.
Asteroid Bella Aspects
✧. ┊Conjunction: The energies of Bella and the associated planet intertwine seamlessly, creating a captivating synergy that can significantly impact the area of life represented by that planet. This conjunction encourages you to embody Bella's charms and express them in a potent and direct way, inviting others to be drawn to your unique allure.
✧. ┊Sextile and Trine: This facilitate a gentle flow of energy, allowing Bella's allure to blend effortlessly with the qualities of the associated planet. This alignment suggests that your innate attractiveness and charm are readily accessible and integrated into the realm of the aligned planet. Relationships, creativity, and personal expression benefit from this harmonious connection, as Bella's grace enhances the natural traits of the associated planet, creating an inviting and appealing aura.
✧. ┊Square and Opposition: This configuration challenges you to navigate and integrate Bella's allure with the energies of the associated planet, which may require conscious effort and self-awareness. The square aspect prompts you to find a balance between your natural charm and the qualities represented by the planet, often leading to growth through overcoming obstacles.
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A Picture’s Worth || jjk (I)
Pairings: Jungkook x Reader
Other Tags: Ex-Art Thief!Reader, Ex-Assassin!Reader, Ex-Gang member!Reader, Gang member!Jungkook, Assassin!Jungkook, Hitman!Jungkook, Thief!Jungkook
Genre: Strangers to lovers, gang AU, mafia AU, Fluff, Angst, Smut
Word Count: 23.2k+
Summary: After pulling off the largest art heist of her career, Y/N has put that life behind her. However, after 4 years out of the business, she comes home to find a stranger in her house.
Warnings: violence, blood, gang activity, mafia activity, mentions of death, actual death, crime, robberies, pickpocketing, graphic depictions of injuries, guns, knives, mentions of past torture, body branding (not too graphic), major character(s) injured, STRONG LANGUAGE, Gang tattoos, Abuse (not JK and Reader), JK is a bit of a himbo, but only with his friends, he’s actually quite scary, I’m not a gang member or anything so I could be wrong about that stuff, I tried my best, eventual smut, mutual pining, kissing (let me know if I missing anything)
Author’s Note:Things were getting out of hand, so I made the executive decision to split this into two parts. This one is establishing plot so no smut (yet). Thanks so much for reading. She’s a big girl.
Listen to the Playlist || cross posted to ao3: here
Five years ago
There comes a point in a child’s life that they begin to ponder over what they will become. Some girls I knew dreamt of becoming lawyers, doctors, or astronauts. I remember there being a time when I had thought of more than the mountains I had lived in, possibly moving to California and starting my life over after I was finished with school. I had even played with the idea of owning a salon. I hoped that I would be pretty when I grew up with bright red hair just like Ariel. It was strange looking back on that time and how little had truly changed.
While I had, in some ways, deviated from the life my family had wanted for me, I was still lurking in the shadows and biding my time. Instead of hiring me for hits, the players I worked for enjoyed the finer things in life. Patrons of the arts if you will. Staring up at the Rembrandt painting, it was not a wonder as to why.
Looking over my shoulder, I was relieved to see Hoseok in position. Locking eyes momentarily, I gave him a small, polite smile and returned to the painting in front of me. To the security cameras, we were simply two strangers who had a small moment in time. I knew that we were trying to use signals as much as we could without looking suspicious. A smile normally meant that I was confident I could pull this off. Hoseok’s returning nod was his way of saying he was happy with his own assessments.
The heist would take a few more weeks to plan out. Our buyer wanted 18 different art pieces from this museum, something that was doable with our team, as well as 38 pieces of jewelry. Taehyung and Jimin would be in charge of the operation. Walking away from the Rambrandt, I looked over other pieces with the same intensity to not raise suspicions. While the cameras here were not of great quality, they could still see us and that alone was enough to bother me.
Stealing has always come naturally to me. Second nature. When I was young I pickpocketed, the artform far more refined now that I was much older, and my parents enjoyed how sneaky I could be when I wanted to be. We never stayed anywhere for too long, the last place I had seen them was Aspen six years ago, but my favorite years were London. The Underground was a perfect place to pickpocket. In a day I could swipe over 100 items and no one would be the wiser.
My tastes changed as I grew. There was a time when I hated the idea of being a criminal like my parents were. I disdain violence at the best of times, but there were very few ways of getting out unscathed. It was when I managed to steal jewels from a heavily secured store that I caught the eyes of The Saints. Hoseok was impressed by my attention to detail and offered me a way to get out of my family home. I was sixteen and impulsive. A little over ten years later I was still standing here, pickpocketing the wealthy and giving it to those just as fortunate. It had stopped bothering me years ago, the guilt, but there was always a piece of me that longed for those far away dreams of cutting hair. It almost made me laugh just thinking about it.
“It’s a beautiful painting, isn’t it?” A soft voice asked, suddenly beside me.
Turning, I was confronted with a familiar face. Yoongi hardly changed, his set lips and keen eyes unwavering. There was a long, jagged scar that ran down his forehead, over his eye, and down his cheek. He got the scar when he was still in the Irish Mob back in Boston. He was an earner with those boys and they gave him hell about leaving. Still, he had managed to walk away only to join a different side of organized crime.
“Yes, but not really to my taste,” I joked.
I had never been the biggest fan of abstract work. I liked it a great deal more than landscapes, it was at least interesting to look at, but the lack of effort had bothered me. It would never take off anyway. No one liked over priced paint splatters. Yoongi hummed.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
Taking the cue, I stood as he walked off and began counting back from 500 in my head. Everyone would be heading back to the command now. Everything had been squared away for now. Taking one more passing glance at the Rembrandt, I sighed. Hopefully, when this is all done, I could walk away.
With my head held high, I slowly drifted toward the exit. Taking the time to look over art was another great way to cover my tracks. In order to stay a nobody, I had to be a nobody, and only a nobody would stop to look at a still-life of a bowl of fruit. I never did understand why these things were popular. Then, finally, after five more minutes of “ooo”ing an “ahh”ing at pieces I’ve seen every week for the last month, I was out of the door.
Three years ago
Blinking, I stood motionless as I stared at the cracks in the little apartment’s ceilings. It had been a difficult find, something so cheap in San Diego was a steal even if it was only 300 square feet. Smiling, I threw my duffel bag of belongings onto the futon I had brought earlier that day. Finally, things were going to start looking up.
I had flown in from Kansas the week prior and had made the most of cheap motel rooms until I scored this place. I had always loved California and finally I had made it home. Looking around, I found I was not as upset by the lack of space or functioning stove. In fact, it had been the lightest I had felt in a very long time. Only second to when I graduated from Aveda last fall.
Deciding to pick up what little boxes I had with me, I broke them down and tore them into strips that were easily thrown away. I was lucky the place had come with a small, countertop fridge and microwave. The only sink was in the bathroom, a room that was floor-to-ceiling covered in tile with a toilet, small sink, and a shower head. I would have to wear flip flops just in case. The landlord had recommended using a bucket since the hot water only lasted for about 10 minutes.
I did not have much. I had gotten into the habit of packing light and living even lighter, but I was determined to try this differently. I’ve gotten what I have always wanted and I was going to let anyone, or anything, take it away from me. Going to my duffel bag, I began packing out my folded clothes and organizing them into different piles before putting them away. I had bought a tall, skinny wardrobe at the same GoodWill I had gotten the futon from.
Calling out to my phone, I asked Siri to play some music and got to work. I hated silence. Using the small drawers on the left side, I stuffed my underwear and pajamas on that side of the wardrobe. The right side was meant to hang nice things on, but I did not own nice things anymore. Instead hung were two pairs of jeans, a few dresses, and some shirts. I only owned black now. It was the dress code for every salon I had ever worked at- including the newest one. My shoes went on the shelves above the drawers and I made a mental note to buy a better pair of sneakers. I wanted to get outside more often.
Putting away the rest of my things was just as quick. My makeup was stored away on the desk that was attached to the wall beside the fridge. It was meant to be a dining area, but I doubted I would ever have company over to make use of it. My few skincare products were safely stored away in the bathroom mirror, and my kit was under my bed for safe keeping. I was suddenly acutely aware of just how sad everything truly was.
“Well,” I mumbled to myself. “Hopefully I can get enough clientele to get out of this shithole.”
At least, I thought to myself, at least I was free.
With that in mind, I grabbed my keys and headed out into the city. It had been hours since I last stopped for anything and I would have no luck here for the night. Slipping into the hallway, I realized that I was happy. For the first time in a while I felt unadulterated. Things were going to be fine.
Two years ago
Clutching the pizza box with one hand and balancing it on my hip, I cradle my phone with my shoulder as I open the door to my building.
“The earliest I’ll be available is Thursday,” I said, my voice sickeningly sweet.
The customer, Jules, cheerfully asked if I had any availability on Sunday instead. Rolling my eyes, I reminded her that the salon was closed on both Sunday and Monday. This would be the third time I had to repeat myself.
“What about Saturday?” She asked, still as clueless as she had been since I had picked up.
“I’m free from 2pm until 3pm, but if you want a haircut and balayage I will need longer than an hour.”
“How long do you need?” Finally, I heard a hint of frustration slipping through her otherwise cheery voice.
“If you want the full layered balayage it can take up to three hours for hair as long as yours is. It can be shorter if you just want a partial- between 45 minutes to an hour and a half.”
Huffing up the stairs, I struggled to open the door to my floor and used my foot to keep it open while I awkwardly hobbled. Rolling my eyes, I wanted to pull my hair out. This would be the fourth time now.
“I can put you in Thursday morning from 8am until noon. I can also do Friday from 5pm until 8pm. I’m not available again until the following Wednesday.”
Jules hummed, unable to stay silent I found. We had been on the phone for twenty five minutes and I was beginning to get a migraine. She was sweet, and I appreciated her never ending patience, but I was not blessed with the same superpower. I had never been known for my temperament or politeness. I only had patience when money was involved. Shoving my door open with my shoulder, I willed those thoughts away. That was the last thing I needed to think about right now.
Jules was going to make me go rob a fucking bank at this rate. Banks weren’t even my thing. That brought a smile to my face and I put the pizza down on the single counter I had in the kitchen.
“I guess Thursday will work then. I was just hoping to get it done before my birthday.”
Pausing, I sighed heavily. Wonderful. She was a guilt tripper. Little shit.
“What day is your birthday?” I asked.
“Oh! It’s Tuesday. My girls and I are going to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate.”
And despite my better judgment, I opened my calendar and began looking at my schedule on Tuesday. Knowing I had taken the bait hook, line, and sinker, I just went right out with it.
“We can try something if you’re open to it.”
“Sure, what’s up?” Jules asked, voice perking up.
“I can give you a partial balayage Tuesday and then you can come back Thursday to finish the rest if you want to after seeing the results.”
Jules squealed and began talking very quickly, her excitement palpable. I cringed away from the speaker of my phone.
“That would be Ah-mazing! What time on Tuesday could you see me?”
“I had a cancellation first thing in the morning. I’m free from 8am until 9:45. We’ll get as much as we can during that time.”
“Oh! I can definitely make that. Can we do the haircut on Tuesday instead of Thursday?”
Biting my tongue, I had to stop the smart ass comment I wanted to make from coming out. She was obviously very young or had little experience going to a salon. Still, it’s common sense that we would cut first. I’m not wasting products like that.
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” I settled on.
“Thanks so much, Y/N! See you Tuesday!”
“See you then, Jules. Before you go, can I get some information from you so I can put you down properly?”
After getting her full name, phone number, and email address, I let her go and logged into the salon’s appointment system to add her in. Our receptionist had quit two months ago and we were having a hard time finding a replacement. I tried to tell Tony he needed to raise the pay but he was not budging. Right now we were all stuck keeping track of everything ourselves.
The pizza was not very hot anymore but was warm enough to not be too bothersome. Happy to have some extra money coming in, I went to the fridge and grabbed a soda from it. I bought a small cart to put my microwave on. The mini fridge just happened to fit perfectly below it. The small Keurig I bought myself for Black Friday was right beside the microwave. A snug fit but it worked. Taking a bite of the pizza, I leaned against the counter and groaned.
I was so happy to be home.
Home. It was a word I was still hesitant to say. It was hard to believe things were permanent even after all this time. Some nights I stared up at the ceiling and waited for a knock on my door. Even if Hoseok promised emergencies only it was difficult to know what the guys would consider an emergency. That world was so far removed from this new reality of mine that I feared I was losing my edge. Would I even be able to help them anymore?
With doubt and a recurring nightmare, I fell asleep and dreamt of casinos and Rembrandt.
One year later
Sweeping up the floor, I glanced around the room to find myself alone.
“Great,” I huffed. “I’m going to have to talk to Tony about this bullshit.”
It had been the third time the new hire, Sasha, had left without helping with cleanup. First he snuck out of the back when he was helping Tiesha, and the last two times had been with me. While we tried to keep the boss out of the personal issues we had at the shop, I was not about to let some 19-year-old walk around like he’s above it all. Angrily, I kept sweeping and hoped that the bastard got stuck in the worst traffic getting back on the I-5.
Walking over to Andrea’s station, I rolled my eyes. She always forgot to put her combs in the sterilizing solution. Making quick work of that, I went around checking everyone’s stations to be sure it was all in order. Even Sasha’s. His desk was immaculately cleaned and I gritted my teeth harder. Seems like he’s one of those people. Feeling petty, I skipped sweeping under his vanity and kept going. Not like it made much of a difference anyway. Maybe I should steal his wallet tomorrow and help him look for it.
Fucking idiot.
No, I scolded myself. I am not that person anymore. I would definitely not go back to that lifestyle for Alexander Ivanov. Reminding myself that he was just a spoiled little brat, I continued sweeping hoping it would calm me down long enough to clear my head. If I let any of those ideas foster that would be bad. I’d have every valuable item that boy owned by lunch.
Suddenly the front desk phone began to ring and I chose to ignore it. It was five minutes after closing time and I did not feel like dealing with anyone else today. Sasha had pissed me off enough. I did not want some snotty customer adding to it. The ringing stopped and I was satisfied that they simply left a voicemail.
Turning to go back to the staff room to gather the Swiffer, I was stopped in my tracks by the phone. A part of me wanted to answer it now. It had to be the same person. Still, I was off the clock and that was not a part of my job description. Destiny would handle it in the morning. The ringing stopped. I started walking. It started up again.
Peeved but resigned, I walked to the front desk and checked the number flashing on the screen. It was from out of state. Figures. Usually clients who wanted to come in on vacation called without realizing the time zone difference. Forcing a smile to my face, I picked up.
“Mane Street, this is Y/N speaking. How can I help you?”
“Ten minutes.” The line died.
I knew that voice from anywhere. Shaking, I placed the phone back on its modem and took a second to gather myself. Whatever the emergency was, I only had ten minutes to finish cleaning and get outside. Knowing Hoseok, he would be waiting for me near my car. Better yet, he’d already be in the passenger seat.
Scrambling, I began to mop the floors and Windex the mirrors. I refused to let this unexpected visit stop me from performing my job. I was happy Sasha had left. I probably looked like I’d seen a ghost. You have definitely heard one, my subconscious screamed.
I was locked up eight minutes later. I had been keeping count in my head just as I always had before. It was unsettling just how quickly I had transformed back into the person I had once been. Who was I fooling? I’ve been covering her up with scissors, a shitty studio apartment, and take out. That did not change the overseas accounts, fake names, and stolen jewelry I’ve kept. That doesn’t change the stolen art hanging on my walls.
Rounding the back of the store, I was not surprised to see my vehicle was the only one still there. Squinting, I could see the silhouette of a person’s head in the passenger side. The street light just in front of the pickup was facing the front, their side profile obscured by the light, but I would recognize Hoseok anywhere. He was hard but soft, jagged but gentle, and most importantly, his face was oval with a pointed chin. Anxiety bubbling in my stomach, I put on a brave face and marched forward. I would be right on time.
Hoseok did not say a word as I slid into the driver’s seat or when I closed the door. Not waiting for him to make a demand, I started the engine and turned on the AC. It was stuffy. Hoseok continued to look straight while I buckled my seatbelt and put the truck in reverse.
“Don’t go home,” He finally said.
Dread filled my stomach but I did as he said. Instead of turning left, I went right and headed for the little diner I enjoyed getting a late dinner at. It was the best place for steak and eggs. I was not sure if Hoseok would be hungry but I did not care. We never really thought about those things before.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing what you like,” He spoke again, his voice still gentle. “You look very nice, too. Like the new hair.”
I was always unnerved by this side of Hoseok. He was typically a very loud, energetic, and passionate man. Soft spoken and Hoseok had never gone together. Then again, it had been almost five years since I had seen him. A lot could change within that time. That, or whatever he was going to tell me would require softness. I hoped it was just a personality change from getting older.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”
Finally, he cracked a smile. “Hadn’t realized you thought about me at all.”
I scoffed, “Of course I think about you. I think about all of you very often.”
This seemed to throw him for a loop. It was weird to speak so openly about my feelings. We had always gone about life with coldness. Being sharp and intense was the only way to survive out there. If anyone saw you as weak or vulnerable then you were finished. That was why Yoongi usually acted as a middle man. He was the hardest, coldest, most impenetrable wall there ever was. Just looking into his eyes you could see that. Shivering, I recalled the time he killed a man with a set of chopsticks while we were in Korea.
“We think about you, too,” Hoseok said, sounding far away.
Turning into the diner’s parking lot, I turned off the engine and got out. Hoseok followed closely behind me and I asked him if he wanted anything.
“I hear the steak and eggs are nice,” He commented, eyes downcasted.
“Is Taehyung keeping tabs on me?” I sneered, anxiety turning into anger.
Taehyung was the tech guy when he wasn’t stealing jewels. He was also a royal pain in the ass who never knew when to cool it. He had been the most upset when he heard that I was leaving the crew and I would not put it past him. Taehyung was just that kind of guy. The gesture was kind, I was certain of that, and came from a place of love. Still, I had asked to be left alone. It seemed like no one really accepted that.
“I tried to stop it but it’s impossible to keep track of everything he does,” Hoseok admitted. “After a while we just accepted the fact that he wouldn’t give it up. He is trying to check in less and less, though. He’s just worried someone will come around and we won’t know about it.”
“And that’s how you knew where I worked?”
Holding the door open, Hoseok thanked me before going inside. Doris smiled at me when I walked inside. She was an elderly woman who liked to help me with my Sudoku puzzles on Sunday mornings. Eyeing Hoseok curiously, I waved at her before finding an open booth. I normally sat at the bar but I did not want prying eyes. Doris would not go away if we sat there and Hoseok was obviously wanting privacy.
“Hey sugar,” Dixie, a waitress from Alabama, greeted us.
She put down two menus and asked us what we wanted to drink. Hoseok ordered a coffee while I got a glass of chocolate milk. The man looked me up and down, amusement coloring every one of his features. I waved him off and looked at the menu. If he ordered steak and eggs I would order something else. Hoseok was a big fan of sharing food even if we both had our own portions.
Hoseok, like many of the guys from the crew, was South Korean. He was born in Gwangju, a city in the southern part of the country, and moved to the US with his friend Namjoon during university. Namjoon went on to become a campaign manager in New York City while Hoseok became an associate of the Gambino family after killing a few guys. Over time the two went their separate ways, but Hoseok always spoke fondly of him. Last he heard, Namjoon had moved to Seoul and was working at the Blue House.
“You all figured out what you want?” Dixie asked, reappearing with our drinks.
Hoseok ordered the steak and eggs while I got their “Rising Roadhouse'' meal. It came with waffles and I knew that would make Hoseok happy. When we were alone again, Hoseok sighed.
“It’s Jimin,” He said.
Bracing myself, I leaned in closer so we could speak quietly. The diner was almost empty at this time of night and I was nervous. This was shit no one needed to hear about. Hoseok got closer to me.
“What’s going on?” I demanded, whispering harshly.
“He’s gotten into some shit with Winter Hill again. Yoongi bailed him out but things are going to shit. They want us to get some things for them to make up for it. We weren’t sure where to go, and Georgie was very specific.”
I breathed through my nose. Jimin was my closest friend during my time with the crew. We thought the most alike, worked the best, and trusted one another. However, we were also hot heads. I had worked on myself tremendously over the years, but Jimin had the worst kind of anger. Talking out the mouth. And to talk to somebody in Winter Hill the way I assumed he had? Jimin was asking to lose a finger. That’s if he hadn’t already. Looking at Hoseok, he seemed to know what question I had on my mind.
“Yoongi made him cut the first joint off. I told him to write an apology letter in blood. I also sent the boss the piece in a medicine jar. Just to be sure.”
Grimacing, I rubbed my forehead. I had almost forgotten the way they do things in the mafia. The letter in blood, however, seemed more of a New York thing. I’d have to get clarification on that later. Leaning back in my chair, I shook my head.
“Unbelievable,” I mumbled absentmindedly.
On one hand, I was very angry that either of them would humiliate Jimin like that. On the other hand, I knew that the boy had put them in a very, very fucked up spot. Either they make amends and punish him or they lose the entire East Coast. If Boston doesn’t want anything to do with them, New York will become weary as well. Even if Hoseok was a Red Pull at one time, he is still an outsider. He was still just an associate.
“What is he looking for?” I finally asked, leaning back in.
“Jewelry. Said they wanted something ‘your old girl’ would like. Said you’d know what to do.”
I smirked. Georgie Boy had always been impressed with my taste. Still, I was not sure about getting involved with all of this. In order to do so would mean helping them stake out a place and I was not going there. I had made my peace. Still, I could not help the part of me that felt excited. I squashed it like a bug.
“I’m not helping you with anything,” I said.
“I’m not asking you to,” He replied. “Just tell us if you’ve seen anything noteworthy lately.”
Dixie came back with our food and I used it as a distraction. I needed time to think. Hoseok and I ate off of one another and I continued to sit and ponder over the new things I had seen at the museum in town. I had gone many times, I had always tried to desensitize myself to the feeling I got when I walked in, but each time I looked around. I knew where every single camera was, I knew how to get into the back, and I was familiar enough with the security system to work around it. Every detail of a heist had already formed in my head that I refused to act on. Just as I knew every museum all the way up to Orange County. There were quite a few jewelers that had caught my eye as well. Still, I knew my answer after a few minutes of silence.
“His daughter’s birthday is soon, isn’t it?” I clarified, making sure my memory serves me well.
“In a few weeks,” Hoseok nodded.
“There’s a pair of earrings at Beverly Hills Jewelers,” I started. “They’re 2 carat, T.W, diamonds. They’re heart shaped. Halo. They’re beautiful.”
“Price?”
“I believe $15,000. They have some nice tennis chains as well that could match.”
He hummed, “I don’t know if it’ll be enough.”
I nodded, “I’ll include a personalized letter as well as a ring from my own collection if that helps.”
Hoseok smiled brightly at me. I knew that had pleased him. Georgie Boy would also be happy. His little girl gets some nice gifts and he gets to wave his dick around like the narcissist is is. In my head, I was already trying to remember the layout of the store. I had only gone inside twice when I took a trip to Beverly Hills. I was having a rough day and I wanted to get back in my element for a while. Scoping out places was always a relaxing thing for me to do. I ended up buying a necklace while I was there so they wouldn’t become suspicious of me. Still, I would have to see it again and show the guys what I was talking about so they could do the hit. That place was heavily secured.
“Thanks, Y/N,” Hoseok said, pushing the last piece of steak closer to me.
Grinning at him I replied, “It was an emergency.”
And then I popped the steak in my mouth and savored the taste. Just for now I would have a little bit of chaos. It would just be Hoseok and I, so that made the guilt lessen. At least this wasn’t something I would have to actually perform. Still, I thought to myself, I was incredibly bored without the little bit of chaos I had before.
Present
Laughing, I cut another piece of brown hair off. Jules stared at me, her hands covering her mouth, while she shook. She was a regular now, always got the same treatment, but when she called about her appointment last week she asked for a bob. Well, giving it to her, it was difficult to imagine just how upset she would become.
Her mother had recently been diagnosed with cancer and she wanted to show her that she was standing with her. The chemo had made chunks fall out and her mother decided to buzz her head. I had been the person to do that and give her a pamphlet of local stores she could go to and buy nice wigs. Jules, however, had called me late and said she wanted to donate her own hair for her mom. Tony had recently registered the salon with Locks of Love and trained us all in it. Sasha had been the most excited about the prospect. His mother had died from cancer when he was in highschool.
Jules’s hair was thick, dark brown, and wavy. Everything about it was perfect and she was a dream to work with. She always took things in stride and tipped well. Today, I was worried if she would ever come back.
Her hair was long enough that we could keep it at her shoulders. She had always kept it past her butt, just barely grazing her upper thighs, and took pride in it. I was still planning to give her plenty of highlights and a blowout- on the house. I had nothing but love for the girl and I knew how difficult this would be for her. Glancing at Tiesha, she smiled.
“Girl, what are you crying for?” She joked, parting another section of her client’s hair.
I recognized her but was not sure of her name. She always came in for installations or silk presses. Tiesha was always happy to see her, at the very least, so I knew she was a nice enough person.
“I don’t know,” Jules whined back, sniffling and rubbing her reddening eyes.
“Now, you are too damn pretty to be looking like that,” She replied, braiding back another section. “Make an appointment with momma and I’ll hook you up.”
I scoffed, “I can do extensions, too.”
“Oh, I know. But you’re most definitely a colorist. Julie, baby, Ty will take good care of you, okay?”
“Your mom will be very happy,” Sasha chimed in, his Russian accent thick.
Jules nodded, “Yeah, she will.”
I smiled to myself. That was the best motivator to get through this. I kept as much length as I could and I was still going to try to make her feel pretty with the new style. She had said her friends were excited but her boyfriend was conflicted. He loved her hair. That made me frown. Who the fuck says that to their girlfriend? Especially one who’s doing it for their sick mother.
“I’ve never gone this short before,” Jules said, her composure coming back. “It’s scary.”
“Don’t worry,” Sasha soothed, cleaning up from his last client. “You’ve got the best in the house. Y/N’ll take care of you.”
I winked at the boy. Sasha had grown on me considerably since he was first hired. I had not gone to Tony about his skipping after all, instead I cornered him at work and told him if he ever ditched me again I would get him fired. We were rocky after that but I knew his respect for me had gone up. A friendship blossomed when he confessed he was clueless about doing color. Sasha was an amazing stylist and his precion was otherworldly, but Destiny was right to never give him color clients. I spent a few nights helping him practice on some mannequin heads and he followed me around like a puppy. He had even agreed to clean up alone for two nights while I was in Beverly Hills helping Hoseok scope out the place. We were thick as thieves after that.
“I know that,” Jules cracked a smile. “She always takes care of me.”
“I’m flattered,” I finally said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got plans for you.”
Her smile grew. Jules had been very excited about free coloring. I had told her I was giving myself free reign, and I wondered if she thought I was going to go manic pixie on her. Hopefully some lowlights and babylights would suffice. We had never gone darker before and I thought it would suit the new cut well.
Cutting in her layers, I was happy with how it looked. Her hair framed her face nicely and she would still have enough length to play around with it if she wanted. Jules was a fan of those half-up, half-down looks. Using my comb, I ran through her hair and cut. So far, she had not looked back at the mirror. She seemed nervous too.
“Do you want me to cut your bangs blunt or keep them split?” I asked.
Jules perked up, “Oh! I was actually thinking about trying a new bang style.”
I nodded, “Do you have a picture?”
She opened her gallery and pulled it up. I smiled to myself. Jameela Jamil really did pull off the schoolgirl bangs.
“So in between?” I walked around so she was facing me.
“Do you think it’ll look nice?” She asked, chewing her bottom lip.
I studied her face for a moment.
“You’ll look great, but it might take some time to get used to. They’re a bit more maintenance than blunt or curtain.”
She smiled, “I figured that.”
Working quietly, I began to trim her bangs into the correct shape. They will look their best after I finish styling the rest of her hair. Jules loved it when I straightened her hair after our visits. She never had the patience for it at home and it made her feel special when she got it done here. I would have to let her know that her bangs will look pretty if she curled the longer side pieces to blend them in with her natural waves. With the cutting done, it was time to start the lowlights.
“When is your next appointment?” I asked Sasha.
He was sitting in his chair and texting someone on his phone. He glanced at me before getting back to his screen.
“About twenty minutes. He’s new.”
“Oh, a man?” Tiesha dramatically emphasized the man part. It was not often that men booked with us. Sasha had gone to barber school and did amazing work, but for some reason the idea of going to a salon bothered most men. “He from out of town?”
“I think so,” The Russian nodded. “He definitely sounded foreign. I couldn’t tell where from. Maybe Asia?”
I froze for a moment. I took a breath. There was absolutely no way that any of them would do that. Then I thought of Taehyung. Absolutely not, I scolded myself. That boy feared me more than anybody else. I would ring him by his neck and then let Yoongi know about it. Besides, I said emergencies only. They would have scheduled with me if they were trying to talk. Walking back to my chair, I placed the dye and bleach down on the metal tray next to me. Opening one of the drawers at my desk, I grabbed some latex gloves and foil.
Getting started was simple. Getting the brown, I began painting sections of her hair and foiling them. The foil was not really necessary, but I always got nervous that the parts I did not want colored would get touched. Lowlights were more sparsely added, and unlike highlights, never layers. Making my way around her head, I was excited to see if she would like it. I only went a shade darker than her natural color, so the color contrast was not extremely stark. The highlights were the most important part of the look.
Foiling the last piece of hair, I took the bowl to the sink near the back as well as the brush I was using. Tossing them in and removing my gloves, I heard the bell chime and Sasha’s customer service voice begin. No one could beat Tiesha’s, that woman had client relationships like no one I had ever met. They adored her.
“Come sit and we can get started,” Sasha seemed more excited than usual.
I guessed the guy wanted something a bit different from his normal caseload.
“Alright,” I sighed, clapping my hands. “Let's get this bleach started.”
Walking back into the main room, I paid no mind to the customer sitting in Sasha’s chair. Jules was FaceTiming with someone and I grinned when I recognized her mom’s voice. She seemed very cheery today.
“Oh, I love that length on you,” Martha gushed, her accent only picking up on certain words.
“Gracias, mami,” Jules beamed. “Do you think Carlos will like it?”
Martha waved her hands around animatedly when she talked. I had learned that from the many times she came to the salon with Jules. Now, she was shaking them violently.
“Who cares?”
I laughed and got to work on her highlights.
“I said the same thing,” I chimed.
The three of us talked as I worked. Martha always enjoyed asking me about the craziest customer of the week, and I usually indulge her. This week it had been a very convoluted, pastel rainbow color job. She wanted the top half white and the bottom portion colored. She booked out my entire day, gave me hell about every insignificant detail, and then left a $2 tip. Sasha got to hear me rant and rave about it when we were cleaning that night.
“She’s never allowed in my chair again,” I finished, setting a timer for everything.
The lowlights had been sitting for twenty minutes while the babylights would need about 15 in order to develop the way I want them to. Thinking, I was certain the lowlights would be fine going two minutes over the usual time. They would be hardly noticeable regardless.
“You’ve had worse,” Sasha pointed out.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “But those women tip well. I don’t care how rude you are- money is money. That chick is a pain in the ass without the benefits.”
“She has nothing on Kimberly,” Tiesha joked.
I groaned, “God, don’t even put that name into the universe. She’s due back soon.”
Sasha laughed. “She does pay very well. Don’t blame you.”
“Who’s Kimberly?” Jules asked.
I gave Tiesha a look before answering her.
“She’s a regular. Tony was her go-to guy, but he’s only in twice a week and it doesn’t line up with her schedule. He sent her over to me. Let’s just say she takes picky to a new level.”
Jules snickered, “What does she like to get?”
“Usually a platinum blonde, layered cut. On paper it’s not the most difficult thing in the world, but she makes it much more complicated than it needs to be.”
“Complicated?” Tiesha exclaimed. “That woman is super rude, always late, and acts like she knows everything. I’d tell that bitch to kick rocks.”
Her client laughed out loud.
“That might be true,” I reasoned, checking the foils. “But, she always tips well and shouts me out on her socials. So, can I really complain? Besides, I’m used to her.”
Checking the foils again, I was happy with the color they were and decided to take the foils off early. Stopping my timer, I asked Jules to walk over to the rinsing station. I was happy this was my last client. Sweeping up the hair, I left it in the dustpan until I was ready to begin the tedious task of preparing it for donation. Putting on a new pair of gloves, I willed this day to be over already.
I knew something was off when a new motorcycle was parked out front. Briefly checking the plates, I was even more weary when they were from Jersey. I knew far too many people in that corner of the US. Still, I told myself that it could be anybody. Perhaps one of my new neighbors was from Hobokan. That was highly unlikely, though. Eyeing the red leather jacket hanging from one of the handles, I only knew one person who owned something like that. I guess I will be seeing Jimin tonight. The thought bothered me far more than I thought it would.
Taking my time going up the stairs, I considered calling Hoseok and demanding to know why Park was sniffing around my apartment. I knew I should have moved out, should have tried something new, but the thought of leaving the only home I ever knew bothered me. Using the time climbing to my advantage, I slowly steeled myself. Jimin could smell weakness from a mile away. He was also one person who could convince me to do bad things.
The excitement that ran through me at the idea sickened me.
Starting at the 4 on the door, I braced myself. When I walked into that hallway all traces of the new me had to disappear. There can be no laughter, no crying, and no open hostility. I would have to be a blank slate. With one small breath, I pulled the door and went into the hall.
There wasn’t a body in sight, but I knew better than to go off of that. Jimin could get into my apartment with relative ease. No one would notice either. Everyone else that lived was too busy making ends meet to pay attention to the stranger sneaking into my house.
Taking my keys out of my purse, I unlocked the door and walked inside. I could smell him. It was, however, not Jimin. Jimin only wore Orange Blossom by Jo Malone. Whoever this was smelled like baby powder and flowers. My guard completely up now, I continued further into the studio and kicked the door closed behind me. Whoever it was, I knew had been standing behind the door. The smell was not as potent as it had been before.
Going into the kitchen, I shrugged my coat off before throwing it behind me. I heard it hit something and it was a blur after that. I quickly snatched a kitchen knife from the drying rack and threw myself to the ground. The man grabbed my hands. Kicking his inner thigh, I rolled from underneath him and shot up. He threw his arms up.
“Stop!”
Ignoring him, I threw the knife. The man reacted quickly, catching the blade in between his hands before throwing it down on the floor. While he was distracted, I slid on the floor and grabbed the pistol from under my bed. Pointing it at the man, he rolled his eyes dramatically.
“What are you going to do? Shoot me?”
Without saying anything, I aimed for his left shoulder and fired. The silencer muzzled the shot, though the pop was still nasty. It worked better with a pillow added to the equation. I doubted any of my neighbors would notice the sound, however. The man shouted, stumbled back, and leaned against the fridge.
“You shot me,” He exclaimed, shocked.
“Who the fuck are you?” I barked, aimed for his other shoulder.
“You wait to ask me after you-”
I shot again. He gritted his teeth and sank to the floor. The wounds were leaking blood but I tried to not let it bother me. This guy broke into my house. This time, I aimed for his right knee.
“Who are you?” I asked again.
“Jungkook,” The man, Jungkook, answered. “I’m with The Saints.”
Lowering the barrel of the gun, I stared at him for a second. He was with my crew? Since when?
“Who sent you?” I asked, aiming at his chest now.
If he was going to get found out, he might be more inclined to lunge before I could call anyone.
“Yoongi.”
Slowly, I reached into my back pocket and got my phone. I was relieved the screen hadn’t cracked during the outfall. Slowly, keeping my eyes on Jungkook, I started typing in the number I knew by heart. If he was lucky, Yoongi would pick up. If not, then we weren’t moving until someone did. After the second ring, a rough voice greeted me.
“August.”
Training my gun on his head, I spoke.
“There’s someone claiming they know you in my apartment.”
After a few seconds, Yoongi’s voice was hard when he replied.
“Who is it?”
“Says his name is Jungkook,” I replied evenly.
I was fully prepared to pull the trigger. Jungkook stared the barrel down without fear. I only hoped he would go down quickly and quietly.
Yoongi sighed harshly, “Fucking Jimin.”
Gripping the handle tightly, I placed my finger on the trigger. I only needed the okay now.
“He’s fine,” Yoongi was annoyed. “I sent Jimin but I guess he got the kid to go instead.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I put the gun down. Jungkook visibly relaxed then and moaned in pain. Raising a hand, he cradled his left shoulder and hissed in pain.
“Fucked him up,” I admitted. “He was in my apartment when I got home.”
Yoongi hummed, “Take care of him. He’ll let you know what’s going on. We have a problem.”
He hung up before I could respond.
I hated when he did that. I had no idea who Jungkook was, or what he was here to tell me, but we were on the same team. And I just shot him. Twice. Putting the gun back in its original spot, I reached a little further behind it and retrieved my first aid kit. Jungkook sagged in relief.
“Sorry,” I apologized, helping him take his shirt off. “Didn’t realize you were with us.”
Jungkook hissed when I applied alcohol to the wounds. It would take me a while to get his patched up, but I was capable of doing it. Years of friendship with The Saints would do that to you. Looking at Jungkook, I was taken aback by how attractive he was.
All of the Saints were good looking, but this guy had an aura about him. His hair was wild, pitch black, and down to his shoulders. His skin was gently tanned with small moles dotted sporadically across his body. What caught my attention the most was the shiny, silver lip ring he donned. That was an oddity in our world.
“My fault, shouldn’t have broken in without a warning,” He replied.
“I saw the bike outside and thought you were Jimin.”
He hummed then winced. I knew those bullets did not feel nice. Taking my time and trying to be gentle, I used a pair of tweezers to get them out. Jungkook bit his lip so hard he drew blood.
“Yeah,” He breathed out. “Let me borrow it for the ride.”
“Park,” We both knew what I meant by that.
For the next hour we sat in silence. He let me work and I listened to every sharp intake of breath, groan, and moan. I felt guilty about everything, but I also had a certain level of apathy. The guy was nobody to me. Not really. Same crew doesn’t mean we’re friends. Still, if they sent him here then that meant they trusted him enough to come. That told me a lot about him.
After I placed gauze over the stitches, Jungkook finally spoke again.
“Jin hyung said you were harmless,” He chuckled. “I’ll let him know he’s wrong.”
Ignoring his comment, I went to find him something to wear. I doubted he would be able to fit any of my things. He was huge, a tall man with big arms, but I could make something work. Grabbing a loose fitting dress, I threw it to him.
“I don’t have anything for a man, so that will have to do.”
He nodded and put the dress on without complaint.
“I’ll pick up something for you later,” I continued. “Did you come alone?”
Jungkook shook his head, “Hyung’s around. He was going to come but an old friend called so he sent me.”
“Kai?” I wondered, already knowing the answer.
Jimin and Kai were good friends. They had known one another since they were kids and got involved in crime together. I’d only met the guy in passing the few times he had visited Boston, but I was not very familiar with him. I knew he was a drug runner on the west coast but that was where my knowledge stopped.
“Yeah, said they had business or something.”
I hummed, “Would you like to lay down for a moment?”
Jungkook was very obviously in pain. He tried to deny it for a minute but ultimately took my offer. Going to the fridge, I pulled out a can of Ginger Ale and gave it to him. He accepted it readily.
“Sorry about the gun,” I offered, sitting on the floor. “Jin’s right. I’m usually pretty harmless. I didn’t even own a gun until I left The Saints.”
Jungkook shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. You weren’t expecting company.”
Opening my own drink, I eyed him. He was far too calm. My guess was this was not his first time being shot. Trying to find other wounds was pointless, however, he was too clothed. I hadn’t even thought to check when I was helping him earlier.
“Why’d you come inside anyway?” I asked.
Jungkook grinned ruefully.
“Hyung said he’d call you.”
That pulled a laugh out of me. Park probably forgot about it. For someone as dangerous as he was, he could be irresponsible. I remember when we were scoping a jewelry store together a few years back, Jimin had completely forgotten where the cameras were by the time we left. I had to go back myself a few days later to make sure his guesses were right. We had never let him live it down. Yoongi did not think it was very funny.
“Typical,” I said.
“Yeah.”
Jungkook’s eyes slipped closed. He was so completely at ease in my presence it was unnerving. Taking a sip of my drink, I looked at him in bewilderment. He was so much like Taehyung, trusting and easy going. It was difficult to imagine what role he played in the crew. He could have taken my place but I doubted he was as good. He had come here, hid behind my door, and then ambushed me. Then he was surprised when I acted like he was an enemy. Chuckling, I put my drink down. Yeah, just like Taehyung.
“What’s funny?” He asked, eyes still closed.
Wiping the smile off my face, I replied. “Just thinking.”
We did not talk again. I was sure Jungkook had dozed off, but he kept waking back up again. Getting up, I began looking for some pain medicine to no avail. I had not needed to put myself to sleep in a long time. Grabbing my keys from the floor, I told Jungkook I was heading out for a bit. I got no response. Patting myself down, I knew I did not have my phone and picked it up from beside the bed. Jungkook was lightly snoring.
Slipping from the room, I locked up and went downstairs. Typing in the last number I had for Jimin, I was not surprised that it was no longer in service. He changed phones like you change clothes. Deciding to call Taehyung, I went to my contacts to find him. He was the only person I saved.
“Hello?” His voice was deep and hoarse.
Glancing at the time, I realized it was much later than I thought.
“Sorry about the time,” I replied. “It’s Mouse.”
I heard shuffling on the other side. Taehyung had gotten himself a girlfriend, Jennie, and I was almost positive she was relatively clueless about his life. The last time I talked to Hoseok, he had said she thought he was a tech guy who was helping a start up. He must have been with her now if his silence was anything to go by.
“Sorry,” He said, voice low. “I’m not alone.”
“I just need Park’s number and you can get back to bed.”
Saying the numbers slowly, I typed them into my keypad as I made my way through the dark streets.
“Thanks,” I stopped walking once I got to the gas station around the corner. “Get some sleep.”
“It was good to hear your voice,” He replied, more awake than he had been. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“Night, V.”
“Night, Mouse.”
Hanging up, I stuffed my phone into my back pocket and walked into the store. It was deserted except for the cashier. Giving me a stiff nod, I ignored the man before going to the back of the store and getting some bottled water. I never trusted the tap in the building. Afterwards, I got a bottle of Nyquil and Advil before going to the register.
“Let me get a pack of Marlboro Black Menthols,” I told the cashier.
Taking out my phone, I took my ID from the attached wallet as well as my debit card. The man held the pack of cigarettes and took my ID. Briefly looking it over, he scanned the barcode before scanning the cigarettes. Handing the ID back to me, he began scanning my other items before bagging them.
“Your total is $26.87.”
Nodding, I inserted my card and typed my pin. Putting my card back into the small wallet, I put my phone into my pocket and took the bag.
“Have a good night,” I said.
“You too,” He replied.
Leaving the store, I opened up my keypad and pressed the call button. Jimin picked up after four rings.
“Hello?” He answered, voice brightly and bubbly.
He always answered unknown numbers like that just in case. Jimin always prioritized having the upper hand over anything else. Anyone looking for Park would never connect him to the voice on the other side. I, however, was familiar enough with him to see through the facade.
“You got your boy hit,” I said, cutting right to the chase. “I had to give him a dress and Nyquil after popping two in him.”
Jimin laughed loudly, his fake voice gone. This was why we were friends. Our senses of humor were far too warped due to our upbringings. In another world we would have been enemies belonging to different clans, but I liked this timeline far more. Park was a great guy when you looked past the insecurities, anger issues, and tendency to seek violence.
“Jungkook’s wearing a dress?” He exclaimed, still laughing. “God, you have to take a picture for me.”
I rolled my eyes, “Explain why he’s here. I would ask him but I stepped out to get some medicine for him.”
Jimin’s laughter abruptly cut off. That feeling of dread returned. If Park was getting serious then that meant whatever the situation was must be more than I thought it would be. I was expecting them to need me to help them with a heist, but I was getting the feeling it might be more than that. Jimin sighed.
“I can’t get into specifics right now, but you need to get the fuck out of California.”
Going up the stairs of my complex, I paused.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re not safe here anymore.”
Growing angry, I shouted. “Enough with the cryptic messages, Park!”
Continuing to go up, I kept looking around every corner I went to. This was the worst fucking timing I could have had. Things were finally going well for me, I had friends and a job that I actually liked, and I had to give it all up again. Tears filling my eyes, I shoved open my door and slammed it behind me.
“I told you I can’t get into specifics, but there’s a reason I’m with Kai right now. You and Jungkook need to get out of that apartment as soon as possible. I don’t care where you go but you need to leave.”
Jungkook sprung up when I kicked the edge of my bed. Pointing to my phone, I mouth ‘Jimin.’ Getting on my knees, I pulled out my duffle bag from underneath the bed and threw it at the other man. He looked at me when he stood up. I noticed the way he winced and held up the bag in my hand.
“Copy,” Was all I replied.
“Get to Boston. Don’t take the truck.”
“Give me something to work with,” I demanded, taking the Advil out of the bag and tossing it to Jungkook. “I can’t be blind.”
“Cмерть не за горами.”
My entire world stopped spinning. I could hear my heart beating, feel my lungs pushing the air out of my body, while my eyes were frozen. Every single inch of my skin shivered, goosebumps springing up, and I broke out into a cold sweat. This was no heist.
Hanging up on Jimin, I went to the window above my bed and opened it. Throwing the phone as far as I could, I turned to find Jungkook waiting for instructions. Staring at him, I decided to take a leap of faith.
“Ты один из нас?” I asked.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”
Gritting my teeth, I snatched the duffle from him. Jungkook continued waiting for me to tell him what to do. I pointed to my bathroom.
“Take everything from the mirror cabinet and put it in the bag. After that, grab what you can from the wardrobe and stuff it. Only take one pair of shoes and a pair of heels. That’s all I’ll need.”
He got to work quickly. Going back to the bed, I took out my gun and the spare ammo I kept locked up at the very back corner. Placing the ammo in the duffle, I took my first aid kit from the kitchen floor and tossed it in as well.
“Do you have a gun?” I asked Jungkook.
“Yeah,” He replied. “It’s in the jacket downstairs. I thought you would feel more comfortable if I wasn’t armed.”
Packing my small makeup collection, I felt myself shutting down. Bad girls don’t have feelings, and I was fucking heartless. Yes, I told myself, heartless. It was harder to pretend now than it had been, I was rusty and in desperate need of a distraction. The thought of finding my old family in the shadows was always frightening, but the thought of them looking for me was far more unsettling.
“Done,” Jungkook announced.
Realizing I had zoned out, I quickly put my makeup in the duffle bag and closed it. I had no time to dwell or be afraid. Heartless, Mouse, Heartless. I hated that name. Shaking my head, I pulled myself together enough to sling the duffle over my shoulder. Jungkook went to take it but I held my hand up.
“You’re not carrying this with your injuries. Just take that bag and this-” I handed him my gun. “I don’t know how quick you are but it’s probably better than me. I’m rusty.”
He nodded and we made our way down the stairs. Thinking, I began to categorize the cars that were in the parking lot and on the street. My truck was near the front but the streets were shrouded in light at this time. Jungkook’s bike was also out front. The back had security cameras but was pitch black at this time. I decided the front was the risk I was more willing to take and went through the hallway door on the first floor. Passing the doors, I paid no mind to Jungkook. He was capable and stayed in step with me effortlessly.
We would drive for a few hours, probably stopping at a diner so I could get another car, and keep going until we hit Arizona or New Mexico. I had not decided yet. Going out the front doors, I waved Jungkook away while I walked down the street. He went to get his jacket but left the bike behind. He was back beside me in a few seconds.
Crossing the street, I had my eyes on a Honda Accord parked on the curb. It was definitely a ‘97 model. I could start her up in a heartbeat. Unzipping one of the side pockets of my bag, I pulled out a switchblade and zipped it back up. Going to the driver’s side, Jungkook stayed at my back while I tried the handle. To my surprise, it opened. Stepping to the side, I gently tapped Jungkook’s back. Turning, he quickly shoved the gun into the backseat as I opened the door. After seeing that the coast was clear, I motioned for him to go around the car while I popped the truck. He said it was fine.
Nodding at him, I got into the car. Kicking the steering wheel, I heard the column lock break before swapping the ECUs. Taking my knife, I ripped off the lower center cover. Getting back out of the car, I opened the backseat and threw my duffle inside. Putting my knife back in its pocket, I opened the long side pocket along the front and pulled out my old screwdriver. This was far from the first jacking I had done.
Getting back into the car, I began to pry the steel cover away. Asking Jungkook for a light, I waited while he pulled out his phone from the pocket of the red jacket. He was lucky no one had taken it. With the flashlight on, I turned the switch from off, past run, to start. The car came to life instantaneously. Waving the light away, I threw the screwdriver into the center console and placed the car in drive. Finally closing the driver’s side door, I peeled off into the night.
The radio came to life and Amy Winehouse sang loudly as I got onto the I-5.
“Til’ the chips were down
Know you were a gambling man.
Love is a losing hand.”
Jungkook was very quiet. I had just followed exit sounds and continued to drive toward Arizona. It was the least exciting state, and the people who lived there were far too judgemental outside of Phoenix, but it was the best way to get to the airport. That airport was far too big and strangely laid out that I knew we would be difficult to pick out in a crowd. Glazing over at Jungkook, he was holding the pack of cigarettes I had bought earlier.
“They’re for Jimin,” I suddenly said, switching lanes. “They were his favorite last time I saw him.”
“I think he’s smoking Camels now,” Jungkook replied.
“Can’t win them all.”
Sighing, I relaxed a bit more in my seat. So far, we have not been followed. Then again, I could be missing something. Tracking was not a strong suit of mine, and in my experience, the Russians were very, very evasive when they wanted to be. Still, I allowed myself a moment to breathe.
“How do you know the boys in Brighton?” Jungkook asked, voice quiet and soft.
I thought about it for a moment. It was a rather long story, but knowing that we were familiar with the same people made it feel easier. Deciding to probe him for information first, I formed a plan in my head on how to go about this conversation.
“Have you ever heard of the person called Pыбка?” I asked, my American accent showing through. It had been a very, very long time since I had spoken Russian, and even then it had always been a second language that I learned from my time with the Shulaya.
“Ivan’s girl, right? The one who was murdered a few years back? What about her?”
Sparing him a quick glance, I spoke.
“Do I look dead to you?”
Jimin and I had known one another longer than anyone else in The Saints. He had been the last person to join the crew, and was deep within the Shulaya before he went to Jersey to join Hoseok’s team. I would never forget the look on his face the first time he saw me, or the fact that it took him all of ten minutes to get fully committed to keeping me safe. Everyone called me Mouse. Jin had come up with it after joking about me being able to live in someone’s attic and they would never know. It caught on and it was the only name anyone on the streets knew about. The ‘Little Fish’ of Shulaya long forgotten after the first two years of hiding. However, it seemed like my face had been seen by somebody and Ivan was not happy about my disappearing act.
“Holy shit,” Jungkook said in awe. “We’re so fucked.”
I laughed, “Have some faith. Ivan is scary, but he’s also impulsive. I know him better than most and trust me- he doesn’t know how to keep his cool. Between Boston and NYC, I doubt he’ll get very far into their territory without raising hell.”
Jungkook made a strange noise.
“I’d be far more afraid of Yoongi than any of those Wiseguys.”
Scoffing, I saw the exit I needed to take in order to pull up at the last Holiday Inn before the long stretch of nothing at all. Jungkook seemed to see where my mind was going and began to look out of the window. After briefly going over what food options we had, we landed on Taco Bell.
Ordering our food was simple enough. Jungkook was a huge tomato hater and was very upset to find that his Crunch Wrap had been ‘ruined.’ The motel seemed to have a few quests and I hoped we could get a room. Jungkook offered to pay. The frontdesk lady was kind and found us a room within 5 minutes.
Using the elevator, I asked Jungkook if he still had the ‘thing’ with him. He nodded but said no more. It was probably better that way. Throwing my duffle bag onto my bed, I realized that Jungkook was still wearing a dress with the pants he had come inside in.
Digging through my bag, I found a pair of sweatpants that would fit him well enough as well as an oversized nightshirt I rarely ever wore. I usually slept naked. Tonight, I will try to make my partner feel comfortable.
Throwing the clothes on his bed, Jungkook perked up a bit and seemed to be fine with their sizes. I wondered if he had been wearing more uncomfortable clothes at one time and shook my head. He had walked into this motel wearing that. Yes, Y/N, he has definitely been far more uncomfortable than tightly sweats.
“You can take the bathroom first,” I pointed to the door. “You need it more than I do.”
Jungkook nodded, “Would you mind helping me get out of this thing? It still hurts to move my arms around too much.
Looking at him, I pinned him with an unimpressed look. We were not having one of those moments. Still looking at Jungkook, I unzipped the pouching with my switchblade in it and pulled the knife out. Walking to Jungkook, I quickly worked on the right side of the fabric. The left side was even quicker. Gently lifting his arm just enough to see his armpit, I cut the short sleeve from the bottom, following up with the top, and up the high neckline. Repeating it on the other side, the blood-soaked garment pooling to the floor.
Jungkook seemed frozen. Looking at his face, his eyes were wide and staring at the blade in my hand. Thinking he might be uncomfortable with me standing so close to him with a weapon, I walked back to my bed.
“If you need help getting the shirt on, just let me know.”
“Thanks,” Jungkook replied.
Picking up the spare clothes, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. The water was on a few seconds later. Fully alone in the room, I looked around and decided to throw out the dress. With the torn up dress safely put away in my duffle, I tried to figure out what to do while I waited.
Taking Jungkook’s phone off of his bed (he used a flip phone just like Yoongi did on the job), I quickly found my way to the contacts. Hovering over Jimin’s number, I paused. Not thinking about it for too long, I pressed it and placed my phone to my ear. He answered quickly.
“Where are you?” Jimin asked, voice very low.
“Are you safe to talk?” I replied, voice just as low.
I could hear the way Jimin rolled his eyes, a small groan leaving his lips.
“I’m fine,” His voice was still soft. “I’m at a casino right now. Did you steal his phone?”
My blood ran cold. Most of our guys loved gambling, but Jimin had always thought it was a dumb pastime. I knew Ivan had been trying to expand the Russian influence in Los Angeles, and I hoped that he knew what he was doing. Jimin tended to run into situations without contemplating everything. Instead of grilling him, I decided to ease his worries.
“We’re safe. Heading east.” I looked around the room distractedly. “And no. I’m using it while he’s taking a shower.”
Jimin sighed in relief, “Kook is a good guy. He’ll keep you safe long enough to make it back to Boston. I’ll be on my way back in a few hours.”
It was better to keep things vague. Just like I had not said where we were headed, Jimin’s answer could mean anything. I heard Jungkook cry out but he was quiet soon after. I hoped the work I had done was keeping. I had told him to keep the stitches covered.
“See you soon,” I forced a smile on my face. “I got you a pack of cigarettes.”
Jimin laughed, though it sounded more forced than normal.
“Stay safe. I have to go.”
I hung up without another word. If he had to go then he had to go. The shower was still running and I was bored again. Looking at the door, I was tempted to walk around for a while. I had a feeling I would get myself into trouble if I did, but I was curious to see if I could get some extra clothes for Jungkook. Possibly a set of car keys, too. Looking at the bathroom door, I figured he was going to be there for a while.
“Fuck it,” I said under my breath.
Getting my room key, I slipped out of the room quietly.
The hallway was deserted, not a body in sight, but I had a feeling I could get something if I looked hard enough. Going to the elevator, I spotted a young couple laughing. Slowing my walk, I was happy to see that they were getting on the elevator.
Angling my body, I was practically jumping up and down when my eye caught on their room key. This would be too easy. The elevator chimed signaling someone was getting off. Quickly moving my body, I relied on their clinginess to sneak into the corridor without a problem. A group of people pooled out of the elevator and I drifted into their numbers.
The couple stood to the side and waited for us to pass. Using my foot, I tripped a young woman in front of me. She stumbled while I placed myself in a position to trip over her. The both of us dropped. The woman fell into the man. Falling, I shuffled closer to the man’s hand while the woman began apologizing profusely.
Quickly snatching the card from him, I slipped it into my pocket while I stood up. Adjusting my clothes, I quickly apologized as well. The couple waved the both of us off, seemingly unbothered, before getting on the elevator. Nodding to the woman, I turned toward the way the couple had come from. Looking at the keycard, I made my way toward the door with the number on it. I was lucky the woman and I had similar hair styles, but I was aware of Holiday Inn well enough to say that most of their cameras did not work.
Glancing up at the camera in the middle of the hallway, I was positive it was not working. Typically there would be a small, red dot that showed it was recording. Today, it was off. Letting myself in, I knew I had to be quick and clean.
Tonight I would only get clothes. Car keys were something I would have to snatch in the morning over breakfast. Someone would notice their keys missing in the middle of the night. Locating a large, black suitcase on the floor by the foot of the bed, I pulled it up onto the bed and unzipped it.
Carefully sifting through the clothes, I only pulled out enough for two outfits before gently placing everything back smoothly. They would probably be a bit big on Jungkook, but I doubted he would mind very much. I swore he was wearing a belt, but I had not been paying enough attention to know for sure.
Going to the pockets of the bag, I was happy to find a container of hair pomade and hoped it might make Jungkook happy. He would be able to do his hair if he wanted. Grabbing a pack of hair bands and a pair of boxers, I was ready to leave. Going into the dresser, I pulled out the complimentary bag they gave every guest, I shoved the clothes in it before leaving the room. With the keycard in my hand, I dropped it in the spot the couple had been before making my way back to my own room.
Jungkook was sitting on his bed drying his hair when I came in. He was wearing the sweatpants and t-shirt I had given him. I was glad he was able to get it on alone, but I felt bad I had not been here to help him. Holding up the bag, I tossed it his way.
“The first robbery I’ve done in four years,” I shook my head. “You should feel special.”
Jungkook opened the bag and grinned at me. His hair went just past his shoulders when it was wet, his fluffy curls weighed down by the water. Sifting through the bag, he seemed the happiest about the hair ties.
Getting my own clothes, I let him know I was going to take a shower. Getting under the hot water was a healing experience, and for the first time today I let a few tears slip out.
I was terrified, frustrated, but mostly- pissed.
Twelve years ago
Hands bound, I let my body relax. Ivan’s eyes were blazing, his anger palpable, but I refused to look away. He would never think I was weak again. Walking closer, the Russian yanked me up roughly, one of the straps of my sundress breaking.
“What the fuck did you do?” He seethed, his accent thick and almost incoherent through gritted teeth. “You always ruin everything you touch.”
Slowly, and with great care, I pooled spit into my mouth. With a quick gurgle, I spit in Ivan’s eye. My rebellion had angered just as much as it had excited Ivan. The thought made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible, his hands burning my skin. Slamming me down, Ivan roared in anger before delivering a swift kick to my stomach.
Gasping, I tried my hardest to keep the vomit down. I refused to give him the satisfaction. I wished I was with Alexei. He would never have treated me like this. As if the thought had transferred over to the man beside me, he kicked me again.
“Alexei is dead, Лох,” He shouted. “You’re mine now.”
With another swift kick, I cried out. Then, without warning my stomach twisted. Another kick. Finally, I threw up all over the concrete floor beneath me.
For now. I was yours for now.
Present
With a new set of car keys in my hand, I walked into the parking lot. Jungkook was on the phone, but quickly hung up when he saw me approaching. Raising an eyebrow at him, I waved him over and we began walking together. Clicking the unlock button, I smiled when I saw the yellow Porsche. The two of us placed our things inside without a care in the world and drove off quickly after.
I had found the targets for today the night before while walking around the hotel late last night. It was a young woman and her mother. The two of them had been a whirlwind and gave the staff hell. Unable to sleep, my head headaches from exhaustion, and their bickering only pissed me off more. Unfortunately for them, they had made a big show of their money and decided to brag about their car.
It took a few minutes to switch out license plates and even less time to steal her car keys this morning during breakfast. They were staying for another day and had not planned on leaving the hotel at all. Jungkook laughed once we were a safe distance away.
“I’m still in shock at that woman’s entitlement,” He shook his head. “Did you see the way she flipped out when they ran out of bacon before her ‘precious angel’ could get any?”
Chuckling, I kept my attention on the road.
“Her attitude was the only reason I swiped this thing. I would never get into something so obvious.”
“It was as easy as stealing candy from a baby.”
Feeling confident from the jacking, I decided to play along.
“Do you steal from babies often?”
Jungkook giggled cutely, “I’ve cut down to twice a year.”
“Oh?”
“Halloween-” He counted with one finger, and lifted another, “-and Easter.”
“Easter?” My eyebrows pulled in as I laughed incredulously.
Jungkook grinned lazily.
“Stockings are so last year.”
It was becoming increasingly more difficult to think of him as a member of the mafia. While my age had made others test my abilities far more often than the others I never believed anyone doubted who I was. There was a look in your eye, this coldness, that separated you from the rest. I could pick out a killer in a line up- we were one in the same. However, Jungkook was impossible to get a read on. His boyish charms and good looks were not uncommon, but the innocence in his smile and the brightness that remained in his eyes were unsettling. Everything about him was unnerving. He was disarming and that alone was frightening.
Realizing the car had become quiet, I turned the radio on. It was a habit of mine. I did not like the silence. I hated it. Some trashy pop song blasted but I did not care. Jungkook did and began to look for something he liked more.
“What do you like?” He asked, pressing the screen to change the stations.
“Pick whatever,” I replied, flipping off the guy who cut me off.
Arizona was the worst state I had ever been to. The drive was not as awful as Texas, nothing will ever beat the twelve hours of hell to still be in that damned state, but it was not much better. Outside of Phoenix the towns were not as grand. Tucson gave her a run for her money, but never came close to the busy city. Driving through the desert, I asked Jungkook to pull up the directions to the airport. I no longer knew my way.
“How did you meet the guys?” I asked, eyes on the road.
Jungkook picked a pop station and leaned back in his seat.
“Through Jimin,” He replied. “They needed help dealing with someone. I had just left New York and we ran into each other in Vegas. I liked everyone so I decided to join.”
Raising an eyebrow, I quickly turned my head so he could see my expression.
“Ivan let you leave?”
“I wasn’t a member,” Jungkook mumbled. “Just an acquaintance. I was for hire.”
That was not what I had expected. Jungkook did not seem like a killer, but I had been proven wrong many times. When I lived with my parents I had met many assassins I would have never guessed who they were just looking at them. Even talking with them it was impossible to detect. Looking at the man, I found it hard to believe that we were from the same background. While I had ran from that life, Jungkook ran toward it with open arms. In fact, he seemed to pay it little mind.
“What family are you from?” I asked. “My family was under The Table.”
Jungkook’s eyebrows shot up.
“You’re from the Underground?”
I nodded, “I never really wanted that life. I’m a much better thief anyway.”
Jungkook rubbed his bottom lip. I forced myself to focus on the road. Even if we were the only people out here, I did not want to risk anything. I had stolen the car and the plate and getting stuck out here would be hell.
“I’m with Sacarii.”
The Sacarii was the sister organization to The Table. While my family had mostly dealt with members of gangs and high profile families, members of the Sacarii were the people who went after other assassins. Stealing another look at Jungkook, I looked at the tattoos on his arm and tried to find his symbol. All of us got one, mine was a tiger on my right side, but the ink was too difficult to look at while driving.
“I have a tiger lily,” Jungkook said, noticing my assessment. “I have a few of them, actually.”
Lilies are from Japan, but I knew Jungkook was Korean. His name alone gave him away. Waving my hand, I asked him to explain when he got it.
“My family moved to Japan when I was fifteen. I had my first kill there so we decided that I would get something to represent that. The prayer hands on my back were done by the organization after the ordainment.”
Ordainments were very common. It was the process an assassin went through to become an official member of their organization. Their families were no longer defined by blood but the common experiences each one shared. The Table and the Sacarii were one big family, but oftentimes we did not get along with one another. Civil at best and competition at worst. Prayer hands with a rosary were the tattoos everyone got. It was large, covering the entire center of the back, with the family oath written above and below it.
“I never got mine,” I admitted. “I ran off before my ceremony. That’s when I met Alexei.”
“How old were you?”
Smiling sadly, I replied. “Thirteen.”
“Oh,” He said. “I didn’t know they got people that young.”
“Well, he saw me kill someone and wanted to keep me. I doubt you knew him- he died a few years ago.”
Jungkook nodded, “Yeah. What was he like?”
Laughing, I spotted a gas station and decided to stop. We were at half a tank, but I wanted to be safe. Jungkook took out his wallet and handed me a twenty.
“He was a better man than his brother,” I answered, taking the money. “He knew how to stay calm and respect other people. Alexei always kept good relationships with the other families. Ivan is an idiot who can’t handle criticisms of any kind.”
“He’s that awful? I mean, I only know him through brief meetings.”
“I’d rather be dead than serve him again,” I opened my door. “But you already know that.”
Settling in my seat, I glanced over at Jungkook. He looked tired and I let him know it was fine to sleep. He nodded and slipped his eyes closed shortly after. Taking my new phone out of my pocket, I decided to make a quick phone call before we took off. Jungkook and I had picked up a flip phone from Walmart on our way to the airport. It was more secure than any smartphone. Dialing the number, I waited.
“Hello?” Hoseok picked up.
“I’m landing in Massachusetts,” I replied, knowing he was aware of the situation by now. It had been a day and a half. “Pick me up at our spot.”
“Jin will be there.”
“Copy.”
Hoseok sighed heavily, “Is the kid okay? Heard you shook him up.”
Glancing at Jungkook, I was shocked he was snoring.
“He’s fine,” I replied. “He’s definitely in pain, and tries to keep his movement to a minimum, but hides it from me. Attempts to, I should say. I took care of him as best I could but Agust should get his hands on his ASAP.”
Hoseok hummed and I knew he was nodding. He was a very animated, lively person and could not sit still for long. He got into a fist fight with a Russian who took offense to his hand movements.
“See you when I see you.”
“Three o’clock,” I said before hanging up.
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I finally buckled my seat. Shaking Jungkook awake, I told him to put his belt on. He grinned at me lazily before doing it. He fell asleep again quickly.
Happy to have a window seat, I watched as we began to take off. It had been a while since I was on a plane. The last time was when I was running to California as quickly as I could. Kansas had been nice when I had first left The Saints, but it quickly became suffocating. The silence and mundane town life made my skin crawl. California had seemed like it would be better, more fun, but it had become just as mundane after a while.
I had always gotten bored easily. It was why I enjoyed pickpocketing. As a kid, my little hands and unassuming looks had made it easy. I never planned on getting good at it. At the time it felt less damning in comparison to what the people in my life wanted me to do.
There was a time when I was happy killing, pleasing my family had always felt good, but that faded when my teenage years approached. Running away to New York was a quick, impulsive decision I had made when I was afraid of my future. Staring at the clear, blue sky, I scoffed.
I had run away from one hell into another. I went from that one into another. The Saints were my family, but I would be lying if I said I felt they were any different from what I had always done. Kansas had been my first attempt at normalcy, and San Diego had been me living in that world.
And I loved it, in my own way. It was nice to have a routine. It felt good to have friends, even if they were the most surface level friendships I could allow myself to have, and I owned my own things. I had earned what I had.
Now I was flying back to a place I was not sure I belonged anymore. I felt two halves of myself fighting one another. One half wanted to run again, to disappear, and get as far away from this place as possible. Then there was the other side of me, the twisted, dark, nasty side of myself that was reveling in all of this. My excitement was hard for me to figure out, and I began to doubt myself.
Had I ever really wanted this life? Has it all been a dream? A fantasy of a perfectly serene, normal, and legal lifestyle I had never known? Finding a cloud, I rubbed my temples and sighed.
I doubted I would ever have an answer to that question.
Five years ago
Standing around the table, all of us went over the plan again. They were doing construction on the roof, so that would be the quickest, and easiest, point of entrance. I would go first while Hoseok and Jin dressed as police officers to take out the security guards in the back. Taehyung would take care of the cameras before this. Yoongi would follow behind me along with Jimin. I would lead the team after we had taken over the museum.
Looking over at Jimin, he was already looking at me. Everyone knew that this would be my last mission, and he had taken it the worst. We hardly spoke and he actively ignored me. I was surprised he was acknowledging me at all. Breaking eye contact, I went back to explaining the pieces we would be taking.
“Don was very specific about these three pieces,” I said, pointing to the Rembrandt and two pieces of jewelry. “These are our high payouts. Get these first. After that we can make quick work of the rest.”
“Who did you say the others were going to?” Yoongi asked.
“The rest are split up between some vendors I know,” I replied. “Freddie Newman, Diane Pollack, and Dwayne Smith. The jewels are for Georgie Boy, Archie, and two others. Park’s handling that.”
“This is a big job,” Hoseok mumbled. “Will the six of us be able to get it done?”
I nodded easily.
“Yes, we’ll have all the time in the world once those guards are taken care of. I’m planning on this being an hour- two at most.”
Looking back at Jimin, I was happy to see he was grinning at me. We would be fine. Deciding we had gone over everything, I walked away from the table.
“We’ll leave at midnight.”
“Copy,” Jimin replied.
Smiling to myself, I left the room and went to the kitchen to find something to eat.
Getting off the plane, I kept Jungkook close as we made our way to baggage claim. Being on the East Coast again was uncomfortable. I knew this airport like the back of my hand, knew every nook and cranny of these streets, but I still felt out of place. I was even more unsettled knowing there were people looking for me.
Standing by the conveyor belt, we waited for my duffle bag to come out. Jungkook looked around, his scouting looking natural, and I kept my eyes on the bags. It came out a few minutes later, and I slung it over my shoulder. Jungkook wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him.
“They’re here,” He whispered, a soft smile on his face. Lips brushing the top of my head, he started walking and kept me close. “They don’t know me, so we’ll be fine.”
Forcing a smile on my face, I wrapped my arm around his waist. My heartbeat quickened, and I found myself enjoying the way his body pressed into mine. Allowing myself a small glance around us, I saw two familiar faces near the escalators. Dimitri and Anton. As we neared the escalators, I knew they would notice me unless I acted very differently than what they remembered.
Deciding to commit to our charade, I lifted my head up towards Jungkook. Kissing his cheek, I was able to hide my face from the two men. Jungkook stepped onto the elevator first. Turning him to face me, I grabbed his face and pressed our lips together. He was soft, gentle, and tasted like the licorice he’d gotten on the plane. He wrapped his arms around my waist and melted into the kiss. Pulling away, head pressed against his, I looked at the steps.
“We’re almost at the top,” I mumbled.
Jungkook nodded and slowly moved away from me. Angling his body towards the front, he kept an arm firmly around my waist as we got to the top. Sparing a single glance behind me, the two men were none the wiser. Smirking, I ran my hand up and down Jungkook’s back in silent praise.
Walking further and further away from the others, Jungkook’s arm did not move. I stayed close to his side, happy to have someone to lean on. It made sense now. Jimin sent him because he was less known to the others. Ivan would know him, and the people closest to him, but someone like Anton would be blindsided by his presence. They were expecting one of my boys. Stepping into the sun, the two of us were quick to hail down a taxi and slip inside.
“We’re running a bit late,” I announced, buckling in. “Can you take us to the Hood Milk Bottle?”
“No problem,” The cab driver replied.
It was barely a 10 minute drive, but airport traffic made it feel like forever. Jungkook and I did not talk. Our closeness from earlier was officially stopped, and I felt silly for missing his warmth. Looking at him out of the corner of my eye, I grew shy. Just moments ago, his arms were wrapped around me. Catching sight of the tiger lily on his elbow, I had to quickly look back out of the window.
God, he was fucking hot.
Pulling out my phone, I found a new message on it.
Unknown: Eating a lobster roll outside
Rolling my eyes, I replied.
Y/N: Of course you are. Two minutes.
Unknown: Lunch on me
Flipping the phone closed, I shoved it back in my back pocket. Looking out of the window, I did feel nostalgic. It had been such a long time and yet things stayed the same. There were a few new shops where old ones used to be, but the places I remembered the most fondly were still around. The mixed feelings I had were beginning to weigh down on me.
Pulling up, I smiled. Hood was such an iconic, fun place. Looking back at Jungkook, I was touched to see him paying the cabby. Saying goodbye, the two of us got out of the car. The duffle had been in my lap. Jungkook stared up at the giant milk bottle in awe.
“Jin said he'll buy us lunch.”
Jungkook smirked, “What do you recommend?”
Walking toward the snack stand, I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’m getting a lobster roll, but if you’re not into that, the soft serve is great.”
Walking around the side, I saw Jin sitting on one of the picnic benches eating. I was more surprised to see he was still enjoying his food than the purple hair. Jimin must have convinced him to do that. Whistling, I smirked at Jin and waved.
Jin was the oldest out of all of us, and spoke the least amount of English, but we were close. Standing, he offered me a hug which I happily accepted. Clearing my throat, I began speaking in Korean.
“You look nice,” I ruffled his hair. “This color looks really good on you.”
“Thanks,” He shoved my hand away. “Lobster roll? Thought you might have missed the New England taste.”
Nodded, I turned to Jungkook.
“What do you want?” I asked in English.
He shook his head at me, “Chocolate ice cream.”
When he spoke Korean, his voice was much deeper. Grinning at him, I looked back at Jin.
“One lobster roll and one chocolate soft serve.”
Going to order our food, Jin told us to sit and wait. Jungkook sat down next to me, his elbow on the table with his head resting on his fist. I was unsure of what to make of the look on his face. He seemed so… fond of me. No one had ever really looked at me like that before. I was used to anger, annoyance, or fear, but fondness was uncharted territory. The closest person I could think of had been Alexi, but even then he had always looked at me as a child. Jungkook did not.
“I didn’t know you spoke Korean,” He said, speaking the language.
“I know a lot of languages,” I replied. “I’m mostly fluent in English and Russian. My Korean is good, but I’m not fluent by any stretch of the imagination. I speak a decent amount of Spanish as well.”
“That’s so cool. Mine are Korean, Japanese, and English.”
Jin was back with our food.
“Eat it in the car,” He said, “Everyone is waiting for us.”
“Is Park back in town?” Jungkook asked.
Jin shook his head, “Not yet. We haven’t heard from since yesterday.”
I knew we would talk more once we were out of the public eye. There was only so much we could say out here. Taking my roll, I followed Jin. Jungkook ate his ice cream happily, his eyes sparkling with joy. It was my turn to smile fondly.
Pulling into a small driveway, I was confused. I did not recognize the house. Painted a calming sky blue with black shutters, a well-groomed lawn, and a small flower garden, it was unassuming and plain. Looking over at Jungkook, he seemed happy to be here.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Jungkook smiled at me, “Yoongi’s.”
Taken aback, I froze. That had been the last person I had thought of. The last time I had seen everyone, Yoongi and Hoseok were living in a shitty condo in South End. While I was confused, and even unsettled, by the changes I was also pleased. It felt good to see Yoongi living more civilly. I wondered what had changed.
Hopping out of the Jeep, I met up with Jin and Jungkook at the hood before following behind them. The house was pristine and the small cul de sac was quiet. Eyes bulging out of my head, I fought back the urge to laugh out loud at the sight of a bird feeder on the edge of the lawn.
Standing on the small porch, the three of us huddled close together. Jungkook gently moved my body in front of his, successfully shielding my body from the street. Leaning back slightly, I brushed my back against his chest quickly before straightening my back. I was beginning to lean into my growing attraction, but knew better than to take it any further than small touches. The airport had been for survival- nothing more.
Jin knocked, the rhythm the only familiar thing about this place, before the door swung open. On the other side, a woman peered out at us. Her hair was short, wildly frizzy with unkempt curls, and bright red. Her eyes were brown and skin alabaster. The green dress she wore looked nice on her full figure. She smiled brightly at Jin, saying hello with joy. Her voice had hints of an accent but it was too faint for me to pick up.
“It’s nice to see you Johanna,” Jin greeted, kissing the woman’s cheek before gesturing towards me. “Johanna, Mouse. Mouse, Johanna.”
The red head gave me a polite smile before offering her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mouse.”
“Y/N,” I corrected, glaring at Jin. “Y/N is fine outside of business.”
“This is business though, isn’t it?” Johanna tilted her head at me, a mischievous glint in her eye. I decided right away that I liked her. “Come in. Hello Kookie.”
“Hey Jo,” The man replied.
Stepping inside, I looked around. The inside was just as perfect as the outside. Brightly colored walls with pops of color scattered around, mostly in the art hanging on the walls, with plants everywhere. It smelled like apple cinnamon and Pinesol. The hardwood floors were loud as we walked along them. The size of the living room was bigger than my entire apartment. Catching sight of a collage of photos, I looked over them the best I could as I walked.
All of them were nice photos, family photos, but one caught my eye. Yoongi was smiling, a rare sight, and his eyes were shining brightly. He was on the beach, arms wrapped around Johanna tenderly, while she had a large bouquet of flowers in her hand. She wore a white dress that hit her just at the ankle, a long, thin veil clipped onto the back of her head. The Saints were there along with a few people I did not recognize. Belatedly, I realized that I was looking at a wedding picture. A wedding I had missed. A wedding I had never been invited to. A wedding I had never even knew. Eyes glued to the photo, I cause a glimpse of Jungkook in a far-off corner, almost completely cut out, but he had been there.
I knew my hurt feelings were unjustified. I had been the one who told them to leave me out of their affairs. I had said emergencies only. Still, I found myself growing increasingly alienated. I truly had no place here anymore. The only purpose I had ever served was monetary gain. The friendships I had built along the way were as fickle as the ones I had in New York.
Arguing with myself, I struggled to stay present. As we walked deeper into the house, the need to run presented itself all over again. Everything I had known was gone. Everyone was different. Everything was different. Sparing a glance over at Jungkook, a seed of resentment began to grow in my chest.
No one had ever referred to me as affectionately as they had Jungkook. No one had ever seemed endeared by my failures. Hell, none of these guys even acknowledged my feelings half the time. Staring at the back of Johanna’s head, I found that I didn't really like her that much anymore. She was loved. I was tolerated.
Still, I told myself that they had come for me. They had wanted to keep me safe. And yet, the insecurities that had always lived in my head reared their ugly head and reminded me that it was for their own good. I was useful. As long as I would be of use to them, then I would be protected. It would never be the same reasons they would fight for Johanna. They would fight for her because they wanted to keep her safe.
I could feel eyes on me, but I ignored them. I did not want comfort from Jungkook. I just wanted to get this over with so I could go back to San Diego. Even if they were surface level, those friendships were still more loving than whatever the fuck I had here. I hated Boston. I hated New York. I hated the entire East Coast.
“Y/N?” Johanna called out, looking back at me with concern. “Are you alright?”
Nodding, I replied.
“I’m fine. Just lost in my head.”
I hated the edge my voice had taken on. I hated just how much I had to control myself around these people. I wanted to scream, shout, cry; whatever. I just wanted to feel myself lose control for a little while. The woman did not believe me but offered me a smile regardless.
“I asked if you would like a drink.”
“Water’s fine,” I replied.
Jin seemed suspicious of me but said nothing at all. He had always known I liked my space. Still, I could tell he was worried. I knew my thoughts were out of line, I knew that I was over thinking and attempting to overcompensate, but it was impossible to stop it from happening. The downward spiral was difficult to manage.
Suddenly, an arm was wrapped around my shoulder. Jumping, I whipped my head around to see Jungkook smiling at me. It was a goofy smile, one that he pulled when he was feeling playful, before he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“What happens when you get water on a table?” He asked.
Taken aback, I opened and closed my mouth several times.
“What?”
“It becomes a pool table.”
Mouth agape, I blinked in disbelief before shoving him away. I let out a small laugh and shook my head at him. Where in the world had that come from?
Seokjin was laughing, hands clapping, and praising the younger man for the joke. Jin was a big fan of dad jokes and enjoyed making them up whenever he could. Typically, you would have to know enough Korean for them to make sense, but they never failed to get a few chuckles out of me. The ridiculousness of the jokes coupled with the corny delivery was always funny. Johanna placed a glass in front of me smiling fondly at Jungkook.
“He’s a mess,” She said, looking at me in faux exasperation. “I don’t know how you survived the trip here. He talks too much.”
Shaking my head, I took a large sip of the water.
“It’s better than the awkward silence Yoongi brings along.”
She laughed, knocking her head back.
“Touche,” She giggled. “He is a bit intense sometimes.”
“You’ve been in Boston for an hour and you’re already turning my wife against me.”
The voice had come from behind me. Spinning around dumbly, I was face-to-face with Yoongi. The scar on his face was just as prominent as it had always been, taking up his entire left cheek into forehead, but his eyes seemed lighter than I remembered. He was skinnier than the last time I saw him, too. He was wearing a simple black shirt with a pair of jeans. He seemed completely at ease.
“Hey kid,” He greeted Jungkook with a grin. “Heard Mouse got you good.”
Jungkook flushed, ducking his head while rubbing his neck.
“Oh?” Jin chimed, his voice mocking. “The great Sacarii taken down by a little mouse?”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed heavily.
“He didn’t even try anything,” I admitted. “I was the aggressive one.”
“He was just an idiot,” Jin teased.
Yoongi tsked, “Park was the bigger idiot of the two. He’s going to give me an aneurysm.”
“You’re too hard on him,” Johanna gently scolded. “You know Jimin has a roundabout way of being right.”
Jungkook laughed, “A broken clock’s right twice a day.”
A silence fell over our group. It felt unnatural to be standing in a nice kitchen talking over mundane topics with everyone. It was a long ways away from the roach infested alleyways and closed off apartment complexes. I lived with Jin, Jimin, and Taehyung when I was in Boston. Our small one bedroom was always cluttered, overcrowded, and was the main spot for our meetups. The conference room had been stuffed between two twin-sized mattresses with a large, round table in the middle of it all. I slept on the pull-out sofa in the front.
“I guess we should talk,” Yoongi said, looking me up and down.
“I guess so,” I replied.
Walking over to him, I realized that no one else was following. Looking back at the other three, they simply looked back. Sighing, I let it go. Being alone with Yoongi was not an unwelcome thing, but it had always made me feel like I was in trouble. Laughing at myself, I followed the man out of the kitchen and into the dining room. This time I was the one who was in trouble.
Walking out of the dining room, we were now in a small reading room with a staircase. A green, stand-up piano was tucked away between tall bookshelves and more plants. Following Yoongi upstairs, I refrained from looking too closely at things. The house was much bigger than it looked. Walking past a few doors, we stopped before Yoongi opened one.
Gesturing me to follow, I smiled at the sight of the old table. It was far too large, held six chairs, and was cheaply made. Someone had refurbished it and I wondered if it had been Johanna. She seemed to like everything to be nice and neat. It was an aesthetically pleasing layout, but this room was all Yoongi. The dark colored walls and furniture were in stark contrast to the otherwise white house. Taking a seat at the table, I pulled out the chair directly across from him.
There was a line up of photos scattered on the desk along with a few letters. I recognized two of the women but the others were unfamiliar to me. Looking around, I scowled when I saw a picture of Ivan. I would be lying if I said he was physically unattractive. Ivan had always had this air around him and coupled with his angular features and blue eyes it was no wonder why women chased him. I knew him, however, and the slope of his cheekbones and the perfectly groomed dirty-blonde hair did nothing but repulse me. He looked everything like his brother. He looked nothing like his brother.
Picking the photo up, I looked closely. It was candid. Someone had been hiding when they took it since the man seemed to be unaware of the camera. He was smoking a cigarette and behind him was a beach. Trying to figure out where he could be was hard, but it was nowhere near New York. It was too sunny, the waves too high, and I could see a surfer in the background.
“Johanna took that,” Yoongi suddenly said. “We were in California. It’s where we got married.”
Mind racing, I kept looking at the picture. Ivan had been close to me. Very close, in fact. Trying to figure out how I could have been traced, I thought of Kimberly and winced. It would take no time at all to figure out if it really was me. He could just send some random into the salon after seeing a post. I looked different but I was still me. He could have scouted out the place for months without me being any wiser. Closing my eyes, I dropped the photo.
“He’s known where you are for a while,” He continued. “He had asked Jungkook to take care of you a few weeks ago, but the kid refused. He knew your face. Ivan’s been trying to figure out the best plan of getting to you without pissing us off.”
“So he thought forcing me back to New York was the best option?” I spat.
Yoongi nodded, “In his mind, you’d be under his claim again so we’d have no authority. Either he’s crazy or stupid.”
“Both,” I replied. “Always both.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Eyes searching the pictures for more signs, I grew angry.
“Why are you only just now telling me?” I demanded, picking apart each detail of the photographs. “I should have known from the very beginning.”
“I thought so, too,” Yoongi defended. “It was Jimin telling us to cool it. He thought he could get it under control since he’s known Ivan for so long. It didn’t work out and Jimin was kicked out of the family.”
“What?” I shouted.
Ivan was losing his damn mind. Jimin was the closest thing to Alexi those boy had after Ivan took over. They loved him, I loved him, and to watch him get kicked out over me would have been a massive blow to Ivan’s credibility. Loyalty was gone from New York it seemed, and it would only be a matter of time before Ivan came to the same conclusion. They don’t make them like Jimin anymore. He was only trying to keep the peace. Thinking of my friend, I willed back my tears. He had wanted me to stay in California. He didn’t want me to come back.
“They’re not doing well,” Yoongi admitted. “Georgie Boy and I talked and he’s with us regardless. The Italians haven’t been appreciating Ivan’s ways either. Hoseok spoke with the Gambinos and they said they’ll light up the Russians if they get into their territory again.”
“Again?”
Yoongi smiled without humor.
“Ivan’s boys were selling in the Gambino’s turf. Didn’t end well for them. They aren’t going to tolerate that shit again, and the other families are on the lookout as well. Have to say, the boy has lost his fucking mind.”
Going over the information, I felt more confident than I had before. Ivan was hoping to get me back into his arms first. Then he’d kill me. Or keep me. It was impossible to know for sure. Either way, he had a rude awakening if he thought my boys were going to let it happen without consequences. Thinking back to my thoughts when I first came inside, I reminded myself that we were connected. I meant more to them than property. They weren’t Ivan.
They weren’t Alexei either.
Shoving that thought down, I refocused on the photo of Ivan. He looked worse than I had last seen him. His age was beginning to show, and I sneered at the sight of the family tattoo. I had been claimed by many groups in my life. The tiger for my family, the slope-edged star on my collar bone for Alexei, the clerk on my ribs for my skill with a blade, and St. Anthony for The Saints. Ivan’s name had been cut into my skin by the man himself after I killed a rival without permission. The scars were faded now, but I never liked to show my stomach anymore. You could still see the carving and I would always know they were there.
Eyes zeroing in on Ivan’s calf, I saw red as I caught sight of the dagger entwined by a snake. It was in the same spot as mine. They all represented something.
The star was commonplace for all Russians while my clerk was far more specialized. I got it after I helped Alexei take care of a snitch. I hated thinking about that night, but it earned me my stripes. I got my dagger a few months later. The dagger was rare, only given out to a leader of a “suit” of thieves. Alexi had promoted me, and I controlled my own section of New York alongside him. Ivan did not deserve that tattoo even if he was the boss.
“Can I ask you something?” Yoongi said.
I nodded.
“Why would he want you back so badly? He hates you.”
I smiled ruefully, looking up from the picture.
“I’m Alexei’s girl and he finds great pleasure in keeping me around just to spite him. Even if he’s dead, it’ll never be enough. Breaking me down was always the goal.”
“Were you and Alexei…”
Yoongi did not need to finish the sentence. It was a fair question and one that everyone asked at some point. The Saints never liked picking into my past too much. They knew it had been rough, they knew what Ivan and I’s relationship was like, so they put it to rest. Yoongi had seen my stomach once, said he was going to kill him one day, and never brought it up again. Latching onto the memory, I further reinforced that they cared for me. This was not a dangerous place. These are my friends.
“No, Alexei would never. I was only 13 when we met. He was 19. We were like siblings more than anything. More than he and Ivan ever were.”
“Ivan was jealous?” I nodded. “Typical.”
“He’s the one who killed him, you know,” I leaned back in the chair. “I was there that night. That’s why Ivan hates me. I know too much.”
Yoongi shook his head in disbelief. It was a completely different world than he was used to. The Irish took care of their own. While it may have involved violence and punishments being handed out from time to time, there had always been unwavering loyalty to one another. For Hoseok it was the same. Snitches were snitches but you always had people you knew were on your corner. When Ivan saw an in he took it, even if it meant killing his older brother, and everyone suffered for it. I had not said anything out of the code of ethics we built, but that never stopped word from spreading. Everyone knew Ivan killed Alexei but no one could prove it.
Yoongi sucked his teeth, “They know you came home. Jimin let us know about that. He and Kai have been all over this shit.”
I hummed, “They had a couple guys at the airport. Jungkook and I got past them easily, though.”
Yoongi looked at me strangely now. It was in between concern and pride, but I figured it was the closest thing to friendly I would get from him. It was not his fault his face looked the way it did. Wanting to lighten the mood, I decided to ask him about his wife.
“So, who’s Johanna?”
Yoongi actually cracked a smile.
“She’s a nuclear engineer. Works at BU and moved to America seven years ago.”
“How’d that even happen?”
Yoongi shrugged, “I don’t even know. We met at a restaurant Georgie took me to. She was there with some friends. We bumped into one another and she gave me her number. I didn’t call but we ran into each other again at a bar. Stuck like glue ever since.”
Gently smiling I replied, “Sounds nice. I’m glad you found someone.”
Yoongi looked down bashfully. He was like an entirely new person now. Yoongi had never been one to show emotions outside of anger and annoyance. Even with us he had been a hardass. It was strange but nice at the same time. I liked it more than the robot I was used to.
“She’s a good person,” He whispered, suddenly serious. “Sometimes I wonder if I should have left her alone. She deserves better than a life of crime and being entangled in my bullshit.”
I understood where he was coming from.
“You could always leave. Runaway to Iceland and never look back.”
Yoongi grinned, “I thought about it but I don’t have any skills outside of this. What would I do? Unlike you, some of us have never thought past our horizons. Besides, I have other people to think about.”
I also understood that as well. I had been afraid of change for a long time, and I had known I wanted it for a while. I was unsure how long they had known one another, or had been together, but Yoongi had always said he’d die in Boston. I doubted he thought that way now.
“It’s okay to be selfish,” I mumbled. “Things haven’t been easy and there were times when I missed the craziness, but I can say it’s an experience everyone should have. I love both of my lives, but I’d be lying if I said I’d choose this over California.”
Yoongi nodded in thought. We would drop this conversation and likely never pick it back up again, so I knew I should say my peace now. Whatever he decided to do would ultimately be on his shoulders, but I thought it would be okay to push him to follow his heart’s desires. I was a dreamer and I hoped the others would find a dream to hold onto as well.
Walking downstairs, I was tired. The traveling had finally caught up to me and I wanted to get some rest while I could. Walking into the kitchen, the three of them were still talking. Johanna had started to cook something. It smelled nice but my stomach churned at the thought of food. Making my presence known, I yawned loudly and stretched my arms above my head.
“Sleepy?” Jungkook asked, completely at ease.
He looked right at home here. Briefly I wondered if he stayed here often enough for that to be the case. Yoongi hated other people in his space, but he had changed since I last saw him. Jungkook, however, did not seem like someone who would like living with other people. He was mostly quiet, sweet, but standoffish at times. Jin grinned at me.
“Sorry to say I’m full,” The older man took a sip from a glass. I could not tell what it was and did not care to know. I rubbed my eyes dramatically and yawned again. “Jimin and I are rooming together. I doubt you want to take the sofa. Let’s just say I’ve been taking advantage of his absence.”
“I’ll take what I can get at this point,” I replied with another yawn. Shaking my head, I groaned. “God, I hate it when that happens.”
“Jungkook can keep you,” Johanna offered. “I’d let you stay here but my niece is spending the weekend. I don’t want to put her in a bad position.”
I knew what she meant. I would not want to put a child in the middle of this bullshit either. Looking over at Jungkook, I raised my eyebrow in silent questioning. He nodded back at me with a grin. I smiled back at him.
“We should go while we have daylight,” Jungkook said, a pair of keys in his hands.
I had no idea where they had come from.
“I can wait,” I protested. “You should eat first.”
Jungkook rolled his eyes.
“I’ll be fine. You haven’t slept since yesterday.”
“Y/N!” Jin scolded.
I non committedly waved him off. Scrunching my face up at Jin, I mumbled something close to ‘leave me alone,’ but I was doubtful it came out properly. Fighting to keep my eyes open, I leaned into Jungkook’s side as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Guiding me away from the kitchen, I knew I heard Jin make a comment about how close we were.
“You’re just jealous she likes me more than you,” Jungkook snapped back.
“Does not,” Jin replied, childishly whining.
Johanna laughed and I could hear Yoongi coming down the stairs. Jungkook lead me back into the reading room and turned left. Going down two steps we were in front of a door.
“Be safe!” Johanna called out.
“Always, noona,” Jungkook replied.
Leading me to the room, I realized we were in a garage. I was again surprised. There were two cars, both of them very nice and sleek, surrounded by expensive tools and equipment. Back in the day, I would have swiped everything in this room and stole one of the cars. Now, I was being led toward the black Marcedes on the farthest side of the room.
“This one’s mine,” Jungkook said, attempting to fill the space.
“First one we haven’t stolen,” I joked.
Sliding into the passenger seat, I melted into the seat before Jungkook was in the vehicle. Opening the glovebox, I moved my legs out of the way as the man dug around the compartment. Finally he pulled a smartphone out and quickly turned it on. A few minutes later, the garage door was opening and we were pulling out of the large driveway. We passed Jin’s Jeep on the way out and Jungkook could not help but make a snide comment about the ugly car. I felt comfortable enough to try and fall asleep.
“You know,” Jungkook announced, making my eyes snap open. “You’re the coolest person I’ve ever worked with.”
I chuckled, my drowsiness making it difficult to focus.
“Thanks. You’re not that bad.”
“I’ve been useless for the entire trip,” Jungkook argued. “You stole the cars, got me clothes, made sure we were able to get flights without getting into some shit for it, and you always tried to make me feel more comfortable.”
Snorting, I looked over at the man.
“I shot you.”
Jungkook burst out laughing.
“I broke into your house.”
“Eye for an eye,” I offered, laughing.
Jungkook spared me a look in order to flash one of his blinding smiles. I noticed now that his front teeth were slightly bigger than they should be.
“Really,” Jungkook was serious again. “I feel bad for being dead weight. I’ll make it up to you, though. I’m not really known for stealing cars or running off into the night, but I know how to kill someone.”
Looking at me again, Jungkook’s boyish smile and light eyes were on. In their place were hard lines, a slightly down-turned pout, and a coldness that surrounded him I was unaccustomed to. While earnest, his expression felt wrong. Jungkook was sunshine and this felt like an eclipse.
“No one is going to touch you. I’ll cut their fucking hands off finger-by-finger if need be to get my point across.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, confused.
We did not know one another. Hell, I shot this fucking guy. And yet here he was devoting his life to keeping me safe. It was crazy. Then again, this life was like that. Putting myself in Jungkook’s shoes, I thought about it the other way around. Would I kill for him?
“Because you’re my friend,” He answered without hesitation. “You’re my friend and I would like to get to know you better.”
Yes, I thought, I would kill for this kid.
Humming, I decided against saying anything else. I was far too tired for this conversation. Letting my body win, I closed my eyes and leaned against the car window. I fell asleep quickly, but I found no peace. Ivan’s face flashed through my mind, his eyes alight with anger, and my blood was all over his hands. My screams echoed in the background. He placed his knife against my skin again and drew a “V” right next to the “I.”
Eleven years ago
Standing beside Hoseok, I stared up at the apartment complex wearily. It was small, bricked, and disgusting. I could smell trash and smoke everywhere and people were yelling. I did not like it here. Not at all.
Looking over at the older boy, I made sure to show him my discontent. I could admit that South End was nicer than my old place in Brooklyn, but only for the quieter atmosphere. Everything else was just as nasty. Hoseok shoved me forward and scolded me for acting like a “freak.”
“People are going to know you’re new,” Hoseok complained. “Then I’m going to have to break their fucking head open for stepping out of line. Then Yoongi is going to dislike you. So, just fucking walk and keep your head down.”
Anger flaring, I stopped. Hoseok bumped into my back. Groaning loudly, he went to yell at me again. Scowling, I elbowed him in the stomach harshly. When he groaned and grabbed his stomach, I turned around and punched him in the face. While he barely moved, eating the hit easily, it seemed to get the message across.
“Don’t talk to me like that, bitch,” I seethed. “You’re not my dad.”
Waiting for Hoseok to hit me back, I stood there with my fists balled up. He looked at me intensely, his hands still clutching his stomach. His eyes went from my face to the small patch of exposed skin on my stomach. Knowing exactly what he was looking at, I pulled down the too-short shirt and yelled at him again to hit me.
Instead of violence, Hoseok simply took up straight. Breathing through his nostrils, he seemed to be calming himself down. I could see the start of a blackeye forming where I had hit him. My regret began eating away at me instantly, but I refused to back down. He deserved that hit. He needed to know I was not going to be his little plaything.
Hoseok just continued to walk, telling me to follow, and I could tell he was trying to be nicer this time around. Confused and more uneasy than before, I kept my hands ready for a fight. I was not sure when this nice-guy act would stop.
Being shaken awake, I realized we were at Jungkook’s. Glancing at the time, I was shocked we had driven almost two hours. We were parked in a small lot with a large brick building to the right. Jungkook turned the car off and got out. Quickly following him, I wondered where we were.
It was a nice place. They looked like townhomes and I could smell someone barbecuing. Jungkook looked back at me, a few paces ahead, and continued to walk around to the front. Every house had large bushes in the front yards. Hydrangeas grew vibrantly along the walkway with spaces to make way for the entryway to homes. Jungkook turned and I followed.
The front was identical to the others. The only difference I could see was Jungkook’s ‘no shoes’ sign right out front. Rubbing my eyes, I continued to wake up and get the crust off of my skin.
“It’s small,” Jungkook suddenly said, “But it’s nice.”
“Where are we?” I asked, stepping into the house and kicking off my shoes.
“Chatham,” He replied, shrugging his jacket off. “It’s out of the way but I like the beach.”
The first thing I noticed was the large, beige sectional in the living room. On the wall was a large television above a faux fireplace. The entire house smelled like wood polish and oranges. I liked the carpeted floors and was pleasantly surprised by how clean everything was. There were no photos or personalized art hanging on the walls, but I guessed Jungkook never really liked those sorts of things. He was personable but in the moment. Jimin was a photo monster.
Thinking of my friend, I hoped he was alright. It was unlike him to go full radio silent. At the very least he would have called and checked in. Perhaps he had and no one bothered to tell me. Catching a glimpse of myself in the large, gold framed mirror hanging above the dining table, I flinched.
I looked just as bad as I had begun to feel. I was tired, my eyes puffy, and I was embarrassed by the drool dried at the corner of my lip. My shoulder was stiff and uncomfortable from sleeping in the car and my clothes looked a mess. Jungkook had my duffle bag on his shoulder and I belatedly realized I have never even thought to grab it. I had not even brought it inside.
“Thank you,” I said.
Jungkook smiled at me.
“It’s no problem. The room’s not being used anyway.”
“No,” I shook my head and walked up to him. Carefully taking the bag, I slug it over my shoulder with a knowing look. “Thanks for grabbing my shit. And for the room. I appreciate it.”
Jungkook scratched the back of his neck and turned red. He was not good with compliments no matter how much he seemed to enjoy them.
“Friends, right?”
I nodded, “Yeah.”
Walking past him, I distracted myself from my racing heart by figuring out where his washing machine was.
After taking a shower, I tip-toed my way back to the room Jungkook had given me. I had been on edge since I got here. He was kind, caring, and attentive. I had never really seen someone show all three at the same time, and never toward me. My friends and I were subtle types, so to have someone so open and honest with their feelings was a hard pill to swallow. In California it was safe, in California it was expected, in California it was sacred; in Boston it was nerve wracking.
I could never be sure of how genuine Jungkook really was. When I was in his presence, it was easy to say that he was just that simple. Once I got alone it took all of me not to sneak out of a window and run. Hoseok had always said I needed to work on trusting people, so I would try.
I knew my behavior was only heightened by my attraction to him. Attractive people were the worst. Liking Jungkook would not do any favors for either one of us. I would get swallowed up by the life I so desperately wanted to leave, and Jungkook would be stuck in an awkward situation with the rest of the crew if it came to the light. No one would win and the outcome would be the same if I said anything or not. I was leaving Boston as soon as the situation was handled.
Luck was not on my side. As I turned the corner to reach the door of my bedroom, Jungkook was coming up the stairs. Carrying two cups, he flashed me a small smile and walked the rest of the way up. I froze in my spot. Caught red handed, I tried to play off my unsuccessful sneaking and took the cup with a smile. Jungkook did not seem to buy it but looked more amused than anything.
“What’s this?” I asked, smelling it.
“Cocoa,” He replied. “It’s not winter but still chilly.”
I nodded and took a generous sip. It was warm and silky. Humming in satisfaction, I took another sip and licked my top lip. Cocoa was one of my favorite things when I was a child. It was one of the few fond memories I had. Jungkook looked happy.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” He asked. “To get your mind off things?”
It was funny that he thought Ivan was what had been plaguing my mind. I may not be a very violent person now, but there was a time I was ruthless. The Russians did not scare me as much as they once had either. My initial response had been mostly shock, anger, and most of all, frustration. I had not been scared in a very long time. I doubted I ever would be.
“Sure,” I said, keeping my thoughts out of the conversation. What Jungkook did not know will not hurt him. He was only trying to help. “I’m not picky.”
Going down the stairs, I felt the same nervous butterflies growing in my stomach again. We were going to be closer than I would like to be. I was afraid of what that might do to the both of us. I did not know where Jungkook’s head was, but I was not foolish enough to believe that I was immune to any advances. The ball would stay in his court. I had enough self control to let that be a rule.
Sitting on the couch, I curled up on the end and waited. Netflix was already pulled up and waiting. Jungkook sat two cushions away. Picking up the remote from the coffee table, he began scrolling as we talked about possible movies to watch. We ended up on a random Jason Statham film. I watched mindlessly since every one of his movies were practically the same.
“Are you hungry?” Jungkook asked me fifteen minutes in, clearly bored and disinterested in the action sequence. I could not blame him. There was no way anyone could use a gun like that in real life, and I was becoming annoyed by the plot armor. “I have ramen.”
I nodded, “That’s fine.”
Moving to stand up, Jungkook waved me off and went to the kitchen himself. Not arguing, I got more comfortable and zoned out once more. It was hard not to feel the pull towards him. All I kept thinking about was the way his lips felt at the airport. Refocusing on the movie, I rolled my eyes at the bomb scene. There was no way in hell you were getting up and walking away from something that big.
Of course, Jason Statham had done just that.
Jungkook came back a few minutes later, two large cups of ramen in hand, and sat down at the sofa. We ate in silence, neither one of us interrupting the bad movie again. When I went up to bed I could only think about how his hands would feel on me.
Taglist: @ippid @jkslaugh97 @destructive-memories @ash07128 @heartjiminie @adventures-in-bookland @canyon-lwt
#jungkook fanfic#jungkook fanfiction#jungkook x you#jungkook x reader#jungkook x y/n#jeon jungkook#jungkook#jungkook angst#jungkook smut#bts#bts x reader#bts x y/n#bts x you#bts smut#bts mafia au#bts angst#bts fic#bts fanfiction#bts fanfic#bts fics#park jimin#jung hoseok#min yoongi#kim taehyung#kim namjoon#kim seokjin#bts gang au#bts assassin au
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the curtain opens on the side characters
Barbatos x male dancer reader
Smut
A/N:Hi everyone, I'm back! sorry for the absence but school kept me really busy but now the hard period is over so I can go back to posting💜
💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚
ok you two would be one of the nicest and most responsible couples in the Devil dom (and anyway you would practically become Diavolo's second dad)🍰
at the beginning of the exchange program of the exchange program, Barbatos felt neutral towards you, no feelings in particular, which will change later on
the fact that you were in hell as an exchange student did not stop you from continuing your sport i.e. dance is one evening while you were training in the RAD gym when you heard someone clapping at the end of your performance, it was Barbatos who was left behind school to search for some documents of some students
Barbatos: you were really good I saw some nobles who are not even close to your level of dancing
M/N:thanks but what are you doing here at this time?
Barbatos: I came to get some documents
M/N: do you want a hand?
Barbatos: If it's not a bother, a little company would be nice
Barbatos doesn't talk much about his feelings, the only one who knew was Diavolo and since Barbatos had taken care of him since he was little it didn't take a genius to get Diavolo to understand that his trusted butler had a crush on him for the male human dancer of the exchange program
obviously Lord Diavolo couldn't ignore the situation so not only did he get involved but he also involved Lucifer to help you and Barbatos in your love poem
obviously after a while your relationship evolved (and thanks to the help of Lord Devil) Barbatos confesses in a very refined way, inviting you to drink tea with him after a delicious tea made by him, he gave you a bouquet of roses and he gave you a beautiful romantic speech
once you were an official couple no one at RAD had the courage to do anything bad to you knowing Barbatos' power
obviously Lucifer put the brothers in line by saying that they couldn't try to flirt or try to steal from Barbatos since Barbatos was Lord Devil's faithful butler and friend anyway
it wasn't uncommon to see you helping Barbatos in his work at the palace but you weren't bothered since you were with Barbatos anyway
your dates with Barbatos were having tea with him, walking the streets of the Devil dom, dancing with him or him admiring you practicing your dance choreographies
You can swear that Barbatos is at every one of your performances or dance competitions. This man is super supportive when it comes to your passion
SMUT
Barbatos' favorite thing is how your body is flexible and since you were a dancer your body was perfect to be put in a thousand different positions
in your sex sessions Barbatos is always gentle and makes sure you are comfortable as his cock slowly enters your little hole while you moan
obviously before starting he lubricates your hole with his sperm which was practically equivalent to a lubricant from the human world being that the sperm of demons was very sense and slippery
his movements inside you were slow but satisfying the shape of his cock could be seen in your belly
obviously if you ask him to be faster and more aggressive he will satisfy you...but let's say that the next day you might end up like this ⬇️
obviously after each round he stops to check if everything is in order before continuing
Barbatos: you are doing so well my beautiful and poseable little dancer~
as for aftercare, they are literally a paradise descended into hell, he prepares a hot bath for you, delicately dressing you in his clothes, then he puts you in bed and feeds you some food prepared by him while he cuddled you
💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚🍰💚
#obey me shall we date#obey me barbatos#male y/n#male reader#obey me x male reader#male x male#x male smut#om! barbatos#barbatos x reader#om! x reader#om! shall we date#male mc#sub reader
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