#but it's the gentleness and firmness of truth and love in his voice and behavior that sells to me just how otherworldly Jesus really was
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Untamed (chapter 4 of 5)
Takami Keigo x (fem!)Reader
[ SUMMARY ] Every year, without fail, Hawks went into a rut: when autumn began, and then again in early spring. He would honker down up north in a secluded cabin. For the first time, he brought you with him.
[ WARNINGS ] R18+ for graphic sexual content and language. Non-canon compliant: Hawks’ quirk does not work like this. Reader is a hero that works at Hawks agency. Pre-existing relationship. Reader is a female with female genitalia. Feral behavior. Rutting. Biting. Spanking. Slight BDSM. Consensual sex. Wing kink. Oral sex. Romantic relationship.
Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5
[ My BNHA Fanfic Masterlist ] ~ [ Also on my AO3 ]
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Hawks had gone on an early morning flight the following day, before you had stirred from sleep, leaving you alone in the cabin for the first time.
He was reaching the apex of his rut. The cabin was beginning to feel like the inside of an oven. That was great for keeping his mate warm, but not so great for him in his current state, where he felt like he was roasting alive.
Outside, the winds were cold, almost punishingly so. Under normal conditions, he would have been wrapped up in his fur coat. However, now, he was wearing a loose T-shirt more suited for summer, baggy cargo pants and military boots.
He took off into the sky, soaring at great speeds that would make him near impossible to see with the naked eye, assuming anyone was actually around to spot him in the first place.
He'd soar up high, then let himself descend in a tumbling spiral, then catch his fall above the trees and rocket between the branches, sometimes letting the bottoms of his boots skim the trees to shake the snow off.
He always loved the feeling of the wind through his feathers; but, the sensation was more intense during his rut. While pain receptors didn't exist in his feathers in the same manner as his flesh and bones, he could still process feeling.
During his rut, feeling was intensified in his wings. He almost thought he could breathe the air through his feathers. Perhaps, it was why he felt so unbearably warm, why your touch had reduced him to a blabbering animal.
It was difficult to resist the desire to bring you with him on his flights, to hold you against his chest and feel your body clinging to him while he descended.
It was exciting to think about what kind of noises you would make. He hoped that you would find it exhilarating. He wanted to feel your heartbeat thundering away from the rush, to see red tinting your cheeks and tears in your eyes.
Instead, Hawks floated alone and let the late winter air bite away at his skin while the winds brushed along his feathers. It was soothing more so than chilling. Despite how unfitting his clothes was for the weather, not even the tips of his fingers felt cold.
The winter breeze had relaxed him, but not for long. Despite the obvious chill in the air, Hawks was still sporting a painful erection. He avoided touching it, knowing full well that masturbation was pointless. Enduring this alone for years taught him that it would likely only irritate him further.
You were here, you were safe, you were his, you wanted to be here, you wanted him. Your scent was all over the nest and his bite mark was a heavy eyesore on your throat. There wasn't another human for miles. But, despite the obvious fact that there was no reason for him to feel uneasy, his nature wouldn't allow him to rest.
His rational side wanted to let you relax, to give you some reprieve from him, from what he did to you and intended to do again. The beast, however, clawing under his skin, wanted to have you again.
Hawks flew some, and then some more, letting time slip away, until he was agitated to the point that his hands were digging into his outer thighs, nails threatening to rip his clothes.
Snow began to fall on his way back to the cabin, and the gentle wind hurled it to and fro. He could feel the soft droplets fluttering against his skin. The snow felt cold, of course, but he didn't really process it. All he could think about was getting back to you.
When he crossed the threshold, it was like entering another world. The outside whistled with the harsh wind and kicked snow inside, suddenly silenced when he slammed the door. He felt the sudden security of being in his nest, enclosed, private, safe, where it smelt like freshly cut logs and you.
As Hawks stepped into the living room, he realized that you had migrated away from the bed, likely due to the cold. You had brought some blankets and pillows over and haphazardly arranged them in front of the fireplace. You had even dug a rolled-up futon out of the supply closet to pile the bedding on top of. He had forgotten that was even in there.
His boots thumped against the wood floor as he walked, catching your attention. You peered up at him, your eyes failing to mask your excitement at his return.
At a glance, Hawks could see that you had showered while he was away. Your hair was clean, just a tiny bit damp at the ends. As he got closer, he could faintly catch a whiff of the well water that fed into to the cabin lingering on your skin.
It was only natural that you would want to clean off after what he had done to you the past couple days. Hawks was well aware of that and was trying to remain calm about the whole situation; but, the truth was, he was annoyed by your actions.
You had washed him away.
Of course, that could easily be remedied.
Hawks advanced towards you, mindful to not step on the blankets with his boots, to not dirty the nest you made. He lowered onto his haunches first, taking in the sight of you, the sight of the bedding you had arranged without him. You had slipped on one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, not suitable for the weather, but suitable for him. Like this, your body was very accessible, that much was certain.
"I made breakfast, if you're hungry?" you offered, clearly not at all perturbed by his looming and staring. He didn't look annoyed, but oddly intrigued, maybe even flattered by your behavior.
"You have snow in your hair," you observed, smiling at the sight of pale white crystals caught in his blonde locks. You leaned up and reached for him, carefully tousling his hair to shake the snow free.
He waited until you were done preening him and suddenly jerked forward, pushing you onto your back with his torso. He followed with you, knees pinning you beneath him, one falling between your thighs.
When you peered up at him, unperturbed by his behavior, Hawks' gold eyes narrowed and his fangs bared. A sound that you didn't know he was capable of making snarled from behind his teeth and echoed around the room.
It was a growl, not like anything you had heard from a dog, or any animal, really. You didn't know that he could make noises like that. It seemed unfitting for the calm, polite hero that you knew so well. Then again, he had warned you about this.
Maybe, this whole experience was doing something to you, changing you; or, more likely, he was helping you discover things about yourself you never knew existed.
The growl didn't frighten you at all. It made you tremble with excitement, made your skin prickle with goosebumps and heart flutter, made wetness pool between your legs.
Spurred on by him, maybe wanting to rattle the beast's cage a little, you decided to be daring. You lifted a leg, pressed your foot against his chest, and pushed against him. Of course, he didn't budge at all. He was much stronger than you normally, and especially unwavering in this state of mind.
"Take off your clothes," you requested, trying your damn best to sound powerful, unyielding. You sounded firm, sure, but you didn't sound as strong as you wanted to, maybe not strong enough to coerce a beast.
Yet, Hawks' gaze softened, surprising you. He had told you he wanted you to be yourself, to not succumb to his every emotion. It kept him grounded, reminded him that you were here of your own free will, because you wanted to be. Your demand sobered him.
"Whatever you want," he uttered, sultry and low, and it made you tremble with excited goosebumps.
He leaned back, rising to his feet, and began shucking off his clothes in record time. His boots hit the floor noisily before he fumbled with his belt, having it barely undone before it was dragged down his hips by his pants.
He wasn't wearing underwear, you realized, as he shucked his pants off his feet. He lifted his arms and tugged his shirt over his head. The fabric hit the floor and, rather than throwing himself on top of you, Hawks remained standing.
His wings were spread out behind him, crimson feathers bright and imposing. His gold eyes were vibrant, staring you down like a predator seconds away from laying claim to its prey.
However, it didn't go unnoticed to you that he was standing there to allow you to appraise him, as if you had never laid eyes upon his nudity before.
Despite the cold, he had a faint sheen of sweat that was glistening in the light coming from the fireplace, outlining taut abdominal muscles. He hadn't eaten much since his arrival, and that much was obvious by the exaggerated tightness around his core, muscles more enhanced than you had ever seen before.
It felt almost shameful to stare at his crotch, but it was damn near impossible to not admire the heavy cock between his thighs. It was a sight to behold, just like the rest of him. The trail of pale blonde pubes leading from beneath his belly button was practically begging you to stare.
Still, you dragged your gaze back up at his face, where he looked surprisingly anxious, as if there a chance in hell you would tell him no. Sometimes, it was astonishing to think that someone so beautiful could have an ounce of self-doubt. But, he did. Even if he managed to hide it well, you could always spot it, the fear of not being good enough.
"Keigo," you uttered, voice sounding weak over the sound of the crackling fireplace.
Your arms lifted, hands reaching out for him, beckoning him into an embrace. You blinked and suddenly, he was on top of you, torso ushering you back into the sheets while his hands clawed at your shorts, dragging them down your legs.
Hawks panted into your neck, nails biting at the fleshy meat of your thighs as he tried to will himself to calm down. He was being nonsensical. You had been together for a while now. He had fucked you in every position he could possibly think of, held you at night when he could and kissed your mouth like you were his.
Because you were. Yet, despite all that, he felt so pleased that you still chose him, again.
When your hands slid over his shoulders and felt the burning heat of his skin, you felt a tinge of guilt at his state. Deliriously, you wanted to take care of him, to be able to give him everything he needed.
One hand cradling the back of his neck, you pulled him up until his face came into view and you kissed at the corner of his mouth. Encouraged, he followed, tilting his head to capture your lips in a proper kiss.
You felt his shoulders relax as his body slid atop yours, legs tangled and torsos coming together. His hands released your thighs, opting to slide up your sides, beneath your shirt and along the expansion of your ribs, where the pads of his fingers traced the outlines of your bones.
Despite the insistent, throbbing erection trapped against your thigh, burning hot like forged iron, his kisses were gentle, ushering your mouth open to accept his tongue. He kissed you like he had forgotten what your mouth tasted like, tongue slotting over yours eagerly, moaning into the kiss senselessly.
After sometime, you pushed back against his chest until he finally got the message and pulled back from your lips. You tried not to laugh at the childishly irritated scowl on his face, his expression silently reprimanding you for stopping him.
"Lay down," you urged. "I wanna touch you."
"Don't need any more teasing, babe," he protested weakly.
Still, despite his protest, you nudged him pleadingly. Hawks groaned like you had struck him, but complied and began rolling over, bringing you above him.
You watched his wings flex and fan out comfortably beneath him, spread out across the sheets like twin, elegant blankets, mindful of the fireplace. He propped his back up with some pillows, giving him just enough leverage to lean up a little, but not quite in a seated position.
As Hawks got situated, you tweaked one of his nipples between your fingers. He yelped at the touch, shoulders twitching and wings shuddering faintly beneath him. Your hand was ripped away by a grip at the wrist; but, you couldn't hold back a smile as he glared up at you.
That glare disappeared off his face when you started wiggling down his lap. Of course he knew what was coming, especially when you cupped his weeping cock and tenderly lifted it off his abdomen. Yet, excitement clawed up his spine as if he was sincerely surprised.
He hardly registered your tongue lapping at the swollen tip, where he was sticky with precum. He did, however, painfully so, notice when you sank down, enveloping his length in your hot mouth.
For a moment, you just held him against your tongue, reveling in the salty taste and moaning when you felt him throb. You slid up to the tip, failing to notice how tense the rest of him was, back arched and staring down at you intensely, muscles tight from head to toe. When you sank back down, tightening your mouth around his shaft, Hawks cried out suddenly.
His loudness startled you more so than the sudden gush of his seed. His hands grabbed at the bedding. In the corner of your eye, you could see his feathers shuddering beneath him.
Hawks' cock throbbed with each spurt, heavy where it rested against your lax tongue. He was deep enough that his seed spilled right down your throat. You relaxed and swallowed it carefully, cheeks tinted red as Hawks whined above you.
When he came down from his high, he was still impossibly hard, throbbing against your tongue as if he hadn't come at all. You began bobbing your head, excited at the thought of getting him to come again. However, his hands suddenly flew up, grabbed at your cheeks and pulled you off.
You hadn't expected that, resulting in a wet pop and a string of saliva dangling between your drooping bottom lip and his member. Hawks stared for a moment, almost in disbelief at the sight, like something taken straight out of a porno, and not reality.
"God, you look so fucking naughty," he snarled, dragging your face in towards his, forcing you to arch over him. "Dirty fucking girl, aren't you?"
His tongue lapped against your bottom lip, catching your dripping saliva, before entering your mouth without preamble. The wet organ thrashed around senselessly, enjoying the taste of himself on your mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled back with a growl and dragged your shirt up, forcing your arms above your head to free you from the garment.
"Keigo, let me-" you whined.
"Be good," he silenced you in a gentle, albeit commanding, voice.
The world flipped when he spun you back around and your back hit the bedding. His wings fanned out above the two of you, beat against the air once, and flexed, plumes spread out majestically.
"I wanna touch you more," you protested, fingers weaving through his hair with dangerous intent. You gently dug the pads of your fingers into his scalp and watched his head lull from the pleasure, eyes fluttering shut.
"That's not being good," Hawks commented with a groan, making no immediate movement to stop you.
"I wasn't done," you retorted, leaning up to drag your cheek against the stubble on his jaw. You couldn't hold back a shudder at the sensation, soft yet rough hair dragging against your skin.
"Fuck," the winged hero growled, eyes opening to take you in with a faint glare.
Your felt a wandering hand smack gently against your inner thigh, forcing your legs to spread to give him space to settle between them. A digit suddenly grazed your slit, circling your entrance to gather wetness before slipping inside.
It was almost laughable to think he had gone out into the snow to cool off; yet, the heat of your core was tantalizing, so inviting that the touch alone threatened to undo him. You were already slippery and when he effortlessly sought out your sweet spot, you mewled.
Hawks groaned like you had wounded him, the sound practically vibrating from his throat and traveling through him onto you. He tilted his head to nibble at your jaw, breath hot enough to burn your skin where he exhaled against you.
"You're ready for me," Hawks commented lowly, driving his finger inside until his knuckles brushed your folds. "Did you like the taste of my cock that much? -my cum? Feel this - fuck. You're begging for it."
"You're begging for it," you retorted softly, hands carefully untangling from his hair and sliding down to cup his face. You pulled him back, away from your neck, so you could look into his eyes.
"Yeah," he agreed in a low sigh, forehead bumping against yours just a little too roughly. "Want you so fucking bad."
"How bad?" you hummed encouragingly, hiking your legs up on his waist to pull him in.
His finger slipped free, hands shifting to slide over your hips, dragging you into a place more to his liking, pinned beneath him, where you were helpless to much more than squirm. You hiked your legs up on his hips, groaning when he humped at your core, causing his cock to drag against your folds.
"Kinda hurts, if I'm being honest," Hawks groaned out lowly.
"I'll take care of you," you promised, blinking slowly as you stared back at his vibrant gold eyes.
"Yeah?" he uttered weakly. "I can just-"
His tip prodded at your entrance and Hawks cut off, moaning in a wounded manner that had your head spinning. You had seen him get pent-up and frustrated before, after week long missions and months apart; but, he never sounded quite like this.
"Yes," you whispered back harshly.
With a shift of his hips, he was suddenly buried inside you. The sudden intrusion wasn't as startling as the loud noise that escaped Hawks. He shuddered above you, crying out, wings flexing and beating the air, driving him down against you.
"Oh, fuck, Keigo," you whined, realizing he had finished the moment he slipped inside.
His cock throbbed as if to remind you that he wasn't done yet. There was a wet squelch as he slipped out and rammed back inside, nearly drowned out by a guttural, "f-fuck", that he breathed against your neck.
He thrusted a few times, rough rolls of his hips, forcing your walls to accommodate his girth. You couldn't hold back a weak groan. As prepared as you might have been, it was inevitable that there would always be some strain to take him.
Hawks must have assumed that he was taking you too hard, for he slowed down, uttering a weak, "s-sorry."
Yet, the dissatisfaction from his slow pace was far worse than the slight ache when he took it too fast. You didn't want it slow and soft. The last couple days had you wound up, prepared for the promised, carnal passion. You wanted him to fuck you like his life depended on it.
"No," you hissed out, trying to angle your hips up to bring him in harder, fast. "God - no - Keigo, harder-"
With a faint growl, he obeyed that command, the sudden hard roll of the hips forcing you to break off into a loud cry.
"Babe, I'm gonna lose it if you talk like that," he warned, words throaty and rough where they breathed against your skin.
You worked one hand into his hair while the other grabbed at his back, nails biting deliciously into his skin, holding him close, forcing your bodies together.
"I want you to," you uttered between broken moans that he forced out of you with his cock.
Hawks uttered your name lowly, a clear warning.
"God, Keigo, just-" you growled, wiggling around helplessly beneath him. He shifted his weight, holding you down with a growl, as if you were dare trying to escape him.
It was exciting, and had you babbling at him wantonly, "you're so f-fucking sexy and I - I want it. Want you to just - f-fuck me like - ahh, Keigo, your mate."
His arms suddenly wound beneath you and hoisted you off the floor. You cried out, clinging to him in a startle at the sudden verticality. Hawks leaned upright, on his knees in front of the fireplace, holding you up, pressed against his chest, hands gripping your meaty hips to hold you at the perfect angle to fuck up into you.
"My mate? -fuck when you say things like that, makes me fucking - ghhh - fu-uck - you want me to fuck you? Yeah?" he babbled on, whispering harshly right into your ear.
It was a little too close, a little too loud, and left a ringing sensation in your head. Yet, you didn't want to shy away, especially not when he started growling. Clinging to him desperately, you could feel his back muscles shifting as his wings flapped with enough force to knock some logs off the stand.
His head tilted back and took in the sight of your face. Your eyes were struggling to remain open, lips parted lewdly, cheeks tinted a brilliant shade of red.
"You look amazing," he whispered, hot breath fanning over your face. "Fucked stupid on my cock, where you belong."
You moaned lowly, head lulling against his shoulder. You felt his lips press a kiss against your temple and he continued uttering into your hair.
"Gonna fill my pretty mate with cum. Is that what she wants?" he whispered, low and sweet, sultry and downright vulgar. You didn't answer; but, he felt your nails bite into his shoulders, heard your breath briefly catch in your throat.
"Yeah, she does," he agreed, breaking off into a pleased hum.
The wet, fleshy sounds drowned out the noise of the fireplace, accompanied by your helpless mewling and Hawks disgruntled moans and grunts. You were so close like this, held up by his strong grip, chest to chest.
You sought out the strength to peer up and catch a glimpse of his wings shuddering, flexing out from his back either for balance or unconsciously, you couldn't determine. You tore one of your hands from his shoulder and dragged your fingers through his plumes, along the growth until you met his back.
Hawks cried out in a sharp roar. His pace increased exponentially as he rode out his orgasm, wheezing and panting into the space beside your head. That white-hot pleasure overtook you at some point, forcing a startled scream from your throat.
He kept going and going, only slowing down when he was certain you were finished. Suddenly, he slipped out, and the emptiness had you whimpering, head spinning and body aching.
Your back hit the bedding and then your front when Hawks rolled you over. Focused on the ache between your thighs, you barely processed the rustling of the bedding, until Hawks shoved some pillows beneath your abdomen to slightly elevate your lower half.
He propped himself up on his hands and knees, fingers splayed out across the bedsheets on either side of your torso. You felt the tops of his thighs slide against the backs of yours, cock heavy and wet against your core.
The realization of what he was about to do seemed to slap him in the face at that moment, for Hawks suddenly stopped, freezing up behind you.
"Fuck, I need you," he uttered, voice hoarse and low. "Please - please, can I keep going? -still so fucking hard."
You almost didn't recognize the sound of his voice, hoarse and desperate; but, then, his wings beat against the air, sharply reminding you that this was Takami Keigo.
Your cheek was pressed against one of the pillows, arms splayed out above your head, and you realized faintly that you must have been quite the sight, spread out lewdly for him, back curved, ass in the air, presenting to him like a bitch in heat.
There was no sense of obligation spurring your unity; or, if there was, it was an afterthought. All you felt was desire, longing for more, aching to be filled, trembling and void of any coherent thought beyond Hawks.
You could feel his throbbing cock at your entrance, his knees pushing yours apart, his arms trembling on either side of you. He was hovering some odd few inches; yet, he was panting so heavily, you could feel it fanning over your back.
"Keigo," you whispered weakly. "Don't stop."
Your scream drowned out the inhuman growl that escaped him as he shoved his hips forward, sheathing himself inside your velvety heat, as deep as he could possibly go, trying to push his hips further forward as if it wasn't enough.
Hawks fucked you wildly, huffing out sharp breaths mingled with pleasured moans. It didn't take long for him to reposition his hands, one settling on your waist while the other fisted in the bedsheets above your head. He arched over you possessively, wings beating the air to drive him forward. As unnecessary as it was, you couldn't deny the way it stoked the fire inside you.
Before you could even think to ask, one of his feathers wiggled between your thighs, nuzzling against your pearl where it flicked and twirled, pinching at the bud with just enough friction to be pleasurable, but not too hard to be painful.
"Keigo!" you cried out, hands gripping the sheets with enough force to nearly tear them.
"Say my name," tumbled from his lips, like a broken baritone. "Yeah - fuck - my name - say my name. Gonna - ahh - stuff you with my c- ahh - fuck, you feel so good - so good," he babbled on, leaving your head spinning.
He was fucking into you at the perfect angle, ensuring his cock reached your sweet spot with each and every thrust. At some point, coherent thoughts died. Nothing existed beyond the bed sheets, the fireplace, the cabin. All you could think about was the sweet scent lingering on the sheets beneath you and the explosive pleasure Hawks was forcing through your body.
He came again at some point; but, you could hardly tell. Everything was already sopping wet, seed dripping from your cunt and down your thighs, as well his. The sounds he made never ceased, inhuman groans deep in his throat that mingled with each hurried inhale and exhale, in harmony with his thrusts.
His dominant hand slid down your spine, carefully curling at the back of your neck to hold you down. As mindless as it might have appeared, you were acutely aware that he wasn't holding all his weight down.
You were familiar with the power he held, the brute strength hidden beneath his charming and silly demeanor. He could hurt you very easily if he wanted to; but, he never did. Even in this state, his self-control was mind boggling, pinning you with just the right amount of pressure to keep you still, but not enough to cause any discomfort.
'Keigo' fell from your lips, again and again, as if it was the only word you knew. Above you, Hawks seemed to be in the very state he had been worried about, that he had warned you about: blinded by the pleasure of your core, lost to the desires overwhelming his every thought for days.
At some point, he hunched over even further, hardly thrusting properly anymore and just rutting into you, and you felt his lips touch the space between your shoulder blades.
It was hardly a kiss and you realized vaguely that he was drooling a little before you felt the sting of his teeth. Hawks gnawed a path up your back, leaving behind pink, blossoming bruises, before digging his teeth into your shoulder. It wasn't as strong as the last bite, a brief sting before the pain was lost to the pleasure.
He growled into your skin, whole body quaking with sharp tremors, signaling that he had reached orgasm again. You had lost sense of your own awhile ago, always ablaze in white hot pleasure. The mere touch of his hand along your skin, every shift of his hips, the union of your sexes, had you vibrating.
You lost track of how long that went on, how long Hawks kept going, mouth latched onto your skin, slobbering and whimpering into your flesh, while his hips rolled against yours, pinning you between the floor and his unwavering form.
Everything felt too good for you to process how tired you had become, brought to the brink of exhaustion, glistening with sweat from head to toe, kept awake only by his invasion of your body, the drag of his cock along your velvety walls.
Eventually, Hawks began to slow. He carefully removed his teeth from your shoulder and gave a few more thrusts, letting out a low whine that you could guess was one last, final orgasm.
His feather departed your slippery folds, leaving you aching and spent, and he remained buried as deep as he possibly could, hips pressed tightly against yours.
Hawks nuzzled his face into the back of your neck, panting wildly, and you felt what you could only describe as vibrations rumbling from his chest, so violently that it had you shaking beneath him. It was almost alarming, but the tremors steadily waned as his breathing relaxed.
Carefully, Hawks turned you onto your side, shoved the pillow beneath you away, and curled into the space between you, pressed tightly against your back, skin touching in every spot that was possible. His wings stretched out behind him, past the boundary of the bedding and spread out across the floor, lax like the rest of him.
Hawks adjusted your legs carefully, stretching them out with his own until they were comfortably laying side by side, all whilst ensuring his cock remained lodged inside you. The strain wasn't unpleasant; rather, you were surprised by how good it felt.
"Keigo?" you uttered weakly, voice so low, you were surprised he even heard you.
You felt his lips kiss at your throat and a hand settle over your tummy, fingers splayed. He uttered your own name back, as if reassuring, before his fingers moved around, sliding up and down your side soothingly.
You willed your eyes to open and watched the flames inside the hearth dance briefly before your gaze darkened and you drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of the storm brewing outside and Hawks breathing softly behind you.
He didn't join you in the abyss, but watched over you cautiously, as if you could possibly be in any danger. The storm outside wasn't particularly worrisome, but it made it impossible for him to pick up sounds beyond the boundary of the cabin.
If you had turned to look upon his face, you would have seen his pupils miniscule, gold iris vibrant and wild. There was no chance that anyone would possibly disturb you, and his sensible self would have known that; but, as he was now, rut peaked and beast sufficiently satisfied, Hawks couldn't be told otherwise.
An arm drooped loosely over your waist, holding you close, and he listened to the soothing beats of your heart as you drifted into a peaceful slumber.
#takami keigo x reader#takami keigo smut#takami keigo x you#takami keigo fanfiction#hawks x reader#hawks smut
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Unruly Women
Summary: Sherlock seems to be surrounded by unruly, opinionated women.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Smutty, Fellatio
A/N: So...just watched Enola and Sherlock’s line of “So everyone keeps telling me.” Kept playing in my head, in regards to Enola needing him, and the only other person besides Edith to say so was the housekeeper...so ‘everyone’ seemed a bit of a stretch. So I added one more woman voicing her opinion.
Off-cuff and unbeta-ed, sorry for any errors.
Unruly Women
“You’re angry with me.”
A finely shaped brow arched, but its owner did not move her head from her book to acknowledge the smokey baritone that grizzled her ear. Instead, she turned a page, “Now, what reason would I have to be angry with you, my love?”
Her even-keeled tone set Sherlock’s teeth on edge as he turned to glare at her, “A question I would like the answer to very much.”
She sighed, snapping the binding of her book closed with nary a flutter as she stalwartly met his burning stare. Pursing her lips prettily she taunted, “You’re the detective. You tell me.”
“She’s not my ward, Delia.” Sherlock growled almost petulantly, but she didn’t miss the flash of regret - guilt that spurned his irises.
He may claim to be unaffected by his sister’s and mother’s plight, but Delia had spent too long in his company to not know when her dear-heart was pretending. She had never been able to discover what made him hide from the world, but he was never as impervious as he liked to seem - else wise she would not love him as dearly as she did. Though, that didn’t mean she didn’t want to slap him on occasion.
Now was one such occasion. She tilted her head, raising her brows in mild disbelief, “Did I say anything about Enola?”
“You didn’t need to.” Sherlock murmured, a faint pout tugging at his supple lips as he placed aside his newspaper, “I could see your disapproval the second I told you of Mycroft’s plans...also your amusement that she had slipped away.”
That was true. She only knew of Enola from what Sherlock had imparted and by all accounts she sounded like a very precocious young woman. Perhaps, in need of a guiding hand for when she stumbled, but not the iron fist that Mycroft seemed to favor. In truth, if it hadn’t been for the fond, almost pained, glint that had decorated Sherlock’s cerulean orbs as he spoke of her then Delia wouldn’t push the issue... but he loved his little sister, was enchanted by her. Though he refused to admit it.
“I’m not her guardian.” He iterated staunchly, though Delia was hardly swayed.
He became most stubborn when he knew he was in the wrong.
“Yet, that doesn’t change the fact that she needs you.” Delia whispered softly, letting some of her disappointment with him coat her tone.
Defensive anger flared in his orbs as he perceived her manipulation and he spat, “I already have one unruly woman to contend with - why would I need two?”
Unimpressed, she leaned forward, making as if to leave, “Well, you’ll soon have none if you keep behaving like a petulant boy.”
She made to cross his path for the door, but only made it a step before his large hand seized her wrist. With barely an ounce of his strength, he pulled her onto his lap - unconcerned with being seen by the servants. Mrs. Hudson had walked in on far more indecorous behavior.
Unconsciously, her hands slid to his broad shoulders as she leaned into his firm hold - silently enjoying the biting press of his fingers into her hip. His touch was not gentle, she had made him angry with her threat to leave. Sherlock did not abide abandonment from others, only he was allowed that luxury.
His glower barely softened as she held his stare, “Then I suppose it will please you to know that I’ve already started looking for her.”
Delia smiled faintly and bestowed a light kiss to his cheek as she murmured, “It does.”
Grumbling faintly, he uttered, “She’s still Mycroft’s ward.”
She hummed indulgently, knowing better than to push the subject just yet. Her love was on the right track, she just needed to wait for him to reach the right conclusion.
She pressed another kiss to his lips and moved to stand, only to find that his grasp remained firm. Again, she lifted a brow at him, “Sherlock?”
He growled, eyes gleaming with ardent lust... and something darker, “As I said, I have one unruly woman and I’ve had enough of her scheming for one day. I do believe you need a reminder of your place, my dear.”
Unbidden, her thighs clenched together and wild heat poured through her veins like lighted kerosene. Still she protested, “Sherlock, you -”
She yelped a second later as he splayed his legs, dropping her to the floor. He blinked innocently down at her, “That mouth has better uses. Remind me of what they are.”
She sputtered, flushing under his demanding stare, but she didn’t have time to further her protest as he growled, “You have five seconds before I take matters into my own hands and we both know what that entails.”
Gulping, she slithered to her knees, bowed before the apex of his thighs. Even as her hands shook with tremulous nerves, her mouth watered for the beast beneath his trousers. Nimbly, she undid the buttons of his trousers, sliding his hardening length from beneath with such delicacy that he groaned.
It was only as her lips came to kiss his head that Sherlock spoke again, “Don’t ever leave me... don’t ever threaten it again.”
Delia peered up at him with wide eyes, sorrow coating her irises - showing him fully her regret in making him uneasy. She nuzzled his cock, breathing in his musky scent as she whispered, “Never give me cause to do so.”
He growled and she smiled mischievously, “Though I suppose, you’d just find me anyway.”
His rebuke was choked off as she swallowed him whole. He jerked in surprised, moaning as her hot mouth suckled him so beautifully.
“Maybe I should send you to finishing school.” He muttered, eyes rolling back as she caressed his loins in time with her tongues strokes.
Delia grinned around his throbbing manhood, knowing he would never do such a thing... but for now, she would take her punishment like a good girl.
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I've been working on this for a while now. Since my one-shot on Gruvia-day went over pretty well, I figured why not?
Probably another fanfiction about Juvia's past, but how could you blame me? Her backstory has so much potential
I'll try to publish new chapters , every week or maybe more ( we'll see)
So without further ado , i present you my newest work. ( Feedback is welcomed of course)
,, I like the rain, it always seemed like the only thing that was like me..."
Chapter 1. ,,Where are you?"
-"Juvia…." - he said quietly -" this is the last time you will be seeing me…"- For the moment she felt like she couldn't breathe. Until a little while ago, everything was fine. He visited her as usual, they talked as usual. However, she felt that something was wrong, she could see it from his behavior. He was terribly tense, but...
- "You're old enough to understand the situation I'm in. I've chosen this life, so I've always been aware of the fact that one day I would be in danger. But you have nothing to do with it. I won't let anything happen to you…"-he said with a shaky voice.
It was probably the only moment in her life ,when Juvia saw fear in his violet eyes. Who would have thought that unbeatable Jeremiah, the guy with a sharp tongue, incredible self-confidence and enormous power... would be standing in front of her unsure and quiet...
-" I came to say goodbye…"
'No...please no..' - she felt tears running down her cheeks. He was joking , he had to be joking. It was another one of his pranks , he never went that far , but it couldn't be truth....
- "That's not funny…. Stop...You're joking right? You can't.... you can't be serious.. No…"- the girl sobbed. She looked at his face again, hoping he was wrong....The man turned his gaze away from her.
...No...
-"You want to leave Juvia alone?...No..please..I'll be training harder, I'll become stronger…you can't!..." - her voice broke down. She hugged his legs.
The girl was still trying to convince him with all her strength. She begged , she pleaded , she cried...but nothing made him change his decision.
-" Juvia!" - this time he spoke to her in a cold, firm voice. The voice that was always directed at his opponents not her. It wasn't his usual feisty, slightly sleepy voice. For the first time in her life Juvia was a little scared of him.
-"I will not accept any objections from you. You will do as I have told you. Do you think your mother would be proud of the way you behave?"- he looked straight into her eyes.
........
Mother?.. Every time she was mentioned, Juvia wasn't sure how to react. She didn't know what to think about her…nor did she remember her….she knew practically nothing..
Every time someone mentioned her, Juvia felt like she was being told about some character from legends, or fantasy books…., not a mother she should feel some kind of connection to, not even a REAL person.
A wonderful and beautiful mage who, after arriving to Tempeville together with Jerry, saved the village from an attack of bandits. And that's all.
No one except Jerry really knew who she was, nor where she came from..
Only information that Juvia had was that the golden-haired man was on one of his missions, when he saw Eliana Lockser for the first time.She helped him and after that they started to hang out with each other, to the point they were practically inseparable....
Though, he always said that he felt like Mother had never completely opened up to him. He stated that there were many things that Eliana never shared with him and he couldn't do anything about it.
Juvia never understood that, weren't he and Eliana supposed to be…..friends..?
Well, Juvia never got their relationship, till she grew older.
-We…were close- that was all he would always say. They lived, ate, trained together, spent time with each other and he took care of her child after her death..
......................................
What would her mother think?
Honestly Juvia didn't care...In the end ,she would still end up being alone. Why would that matter?
-"Fine…"- said the girl quietly- "Go...but please don't die and take care of yourself.." - she said , this time devoid of any emotion.
Her guardian looked at her strangely. Then hugged her for the last time.
-"Farewell froggy…"-Funny, she used to hate this pet name ,but now, the thought that this was the last time he would ever call her that, destroyed her completely - "Don't let them push you around, you're strong girl..."- he whispered. Then disappeared into the darkness, leaving Juvie all alone in front of the orphanage door.
So that's it, now she was left completely alone . No mother, no uncle, no friends....no one.
The girl could not stand it any longer. She fell to her knees and started crying as loud as she was able to, drowning in her own tears.
Her screams didn't stop until she heard someone calling her name.
……….Juvia!...
'Who's there?'
….Juvia!….
'What do you want…!'
…..Juvia!.....
'Leave me alone!
....Juvia!....Juvia!...
The girl watched as everything around her began to fall apart
-Juvia...Juvia…JUVIA!!
She knew that voice... Gray?....Wait, he wasn't there at that time...he couldn't be..
-"Juvia, please wake up!" -yelled her terrified fiancé.
Woman finally opened her eyes. Tears were streaming from them, she felt a huge pain in her throat, caused by the screams. She couldn't stop shaking.
'Dream….stupid dream….'
She felt the hands of her beloved on her face. She looked up into eyes that were looking at her with great concern. She couldn't help but whisper his name
-"....Gray…?"
'It was just a bad dream, a meaningless memory from the past'-she told herself.
They looked at each other like that for a good amount of time, until Gray spoke up, in a very quiet and gentle voice.
-" Please..tell me what the nightmare was about," he asked, pulling her into his arms. It had to be a nightmare, he knew that well. But it was the first time he had seen her like this and Gray was petrified.
-"Juvia doesn't remember anymore..."- she knew that lying wasn't the best idea, but she didn't want to tell him about her past now. She was sure that he would be angry at her for hiding it from him.
-"I know you're lying, now tell the truth"- said Gray firmly. Did she really believe Gray would let her go so easily?- "...Please.. be honest with me. You know you can tell me anything."
- "A childhood memory" she said vaguely. It wasn't a lie.
-" I'm sure you didn't dream about the usual bullying you have been through. Please...Juvia..I have a right to know.."
She took a deep breath
-"Juv..I dreamt about my uncle leaving me alone at the orphanage…."- she said quietly, lowering her gaze towards the pillows, she wouldn't be able to look straight into his dark eyes.
- "Uncle? What Uncle?....But you told me you had no family left, that you were all alone.."-he said, shocked.
He has always been sure that he knew everything about his Juvia. She was always very open and straightforward with him. After they became a couple, Gray stopped hiding his thoughts and secrets from her. He thought that she did that too…
And now he finds out about some uncle... who... left her? In the blink of an eye, his mood changed.
-"All this time you've been covering the ass of the asshole who abandoned you?" -he asked, filled with rage.
Gray imagined the silhouette of a man dropping a little, crying Juvie at the door of the orphanage. He felt both anger and hatred towards the mysterious man. He would find him, tear him apart, and make him beg Juvia for forgiveness.
-" No, no...you have misunderstood me.."- he looked at Juvia's red but still beautiful face and all the anger disappeared instantly.
' She stopped using third person'- he noted
-"Firstly he is not my relative, but my mother's companion and secondly he didn't abandon me "- she started- "He's been taking care of me since I was baby. He took care of my needs, he taught me how to use water magic, he basically raised me…But because of his job, he had to travel a lot. Jerry -that's his name- said that it would be dangerous for a weak child like me to stay with him , so I started living in an orphanage. He would always visit me or the other way around...Till.."-she stopped for a moment to compose herself -" Till one day he told me that he needed to leave and that It was for my safety. After that I have never seen him again. "
For a while they sat in silence , hugging each other. Gray wasn't sure what he should say to her…
-"You never saw each other again?''-he asked. 'She just told you that, idiot...Why are you asking her again? To make her cry even more?' - Gray mentally scolded himself.
-"Yeah... I wanted to know how he was doing, i tried to find out what happened to him but..there was nothing"
- "Juvia... he can be…"- he didn't want to finish his sentence. His beloved was already devastated enough.
-'' I know"- she answered-" I have always been prepared for that.. That's why I've stopped looking for him. I accepted that…Until I met with Mrs Revee this afternoon. She used to work at a library in Tempeville - my hometown.
We started talking about old times , then she brought up the topic of Jerry. She asked me if I knew what happened to him….After that I couldn't stop thinking about him…...I guess that's where nightmares came from."
- "Juvia….."- Gray tried to find the appropriate words- "If there is anything I could do…"- He was desperate to do something...He hated being so powerless.
- "No and nothing can be done anyway, he traveled all his life. Trying to find him or his grave would take months if not longer…"
- "Juvia…"
-" It's nothing, darling. Good night"
The girl lay down on her right side and covered herself with a blanket. She tried her best to fall asleep as quickly as possible. She needs to forget all of this, so she can go back to being her happy and positive self. Not gloomy, scary Rainwoman.... Suddenly she felt Gray's breath on her neck and his strong arms around her.
- "I know I don't say this often...but I love you…...and I hate to see you like this...I will do everything in my power to find out what happened to him..."- he whispered ,- "We will start with your home village."
- "Gray...I.... - she didn't know what to say. How dare he make her fall in love even more...-Thank you..Juvia loves you too."
After that both of them were finally able to fall asleep. Tomorrow… they will start preparing for their journey..
************************************************
Author's note: This is probably the most upsetting thing I've ever written , especially the scenes with little Juvia....Ouch..
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Watermelon Sugar
Genre: Fluff, Romance, Oneshot, Drabble, Summer crush! au
Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Fem! Reader
Word Count: ~2,9K
Notes: The last fanfic for the Valentine’s request [That you can find here]
If you never saw a schooner, please look for “escuna” in google images, so you can picture it! <3
Warnings: Make out?
Chan || Minho || Changbin || Hyunjin || Han || Felix || Seungmin || Jeongin
Masterlist
Requested: No, that was the beginning of the request idea xD
General Tag List: @channiewoo @aliceu @bythesunnotbythemoon
[If you wish to be tagged to the other Valentine’s requests, please send me an ask <3]
////
You gasped, marveled by the bay right in front of your eyes.
You were sure your eyes were shining like twinkling little stars or something, and as much as you really wanted to look like the cool and elegant tourist, you couldn’t help but let your mouth fall agape and look around. The sun cast its light above the sea, allowing pretty sparks on the teal waters to get your attention from time to time, distracting you from the beautiful forest that surrounded you. The view was breathtaking and the way that the forest-green mountains stood up there like a giant barrier ─ kind enough to let an entrance for adventurers such as you ─ made your heart swell inside your chest.
“Want me to take a picture for you, Sweetheart?” Not even the cool breeze that came straight from the sea was enough to cool down your face at the moment. You pursed your lips, coyly rubbing your arm as you glanced at his bright smile. He looked at you with lovely gentle eyes, waiting for a reaction as he extended his hand in your direction (not to hold yours but to ask for your phone), and the lack of response made him tilt his head in confusion “Y/N?” He called carefully.
“Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I mean- Why not?” You snapped away from your thoughts “It’s such a beautiful view” You added, more composed now, handing him your phone. You didn’t miss the small smile on his lips as he nodded in agreement with you, positioning the phone to take a picture as he muttered something under his breath, a blush spreading on his face “What did you just say?” You frowned, bothered by the pose you choose.
“I said you look perfect” He repeated mindlessly “No! I mean-“ He widened his eyes, snapping them at you as he realized what he had just said “You look good in the picture! Not that you don’t look good in real life… I mean-“ He floundered, making you burst into a fit of giggles “Here is your phone…” He sighed embarrassed, fingers brushing on yours as he handed it to you. That was the most romantic thing that happened to you on Valentine’s Day in your whole life. And he wasn’t even your boyfriend!
The truth was that you barely knew him at all.
The attractive stranger was called Hyunjin ─ a simple and pretty name, just like him ─ and apart from being a good photographer, as you could see by the pictures he took from you, he was also part of the crew. Of course, you knew that the kindness and cuteness that he had been showing you was nothing but strictly professional behavior to allure the tourists, and (obviously) you couldn’t help but swallow it hook, line, and sinker. In your defense, he probably worked like this for years and had mastered the perfect gentlemanliness that he was using against you!
When you decided to take your single Valentine’s trip and get rid of all those insane expectations people had on you for being single for too long ─ really, what was the deal with them?! Didn’t they have anything better to worry about?! ─, you didn’t imagine that you would come across someone like him. You wouldn’t even believe you would have the courage to get your feet on a boat like this! But you promised yourself that as a self-discovery trip, you had to be bold and jump right into any new opportunities.
You meant more like a one night stand or something like this.
But navigating through a deep ocean with a cute guy sounded good too!
The moment you spot him on your way to the beach ─ perfect smile, tanned skin, and wet hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks ─, you knew you were screwed. You tried to reason that you weren’t really a good swimmer and hoping in a boat like this wasn’t the best of the ideas even if he had offered you a really good price. Of course, he knew exactly what to say and promised you to be right by your side at all moments… What a flirty little bastard you found as a summer crush.
“I’ll even fight the waters for you!” He had joked as you signed the paper “I’ll be right there to catch you if you fall, though I can assure you it’s very safe! The only thing that you might fall for is me” You laughed along with him, but he was indeed right.
Was there a way to not fall for Hwang Hyunjin?
The very first thing he did was to stick to his promises as you stared at the wobbly boat warily ─ clearly rethinking all of your life choices ─, wondering how the hell you would get inside it if the bloody thing kept swinging like that. Were you supposed to simply jump inside it? What if you just fell to the sea?! That would be the silliest way to die on a trip… Utterly humiliating. How would your family and friends take the news?
DUMB GIRL DROPS DEAD WHILE TRYING TO GET ON A BOAT!
You could even see the disappointment on everyone’s face.
“Here, gimme your hand!” His voice had brought you back from your daydreaming.
The crew was holding the ropes firmly to bring the schooner as closely as possible to the deck, making sure it was safe to get into the boat. Of course, Hyunjin had to drop it and hop inside the schooner as if it was nothing, wiping away his sweat with his forearm and extending his hand to you with a bright smile that made you flustered. You accepted his offer, yelping at his firm grip and the way he could make almost everything seem steady as you connected your eyes to his, stepping inside the rocking ship successfully.
You averted your eyes from him ─ the shyness overcoming your willingness to keep looking at his orbs ─, and the magic suddenly ran off as the boat shook in a different rhythm (or maybe it was all the same and you were just being clumsy), prompting you to pathetically stumble over nothing. If it was a movie, that would be the moment you would crash onto his chest and be wrapped into strong arms as you looked into each other’s eyes and exchanged a flustered smile under his friends’ teasing… Of course, you weren’t in a movie, so you just had the humiliating experience of pretending it didn’t happen as you walked straight away from them.
Being the prince charming wasn’t enough for Hyunjin.
He was also a fierce environmental defender just like you.
Your heart would melt for him, just like those damn glaciers.
It happened almost one hour ago but you could still remember vividly how mad you felt as a random guy tossed an empty chip bag to the sea, completely ignoring the crew on how important the area was for the local fauna. The damn guy literally tossed a plastic bag to some animal choke to death for no reason. You would have said something or done something but before you could even react, Hyunjin jumped out of the boat, diving into the sea and swimming like a torpedo.
The thrash must stay in the thrash! He sneered, shoving the bag into the man’s hands with a scowl as soon as he got back. It was needless o say that it surprised you, yet you felt the admiration growing in your chest. As we were saying… This is not only our home but also of those animals and we’re responsible to keep everything clean and safe for them and for us… We thank you for your collaboration.
Could someone be more perfect?
“We have some fruits for you to eat” Hyunjin said, snapping you away from your thoughts “Do you like watermelon?” He asked, offering a triangular piece for you to take. You gave him a small smile, nodding as you took it from his hands.
“Oh! It’s really sweet!” You arched your brows in surprise “This is really good!” You hummed, eyes sparkling as you took another bite.
“I may have chosen the sweeter one for my favorite traveler” He chuckled, sitting by your side as he ate his own piece “We’re almost arriving at the last stop… I highly recommend you to get into the water this time” He advised, glancing at you “I can help you out if you need to” He offered.
“Unless you carry me in your back, there is no way I’ll survive inside the sea with no ground under my feet” You laughed “The other places I could go to the beach… What will I do in the middle of this bay?” You asked playfully.
“It will be fun! This is the best spot to go! You could go to any other beach” He reasoned “Also, I can wait for you down there to support you in the water! There is no problem” He smiled at you.
Why be so damn cute?
“If you let me die, my family will sue you!” He laughed wholeheartedly at that, nodding.
“Your family can rest peacefully today, you’ll be safe in my arms!” He chuckled, getting up “I have to help the guys out and prepare things for you guys to get in the water… As soon as I can go in, I’ll call you, okay?” You nodded, fighting back a smile as he walked away.
He did just as promised.
As soon as everything was settled down, Hyunjin took your hand in his, guiding you to the ladders. He jumped into the water ─ kinda showing off a little bit ─ waving at you from the water with a huge smile on his face. You took a deep breath, slowly going down the ladder. The closer you got to the deep water, the more you wondered what you were doing with your life.
“That’s okay, I’m right here to catch you” He reassured you, sensing your hesitation. You peeked at him over your shoulder, seeing how he had his arms extended to hold you as soon as you got into the water.
“We’ll die” You cried though you kept going down.
“We’ll be just fine” He chuckled “Trust me, okay?”
As soon as you got into the water, still attached to the ladder as if it could save your whole life, his arms wrapped you up. You yelped as he tugged you off of your safe place, bringing you some feet away from the boat.
“For everything sacred in this world, please let me go back” You hissed, back pressed against his chest and eyes focused on the schooner, wondering why you tried to get into the water in the first place.
“Hey, calm down” He soothed you, squeezing you in a hug and resting his chin on your shoulder “Breathe in” He instructed you, and you complied “Breathe out” He continued, and you did it again.
“Yeah… Yeah, I think that worked” You sighed, a little bit more relieved, “Maybe I could even be alo—“ You interrupted yourself to scream, turning around desperately to wrap his waist with your legs, squirming as you hold him for dear life “Something touched me!” You yelled, trying to check the water to see what had just bickered you.
He didn’t answer you at first.
You glanced at him, noticing the compromising position you put both of us in. He looked down to avoid your chest on his eye level, ears burning in embarrassment as he held you by your sides delicately, unsure of how he should act. You felt your face burning when you noticed how your hands tugged on his hair, body pressed impossibly closer to him.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry” You mumbled, loosening your hold.
“It must have been some fish” He muttered, still refusing to look at you.
“Yeah…” You nodded “You guys said that there are tons of fishes here, right?” You asked awkwardly, and he nodded to confirm it “Cool…” You cleared your throat.
He lifted his head, looking into your eyes as he adjusted his hold to your body, eyes wavering as he tried to focus his gaze on you. The moment was a little bit too intimate. You noticed how your legs were still around his waist, bodies pressed against each other, and breaths mingling, warming up your face. You let your eyes wander to his lips before returning your gaze to meet his.
The moment made your stomach flutter.
“Am I… Am I imagining things or…” He cleared his throat “I’m sorry but are you… Can I…” He floundered with his words, too flustered to say whatever he wanted to say.
“Kiss me?” You questioned, and he snapped his eyes to yours again.
“I mean… I shouldn’t have suggested it at all!” He said startled “I’m so sorry, this is so unprofessional! I didn’t mean to—“ You snorted, cupping his cheeks to make him stop talking.
“I want to” You reassured him, staring at his lips “Can I?” You asked unsurely, checking for any signs of hesitancy in his eyes.
“Please” He chuckled, sliding one hand to cup your face as the other one kept supporting your waist.
He didn’t need to tell you twice.
You slammed your lips against his, hands sliding to entangle his neck and play with his hair as you kissed each other. He hummed, hand going to the back of your head to keep you as close as possible to him. The kiss tasted like watermelon ─ sweet and kinda wet and sloppy ─, and you almost couldn’t remember you were in the middle of the sea, on Valentine’s day, kissing a complete stranger.
A charming and sweet stranger, to be fair.
He rested his forehead on yours as soon as the kiss came to an end, breathing heavily and closing his eyes to enjoy the moment for a while. You smirked; twirling his locks on your finger and making him shiver for a second. He opened his eyes, staring at you in complete bliss.
“Wow” He muttered.
“I agree” you chuckled, kissing his cheek before trailing the path to his jaw “Maybe we should repeat it sometime” You suggested, feeling how he tensed as you whispered against his skin.
“You mean like now?” He giggled “Because I’m more than up to it”
“I meant more like a date after the ride ends?” You said unsurely, shyly checking for his reaction.
“I’m more than up to it as well” He smiled, brushing his nose on yours “Not that we need to do only one of those things…” He said suggestively making you chuckle “I kinda want to take advantage of how sweet your lips taste right now… If you’re up to it” He cleared his throat.
“I’m more than up to it” You grinned, pecking his lips.
#skz fanfic#skz scenarios#skz imagines#skz x reader#stray kids fanfic#stray kids scenarios#stray kids imagines#stray kids x reader#hwang hyunjin fanfic#hwang hyunjin x reader#hwang hyunjin scenarios#hwang hyunjin imagines#hwang hyunjin fluff#skz fluff#stray kids fluff#hyunjin fluff#hyunjin fanfic#hyunjin x reader#hyunjin imagines#hyunjin scenarios
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hello!! i loved how you wrote osamu and i was wondering if it'd be okay to request atsumu for 'how he shows you affection'? thank you so much <3
Of course you can! Honestly it seems fitting my first two requests were for the Miya twins! I even had it mostly written already because I was half writing this one as I wrote Osamu’s just to ensure they were different! 😊💖
How He Shows You Affection: Miya Atsumu
Timeskip/Manga Spoilers
Warnings: very, very slight implied NSFW (so minor you might not even notice honestly)
How He Shows You Affection Masterlist - Character Masterlist
He Tugs/Ruffles Your Hair
You jerked in surprise at the sudden tug on a lock of your hair, not hard enough to be painful, but enough to catch your attention, pulling your attention away from your laptop and your current project. You glanced up to see your boyfriend Miya Atsumu peering at you from across the table an amused smile on his face and a playful light in his eyes.
“What’s got ya thinkin’ so hard there?” he asked teasingly, his cheek in his palm and elbow braced on the table as he watched you a fond light in his eyes, “Ya almost look like steam is about ta come outta yer ears.”
“Just something I need to get done for work,” you admitted with a sigh, unable to help the slight frown on your face as your mind went over everything you’d need to get done, though you were abruptly pulled out of that as he gently tugged your hair again, diverting your attention back to him.
“Looks like it’s stressin’ ya out,” he pointed out, twirling the strand he still held between his fingers. It was a habit of his to play with whatever he was holding in his hands, and your hair happened to be a frequent victim of this behavior. He didn’t seem to be able to resist, whenever he was in the vicinity he had to be touching your hair.
Osamu had once sarcastically told you it was because his brother had never quite gotten over pulling the pigtails of the girls he liked. It had made you laugh at the time, even as it provoked another fight between the twins about who was supposedly more mature.
Still you thought there might’ve actually been some truth in it, because you’d slowly realized he never actually did it to anyone but you. Playfully tugging it or messing with it, and laughing if you pouted or scolded him. Both of you knew you couldn’t stay mad at him for it, especially when he almost always follows it up with a loud smacking kiss to your forehead or cheek.
Admittedly he pulled Osamu’s hair too, but considering he was trying to yank it out by the roots you didn’t think that counted, though there had been some unfortunate painful incidents on your end as well. Luckily long practice meant he no longer had any accidents involving tugging or tangling it up into knots, and you no longer jolted when he did it and inadvertently yanked it painfully in the process.
Another gentle tug pulled you out of your thoughts, and refocused your attention on your boyfriend who was pouting slightly at you, though you knew if you pointed it out he’d deny it vehemently. He was a grown man after all and he definitely didn’t pout like a child.
“Yeah Tsumu?” you asked, unable to help the swell of affection as you looked at him.
“Ya were spacin’ out on me,” he informed you, clear concern in his eyes, “This thing a yers is really doin’ a number on ya.”
“Yeah,” you admitted with a wry smile, “just a bit.”
“Thought so,” he told you with a self-important nod, “Somethin’ had ta be weighin’ on ya fer ya to not notice this handsome face right in front of ya.”
“Uh-huh sure,” you told him unable to keep the amusement from your voice despite the intended sarcasm of the words, something he clearly noted if the pleased spark in his eyes was any indication.
“How long have ya been workin’ on it anyway?” he asked deftly changing the subject.
“A few hours maybe?” you told him glancing hesitantly at your phone trying to remember when you’d started, “a while anyway.”
“Then why don’t ya take a break fer a bit, come out an’ we can go bug Samu at his restaurant for a bit together huh?” he proposed with a devious grin.
“You really should leave your brother alone,” you told him unable to help your amusement.
“Nah, Samu’s used to it, besides as the older brother it’s my job to check in on him regularly,” he assured you faux piously, then wheedled, “Come on princess it’ll be fun.”
“Fine,” you agreed with a sigh, “You’re right I could use a break.”
“That’s the spirit!” he encouraged, bounding out of his seat and ruffling his hand through your hair before heading for the door, “Let’s get going then!”
You heaved a sigh, a helpless smile on your lips as you stood, attempting to straighten your hair as you went. He really was too much sometimes.
He’s Always Touching You
“Tsumu you’re making this kind of difficult you know,” you told your boyfriend unable to keep the amusement from your voice as you attempted to stir the vegetables in the frying pan to keep them from burning, a feat made rather difficult by the fact that Atsumu was wrapped around you from behind, his strong arms around your waist, his chest pressed to your back and his chin hooked over your shoulder.
“It don’t seem to bother ya too much,” he informed you a slightly smug lilt to his tone as he nuzzled his face into the side of your neck affectionately, pressing a chaste kiss to the sensitive skin right behind your ear.
“That’s because I’ve gotten used to it,” you told him dryly, which was true enough. Throughout your relationship Atsumu had always been pretty physical with you, an arm slung around your shoulders, or secured around your waist, his hand in yours, fingers twined together, a hand on your shoulder or thigh, it didn’t matter when or where he always found some way to be in physical contact with you whenever the two of you were in the same vicinity.
It honestly was a little embarrassing at times, especially since he had absolutely no qualms about doing it in public. You’d gotten the stink eye more than once from some of the more conservative people around. Osamu and Suna had actually complained fairly frequently that he was being overbearing and annoying about it, but Atsumu had quickly shut them down by claiming they were just jealous anyway, which had earned him a tussle with his twin and a disdainful look from Suna.
Still, your boyfriend was nothing if not stubborn, and he absolutely refused to stop unless you specifically told him to, and frankly you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, not when he’d looked so hurt the one time you’d shrugged him off after a particularly nasty look from an elderly woman had made you feel incredibly self-conscious. Between his feelings and the rest of the world’s delicate sensibilities, you’d chose to save his feelings every time, and had never shrugged him off again. Besides you liked having him close to you, it was comforting, and it made your heart flutter with happiness.
“It’s not like yer discouragin’ me here,” he teased as he accepted the small bite of food you offered to him over your shoulder with the chopsticks you’d been using to stir humming in appreciation at the taste.
You hummed in acknowledgment unable to keep the fond smile from your face. It was true enough. When it came to Atsumu you really couldn’t get enough.
“Off for a second,” you urged gently, pulling your meal from the stove, and shutting things off, so you could go to the table, which your boyfriend had graciously set for the two of you before he’d come over and attached himself to your back like a limpet.
He huffed and released you for all of the second it took for you to turn around before attaching to your back again, rubbing his face against yours affectionately in a way that reminded you of a cat, and made you giggle. You should’ve been annoyed that you were forced to waddle all the way to the table, with him clinging to you the whole way, but you honestly found it pretty cute. Despite what others, and especially Osamu, would say your boyfriend really did have his cute moments.
“You’re going to have to let go if we’re going to sit down and eat,” you pointed out reasonably once you’d reached the table and set your burden down, though the words were contradictory to your actions as you wrapped your own arms over top the ones he had around your waist and leaned back into him, resting against him and enjoying his closeness.
“What if I don’t wanna?” he asked teasingly, gently squeezing the arms wrapped around your waist, his chin resting on your head as he slowly rocked you back and forth in place.
“Come on Tsumu we have to eat,” you urged with a laugh, “Especially after I made such a nice dinner for us. Can’t let it go to waste you know?”
He agreed with a quiet grumble, and the two of you sat down to eat your dinner, though it didn’t stop him from tangling his legs together with yours under the table, making you smile once more about how cute he was.
He Makes Time for You
“Are you sure this is okay?” you asked your boyfriend, not for the first time, and definitely not for the last.
“Course m’sure princess,” Atsumu told you gently tugging on a strand of your hair, his eyes soft and affectionate, surprisingly patient in the face of your concern.
“But you have that big game coming up,” you worried peering up at him with anxious eyes, “And I know the team’s been having a lot of extra practices. I don’t want to get in the way.”
“It’s our anniversary,” he pointed out, tucking the strand of hair he’d been pulling at behind your ear affectionately, “The team can manage without me fer just one evenin’ so I can take you out to dinner.”
“But…!” you tried again.
“Ah-ah,” he told you placing a firm finger over your lips to silence your protests, “We’re spendin’ the night together and that’s final. Besides we hardly need the practice, we’re gonna kick their asses again this year jus’ like we did last year so ya can stop yer fussin’ about it, otherwise I’m gonna think yer doubtin’ my capabilities.”
You heaved a sigh in response, but decided to give in to him, just this once. He was right after all, it was just one evening, and if you thought about it, he really could probably use a break for a little bit, especially since you knew how very hard he worked. Still when you’d started dating him you’d vowed not to be like the others that had come before you and get in the way of his job.
You knew he loved volleyball, more than pretty much anything, and you admired that about him. His passion, his drive, and the way his face lit up whenever he walked out on to the court, they were all things you loved about him and you’d never want to change them about him. You’d long accepted that you’d have to share his heart with the sport he loved at the very least, and were honestly just grateful that he’d decided to give you equal space, especially considering just how very much he loved it.
“Alright,” you agreed at last. Honestly, you’d been more than willing to put off celebrating your anniversary until after this big game, but you couldn’t deny you found it extremely touching that he was so insistent about celebrating on the day, even more when you realized he’d clearly talked to his team about it in advance to make sure that he could, “If you’re sure.”
“M’sure,” he told you firmly, cupping your cheek in his palm, “We’re gonna go out tonight, have a nice dinner together at that restaurant you like, maybe have some wine, maybe do some dancin’ come home and do another kind of dancin’ and have a good time together to celebrate proper, because yer worth it alright? You and our relationship are worth the time to celebrate the right way, so wait for me okay? I’ll be home at four, and our reservation is at five, dress nice.”
“Okay,” you agreed, unable to keep the smile off your face at the way he described, what sounded to you like a rather wonderful evening, practically beaming at him, your smile so wide it was hurting your cheeks a bit.
“Good,” he told you with a firm nod, “See ya later then princess.”
He bent down, and you eagerly met him half way planting his ritual goodbye kiss on his lips before letting him walk out the door, his volleyball bag casually slung over his shoulder.
“I love you,” you told him sincerely leaning against the doorframe as you watched him leave feeling giddy and completely and utterly infatuated.
“Love ya too princess,” he returned over his shoulder, giving you one last affectionate smile before leaving for the day.
When the door closed you couldn’t help letting out a slightly love-sick sigh that you knew he would’ve teased you mercilessly for if he’d heard it. Really all this time, and he still somehow managed to do things that made your heart flutter and your knees feel weak. It was honestly a little ridiculous, but you couldn’t help it. There just wasn’t anything better than being in love with Miya Atsumu.
#miya atsumu#miya atsumu x reader#miya atsumu x y/n#miya atsumu x you#haikyuu!!#haikyu imagines#haikyū!!#haikyu fluff#atsumu x you#atsumu x reader#atsumu fluff#atsumu x female reader#atsumu headcanons#atsumu#atsumu imagines#JayeRayWrites
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Who Are You Talking To | C.E
Summary: Reader is fed up with Chris not spending time with her on her week-long break.
Pairing: Chris Evans x Black!Reader
Word Count: 1.8k
Warning(s): None!
A/N: I accidentally shared this through my personal account! I apologize for any confusion if I tagged you the first time!
Chris was ecstatic when I informed him of the dates for my Fall Break.
He planned out everything we would do together. From planting a blanket in the middle of a park for a lovely picnic to strolling through farms for a pumpkin to carve and sit on our porch. He did all of that.
Yet he’s one strike away from me slapping the shit out of him. He’s been blowing me off every second and I’m due to return for work in two days. We hadn’t done any of what he promised we would accomplish together weeks ago. Instead, he handled work business downstairs for the first part of the day and followed that up with indulging in his own hobbies. I wasn’t a part of any of it.
To add on to it, his Zoom sessions weren’t successful and that prompted him to radiate negativity. Dinner time consisted of him giving me short answers or grunts and through it all, I remained optimistic. I figured being positive and not calling him out on his behavior right then would flip a switch in him to acknowledge how he was acting towards me but nothing happened.
My feet connected with the cold wooden flooring, goosebumps rising on the parts of my body that were exposed because of the tank top and pajama shorts I wore. The clock read 11:54 p.m. I’m praying Chris let Dodger out for the last time this evening.
The volume of the television in the living room increased the closer I dragged my feet to where I presumed he would be resting. Turning the corner, Dodger was the first one I spotted as he slept soundly on his stuffed animal right by the entrance to the room. Chris, on the other hand, watched CNN on blast as if he was an old man struggling to hear; his arms were folded across his chest while he laid on his side and blankly stared at the bright screen.
I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of my week spent at home. “Chris.” I called in a firm voice that was loud enough for Dodger to only blink his eyes open and instantly travel back to Dreamland.
My boyfriend only shifted his gaze to look at me. “Hm?”
“Did you let Dodge out one last time?”
“Mm-mm.”
Breathe Y/N, breathe. I let out a soft sigh as I bent down to gently shake the canine awake. “Dodger, honey. Let’s go outside.” I knew from Chris’ response he wouldn’t be letting our dog out anytime soon. The man would probably drag himself down the hall to bed as the sun rose for a new day.
Dodger simply obeyed my soft command by standing and putting on a show of dramatically stretching. As we made our way towards the back door right behind my miserable boyfriend, I made sure to cut my brown eyes at his lounging figure and hoped he could feel my glare.
Once again, my skin tingled as the cool night air caressed my legs and arms. To keep myself warm, I folded my limbs across my chest, rocking on the balls of my feet. My eyes managed to follow Dodger’s sniffing silhouette in the darkness but as soon as he began the squat for a number two, I looked away.
By now, Chris had shut off the loud tv. Finally.
“I thought you said we would be hanging out for my Fall Break?” I questioned with my back facing him as I kept my eyes on the dog.
“What?”
“I thought you wanted to hang out with me for my break. Week-long, might I add.”
“We are.”
“No we’re not, Chris. And you know it.” I sighed as I moved to slide the door closed but ceased my movement to leave an opening for Dodger in case he finished early. With my hands on my hips, I rotated around to stare down Chris. “You’ve spent every single day downstairs taking care of business with A Starting Point and work, which I have no problem with. It’s what you do afterwards that bothers me. Barely talking to me or not at all and then you sit down here to do whatever. I was trying to be positive and give you your space but now—”
“But now your little feelings are hurt, right?” he snapped. “You’re hurt because I can’t devote 100% of my attention to you on your little break? News flash: everything isn’t about you, Y/N. So, stop your whining and actually think about what I’m going through.”
This would’ve shattered a younger version of myself. But after years of reflection, I realized I was always given the opportunity to fight back instead of wallowing in my tears.
First, I glanced to my left. Then to my right. No sign of life. I grimaced at my boyfriend. “You must not be talking to me.” I indicated with a point towards my chest. “You must be talking to this goddamn wall.” I sassed, jabbing my thumb to the wall behind me.
Suddenly, for the first time in the year Chris and I have been together, his eyes were size of saucers as it dawned on him what he’d done. And how I responded.
Tonight, was his first time taking his anger out on me. Yes, we’ve had our arguments, but those moments were different. This happened to be the time where the world was against Chris and rather than rely on me to comfort him (as I usually would), he was victimizing himself. He probably expected my body to rack with sobs at the harshness of his words, but I was through with that shit tonight.
“Since you wanna pull a Karen on me, your ass can sleep on the couch tonight.” I punished him. In that moment, I felt the softness brushing against my legs. Dodger was finally in. I pulled the door closed all the way this time and locked it. “Come on Dodger, your dad is being an asshat. You can sleep with me.”
Chris was frozen in his spot as the both of us moved past him. I made sure to give him a little bump on the way with my shoulder.
While waiting for Dodger to grasp his animal in his mouth, I observed him throw Chris a quick glance as if telling him that he fucked up. Funnily enough, our dog was the first to exit the scene and hold his head high as he trekked to the bedroom.
“I’m locking that fucking door tonight. Don’t even try it. You made your bed, now lay in it.” I dictated.
~*~
Surprisingly, I slept like a baby. Maybe it’s because I finally said something to Chris about his behavior lately. The previous nights, he would slumber away while I laid awake wondering if we would even spend time together before I headed back to work. Calling him out felt right.
I took care of my morning routine before unlocking the bedroom door and calling for Dodger to wake up. What I didn’t expect on the other side was the tray we roll out for sick days to be standing in front of the door.
Dodger was planning on being difficult as he hadn’t moved from his spot. This gave me ample time to study the tray with a covered meal placed on top and a horizontally folded card with my name scribbled on it.
“You were right last night. I have been distant throughout your break and I’m sorry for ruining the plans I promised. It’s a short amount of time left with you but we’re going to get started early. Eat the breakfast I made for you and then freshen up by putting on your favorite dress. Meet me at the car by 11.”
I chuckled at the message but decided to follow his set of instructions, nonetheless.
~*~
As promised, Chris drove us to the pumpkin patch further away from where we lived for more privacy and intimate time together. We spent the whole ride discussing last night’s events and catching up on the conversations we were meant to have throughout my week in our house. When he parked the car, he suggested we snap as many couple selfies but made sure to emphasize the idea of him taking pictures of me.
“They’re for my phone.” He lied through his teeth as I raised a brow at his idea.
The truth: Chris yearned to share pictures of me on his Instagram. At least half of his feed consisted of me, Dodger, or nature and rarely ever himself. I worried he would lose followers for never updating them on how he was doing but he dismissed my worries with a kiss to my forehead and a, “It’ll be fine, who cares?”
For a while, we explored the farm with our hands linked and eyes moving about at the pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. It wasn’t until we’d reach the halfway point did I realize we didn’t have an exact clue as to which type of pumpkin we were searching for.
“I was thinking one of those big, tall pumpkins.” Chris answered after I asked him what our goal was.
“The ones that look like an orange squash?”
“Yeah.”
“Why…?”
“I don’t know, I’ve always wanted one.” He shrugged. His face held a gentle look of content.
“Well, if a squash-lookin’ pumpkin is what my big baby wants, then a squash-lookin’ pumpkin is what he shall get.”
Chris released my hand to wrap it around my waist and pull me closer to him. I felt my cheeks heat up as he placed a kiss to the crown of my head. After all this time together, he still managed to have me acting like a schoolgirl that somehow caught the attention of her longtime crush.
“Thank you baby.” He answered. “I know I already said this twice; through the note and in the car. But, I’m truly sorry for how I acted last night and the days before that. I was stupid in bottling everything up and not confiding in you like I normally do. Doesn’t justify any of what I said last night but I figured you had a lot on your plate and didn’t want to bother you with my own.”
I paused my walking to glance up at him with what I hoped was love in my eyes. “Chris, you could never bother me. As a couple, we talk to each other. Even if we’ve got problems of our own at the same time? I want you to come to me and I come to you so we can figure things out.” I stood on my toes to press a kiss to the underside of his jaw due to his towering figure. “I love you and accept your apology.
“I love you too.”
“You better. Because my ass wouldn’t be helping you find that ugly pumpkin to make you happy.”
“Hey!” he pouted before I shut him up with a kiss.
Taglist: @chaneajoyyy @daddyslittlecaptain @tantricevans @liquorlaughslove @nina-skyee @pinkgirlinablueworld @norababora @bakarilennox @rubyy98
#chris evans#chris evans one shot#chris evans x reader#chris evans x black reader#chris evans x woc reader#chris evans x you#chris evans x y/n#chris evans x female reader
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Creampie - Richard x F!Reader (18+)
Maybe it was because your day was filled with arguing with other operatives, or maybe it was because said operative had “accidentally” failed to mention a guard was headed your way, leading you to getting caught and chased out of Albion's territory, followed by a hail of bullets. Of course you went back to the safehouse, ranting and raving the whole way there, and your tangent didn't stop until your voice was hoarse and Wrench was physically pulling you away. The whole team had a little meeting after that, firm instructions being put into place that no lives were to be risked regardless of feelings. The operatives who had been in DedSec the longest had expressed their disappointment and disgust with the behavior, remarking that this should've been common sense. Hell, you agreed with them. But it didn't change the fact that your mission was neglected by your supposed teammate and that your left arm had a little graze on it.
Wrench had fixed you up before the meeting, and had even been kind enough to listen to your continued rant, nodding his head and offering his own piece of mind. There was no surprise when he also expressed his feelings, but he assured you that the operative would get what was coming to him. You didn't know if he meant by karma, or by Richard finally blowing a fuse and letting that inner fire shine through. Whatever the case was, you gave him your word that you wouldn't outright sabotage a mission in retaliation, even if the thought had been present in your mind.
You didn't spend a second more than you needed to in that safehouse. The others had wished you well when you passed them, and some had even promised you would be paired up with a more competent teammate next time. You knew they were telling the truth. Safety had alwaysbeen priority number 1 when it came to DedSec, whether it be another operative, or civilian lives. Still, you couldn't look past your rage and you had just scoffed at them. You would apologize for your behavior later, everyone knew that, even you. This wasn't the first time an operative had been put in danger from a careless act, and honestly, you had taken it better than some would've.
The tube was almost empty when you got on, save for the few people speckled throughout the seats. You sat with your thoughts, blood still boiling as you sent Richard a text, telling him you would be home earlier than anticipated. No, this wasn't the first time your life had been put at risk, and you were sure it wasn't the last. It was, however, the first time someone had deliberately targeted you. The promise of watching over your mission to “make amends” had been nothing but pretty words, but you hadn't thought much of it because everything had gone smoothly in the beginning. You were told the positions of the guards and what floor the data was stored on. Bagley was the one who first hinted that you be careful, saying he wasn't picking up much monitor attention from your teammate. You should've called it off then and there, but you pushed on, confident that nothing would go wrong.
You understood now why certain operatives only allowed certain people to monitor their missions. Hell, you had seen a few brawls when you first joined, yelling and shoving escalating to violence. In the past, you had shrunk back into the open train, Nowt having stood at the entrance to make sure the scuffle never got close. Richard had told the truth back then, still locked up in the makeshift cell. “They're all a bunch of brutes. You should get used to it quickly, or take your leave.” He was the one you went to when you wanted more information on the operatives, and though he had poked fun at you in the beginning, he gave up whatever he could.
You remembered the first time Richard was released and eventually ran his own mission, having one of the more spiteful operatives monitor him. He had told you old grudges die hard, and he was put into a position similar to yours today; miscommunication and getting caught, but this time on Clan Kelley territory. He came back and that was the first, and only time he had showed a more malicious side in your presence. He kept his composure for a good portion of it. He didn't return to the safehouse screaming and looking for a fight, oh no. He had kept his cool, asked what the problem was, and then snapped when he was told it was what he deserved and how he should've been dead. You weren't aware of how well he could fight until he showed it, slamming the operative against a wall and bashing the back of his head against the cement until it bled and he had to pried off.
You wondered what Richard would say, both about your outburst and your mission being sabotaged. You were sure he was already anxiously waiting for your return. His response had seemed excited enough, and you had reread your conversation with the man in order to quell the rage. It helped, for the most part, but your leg still bounced and your muscles stayed tense, the graze on your arm still softly throbbing underneath the bandages.
The small flat you shared with Richard was decent, and you found yourself passing through the threshold bewildered. The lights had been turned low, small candles lighting the way to the bedroom. Your heart would've melted at the sight if your day hadn't been shitty, and you almost felt bad when Richard's once happy face had dropped upon seeing your tussled hair and bandaged arm.
“My dear, what happened?” He's by your side in a second, looking you over and using gentle touches. It takes a few seconds, but you finally relax into his touch, realizing that the day is finally done and you can put it behind you. Even if you're still upset about what happened.
“Had my mission messed with,” you respond, your right hand going up to his shoulder and tugging slightly, giving him the hint to bend down so your lips meet. Of course he demands the name and an explanation, and of course you give it to him. He doesn't outright say what he'll do; he never does. But, he does promise that this would be the last time anything like this ever happened again. You trusted him. Unlike some people, Richard never gave you false promises.
He peppers kisses across your face, trailing soft kisses down to your neck and pulling you close to him. He's murmuring something, telling you how glad he is that you're safe and that you came home to him. You have to admit, this attention does make you feel better, and it's not long before he's slowly dragging you back into the bedroom.
“I wanted a nice romantic night,” he tells you softly, “but now I'm concerned about the job that incompetent fool did on your arm.”
“I'm fine, honest,” You press one more lingering kiss to his lips, hands up against his chest as you walk him back until the back of his knees hit the bed and he's falling back with a soft huff. That old familiar grin sprawls across his face, his hands reaching up to grab your hips and pull you down. Your arms wrap around his neck as you straddle his lap, his kisses becoming hotter and more needy. You feel his hands snake their way under your shirt, fingertips brushing the surface of your skin as he slowly makes his way up. He helps you carefully remove the shirt, tossing it to the ground before starting on your bra. You had to admit, he had gotten better at this ever since you two had been intimate. Still, you can feel one of the clasps getting stuck on the loop, and you can only giggle softly as you wait for him, your hands gently rubbing up and down his biceps. He always dressed so nicely, his shirt devoid of any wrinkles.
By the time your bra is off and on the floor, Richard's leaning forward and paying attention to your chest, kissing down the valley of your breasts before moving to take one of your nipples into his mouth, his hand coming up to grope and massage your other breast. Your hands move to his chest, fingers fumbling with the buttons on his dress shirt, desperate to see more of him.
Even though he had spent the past years working in an office, he managed to maintain a toned body, and you enjoyed running your hands across his chest and down his abdomen. You could feel his lips curl into that familiar grin, teeth just gently biting down on your nipple and making you gasp. Sliding your hand up past his neck and through his hair, you grip at the crown and jerk his head back, dipping down so you can latch your lips onto his neck, your own teeth grazing his skin. You can feel his throat vibrate with the soft chuckle he lets out, hands giving your waist a gentle squeeze before moving to tug at the hems of your pants.
Before you know it, he's standing up and practically tossing you in the middle of the bed. He's shrugging himself out of his shirt, letting it join yours on the floor before reaching out. His fingers curl under the hems of your pants again, though he's ripping them down this time, your panties following until both are slipping off your feet and falling to the floor with a soft thump.
In the past, you might've felt self-conscious, and you might've had time to try and curl in on yourself. Richard, however, was a quick man, never giving you the chance to even make an attempt to cover yourself. He's on you in a second, pinning your wrists above your head with one hand and using his other to trail down your body and to your slick folds. He muffles your moans with a heated kiss, rubbing against your entrance. He pulls back, but only to comment about how wet you already are for him as you grind against his fingers. He always did this, drawing it out as long as he could. Didn't matter if he wanted a “romantic night” or not, he loved taking his time with you. And right now, it was enough for you to start begging early. The moment his fingers enter you, they curl and you're arching your back and moaning. His movements are quick as he towers over you, watching your every movement and every little twitch you made. How you squirmed and begged for him, he finally released your wrists and retracted his fingers, bringing them up to lick them clean. You would've reprimanded him and demanded he continue, but the words left your throat when you saw him undo his belt and soon the button and zipper. The moment he pulls the hems of his boxers down and his erection is free, he's on top of you, hooking his arm underneath one of your knees and slowly pushing himself inside.
Your hand flies to his shoulder, nails digging into his skin as he bottoms out, a high-pitched moan leaving your throat. His knuckles brush against your cheek as he leans down to press hot kisses to your throat, giving you that extra time to adjust to his size. The moment he feels you relax, he's starting up a rough pace, pulling back as much as he can before snapping his hips back inside you. He's pulling moans from you so easily, his name occasionally spilling from your lips here and there. Richard's free hand is planted beside your head, gripping the bed sheets as he pants softly. He's lowering himself, his lips right by your ear as he whispers smug comments to you. How good you're being and how well you're taking him; how he absolutely lovesyour moans and the way you're starting to scream his name when he angles his hips just right. You're bucking against him, his words spurring you on and feeling that old familiar knot coil inside you, and you're desperate for it to finally snap. Your hands move, nails raking down his back over and over, desperate to find some sort of ground.
“Oh, is my good girl so close already?” he coos, nipping at your earlobe and making you gasp.
“Please, Richard, I-” You can't even finish your sentence, his hand releasing the bed sheets and moving to your clit, his thumb rubbing harsh circles around it. You wish you could've said you lasted a while longer, maybe make him feel like he was doing a shit job, but you weren't able to. Between him abusing that sweet spot inside you and his thumb working wonders, you don't last long, seeing stars as your body tenses up and you're screaming his name. Your eyes might've been screwed shut as your walls clamped down on him, but you still knew he had that shit-eating grin on his face. He always did whenever you came for him, remarking about how he was the only one who could do this to you. You knew he was telling the truth.
He lets you ride off your high, lowering your leg and laying on top of you as his thrusts become slow and shallow. Your arms wrap around his neck, hands carding through his hair as he presses soft kisses to your temple and cheek. You notice his rhythm falter, fingers curling into the sheets once more as he finally bottoms out against you again, releasing himself inside you. He buries his face in your neck, groaning loudly. A few more thrusts and he finally pulls himself back, both of you a panting mess. A soft whimper comes from you when he pulls out, the emptiness feeling so foreign. Another kiss to your forehead and he disappears, just for a moment, to retrieve a towel from the bathroom.
“You're always so good to me,” you giggle softly, accepting his help to clean you up.
“No more than you deserve, darling,” He presses his lips against yours, lingering for a bit before he finally pulls back. Hell, you could stay like this forever, but he moves first, eyes blown wide as he trips over the clothes on the floor. “Shit, the candles!”
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Participating to the wonderful @nakunakunomi‘s event! Congratulations again for the milestone, it’s always something! But you deserve it for sure! 🥰
“i’ve been falling in love with you since the first day we met”
random word to include: skilled
I decided to pick a Zoro x Reader scenario for this one! Gender neutral is applied here, so the reader is qualified as “you”
words: 1800
( read after the cut )
Those things are never easy, he thinks, a firm hand gripping his bottle of booze with a certain strength, his only valid eye staring at the raging waves of the ocean. Another day stuck in the middle of nowhere, the tempest sending the Sunny Go far from any kind of shelter. The everlasting pitching of the boat has been hard to handle for some of the Straw Hat, and the general atmosphere has been more than tensed for a few days. They love each other so much, but it’s not always easy to compose with the various characters and behaviors onboard, especially when they have been unlucky for a week now, the tempest far from being done. If Nami remains the most skilled and capable navigator in the world, Zoro believes that her tensed features and her incapacity to drag them out of the hurricane is proof of the violence of the elements in this particular part of the world. Of course Luffy is thrilled by the adventure, and the feeling is somehow shared by everyone onboard, but all of them now wish to reach an island to have some proper rest. Even Zoro finds it hard to have a nap in these conditions, often awakened because he fell from his bed. Training also became quite impossible, and despite his best efforts to remain sociable and friendly, sometimes, his words are turning into something harsher than usual.
Of course, he didn’t mean to hurt you tonight. He thought you would understand that it was just joking, but he saw the look in your eyes - and he felt that slap from Nami. What he believed to be genuine and friendly has been nothing but a catastrophe, and now that he’s facing the ocean, gusts of wind fondling his green hair intensely, he definitely feels miserable. He doesn’t know why he always has to act so meaningly with you, it’s a sensation he can’t fully explain. Maybe it’s also increased by the fact they are all trapped here for a week, but if Zoro is honest with himself, this kind of situation has already happened in the past, and he never had talked to someone the way he did with you tonight. Another bitter sigh escapes his throat while he presses the neck of the bottle against his lips, droplets of the transparent liquid disappearing into the sea. Life is more complicated than expected since you’re among the Straw Hats, and this is something concerning. He never had difficulties accepting a new member, but when it came to you, all of his instincts yelled at him to send you away. Your presence is unbearable since day one, and it’s not the same as his squabbles with Sanji. Something profoundly different, changing a side of him he wasn’t ever aware of. Bullshit, for him… Yet the feeling wouldn’t fade.
“Don’t you think you owe me apologies?” A voice calls behind his back, resulting in Zoro tightening his fingers on the bottle of alcohol. He doesn’t manage to hide the tension within his muscles.
He hears footsteps on the wooden deck heading in his direction, louder than the wind yelling around them, while he eventually understands that you’re now by his side. He clicks his tongue impatiently, and takes another sip on his bottle.
“It was just a joke, Name, if you take it so personally, I can’t help you with that.” He answers, his voice as cold as the rain falling from the sky.
God he’s such a jerk, he knows it. But he wants you to go away and leave him alone. He believes it would be enough to hurt you and force you to abandon the idea to have a conversation with him right now. Because deep down, having a conversation could expose his deepest emotions, and he doesn’t know if he’s ready to confess whatever he’s feeling for you.
“Why are you like this?” You eventually ask, fingers clenched on the barrier of the Sunny. “Why are you always like this with me?”
The question leaves your lips before you could control it, Zoro immediately turning his head to have a look on your face. You seem miserable. Of course you don’t understand ; he doesn’t either. He wishes he had an explanation, but his mind only leads him to directions he doesn’t want to explore. He doesn’t want to feel his heartbeat increases whenever you’re around. He doesn’t want to have that wrench within his guts whenever you’re talking to someone else. You’re the one responsible of his own misery, and he doesn’t believe he should make the task easy for you.
“Because you don’t belong here.” He snaps again, his voice emphazed with the loud thunder over your heads. You shiver, shocked, but Zoro doesn’t take it back. “You should leave.”
He wants to slap himself for pronouncing those terrible words, the two of you facing each other with an intensity he has never seen before. He looks at the rain falling all over your hair, dripping on your features, probably hiding the tears running down your cheeks. Your expression is more than heartbreaking ; something between sorrow and rage, and he feels profoundly despicable at this particular moment. He anticipates a new slap, something fair he would have earned with his miserable statement, or a burst of deserved violence coming from you. He wants you to hit him, to force him to understand that he has been too far with you, but your silence is the most terrible pain he has to experience. And your eyes. He handles your stare but it pierces him like a spear.
“I have all the rights to be on this ship.” You eventually answer to his cruel words, taking a step forward, your eyes gleaming with a certain wrath. “All the rights to be a member of the crew! How can you be such a jerk? Luffy wouldn’t have recruited me if I wasn’t wanted in the first place! Everyone on the Sunny is okay with that! So why?! Why are you like this with me?”
Zoro clenches his jaw, unable to find the proper words now. He expected you to run away, because it’s the easiest answer, yet in front of your determination, he finds himself speechless. He raises his bottle back to his lips, but before he can appreciate the bitter taste of the alcohol, your hand crashes on the precious jar, throwing the more than needed liquid into the depths of the ocean. As he widens his valid eye, Zoro quickly catches your wrist.
“Oï!” He growls impatiently. “What are you doing?!”
“Answer me!” You snap, voice breaking at the end of your plea.
With the rain, you believe it’s easy for you to escape his grip, pulling on your wrist because now you want to go away. Zoro feels it. This time it’s entirely different ; this argument could be the end of everything. A part of him wishes that it would be the final answer to his own torment, but on the other side, right now, he doesn’t want to let you go. He doesn’t want to be a coward anymore. So he holds you still, fingers digging in the skin of your wrist to maintain you there. He’s probably harming you, but he has no control over his emotions at the moment.
“You’re hurting me!” You gasp, wiggling on your legs for him to stop. “Let go!”
“I’m sorry!”
His voice has been so loud that you immediately stop struggling, eyes focused on his features. He looks so different than usual… unsettled, and weak.
“I’m so sorry, I’ve been such an asshole with you…,” he mutters one more time, as he loses his grip on your wrist. You instantly pull it against your chest, massaging the hurt skin. “I have no excuse…”
You frown, forearm still plastered against your body, while you try your best to understand this sudden statement.
“I don’t… I don’t understand.”
He sighs because of course you don’t. He grips the barrier of the Sunny, and stares at you right in the eyes.
“I’m sorry, for everything, for all the words I said to you. The truth is, I’ve been falling in love with you since the first day we met.”
For once, the words came smoothly, as if the struggle he has been living for months is now finally over. There’s nothing else coming from his mouth right now, the heavy rain and the powerful wind escorting this moment with their chaotic music. Ironic, after all… Everything has been chaotic with you since day one. He notices the incomprehension in your irises, looking for a taunt, something, anything familiar. He witnesses your body tremble under the revelation, your expression shifting into something entirely different. You definitely look like a lost puppy right now, and Zoro strongly hopes that he wouldn’t have to repeat himself.
“I don’t - ”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
He doesn’t want to waste anymore time, as he takes a step forward, one hand rolled around your waist, while the other one finds its place on your nape. He pulls you against his chest, crashing his mouth on yours, because apparently, words and statements aren’t working anymore. There, lips sealed for the very first time, Zoro is able to offer you the real intensity of his own desire, until you eventually surrender to the plea. As you tilt your head, he feels your fingers coming up to disappear in his green locks, both of your bodies even more flushed than before. After a moment, he even dares to open his mouth, the tip of his tongue asking for permission, fondling your own lips with that everlasting lack of gentleness which is definitely typical when it comes to this swordsman. You indulge him, both of your tongue meeting as well, your breathing heavier than before, until you eventually have to part to seek for some fresh air.
“You… So you…” You begin to stutter, unable to escape his grip.
“Don’t you fucking say another word, you’ll ruin this.” He groans impatiently, despite the smirk plastered on his lips, before he steals another kiss, then another one, the both of you forgetting the raging elements surrounding you, unaware of the curious stares coming from the kitchen’s windows, and Nami collecting her money after they have all bet (except Luffy who doesn’t understand what’s going on) Zoro wouldn’t confess before months.
#one piece scenario#one piece imagines#roronoa zoro#zoro one piece#zoro x reader#one piece imagine#one piece writing#one piece prompt#writing prompt#cliche with Hazel#queued
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Asylum in Winter
Chapter 9: Sir
(smut)
Pairing: Bucky x Steve in this chapter. (storyline also contains Bucky x Venom and Bucky x Rumlow)
Overall Synopsis: Venom and Rumlow help Bucky escape Hydra to go find the man from the bridge. Mayhem ensues. And sex…lots of sex.
This chapter: loving, dominant Steve, Bucky’s memory loss, Bucky waking up after having his trigger words spoken, jealous Steve & Rumlow, 1.7k words
*******************
Steve’s stomach is in knots. Every time Bucky’s breathing changes he leans forward in his chair, hopeful yet terrified to see those eyes open. It’s not fear of another attack, but fear of the emptiness. Fear that nothing remains inside the body of the man he’d loved except Hydra’s killing machine. No compassion, no conscience, no heart.
Calm down, he tells himself for the hundredth time. He escaped from Hydra for a reason.
Unless, his mind whispers, that reason was Rumlow.
Bucky is laid out on a plush leather couch, towels underneath him to keep blood and dirt off the furniture. The scratches on his throat have all vanished, but there’s a suspicious row of bruises still tattooed into his skin that look like—they can’t be—hickeys.
Outside, birds wheel joyously around fir trees and sunlight reflects up from the water below. He’d had to call in a favor to get access to this lake house, but he trusts Tony Stark at least enough to stay out of this one. He may have told a slightly skewed version of the truth to get here, but for Bucky’s sake he’d do a lot worse.
Bucky’s been out cold for the last four hours, after being put down twice more by whatever that black stuff is; Rumlow refuses to tell him. The scumbag finally, finally got out of Steve’s hair to go shower a few minutes ago; he’d been hovering over Bucky like a vulture protecting its meal.
A sharp intake of breath. Steve leans in. Bucky’s eyelashes flutter, then his eyes slit open.
“Bucky,” Steve breathes.
Bucky’s face contorts as if in pain. Steve reaches out to touch his shoulder, but Bucky jerks back from him, eyes flying wide open.
***
Blue eyes. Blond hair. A voice. A name.
“Bucky,” the man murmurs, and the sound itself means nothing but the voice—that voice. A flood of longing roars through the soldier’s chest, so barbed with the edges of forgotten dreams that he’s lost in it for a second.
Only a second. Then he realizes where he’d been only a moment before, on the field of battle, and there had been a voice in his head, changing him, owning him. Everything after that is a blur like spilled paint. All he knows for certain is that Hydra had taken him back, at least for a time.
He jumps up, rolls off the furniture while reaching for his knife (it’s gone) and then his gun (also gone) while doing a quick sweep of the room. They’re alone.
His agent should be here. The soldier can think of only one reason why he isn’t.
“Did I kill him?” he blurts out, his voice cracking over the word “kill.”
“Who? Rumlow?” The man’s voice goes hard as he says the name. The soldier tries to remember if that name fits the right person.
Yes, Venom interjects. Brock Rumlow is the name of our agent. The soldier nods and the man answers, “No. He’s fine,” in a voice cold as ice.
Have to find him, the soldier thinks, but Venom responds: He is here. He and the Cap have been antagonizing each other for hours and he went to a different room. Finally, it adds in a grumble.
The cap? the soldier repeats, confused all over again. But the blond man has stood up and is walking toward him, one hand slightly lifted as if to touch him. The soldier backs up warily. His mission is complete, it seems; he’s found the man from the bridge, but nothing is any clearer. The pictures in his head are just as elusive and disjointed as ever.
“Hey, easy, Buck. D’you remember me at all?”
The soldier shakes his head. One backward step after another. “I don’t know you.”
But I knew him.
He draws in a hiss of breath.
He is here, inside of your mind, Venom affirms. You know him.
“No,” the soldier says out loud. His heel hits the edge of the wall, forcing him to stop his retreat. He should raise his arms. Protect himself. But he’s utterly still as the man’s hand closes the gap between them and lightly brushes against his jaw. The man’s face shows no aggression. His eyes are soft—and, the soldier realizes with a strange, giddy swirl, full of tears.
“You know me. You do,” he insists when the soldier shakes his head. “That’s why you left Hydra, isn’t it?”
That, the soldier can’t answer. Because it’s true, he had left Hydra to find this man, but now that he’s got him, the soldier doesn’t know what to do about it. He hadn’t planned beyond the search. There is no plan beyond any search, except to eliminate the target.
Everything has changed.
“My name’s Steve. Remember? You used to call me Stevie.”
He shakes his head again. The man’s fingers have traced behind his ear now and it makes the skin tingle all the way down his neck on that side.
“And your name is Bucky Barnes, and you know me.”
“No, I don’t!” The soldier shoves the other man with both hands, sending him skidding back six feet. Venom whirls through him, forcing calm into limbs which feel electrified with adrenaline. He’s shaking all over. “That’s not my name. I don’t know you.”
He is our mission. We came to find him.
“Shut up,” the soldier hisses between his teeth. He feels weightless, like he’s stepped out onto a tightrope and it’s fallen suddenly out from underneath him. Like he’s falling and falling and he doesn’t know what’s down below. He takes no defensive measures as the man closes back in on him. Line of heat across the front of his body, heavy weight pushing him back against the wall. The man is breathing as heavily as he is, though there’s no reason for it. He isn’t afraid, isn’t angry—not exactly—nothing about his behavior makes sense.
His knee wedges between the soldier’s legs. The soldier knows he should move, should block that leg and make space between them, but there’s this scent, along with the weight and the position. It smells like crawling under barbed wire and drinking arm in arm at night. It smells like being held, and being held down, but not in the ways he’s known with Hydra.
Something deep and old inside his chest rips open and comes out of his mouth in a strange, whimpering moan.
“Tell me you don’t remember this,” the man growls in his ear, then his thick thigh rises between the soldier’s legs, a kick against his instep lifts one of his feet off the ground and a hand on his ass guides his hips so he’s riding that thigh, cock grinding against the junction of the man’s thigh and hip. Another hand on his throat; the grip is firm, bordering on cruel. The man takes nearly all of the soldier's weight onto his thigh and moves the hand from his ass to fist in his hair and jerk his head back. Another whimper wrenches out of him as the man’s mouth crashes down onto his, not to kiss but to bite, painful and wet, pulling his lip away from his teeth. He grabs wildly at the man’s shoulders, starts to twist away but he can’t make himself do it; that grinding leg has him pushing right back like a dog humping its master and something about that…about all of this…
The man’s tongue dives into his mouth and any coherent ideas fly from his mind. There is nothing but sensation. Head forced into a sideways bend to open him for the man’s ravaging mouth. Fingertips and thumb clamped around his throat, making his head light. Fist pulling his hair back, controlling him. Five o’clock shadow scraping his lips raw, the man’s heavy, insistent weight, that scent which is everything he never knew, never thought he needed to know and it’s all so much, it’s cresting, it’s crashing over him—
“Aaah!! Aaaaaahhh!!!”
The man eats the screams out of his mouth as the orgasm takes his whole body in a hurricane blast. He ruts helplessly into the man’s thigh, grinding out every last shudder.
“There’s my boy,” the man grunts, face rooting into the hair behind his ear and thick body pushing him even harder into the wall, panting like he’s just run for miles. The soldier feels the man’s huge, hard cock pressed up against him through their pants. He’s locked into that eternal moment between one breath and another when the man’s voice, rough with hunger, growls against his neck:
“Sir is very happy with you.”
The soldier’s next breath doesn’t come. His eyes fly wide open. Venom, swimming drunkenly inside him on the waves of their orgasm, freezes as well and it’s as though they’ve become no more animated than a photograph. A snapshot in time. Something like warm sleet, if there were such a thing, rains through the soldier’s body from head to toes and turns his legs to water. He can’t hold himself up and the man doesn’t try to help him do it, either; the man controls his fall, putting him on his knees, and this is RIGHT. He BELONGS here. It’s better than a memory; his entire being knows this. He looks up into a face that’s flushed and panting. The man’s eyes have turned wild and dark: an endless ocean filled with starving predators. His rigid, clothed cock is just inches from the soldier’s mouth. The man cradles his face in both hands to gaze down at him, one angled to cup his throat in a gentle reminder of a crueler grip, and the soldier reaches up to hold the backs of the man’s hands with a reverence that shivers down to his very core. The smell of him, his touch, his voice, what he’d said—
Sir. The title dances just behind his tongue.
He doesn’t know what will happen if he says it out loud, only that it will be different than any other time he’s said it; to this man, to the two of them, it means something different.
And I KNOW him.
The soldier’s mouth opens.
Click-clack of metal against metal. The soldier reacts instinctively, twisting into a crouch, ready to spring in any direction as he and the man both swivel toward the sound.
His agent stands there, gun pointed at the man (at Steve) in a two handed grip. He’s shirtless, belt off and his hair dripping wet.
“Back the fuck up, Cap. NOW.”
******************
The rest of the story here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31950409/chapters/79128799
#stucky#bucky x steve#bucky barnes x steve rogers#dom/sub#dominant!steve Rogers#dom steve#sub bucky barnes#nff
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She’s Optimistic (Not Me) Ch.3
This is a Corpse Husband fic. Chapter Three actually. If you missed chapter one or two, don’t fret. I’ll leave the links below :) Feel free to comment, share, and send me questions. I love hearing from you all.
Genre: Slowburn, friends to lovers, angst, pining
TW: abuse, mental and health complications
Chapter One
Chapter Two
The room was dark and cold as Corpse stepped aside for her. She walked in, albeit slowly at first as she glanced around the gloomy apartment. The lights were off and with the exception of the moon, the only light present was being poured in through the crack in the front door. Nevertheless, Alice carried on inside, noting how nice his furniture looked and how much bigger his apartment space was from her own.
“H-how many rooms?” She questioned, her mouth agape as she looked down Corpse’s narrow hallway.
“Just four.” He responded curtly. Corpse knew it was odd that amongst all the studio and two bedroom apartments in this complex, he was only renter with four bedrooms on a top floor. He wasn’t blind to how suspicious it made him, he just didn’t care.
But it was obvious Alice did.
“Do you have roomates? Or a dog or something.” She mused whipping her head around before focusing in on Corpse. “This place is wild.”
In his husky voice, drained of all emotion, he nodded back. “I live alone… I like it that way.”
Alice sighed, long and winded at his response. She was quite sure he wasn’t as hollow and void of personality as he wanted to come off. She didn’t know how exactly, but she was going to crack his shell, maybe even pry it off him. If it meant she could learn more about her hidden away neighbor who lived in the mysteriously nice apartment.
Corpse moved to close the door behind them before guiding Alice to his living room. It was nothing special. Just a long black couch, a book shelf adjacent, and a nice tv mounted on the wall. But once again, Alice was entranced in the wonder of it all. Corpse noticed how wide her eyes were, how interested she seemed to be in his little world. When was the last time he had company over? Fuck. He didn’t know and frankly he didn’t care to remember. He was stuck in this moment, feeling himself being drawn towards her.
“So,” he brightened. “Do you usually invite yourself into people’s apartments?” He phrased it as a lighthearted question, but he genuinely wanted to know. He hoped the answer would be no, that she chose him because she thought he was interesting and different, and not because this is simply how she makes friends.
“Not particularly.”
Corpse smiled at that and Alice noticed, throwing herself against the slender couch.
“How do you do that?” She asked; face soft and understanding.
“Do what?” Corpse frowned.
“Act so cold and alone.” She sighed. “And then smile like that... I want to know how you do it?”
“Fuck.” Corpse dragged out sitting opposite of her on the couch. “You’re really trying to call me out, huh?”
“No!” Alice laughed. It was a bright and soft sound. Corpse felt himself grow elated because of it. “I just noticed it.”
“Well Alice, I don’t know.” He smiled more. Corpse was never the type of person to open up or let go. He never had deep conversations with strangers or even friends. He didn’t want to be a loner, but the truth is… he didnt have a choice. His walls towered miles above the average person’s. His thoughts, every thought, repeated itself over and over and over again, crashing inside his head.
But even so, for whatever reason, Corpse felt… comfortable around Alice. He didn’t particularly understand why or how, but he knew that in this moment, she could ask him anything and he wouldn’t have the willpower to turn her down.
He must’ve been staring because Alice had stopped laughing and instead was zeroing in on the rips on Corpse’s thigh; her face red and hot. She moved to brush a streak of silver hair behind her ear, when the faintest of lights beamed on a sliver of skin, just below her chin.
It was dark and neither of the two were entirely of sound mind, but even in the quiet buzz of it all, Corpse could make out faded marks stretched against Alice’s neck. Without hesitation, he straightened his posture and demanded.
“How’d you get those?”
Well, Alice was focused now.
“Get what?”
“The marks on your throat,” he scoffed. He didn’t want to come off rude or even bothered, but by the tone of his voice, how it deepend and cut through the thick air between them, it was obvious the lighthearted conversation they had earlier had dissipated.
Alice tried laughing it off.
“Sex,” she whispered.
Oh fuck, duh, He thought. Makes sense.
“Oh-”
A wave of embarrassment rushed over Corpse. It had been a while since he got laid sure, but… to forget about… that. Yeah, he felt out of touch.
“I’m joking!” She half yelled, hesitantly scooting closer to him. “It’s a long story, but sorry for freaking you out.” The blush on her neck had blossomed onto her collarbones, making her skin look more blushed than tan. Corpse felt his mouth go dry.
“It’s fine,” he replied.
Alice lowered her voice again, eyes sparkling and locked on Corpse.
“Stop worrying….”
Jest was laced throughout her words as her eyes darted from Corpse’s to his snakebites and back to the bushy mess of hair that shaded his eyes. She mockingly lifted her hand up to him; her slender fingers curved and aimed at him.
“It’s not like I’m gonna choke you”
Fuck me... This chick is crazy.
There was no question how Corpse would respond to Alice’s bold and frankly questionable behavior. Energy matched Energy.
“Go ahead,” he teased, lowering his voice for effect. “It’s not like you would actually fucking dare.”
Alice froze and Corpse mentally patted himself on the back for getting such a strong reaction from her. His tongue darted from his lips and toyed with one of his snakebites before he leaned forward, his eyes piercing the stunned woman before him. He was putting his throat on display, showing off his pronounced collarbones that peeked from his loose shirt. The pale light illuminated the red on his lips and the tan of his neck. If she wanted a show, he was going to make it clear that she was the entertainment, not him.
Her hand hadn’t moved since he prompted her to choke him. Alice had turned into a mess of heavy breathing and hesitant glances. Every time she dared to stare back, her chest would tighten and the butterflies in her stomach would dance violently against her ribs. She was shyer than she let on.
Alice stuttered out a breathy “I… I would dare,” before slowly unstiffening her fingers. She wanted to dare to be bold and courageous and reach for the dark stranger’s throat, but her arms felt like jelly and as she got closer to Corpse, she felt her wrist go lower and lower and lower.
But before her hand could fall flaccid against her lap, she felt a firm grasp on her shaking wrist.
Corpse.
Holy mother of god, she panted internally. Five gentle fingers wrapped delicately around her wrist, cold and stern. Her hand was shaking but she hoped her heart wouldn’t give out as she glanced down to see the fingers wrapped firmly against her skin. His hands were hard with broad fingers, but his grasp was gentle, his thumb brushing comfortingly against her hot skin. Or maybe it was his touch that burned.
Beautiful veins threaded themselves underneath the warmth of his skin and as she locked eyes with the man just inches away, silver streaks of hair untangled themself from behind her ear.
Alice felt like puddy in Corpse’s touch. His hands were cold and rough like the ones she was used to, but his touch… Corpse’s touch was gentle, soft, almost excruciatingly perfect as he pulled her closer, his lips parting to form a cocking half smile.
Almost as if this were her first time being this close to anyone, Corpse firmly guided her hand to his throat, eyes as unbothered and stoic as ever.
“There, you go.” He whispered, letting out a low hum of satisfaction. He positioned each slender finger around the base of his throat, running the the tip of Alice’s shaky pointer finger along his adam's apple before flattening her palm around the base of his neck. He hummed letting the vibration course through her already shaking hand.
Alice’s eyes widened, but she didn’t dare move. It felt dangerous, exciting even. She opened her mouth to speak, but once again, Corpse cut her off, lowering his face to hers and smirking as the cool skin of his lips brushed lightly against the hot tip of her right ear.
The lights outside dimmed and Alice felt her eyes flutter shut as Corpse lowly hummed into her ear, hand still unsurely resting against his throat as he teasingly muttered. The room was dead quiet with the exception of the dull thud of Alice’s heartbeat and the unmistakably deep and sultry words…
“Very good.”
#corpse#corpse hands#corpse flower#corpse husband#corpse husband fanfic#corpse husband fanart#corpse husband fanfiction#corpse husband hands#amongst us#fanfiction#corpse fanfic#corpse fanfiction#corpse fanart#flowersandcorpse
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Reunion, chapter three | Commander Wolffe x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 2.4k
Chapter Warnings: None that I can think of. Just pure, unadulterated fluff.
"So, what do you think?" You ask Wolffe as you re-enter the bedroom, showing off your new outfit for the evening.
You purposely chose something that would drive him mad, and you hope that he'll provide you with the reaction that you're looking for. The ensemble is one of your favorites, a little black dress partnered with stilettos and a matching clutch. You may be a little over-dressed for the night, but this is the first time that he'll see you dolled up like this and you want him to fall head over heels.
Your eyes are on the soft carpet as you walk in, so you miss the way his jaw drops, "Wolffe?" You ask again, finally lifting your gaze to meet his.
His heart has been hammering in his chest ever since you agreed to go out with him tonight. He knows that his men will be on their best behavior around you, but he's still nervous about what you'll think of them. His men can be playful, to say the least, and when they're introduced to a new target...well. He shakes his head of the thought as he hears you call out, listening to the gentle clicks of your heels as you wander back into the bedroom.
When you finally re-enter, he instantly notices the way your curves are wrapped in soft black silk. Your waist cinched in as slit up the side of the dress threatens to reveal your thigh, your neck and collar bone are almost fully exposed; displaying some of the marks he'd left there earlier. The heels you've chosen accentuate the length of your legs, but he takes pleasure in knowing that he'll still be taller than you when he stands. Your hair falls in gentle waves, curling around your face and falling against your back, its light color a perfect contrast to the dark material.
"You," He starts, letting out a large sigh as he takes in your appearance once again, "You look amazing, cyare"
You can tell by the look in his eye that he's being genuine, and it would be a lie to say that he didn't look just as good. He wasn't able to wear anything outside of his regulation uniform, but you always love how he looks in his armor. The plates flatter the size of his muscles flawlessly, sculpting his already toned body to perfection. You feel so lucky as you look at him, acknowledging that it's only you who can see him like this, that it's only you who knows this side of him.
After a short second of mutual admiration, he stands from his seated position at the end of the bed, moving to place himself just an inch away from you. From the proximity, you can feel the heat of his breath fan across your cheeks.
"We should probably get going soon" You whisper as you meet his gaze, his cybernetic and amber eyes already staring at you with intensity.
He nods his head but makes no move to leave, instead placing his hands on your hips and resting his forehead against yours. You hum in contentment in his firm grip, but you have no illusions as to what he's trying. Especially when one of his hands begins to wander further south.
"I'm serious!" You attempt to say through your laughter, "No way did I just put in that much effort for you to ruin it straight away"
He only groans at you in response, but you can see the wicked smirk beginning to ghost his plump lips. You take a step back to avoid any further temptation, telling him that you'll call a speeder. You don’t doubt that his eyes are on your ass as you walk to the living room.
------------
The ride to the bar is shorter than you had originally anticipated, and you're now feeling your anxiety pool in your stomach. Paying the driver and stepping out carefully, you cling closely to Wolffe's arm, allowing him to guide you to the meeting spot. He said that he's taking you to one of the only places clones were openly accepted, a small bar called 79s.
"There's still time for you to back out, you know" His voice cuts through the crowded streets of coruscant as you walk on.
At that, you can't help the nervous laughter that escapes your lips, "Is it going to be that bad?" You question, hoping that he'll put your nerves at ease.
"Do you want the truth?" He says through a sigh, though you can hear the humor in his tone.
You hum and look up at him, admiring his strong profile, "I suppose so, Commander" you eventually respond, "But I'm sure that they aren't as bad you're leading me to believe"
"They're just very...lively" He begins, "they mean well but, let's just say that they enjoy causing mischief"
You look at him with your brow raised, "then I believe we'll get along just fine," you wink.
To your surprise, the bar is heaving as you arrive. You're not entirely sure why you thought that it'd be quiet, but you certainly hadn't been expecting this.
Bodies are everywhere, writhing and dancing in rhythm with the beat of the techno music. You can see the sheen of sweat covering all manners of creatures; you watch on as they make their way around the room, cradling either a drink or another person.
Gently, Wolffe guides you through the crowds of people with a protective hand at the small of your back, leading you to a more secluded area. There are tables and seats surrounding you, but before you can say anything, your thoughts are interrupted with the sound of roaring laughter.
"Commander!" Someone shouts from your right, calling over from a booth filled with troopers. The Wolfpack, you soon realize.
Wolffe takes your hand and offers a reassuring squeeze as he leads you over, being sure to keep you close.
"Sinker," he starts, nodding his head, "Boost, how long have you been here?" he questions, the tone of his voice now somewhat serious as he addresses his men.
"Relax, Commander!" Another trooper stumbles up from behind him, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder, "We're on leave! You don't need to act so grumpy now!"
At that, you can't stifle the laugh that manages to escape, and you can feel as all eyes land on you. Damn.
"And who's this then, sir?" The clone that Wolffe had called Sinker asks, "It's not the only person who's been able to thaw your ice-cold heart, is it?!"
Your cheeks flush at the comment but you step forward either way, "guilty as charged" you offer, holding out your hand awkwardly.
The men look at you with a spark in their eye, a hint of emotion that you can't yet decipher. But before you can even attempt to, the trooper that had been groping Wolffe stumbles forward, enveloping you in an almost suffocating hug.
"We don't shake hands here!" He sniffles against your shoulder, "you're family now!"
Is this guy crying?
You attempt to squeeze him back, but you find that your arms are trapped against your body with your head nestled into his chest.
"Thank you so much!" You mumble out against the material of his clothing, wondering if he can even hear you.
"Alright that's enough, Warthog" Wolffe eventually steps in, pulling the soldier from you by his shoulder, "I think you've had enough."
You laugh and readjust yourself as you watch the Commander take care of his men, realizing that Warthog had been crying. You neaten your hair and pull down the skirt of your dress, but it's not long until you catch the attention of another member of the wolfpack, Comet you realize.
"So, care to tell us some embarrassingly soft stories about our Commander?" he offers, scooting over in the booth to make room for you.
As you sit down next to him, you have to ignore the way the cushion beneath you feels sticky, praying to a higher power that it's just residue from previously spilled drinks. It doesn't help either when the Commander wastes no time sliding in next to you, sandwiching you tightly between him and his brothers. It's a bit of a squeeze to fit you all on the bench, but you're left smiling as nobody even attempts to move.
"I can assure you," Wolffe says as he wraps a possessive arm around you, "that there are no embarrassing stories to be told."
"I find that hard to believe, sir" Sinker smiles as his eyes find yours, "You should see how he gets when he's been away from you for too long, we all know to avoid him or face sanitation duty for a month"
"I can believe that," you respond before Wolffe can interject, "the first thing he always asks for is a cuddle" You turn to wink at the now blushing Commander, joining in with the laughter of his men. After a second, he joins too, but not before pressing a firm squeeze to your thigh. A warning for later, perhaps.
The rest of the night goes by in a blur, listening to Boost's awful jokes over the sound of hypnotic music; drinking any liquid that was placed in front of you. Somehow, you had even entered into a game of eye-spy with Comet, unknowingly screaming out the name of every inanimate object that met your eye line. It was 20 minutes until you both realized that he'd never even picked a target, to begin with. But, it was when Sinker was repeatedly asking you to dance that Wolffe finally began to draw the line, finding that his brothers had been enjoying your company a little too much.
"Alright princess," he taps your leg, "I think it's time to head back"
Your head falls to his shoulder, "'M fine," you mumble, closing your eyes and enjoying the way he feels beneath you. Your head shakes as his chest ripples with laughter, a wide grin finding its home across your face. It was so good to see him relax, for him to finally let go and have some fun for once.
After another moment, you feel as he begins to ease you both up from the booth. Initially, you think to stop him and insist that you stay for a bit longer, but the exhaustion that is beginning to weigh down your eyes tells a different story. You allow him to help you up and once you're standing, his arm finding its rightful place around your waist as he supports you.
Your goodbyes to the wolfpack are short and sloppy, finding that they're even worse off than you are. It's no surprise to anyone that Warthog starts crying again, soaking your shoulders in tears as he thanks you for taking such good care of his vod.
"Alright, come one, let's go," Wolffe supports you as you finish your goodbyes, urging you to walk with him through the cantina.
"Where are we going now, Commander?" You purr, attempting to sound even mildly seductive as you follow his steps.
"Home... let's freshen you up, come on," Wolffe patiently says, nodding at his men a final time to say goodbye. You miss the way they tease him for handling you so gently as you finally make your exit.
------------
"My hero!" you loudly announce, stretching your arms into the air as soon as he steps inside the living room; he can't help but laugh at the quiet giggle that follows your words. On your way back from the speeder, you had complained that your feet were hurting from your shoes, so of course, he took it upon himself to carry you for the rest of the way.
Wolffe carefully places your feet back on the ground, and, as soon as he's convinced you can stand without stumbling, he turns to shut the door. His chest is swelling at the domesticity of it all, imagining that this could've been his life had he been blessed with normality. Enjoying time with you, making sure that you got home safely, returning to the home that you would share together. He turns to look at you, admiring how you're still standing where he had placed you, just waiting.
"What wrong?" You ask after a quiet moment, your eyes large and doe-like as you take a step closer to place your hands on his chest.
"Nothing, mesh'la," He says with a kiss to your forehead, "let's get you to bed, hm?"
You envelop him in a tight hug before nodding your head against his chest, "M'kay" you murmur.
Taking your shoes off, you pad next to him as he guides you both to your bedroom. You laugh and squirm as he helps you out of your dress, goosebumps erupting across your skin in the wake of his deft fingers. He passes you one of his long-sleeved shirts to sleep in, and you revel in the feeling of being surrounded by his scent. He unfolds your comforter and helps you into bed, tucking you in tightly with the blanket. You close your eyes for a moment, expecting him to join you, but when you hear his footsteps begin to walk away, your eyes snap back open.
"Wolffe?" You whisper, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes, cyare?"
You hesitate before you continue, attempting to hide your face in the comfort of your covers, "You're not going to leave me, are you?"
Wolffe is absolutely sure you have no idea of what that question actually means to him, that you're probably just curious as to why he's leaving you in bed by yourself. But, how the words fall from your lips and enter his ears, he can sense the feelings he harbors for you begin to rise. Beautiful, kind, annoying, you.
Moving meticulously slow, he rounds the side of the bed, making his way to the empty space beside you as he strips from his clothes. The instant he lays down you're already crowding his space, pressing yourself to him as close as you can possibly get. He wraps himself around you and places your back to his chest, his chin resting against your head.
"Of course not" He promises, placing a delicate kiss on your head as you both finally close your eyes.
#Commander Wolffe#commander wolffe smut#commander wolffe x reader#Clone Wars#clone wars smut#clone troopers#commander wolffe x ofc#star wars smut
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Thank you so much for the wonderfully sweet andromaquynh story! 🥰💖 if I may request more since I saw the Touch sheet and uh I’m in love:
24. Whispering in their ear, lips touching their skin, either pairing
Thank you for this ask Shatters!!! And for encouraging me along the way<3 I know it took forever but I hope you enjoy this!
Read on AO3
The door of Dr. Shukla’s office rattled. Inside, Joe took a sharp breath. Nicky threaded their hands together beneath the table, murmuring reassuringly.
A second later, the doctor walked in, large yellow folder in hand and a stethoscope slung across her neck. Joe and Nicky stood to greet her.
“Please, be seated. It’s alright,” she said, voice low and steady. “I’m Dr. Shukla, a neurologist. I have some CTs and MRIs here of Mr. Yusuf Al-Kaysani’s brain that we’ll be discussing today.”
Joe exhaled shakily as they all sat down. Next to him, Nicky cleared his throat.
“How bad is it, doctor?”
“Good and bad aren’t diagnoses, Mr.…”
“Al-Kaysani. I’m his husband. But call me Nicky, please.”
“Of course, Nicky.” She extracted the prints from the folder. “There is no easy way to put this. The truth is, the symptoms Yusuf is presenting with, and these images from his scans, make it very likely that what we’re dealing with here is early-onset dementia. Possibly Alzheimer’s.”
In the silence that followed, Joe sighed in relief. Finally, someone had said the words. It wasn’t a vague suspicion hanging over his head anymore. It was reality. They could work with reality.
Next to him, Nicky was arguing with the doctor.
“…but how can you be sure? Scans are inconclusive when it comes to diagnosing-”
“I would not have brought this diagnosis to the table if there was any better explanation for what Yusuf is experiencing. Any at all.”
“But-”
“Nicolò.” Joe moved his hand to Nicky’s thigh. He looked at the doctor. “So where do we go from here?”
Dr. Shukla leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. “I will not mislead you, Yusuf. There is no cure. But there are treatments - therapies, medications, management strategies - that can slow the progression of the disease. You can still live a long and meaningful life.”
“Of course he’ll live a long and meaningful life!” Nicky exclaimed.
“Tesoro, please-”
“Look,” Dr. Shukla said. “I know this is extremely hard. For both of you. But what’s important in this moment is that you take your time to process this news and adapt to it. Be there for each other, and be patient with each other.” She stood and walked over to her computer. “I’m going to put in a prescription for something called Razelon; it’s a cholinesterase inhibitor that will reduce early behavioral symptoms and boost cognitive function.”
“Do we need to pick it up today?” Nicky asked.
“Yes. Yusuf, I’m starting you off on half a pill. We’ll see how you react to it. If it works for you, we can modify the dose as necessary going forward.”
As they stepped out of the clinic into the stinging wind, Joe pulled his coat tighter against his body. At his side, Nicky fumbled with his phone, pulling up the prescription.
“Razelon,” he muttered to himself, typing it into Google. “Look, Joe, it seems to be a fairly common and effective treatment. Actually, it’s good the doctors caught this early. I’m sure we can-”
“Nicky.”
“-make this work until something more effective comes out. Alzheimer’s research is at a revolutionary place right now and-”
“Nicky…”
“-there’s definitely going to be some new, highly effective treatments on the market in a few-”
“Nicolò!”
Nicky froze where he was reaching for his car keys, lips pressed into a thin line. “What?”
“My love, we’ve had over one thousand years together.” Joe stepped forward, gently taking his hands. “Haven’t you had enough of me yet?”
Nicky shoved him away lightly. “Stop it, Joe. That’s nothing to joke about.”
“Listen-”
“No, you listen. I don’t care if it’s been a millennium. If you don’t think I’m going to fight tooth and nail for every second - every single second - we can possibly have together, then you’re wrong. You’re wrong.”
“I will fight with you, my love, I swear. But-”
“But what?”
“But I cannot watch you mourn me while I am still here. Promise me this changes nothing between us, Nicky. I don’t want you to treat me like I’m suddenly made of glass.”
“Says the person who tried to wrap me in literal bubble wrap when we discovered we were mortal.”
Joe snorted. “Touché.”
Nicky stared at him for a second. Then, he leaned forward and kissed him, slow and sweet. “Get in the car. I’ll buy you a caramel frappucino by the pharmacy, yeah?”
***
“Joe, don’t forget, Nile’s coming over at 8 tonight for dinner, so we’ll have to be back at least an hour before that.”
“I don’t know, tesoro, forgetting is kind of what I do best now,” Joe quipped from the couch.
Nicky stuck his head out of the kitchen testily. “Still not funny, you asshole.”
It has been several months since that fateful day at the clinic, and Joe could tell he was getting worse. He didn’t feel it, exactly; the Razelon was helping, and Dr. Shukla had added an antidepressant to his prescription to ward off the vague sense of dread and loss that sometimes settled in his chest.
No, Joe could tell he was getting worse because of Nicky. The way Nicky never let him make the same mistake twice. Joe had forgotten to take his medication one night, and ever since, Nicky made a ritual of bringing it to him with a glass of water after they brushed their teeth. A few mornings ago, Nicky had seen Joe walk away from the coffee machine without turning it on, and ever since, there would be a freshly brewed pot of coffee on the table before Joe woke up.
It was as if by covering for Joe enough, Nicky could pretend this wasn’t happening at all. Joe frowned deeply at the thought.
“Hey,” Nicky said, coming to sit next to Joe. “What’s wrong, hayati? Would you rather stay in today than go to the beach? I won’t mind, you know.”
Joe shook his head. “No, it’s not that, it’s…” He furrowed his brow, then sighed in defeat. “Nevermind. Let’s just go to… the place. What you said.”
“The beach?”
“Mhm. Let’s go to the beach.”
“Alright. I’ll get us a bag.” Nicky kissed Joe’s forehead gently and got up to leave.
“Nicky, wait.”
“Yes, love?”
��Is it- Am I getting a lot worse, do you think?” Joe blurted.
Nicky frowned. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s just- You didn’t let me pay rent this month. Usually you remind me, but you did it yourself last week, didn’t you?”
“So what if I did? I don’t want to make things any harder for you than they already are. Let me be there for you in these little ways, ya qalbi.”
“You are. You’re always there for me. But you’re doing so much now, too much, and I feel like I’m not pulling my weight anymore. I don’t want to become a- a…”
“A burden?”
Joe was already shaking his head, having clocked the disappointment in Nicky’s eyes. “No! No, Nicky, that’s not what I-”
“Joe. I think we should move back to Malta.”
Joe paused, a little taken aback. “Back to Malta? Like, for good?”
“For good.”
“We’ll be far away from Nile and Booker, though.”
“They can come visit whenever they want. They’re still immortal, Joe. We’re not. I want to spend the time we have left in the place I married you one thousand years ago.”
Joe stood up and looped his arms around Nicky’s neck. He grinned as Nicky’s arms circled his waist, pulling him closer. “And you say I’m an incurable romantic.”
Nicky laughed. “So you’re okay with that, then?” he asked, hopeful eyes searching Joe’s.
“More than okay. I can’t wait, amore.”
***
Dinner with Nile was a lovely time, as always.
“How is Booker doing, sorellina?” Nicky asked as he dished second helpings of lasagne onto everyone’s plates.
“Fine,” Nile said with her mouth full. “His therapy group is taking a field trip to the Met tonight, so he couldn’t come. But he said to bring him back some food.”
Joe laughed, turning to Nicky with delight. “Sir, be sure to pack this young lady your restaurant’s finest lasagne, to-go.”
Nicky rolled his eyes. “If Booker wants food, he can come get some himself,” he grumbled, nevertheless grabbing a clean tupperware from the counter. “It’s been ages since he’s shown his face around here.”
“He wants to come all the time, I promise,” Nile reassured him. “It’s just so busy now, between jobs and therapy-”
“I keep telling Nicky we can still work the jobs,” Joe cut in. “Just because we’re mortal doesn’t mean we can’t help with intel and stuff. Or Nicky can, at least.”
“And I keep telling you it’s not necessary,” Nile countered, gentle but firm. “It’s important that you two spend this time with each other. And anyway, Booker and I are managing just fine.”
“It can’t be easy, though.” Nicky popped open a bottle of wine. “Do you mind non-alcoholic, Nile? If so, I can pull up another-”
“No, no, non-alcoholic is great. And to tell you the truth, we are taking on less now. Choosing our battles more carefully. But the ones we choose, we’re fighting them better, I think.”
Joe sat back, smiling fondly. “Good. Good. I think we’ve all been prioritizing doing a better job of living. But the offer always stands, Nile. If you two ever need some extra hands, we’re here.”
Over lasagne and wine, the conversation ebbed and flowed late into the night. It was nearly 2AM when Joe stood up, yawning.
“Bed, habibi?” Nicky asked.
“Hmm. I think I’ll call it a night.”
“Let me get you your medicine. Nile, would you mind moving the dishes to the sink? I’ll be back in a minute to wash them.”
Nile stood up, piling the dishes together. Joe and Nicky walked towards the bedroom.
As Joe settled into bed, Nicky puttered around to arrange his pills and a glass of water.
“Nicky, we forgot to tell Nile about the plan. That we’re going to move back to, uh…” Joe’s eyes widened in mild horror as he struggled to remember. “Malta! Malta. We’re moving back to Malta.”
Nicky walked over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed. He lovingly cupped Joe’s face, leaning in to rest their foreheads together.
“I’ll tell her. Here. You take this medicine and rest. I should go-”
“Do you want to see what I drew at the beach?” Joe cut in. He didn’t want Nicky to leave just yet.
“Ya amar, of course I do. Where is your sketchbook, still in the bag? I’ll get it.”
Nicky handed him the book, and Joe flipped through it until he found what he was looking for.
“It would have been better if I had colors, but…”
He held out the book to Nicky, who promptly forgot how to breathe. Done in nothing but ordinary pencil graphite was his own profile, set against the background of a stunning black and white sunset. The fading rays of light gleamed on the ocean’s surface, and the waves looked, magically, like they could move.
“Do you like it?” Joe asked. Nicky realized he’d been staring in silence. He set the book on the nightstand and wrapped a hand behind Joe’s head, pulling him in for a kiss.
“I love it,” he said, kissing him again. “I love you. It’s beautiful. Everything you make is beautiful, but this one especially so. And you’re beautiful.”
Joe giggled beneath the onslaught of kisses and praise. “You’re a sap. Now go, Nile is waiting for you.”
“Alright, alright. I’m going.”
“Nicky?”
“Hmm?”
“Come back soon.”
Nicky grinned. “It’s almost 3AM. I won’t be long; Nile is probably exhausted, too.”
“Tell her to stay the night,” Joe mumbled, already half asleep. “Too late to drive.”
“I’ll tell her, love. Sleep well.”
“Tell me what?” Nile asked as Nicky returned to the living room.
“To stay the night, it’s late.” He looked towards the kitchen. “Where are the dishes?”
“I washed them, they’re on the drying rack.”
“Sorellina! You are a guest!”
“I’m family. I can help with the dishes,” Nile argued, rolling her eyes.
Nicky smiled, settling down next to her on the couch. Nile shifted, curling up close to his side and resting her head on his shoulder.
“How are you doing?” she asked after a beat.
“Fine, Joe’s been-”
“I said you, Nicky.”
Nicky hesitated. “I’m alright, I think. Life is not harder now, not really. It’s nice to spend our days enjoying each other’s company, without having to worry about jobs and stuff. But…”
“But?”
“I can’t shake this sense of… loss? Our every interaction is tinged with it. He is the one diagnosed, but sometimes it feels like I’m the one who’s losing my sense of reality. I feel untethered.” Nicky broke off with a dry chuckle. “He gets upset if I’m too sad around him, so I try not to show it.”
“Oh.”
“Is it terribly greedy of me, Nile?”
“What?”
“That we’ve had over a thousand years together, more than anyone else in human history, and all I can think of is that it’s not enough. That I’m not ready. That I want more.”
“Love always wants more, Nicky. And no one is ever ready, no matter how much or how little time we have. Like, Andy and Quynh, right? You knew them for centuries, I knew them for a few years. But neither of us were ready to lose them.”
“I can’t do that again, Nile,” Nicky said wearily, feeling the full weight of his years. “I can’t mourn anyone else. I can’t mourn Joe.”
“You already are.”
Nicky’s eyes snapped to hers. “Wha- what do you mean by that? He said something like that, too.”
“You’re mourning the parts of him he’s already forgotten. You’re mourning the Joe who remembered his sisters’ names. The Joe who could differentiate San Paolo ‘34 from Berlin ‘27. The Joe who-”
“Stop.” Nicky squeezed his eyes shut. “He’s still here. My Joe is still here.”
“That’s exactly my point,” Nile said. “Think about the Joe you fell in love with outside of Jerusalem, Nicky. Now think of Joe sleeping inside. Everything has changed, but you still love him. What was it you fell in love with, the one thing that’s remained constant? His body? His mind?”
“His soul.”
“And can Alzheimer’s touch that? Can death?”
Nicky sniffled. He kissed the top of Nile’s head. “You’re far too wise for your age, you know.”
“I’ve had practice,” she mumbled.
“Yeah. Let’s get you to bed, alright? Will you stay the night?”
“Mhm.”
“Good.”
Nile ended up finding out about Malta the next morning, when Joe mentioned moving plans to Nicky over breakfast.
“You didn’t tell her last night, tesoro?”
“I meant to. But I guess we were all really tired.”
“I think it’s a great idea. When are you two planning to move?” Nile asked.
“As soon as possible. Joe and I were looking at flights for this weekend.”
Nile nodded. “Booker and I can help you pack. How’s tonight?”
“Fine, if a bit early. We don’t have that much stuff,” Joe said between sips of coffee. “At least not here. There are some things in the safehouses…”
“Sure. You and Nicky make a list whenever you’re free, and I’ll make a few trips with Booker and ship everything to the Malta address.”
“You’re an angel, sorellina,” Nicky said.
In the comfortable silence that followed, Joe looked back and forth between them, trying to memorize this moment. Nicolò di Genova is reading the paper, he thought. Nile Freeman is eating toast. Nile is married to Sebastien Le Livre, whom we call Booker. Booker isn’t here because he was- he had-
“Did Booker send you any pictures from the Met?” Nicky asked Nile.
Ah. He’d gone to the Met with his therapy group.
Nile shook her head. “A few cute ones they took outside, but I think the exhibit they went to see didn’t allow photography. He’ll probably have some brochure pictures to talk our ears off about later, though.” She smiled fondly. “It’s our turn to bring something over for dinner tonight, okay?”
“Absolutely not,” Nicky argued. “I love cooking for you guys. Let me make dinner. You’ll be stuck with your own cooking once we leave for Malta, anyway.”
Nile gasped in mock offense. “Well, someone has an inflated sense of their own abilities.”
“Habibi, listen, she’s disparaging my cooking,” Nicky complained.
“You insulted her first, my love. If you can dish it, you’d better take it.”
Nile laughed at the look of utter betrayal on Nicky’s face as she walked her empty plate to the sink.
“I’m gonna head out,” she said. “I’ll be back with Booker around 7. And fine, looks like dinner’s on you, Nicky.”
“I’m making poisoned mushroom risotto.”
“Suit yourself, I’m not the one who’s mortal.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Nicky muttered around a grin as Nile and Joe high-fived. “See you later, Nile.”
***
Midnights were Nicky’s favorite part of Malta. The sky hung heavy like a black velvet blanket, and the sparkle of the stars reminded him of Joe’s eyes.
In the months since they’d arrived, Joe’s health had taken an undeniable turn for the worse. They’d talked to Dr. Shukla and doubled his dose of Razelon. Soon after, they’d doubled it again. But the disease progressed with a vengeance of lifetimes, as if it was trying to recompense Joe’s immortality by cutting his mortal life short.
Nowadays, Nicky almost never left Joe’s side, from waking him up in the morning, to bathing him, to feeding him, to taking him on long walks to visit their favorite places.
And truly, there was nowhere he’d rather be. But Nicky was wracked with guilt over the terrifying intensity with which he missed Joe. He found himself clinging fervently to Joe’s few and far-between moments of lucidity, dreading the day when Joe would look at him and no longer remember his name.
A tear startled Nicky as it slipped down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, leaning over the balcony railing and breathing in the sleeping city.
“Nicky?”
Nicky whirled around. “Joe? You’re not asleep?”
“I woke up. I- I missed you.”
“Oh, my love, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d wake up. Come on, let’s go back to bed.”
As they settled back under the covers together, Joe reached for Nicky’s hand and squeezed gently.
“What is it, hayati?”
“Nicky, I need to tell you something.”
Nicky turned to face him. “I’m listening.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
There was a tense pause. Then-
“Do you know how much I look forward to this, Joe? These brief minutes when you’re present, fully alert and oriented? Tell me, have I waited for this moment only to hear you say those words?”
“I just- I want you to know that you can leave. This is only going to get worse, Nicky. You didn’t sign up to change my diapers.”
“I didn’t sign up for immortality, either. But I embraced over a thousand years of it, Joe. Because I was in it with you.”
Joe rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling and blinking back tears.
Nicky groaned, propping himself up on an elbow. “Listen here, you idiot. I know I can leave. I could’ve left when you offered me your hand outside of Jerusalem. I could’ve left when we had our first fight. I could’ve left when we lost Quynh. I could’ve left after WWII, when we became so depressed that we could hardly stand the sight of each other.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Of course I didn’t. I love you, Joe. I don’t ever want to leave you.” He paused. “Unless you want me to.”
“And if I say I do want you to?”
“I’d tell you not to be a martyr.” Nicky sighed in frustration. “What would you do if it were me, Joe? Would you walk away?”
Joe’s breath hitched. He immediately shook his head.
“Why?” Nicky barrelled on. “Because of some twisted sense of morality? Because of some obligation-”
“Because I love you, amore. I would suffer a hundred deaths to spend just one hour more in your arms.”
Nicky slowly lay back down. He cupped Joe’s tear-stained cheek, tenderly guiding their lips together in a warm kiss.
“See? Can we drop this, now?”
Joe nodded. “If you’re sure.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, ya qalbi.”
They drifted to sleep in each other’s arms, exchanging quiet kisses and hums of contentment. The next morning, Nicky realized he’d made a terrible, terrible mistake.
It was their wedding anniversary. Their original wedding anniversary, the approximate date they’d gotten married in Malta over a thousand years ago.
Nicky had meant to be absolutely insufferable about it, to go on and on about it from at least three days prior. That way, Joe would remember. He wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt of forgetting, or the reality that his dementia no longer afforded him keeping track of the date.
Instead, Nicky had all but forgotten as well, only to be jarringly reminded by the date flashing on his phone.
He cursed as he fiddled with the coffee machine, analyzing his options. First option, he could simply remind Joe that today was their anniversary. Slip it into casual conversation or something.
But then he imagined Joe’s eyes going wide with shock and sadness as it sunk in that this is where they were at, now. He imagined Joe apologizing profusely for not planning anything special for Nicky. He imagined the guilt that any further attempts to celebrate would be tinged with, and that just wouldn’t do.
Second option, Nicky decided. He would simply not say anything. They’d treat this just like any other day, and what Joe didn’t remember wouldn’t hurt him. Something ugly twisted in Nicky’s gut at the thought that this could be their last anniversary together, but he stubbornly shoved it down. He could do this for Joe.
“Nicky?” Joe’s voice echoed down the hall. Nicky quickly switched on the coffee machine and returned to their bedroom.
“You’re awake already, love. Did you sleep well?”
Joe nodded, looking a little dazed. Slowly, his eyes focused on Nicky. He smiled. “Can we go brush my teeth? I want to kiss you.”
Nicky laughed, coming to sit at the edge of the bed. “How about a kiss first, beautiful?”
Joe’s smile went soft, his gaze drifting languidly to Nicky’s lips. “Okay.”
Nicky reached for Joe’s hand as they kissed, threading their fingers together. Joe made a small noise of happiness, draping his other arm over Nicky’s shoulder and pressing closer.
This is enough, Nicky realized with startling clarity. This is more than enough for celebrating today. If he’s happy, I’m happy.
***
Awareness was strange for Joe, these days. Dr. Shukla had told him that no two people experience Alzheimer’s the same way; it was better to observe what happens than to expect a specific process.
These days, life often felt like working on the corner of a painting, some zoomed-in fragment for his mind to get lost in. He would zone out and zone back in, switching between his immediate reality and some dark, floaty place deep inside his consciousness. Any concept of the “bigger picture” seemed uncannily absent.
It would be terrifying, he knew, if not for Nicky. My husband, Joe thought fondly. That, at least, he had not forgotten yet.
Joe’s body still remembered perfectly well what his mind could no longer articulate. Nicky’s hand in his hand, Nicky’s lips on his lips. The instinctive way he’d reach out for comfort and find Nicky there, calm eyes and steady arms and gentle smile.
“Joe?”
With tremendous effort, Joe pulled himself out of his thoughts, trying to focus on the voice. “Hmm?”
“Hey, it’s okay, don’t strain yourself.” Nicky rested a hand on Joe’s shoulder, and he immediately relaxed. “I’m making pastizzi. You remember pastizzi?”
Joe furrowed his brow. He doubted the word alone would have meant anything to him, but combined with the savory smell wafting from the kitchen, a fuzzy memory clicked into place.
“Favorite.”
Nicky chuckled softly. “That’s right. It’s your favorite.”
“Special. It’s for special days. Is today something special?”
Nicky startled like a deer in headlights. “Uh, wha- Yes! Of course it is.” He leaned down to kiss Joe’s curls. “Every day with you is so, so special, my love. It goes without saying, does it not?”
Joe grinned guilelessly, taking Nicky’s hand and kissing his knuckles. “Is Andromache coming?”
“Andromache is not here, sweetheart.” Nicky wrapped his arms around Joe, swaying gently from side to side. “It’s just us, for now.”
“That sounds nice, too.”
“What do you want to do after breakfast today?”
“Draw. I want to draw you. But can we take a nap first?”
“Of course.” Nicky unwound his arms from Joe and walked into the kitchen. “You got up too early today, habibi. I told you, you should rest more. You’ll be tired all day, otherwise.”
“I only like to sleep with you, tesoro.”
Nicky barked out a laugh. “You don’t need to tell me twice. Here, let’s eat. Then we’ll nap together.”
Joe enjoyed breakfast, taking comfort in the familiar, grounding taste of Nicky’s homemade pastizzi. And he definitely enjoyed falling asleep in his husband’s arms, head pillowed on Nicky’s chest, bathed in the late morning sunlight.
When Joe woke up, it was in one of those increasingly rare and precious moments of clarity. Nicky lay beside him, still fast asleep. Joe stared unabashedly, marveling at how Nicky managed to look even more soft and peaceful than usual in his sleep. He reached for his sketchbook and began drawing.
As the hours passed, portraits turned into poetry, and poetry into letters. Joe wondered, for a moment, if he should wake Nicky up for lunch, but he was loath to disrupt the little rest that Nicky managed to get these days.
Instead, Joe sat quietly by his side, taking advantage of his own lucidity to write a letter to Nile and Booker. He vaguely recalled Nicky mentioning that they would visit at some point, and he wanted to make sure he could convey what he wanted to say to them.
Just as Joe was wrapping up, Nicky stirred beside him.
“Joe?” he said, voice rough with sleep.
“Sono qui.”
Nicky glanced at the bedside clock. He scrambled to sit up, gently taking Joe’s face in his hands.
“Hayati, why didn’t you wake me? It’s three in the afternoon! Oh my love, aren’t you hungry? Did you drink water today?”
Joe smiled, kissing Nicky softly. “I went and drank water. I accidentally dropped a glass, though-”
“That’s alright.”
“-and don’t worry, I’m not hungry yet. Breakfast was very filling. You looked so relaxed sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you for no reason.”
“I’m so sorry, Joe, I didn’t mean to crash like that. How long have you been up?”
“Since noon. But please, amore, don’t apologize. You deserve to rest.” Nicky opened his mouth, presumably to protest, but Joe pushed on. “Do you want to see what I drew? And I wrote you a poem, can I read it to you?”
Nicky’s expression softened, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. “Absolutely, Joe. Show me everything you’ve sketched and written. Then we can go out for a late lunch, okay?”
To Joe’s immense satisfaction, the mental fog largely stayed away for the rest of the day. There were moments, of course, when all he could do was hold Nicky’s hand and follow his footsteps, mind eerily blank except for the buzz of physical sensation right beneath the surface.
But for the most part, Joe was present. He recognized by name the café they stopped by for lunch and the restaurant they went to for dinner. In between, when they visited il-Moskea, Joe was able to pray properly for the first time in weeks. Nicky had prayed alongside him, and as Joe listened to the quiet recitation of Quran verses from his lips, peace had seemed so easy. So reachable.
“Lean forward, hayati,” Nicky murmured. The moment they’d come home, Nicky had started a hot bath for Joe. Joe complied, leaning forward until the lightly scented bubbles tickled his beard. “Feels good?” Nicky asked, swiping a washcloth over his back.
“So good. Ti amo, Nicky.”
“Ti amo tanto. Now lean back, let’s rinse.”
“Did we- did we used to do this before?”
“What, bathing?” Nicky teased.
“Shut up. I mean, bathing each other. It feels familiar. An ancient ritual from way before I got sick.”
“Hmm.”
“But I can’t remember, Nicky. I visit the place in my heart where I stored those memories, and it’s empty. Like they’ve been stolen.”
Joe heard the distress creep into his tone, and he was sure Nicky could hear it, too. Sure enough, Nicky set the washcloth down and cupped Joe’s face.
“Hey, shhh. Just breathe, my love. It’s okay. We’re okay.”
“I feel like I keep hurting you when I forget important things about us. I don’t want to make you sad. But I can’t help it, Nicky, I don’t know-”
“Joe, ya amar, this isn’t your fault. You never make me sad, do you hear me? And it’s okay if you can’t remember. Getting to be here with you, in this moment, is so much more important to me than anything that came before.”
Joe lowered his eyes, unconvinced.
Nicky sighed. “Hey. The water is getting cold. Let me get your towel from the dryer, I’ll just be a moment.”
Seconds after Nicky left, his phone buzzed, sliding from the toilet lid to the floor. Joe frowned, extending a shaky arm out of the tub to put it back.
But as he picked up the phone, Joe caught sight of the date. June 18th. His frown deepened. June 18th, June 18th, June 18th…
Joe had no idea how he did it, but somehow, he managed to put two and two together. The pastizzi for breakfast. Their favorite restaurants. The trip to the mosque. The way Nicky’s hands had been impossibly gentler today, the way his eyes shined even softer with love.
“Why didn’t you tell me it’s our anniversary?” Joe demanded as soon as Nicky set foot in the bathroom.
Nicky froze. “Joe. How in God’s name did you remember that?”
“I figured it out.”
Nicky set the freshly washed towel on the toilet lid and knelt by the tub. “Joe-”
“You were celebrating it without telling me.” Joe sniffled, mortified to feel tears pooling in his eyes. Of all the things dementia had taken from him, this had to be the worst. He hadn’t even bought Nicky a present.
“Yusuf, please. Please let me explain?” Nicky begged, reaching into the tepid water to hold Joe’s hands.
Joe shook his head, feeling the tears slip loose. Nicky drew a shaky breath, leaning forward to kiss them away. He was crying, too, Joe realized with a start.
“Perdonami, my heart. Perdonami. I didn’t think you’d remember. I didn’t say anything because you would have been devastated that- that it’s gotten this bad. I couldn’t bear you blaming yourself for something so utterly out of your control.”
Joe didn’t reply.
“Joe, listen to me. It’s just a date on the calendar, my love.”
“I don’t want to forget you,” Joe whispered.
A sob caught in Nicky’s throat. He pulled off his shirt and stepped into the tub, wrapping Joe in his arms. Joe tucked his face into Nicky’s neck and cried like a baby.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Nicky croaked, rocking them back and forth. “Everything will be okay.”
It was late by the time they dried off and made it to bed, not bothering with clothes. Joe watched as Nicky put a second comforter at the foot of their bed, in case it got cold during the night. When they were finally snuggled together beneath the covers, Joe spoke.
“Nicky?”
“Hmm?”
“If- when I forget you, will you forgive me?”
Nicky pulled him closer, inhaling deeply as he tangled a hand in Joe’s hair. “There will be nothing to forgive, hayati.”
“I’m not doing it on purpose-”
“I know, Yusuf. I know. You never need to explain yourself to me.”
“Nicolò, promise me that- promise me that you won’t forget. Please don’t forget me.” Joe muffled a whimper, pressing closer until he could feel Nicky’s heart beating against his chest.
There was a long silence. When Nicky spoke, his voice was the steadiest Joe had ever heard.
“My beloved, I promise you that I will not forget. Whether or not you remember, whether or not you can even tell I’m there, I will be at your side for as long as we have together. I will take care of you in every way I know how. And when there is nothing left to do, I will honor your memory until my dying breath. I promise.”
Joe couldn’t reply, couldn’t breathe, as he felt his eyes well up again. His husband rubbed a soothing hand up and down his back, and gradually, the moment of terror passed. Joe relaxed into the sensation, falling asleep to the rhythm of Nicky’s heart and the echo of his magnanimous words.
***
“He doesn’t speak much, now,” Nicky briefed Nile and Booker as he helped carry their overnight bags in. “You’ll have to introduce yourselves.”
Months had passed since their anniversary, and Nicky was adjusting to this new life right alongside Joe. Their dynamic had changed, but their love had not.
Joe no longer walked up behind Nicky and hugged him while he cooked. Nicky no longer woke up at 2AM to find Joe hunched over his sketchbook, struck by some untimely inspiration. They’d never had much need for words, but now, verbal conversation was even rarer.
Instead, they spoke the well-loved language of gentle touches, of midday naps wrapped in each other’s arms. A spontaneous kiss never failed to make Joe smile, and Joe’s smile was enough to make Nicky’s entire day. Their interactions fell back on a bedrock of trust one thousand years in the making. Of course there were bad days - days colored with grief and sickness and loneliness - but far more often, Nicky found his heart flooded with quiet gratitude.
“Hello, Joe,” Nile said, kneeling in front of Joe’s chair and taking his hand. “I’m Nile. It’s lovely to see you.”
Joe said nothing, but his lips curved up in a tentative smile. Booker came forward and knelt next to Nile.
“Hey, buddy. It’s Booker. Long time no see. I don’t know how much of this you understand, Joe, but I hope you know that we love you. So, so much.”
“Hmm,” Joe grunted softly. He turned his other palm over in his lap, as if in invitation. Booker wrapped his hands around Joe’s, eyes shining as he brought it to his lips with reverence.
“I think he knows, Booker,” Nicky smiled fondly. “Come on, I made rice. You two must be hungry from the long plane ride.”
It was later that night, after everyone had eaten and napped, that Nicky remembered about the letters. Joe sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket, watching with interest as Nicky, Nile, and Booker played Snakes & Ladders on the coffee table.
“Oh! I almost forgot,” Nicky exclaimed.
“What?” Nile asked.
“No, no, no - stop trying to distract us,” Booker said shrewdly. “You’re about to land on that snake and you know it. No cheating.”
Nile laughed. “He’s right. Take the fall, old man. You’re back to square five. Come on.”
Nicky scowled, sliding his piece all the way down the board. He’d been so close to winning.
From the couch, Joe snickered. Nile and Booker looked at him in surprise.
“He understands what’s going on?” Booker asked incredulously.
“Just enough to know when to laugh at me.” Nicky rolled his eyes, stopping to kiss Joe’s forehead as he walked away. A soft smile melted across Joe’s face, and he snuggled deeper into his blanket.
“I didn’t think he could get any more adorable, but here we are,” Nile commented. “Joe, you’re a sap, you know that?”
“You’re one to talk,” Nicky countered as he returned with the envelopes. “Remind me again what you gave Booker for your last anniversary?”
“A five-page poem comparing our love to the heavens from five different religious traditions,” Booker bragged. “It was the best thing I’ve ever read.”
Nile blushed furiously. “Alright, alright. Point taken. Hey, what are those?”
Nicky held up the envelopes. “Joe wrote us letters a few months back. One is for you two, and the other one is for me. But he said I couldn’t open mine until I gave you guys yours.”
Nicky handed Nile one of the envelopes and slipped the other into the pocket of his hoodie. Joe watched with mild curiosity, clearly not recognizing the letters.
“Should we call it a night?” Booker asked. “It’s nearly 1AM.”
“Quitting while you’re in the lead, Book?” Nicky teased. “But no, I think that’s a great idea. Joe would normally have slept hours ago.”
“He doesn’t look tired,” Nile observed.
“That’s because he’s entertained. He loves when people visit.”
The four of them walked towards the bedrooms. Nile and Booker waved goodbye to Joe as Nicky guided him into their room, before continuing down the hallway to the guest room.
“Nicky’s set everything up for us,” Nile appreciated. “These sheets are so soft.”
“That man works too hard. I worry about him.” Booker ran a hand through his hair fretfully. “I don’t know, Nile, I feel like we should hang around here more. Help Nicky out, spend more time with Joe.”
Nile stepped out of her clothes and curled up under the covers. Booker followed suit.
“We could,” she agreed. “I would appreciate the change of pace. And of course, having the family together will be nice.”
“But you would get restless.”
“Me and you both, Book.” Nile turned to face him, reaching out to caress his cheek. “I know, I know the point of immortality isn’t to fight all the time. But when we’re not fighting, I feel like we’re wasting this gift.”
“Yeah. I’ve had centuries longer to get used to immortality, and I still feel that way.”
“Maybe we could visit more often?”
“Hmm,” Booker smiled. “That would be nice.”
“Hey. Should we open Joe’s letter?”
“Oh, yeah! Definitely.” Booker propped himself up against the headboard, holding out an arm to Nile. She snuggled up next to him, carefully opening the envelope.
“Here we go.”
***
There were good days, and there were bad days. Nicky had spent centuries caring for the world, and now, he savored the years he’d been given to care for his world.
Nile and Booker visited more now, and Nicky sensed, deep down, that something had changed. Late-stage Alzheimer’s had not been easy on Joe - the darkness that came with cognitive decline was an extremely unpleasant experience for someone who preferred putting their emotions into words. And then, as Joe’s motor skills wore down, he’d found himself increasingly cut off from his art. Nicky had ached for him, helpless to provide much relief.
But these days, there was a calmness about Joe that hadn’t been there before. The anxiety gave way to an aura of peace, especially when Joe could see or hear Nicky nearby. Often, Nicky would stop whatever he was doing to just come sit with Joe, trying to absorb some of his serenity. It was like being in the presence of someone deep in meditation.
One night, Nicky returned to their bedroom after doing the dishes to find Joe sitting up against the headboard.
“Still awake, hayati?” He shook out the sheets as he undressed for bed, not expecting a response.
“Nicolò.”
Nicky froze. Surely he’d hallucinated that; it had been over a year since Joe was able to recognize him by name. He didn’t dare look up.
“Nicolò, my beloved,” Joe repeated, voice hoarse with disuse. Nicky closed his eyes, clamping down on a sob. He tossed the sheets aside and crawled into bed, reaching for Joe.
“What is it?” Nicky asked as he took Joe’s hands in his own, kissing his cold knuckles. “Tell me.”
“It’s time.”
“No,” Nicky shook his head, wrapping his arms around Joe. He was utterly unprepared for this. “No, no, please God, please, no…”
Nicky clung to Joe, sobbing unrestrainedly into his shoulder. This couldn’t be happening. This was madness. A nightmare, Nicky decided - a particularly torturous nightmare that he would soon wake up from. And Joe would be next to him, perfectly fine, their lives untouched by this ugly monster of a disease.
When he finally calmed down enough to pull back, Nicky found Joe watching him, eyes round with unshed tears. The moment of lucidity had passed, Nicky realized. All Joe could see now was his seemingly causeless distress.
Joe tightened his grip on Nicky’s arm minutely in a silent question, and Nicky almost wanted to laugh. Even now, Joe was still checking in with him.
“It’s nothing, love.” Nicky wiped his eyes quickly. “Let’s sleep, yeah? You must be tired.”
Nicky helped Joe lie down on his back before lying down next to him. He pulled Joe closer, gently kissing the shell of his ear.
“I love you,” Nicky murmured, the words feeling like too much and not enough. “I’m going to tell you a story tonight, okay?”
Joe grunted his assent, already half asleep. Nicky closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to ground himself. He thought back to Joe’s letter, to the words he’d memorized the very night he read them.
When the time comes, amore mio, I ask that you hold me close. And speak to me, please. I want to hear everything - how we met in Jerusalem, our adventures with Andy and Quynh, all the bets you lost to Booker, the delight on Nile’s face when you let her use the paints you’d preserved from the 1500s. I want to hear about all the times we got married, and all the anniversaries we celebrated. Most of all, Nicky, I want to hear your voice. I want to move on from this world surrounded by you, your beautiful voice, your loving hands.
And in case I can’t tell you then, I love you. Deep down, I think I’ve always loved you, even before we made peace. And I know I will always love you, be it in this world or the next. Please never doubt this, my all. I love you so much.
Nicky struggled for a moment to regain control, overwhelmed at the memory. Then, lips touching Joe’s ear, he began to speak. He held Joe in his arms as he whispered their story into the silence of the night. Joe sighed deeply in his sleep, pliant in Nicky’s embrace.
Nicky had no idea how long he continued on - hours, at least. There was so much to say. He talked and talked until he fell asleep next to Joe, right where he belonged.
***
“Abort mission,” Nile hissed into the comms. “Code Red. Meet me at the checkpoint ASAP.”
Minutes later, Booker jogged up to the checkpoint. “What happened? Are you okay? I’d almost gotten through-” Booker stopped, noticing Nile’s tear-streaked face. His tone softened immediately. “Mon amour, what is it? What’s wrong?”
Nile sniffled. “Joe’s gone, Book. He’s gone.”
Booker staggered backwards like he’d been slapped. “Gone?! What the fuck do you mean, gone?”
Nile pressed a fist to her mouth to stifle a sob. “Voicemail.” She held out her phone.
Booker put the phone to his ear and listened. He heard Nicky’s voice, quiet and anguished, but felt oddly removed from the whole situation. What language was Nicky speaking? It sounded like Italian, so why wasn’t it making sense?
“Hey, Book? Talk to me, love. Hey.”
Nile’s voice, Booker thought. It sounded like she was talking to him through a very long cardboard tube. His vision swam. Everything seemed so distorted.
“Booker!”
The next thing he knew, Booker was blinking up at Nile from the ground, head half in her lap.
“Do not pass out on me,” Nile muttered through gritted teeth. “Get up, Book, please. I can’t do this. Not alone. Please.”
Booker felt an itch on his cheek, but when he reached up to scratch it, his hand came away wet with tears. Nicky’s words, tinny and wrecked with sorrow, floated back into his head.
It suddenly struck him that Nicky was an ocean away, alone with his grief. Booker pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand to Nile.
“Come on. We have to go to Malta.”
They fought on the trip, during a two-hour layover in Spain. Exhausted, hungry, and grieving, it was no surprise their tempers ran unusually short.
“What do you mean, let him be?” Nile assuredly did not yell. She was simply disagreeing loudly. “He’s lost his life partner of a thousand years, Book! He needs support - he needs family.”
“And what makes you think we can be that for him? What makes you think we can even start to fill the void left by Joe’s absence?!”
“It’s not about filling the damn void-”
“You don’t know what it’s like! When I lost my mortal wife, I felt like I’d lost everything! Even though I had Andy, and Joe, and Nicky, and- and you.”
“You were entitled to your grief, Book. So is Nicky. But I lost people too, so don’t you dare tell me I don���t know what it’s like. I’m immortal, too. I’ve lost my parents. It’s not just you.”
“No, that’s not- Listen! It took me centuries, centuries, to overcome that grief. I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have done it if I had a choice. All I’m saying is… Nicky has a choice, Nile. He’s mortal.”
Nile’s eyes went wide. “So you’re saying we just- let him take his own life?!”
“I’m saying it’s not our decision to make! And it’s not… morally wrong or something if he chooses that. Look, chronic pain is real, Nile, whether it’s physical or emotional. Everyone who can has a right to opt out.”
“This isn’t the same thing as euthenasia, Book.”
“It’s not so different either, is it?”
There was a minute of silence as they stared daggers at each other across the terminal bench. Then Booker sighed.
“They’re closer than we could ever imagine, Nile. They’re one soul, two bodies. If he wants to go, we have to let him go.”
Nile sat down, running a hand down her face in devastation. “What about the letter?”
“What letter?”
“You know what letter. Joe’s letter. He asked us for one thing, Booker. One thing only. And that was that we don’t let Nicky die of a broken heart.”
“It doesn’t matter. Joe’s not here. Nicky is.”
“How could you dismiss his last wishes like that?”
“Nile, look at me. What do you think Joe wants above all else? What’s the only thing he’s ever really wanted?”
“For Nicky to be happy,” Nile whispered after a beat. “Love, can’t we at least try? Can’t we just… be there for him?”
“Of course,” Booker said, sitting down next to her and taking her hand. “Of course. But we cannot choose for him, amour. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Okay,” Nile sniffled, not entirely convinced. “Okay. I’m sorry I shouted at you.”
“I’m sorry, too. I’m just really…” Booker waved a hand in the air, trying to find the words. “Broken. I feel broken. Like I’m not myself.”
“I understand. I feel like that, too.”
“Hey. We don’t board for another 20 minutes. Can I get you a coffee?”
Nile managed a tired half-smile. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
***
In the end, it took four days of sleeping on Nicky’s couch for them to convince Nicky to drink water. It was another two days before he could keep down any food.
On the ninth day, Nicky broke down in front of them for the first time, crying his heart out as Booker and Nile just held him, murmuring gentle nothings and waiting out the tears.
They decided, at length, to take the year off from missions. They stayed with Nicky in the large house, trying to make it feel less empty. The grief would hit each of them at different times, and when it did, the other two would be there, always ready to lend a shoulder to cry on.
Within a year, the depression was slowly starting to lift. None of them had quite moved on, but they were very deliberately trying to make peace with this new reality.
Nicky fell back on simple rituals. Across from his bed, where he could see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night, he pinned up one of Joe’s charcoal self-portraits. Nicky loved it for how raw and alive it was in its beauty; not simply an image of Joe, but one that still carried traces of his fingertips in the sweeping strokes, the perspective of his eyes in the lighting.
Every morning, Nicky would kiss the tips of his fingers and press them to the bottom of the portrait in benediction. Then, he would close his eyes, letting the love and sorrow flow freely in his chest for a few minutes.
“I will see you again, hayati,” he would say. “Wait for me by the gates of Heaven, just as you did by the gates of Jerusalem. I will be with you again soon.”
It was a ritual that Nile and Booker supported wholeheartedly.
“Tell Joe to say hi to Andy for me,” Booker would add.
“Tell Joe I miss him. No one else will geek out with me over the Impressionist Movement,” Nile would grumble.
Sometimes, Nicky thought, it was like Joe was simply away on a mission. Like he would walk back through the door at any moment.
“Maybe he never left,” Nile mused once when Nicky voiced this thought. The three of them were sitting on the veranda, sipping hot tea and watching people mull about on the street.
Nicky frowned. “I want his soul to be at peace, Nile. Not wandering around like a ghost.”
“You know what they say. Not all who wander are lost.”
“I do feel like he’s here, sometimes,” Nicky confessed. “People say that your loved ones never truly leave you, that they stay alive in your heart, but I always figured it was a metaphor. I never imagined it could feel so real.”
“Can I ask you something, Nicky?” Booker’s voice shook slightly with hesitation.
“Hmm, go ahead.”
“How- how did you survive?”
Nicky rubbed his eyes. “Joe would never forgive me if I didn’t. That was the main reason. But I also believe that this is my penance.”
“For what?”
“For how we met. For what I did to him, to his people, his family. All this pain - being without him, mourning him - this is what finally cleanses me of my actions. It hurts, every day it hurts, but I can’t bring myself to run from it.” He stared down into his tea for a long moment. “I will continue on until it is my time, because it’s what my Joe would have wanted.”
***
Three years after Joe’s passing, Nicky finally gathered the courage to sort through his things. As he carried a stack of notebooks from the closet to the bed, one slipped to the ground and fell open.
Nicky set the others down and picked it up, running his fingertips over the page. It was a poem, written in Joe’s familiar cursive.
Empires rise and fall
In a blink of God’s eye,
The laws of nature bend
As what’s mortal becomes divine.
And the realization dawns
When I see I’m left behind,
Humankind’s greatest inheritance
Is losing something to time.
As Nicky contemplated this, his cell phone blared to life on the nightstand. He reached for it distractedly.
“Hello?”
“Nicky,” Nile gasped on the other end.
“Nile? Dio, isn’t it like 3AM there?”
“Yeah, I woke up. How fast can you get to Medina?”
“Uh… I could book a flight for a few hours out?”
“Great, do that. Booker and I are already on the way to the airport.”
“Wha- Nile, slow down. What’s going on?”
There was a brief pause. Then-
“We had this dream. There’s a new one.”
#the old guard#joe x nicky#kaysanova#book of nile#yusuf al kaysani#nicolo di genova#nile freeman#booker#fluff#angst#tw: major character death#alzheimer's#tw: dementia#coping with loss#resolution/hopeful ending#growing old together#kavi writes#fanfiction#tog fanfic#demonicneonfishy#userhegel#(lmk if you want to be tagged in fics <3)
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A Witchers Pack Chapter Three
Geralt is acting weird again but this time for a different reason.
Masterlist
Warnings: Adult situations 18+, Smut, Dubcon, swearing, knotting, possesive alpha
A/n: so this has taken forever to get done as i have tweakeds it and rewrote it and changed my mind hundreds of times bu here it is i hope you all enjoy
Taglist: @havenoffandoms @ayamenimthiriel @chynagirl13
A Witchers Pack Chapter Three
Rebbeka.. that was the name they gave your child it was beautiful and befitting in its meaning 'one who ties' and tie she had your pack was closer than ever both fathers fretting over her, helping look after her. In all honesty all you did was feed and bathe her they were so enamoured with her you bearly got a look in. Traveling had admittedly become more difficult it had been decided that you would all head for kaer morhen and spend a year or Two before heading back out geralt would take contracts that wasnt to far maybe a few weeks at a time and that was it untill rebekka was older and whilst there you and Jaskier would be taugh the basics in sefldefence afterall you had a pup to protect now. You was lucky she was a quiet child only crying when she needed something, all doubts you had about being a mother had been washed away when your instincts had kicked it. Jaskier was a wonderful father he sung to her every afternoon and every night she fell to sleep quickly when he did and your heart melted when Geralt cradled her so softly, it looked strange seeing the big bad alpha hold the tiny swaddled child but your breath caught in your throat each time. She was now two weeks old and had just started to focus, she seemed to be obsessed with geralts eyes. Everytime your alpha held her close to his face she stared unblinking at them waving her tiny arms around. He sighed and made a fuss about it but you knew he loved having her attention. With Jaskier it was his nose for some reason...he wasn't sure what to make of it to be honest. You clutched her to your breast feeding her as you sat atop roach walking down the well traveled path Geralt leading infront scouring the area for any dangers grunting as your scent wafted to him. It was hell for him, your scent had changed it was calling him to fuck you again and he felt like a teenager constantly hard wanting to fuck you into the ground untill you was mewling for him to stop, images of you begging him not to fill you so close after Rebekka... not that he could but the fantasy was just to delicious, you had all noticed that the Geralts behavior had begun to slip back a little, he hadn't snapped at Jaskier which was good but he was getting more posessive over you and he was posturing? flaunting his dominance over Jaskier and showing off his strength in all honestly he was peacocking something males did just before a rut basically shouting 'pick me im the strongest' it was confusing you, he shouldn't be doing it he couldn't mate, he couldn't go into a rut he'd told you that himself then the scenting oh my god he was scenting you alot always running his hands across you every chance he got , not that you minded you really shouldn't but you wanted him. You wanted him to fuck you pin you down and ravage you untill you begged for mercy you summarized it was an omega thing. Geralt strayed from the path as your child whined. No milk. You sighed shushing her befor swapping breasts letting her take her fill
"You are a greedy little madam arnet you?" Jaskier smiled up at you both before comenting
"Well she just wants to be big and strong like her daddies" Geralt called out before Jaskier could reply dark amber eyes chanllenging jaskier to carry on.
"We will set up here tonight" you sighed watching the display as Jaskier shrunk back slightly then began to set up camp soon enough you was lounging around a roaring fire , that Geralt had stated by hand, no magic required camp had been fully set up and geralt had just caught some fish which youd prepared and placed on the fire to cook and Jaskier was bouncing a happy rebekka in his arms singing to her softly as she yawned. you noticed geralt glancing at you again sniffing a little he looked strange? Eyes ablaze he was Pent up and tense and got up from your spot by the fire and curled up next to Geralt laying your head on his chest nuzzling him
"Alpha? Are you okay?" he growled low before wrapping his arms around you and grunted out his answer.
"Yes why?" In truth he wasn't ok he hadn't been okay for a few days, found himself doing strange things he was showing off he couldn't help it for some reason he was trying to impress you, somthing was happening to him all his thought seemed to revolve around fucking, he wanted to mount you again and again his cock permenatly hard, not the normal 'I could do with a fuck' hard the 'This is fucking painful and tight' hard just from being within six feet of you. His muscles were tight and shaking face was set firm jaw twitching. You could see he wasn't right and whined snuggling closer to him breathing in his scent then stopped abruptly when you smelt it, the cum that was beading on the crown of his cock. You licked your lips the smell instantly making you slick, dripping down and wet your smalls, Geralts eyes snapped to you and he growled snatching you pulling you up against his burning body, all but crushing you into his chest arms trapped in front of you against him as he burried his face in your neck breathing in your scent with deep ragged breaths groaning trying to rub his cock across your knees. So thats what all this was about? He wanted to fuck? You smiled a little turning your face resting your head below geralts chin and moving your legs letting your knees rest either side of his waist watching as Jaskier sighed as Rebekah refused to sleep again being fussy.
"Right well she isn't settling out here so I will try and put her down for the night in there, come on rebekka say night night to mama and papa" she gave a tiny whine instead making you giggle as she was carried off into the tent. Suddenly you was thrown onto your back harshly with geralt above you
"G-Geralt?" He snarled brining his face just above yours
"Be quiet omega" you whined at him rubbing your thighs together as you twitched beneath him your body already beginning to come alive just from the look he gave you. He moved in slow kissing your neck the nipped his body was screaming at him to mount you. His kisses were gentle slow drags of his hot tongue and soft lips, you shuddered as he suckled lightly on your neck forming a small mark he then ghosted his nose across it you mewled wriggling beneath him as he moved lower you gasped as his hands tore open the bodice of your dress from the neck dragging the sleeves of it off your arms. You hissed when the cold air hit your sore nipples the large pink buds puckering then embarrassingly leaked a few drops of milk, his eyes widened and you saw him swallow he groaned as the sweet scent that had been testing him was now just beneath his sensitive nose , he stared mouth slightly open watching the beads of milk drip from your full breasts down and slide of to the side. Without a thought he leaned in catching it with his tongue grunting at the incredible taste traceing its trail back up to your nipple then lapped at it dragging the flat of his tongue along it coaxing you to release more into your mouth then he pulled back and nipped harshly. As much as he would love to stay here all day feasting on your full delicious breasts your pup needed it, You hissed at him shaking your head moving your hands to push him away
"Nooo alphaaa their sore" you cried out as he grabbed your hands pinning them to the ground by your head and bitting the nipple harshly you whined at him he brought his head up fixing you with a severe look
"I thought I told you to be quiet?" He growled out making you moan and buck at him. He smirked before he leaned back on his feet tugging your hips out of your dress and smalls then crawled back over you pushing your knees back to you chest slreadjng them.
"Oh god you smell so good! Been fucking teasing me all week" he grunted then leant in kissing you your lips teasing your mouth with his tongue then bit your lip harshly making you yelp.
"I'm going to fuck you omega, Im going to bend you over and mount you like never before and then? Then I'm going to bite you, claim you and let everyone know your my bitch, mine to mount and breed when ever I feel like and you, you are going beg for it ,wave your tight little ass in the air to present for me, your going to lay there and take it, thank me for it!" His own words seemed todrown out everything around him, his cock aching straining against its confines wanted to rip you apart from the inside he shuddered falling deeper into his own lust, you whimpered at his growled out words were full of promise your walls ceased tightlyas you become a tight ball of need, he smirked lying resting himself between your thighs supporting his weight on his hands then kissed you again softer than before whispering against you lips.
"Beg for it omega, beg for your alphas cock I know you want it, you want me to claim you, for me to stuff that little cunt full again." You keened at his words panting from just the mere thought of him plowing you into the ground your body throbbing for him. He chuckled a little rolling you to your stomach below growling out his command.
"Present and beg omega" you stilled a little his low voice, it was different he sounded dangerous and feral, turning you to mush below him you quivered feeling like prey your muscles itched to run but you were far to gone to move and inch, he quickly gave a hard spank when you didn't present fast enough the rough hand leaving a stinging mark on your ass as you snapped out of it and scrabbled to get your hands and knees below you, you blushed when you felt your arousal escape your pussy dripping on to your torn dress below you. He sat back one hand lazily undoing the buttons on his shirt enjoying the way you quivered watching closely as your pussy contracted forcing more of your cum the wash your puffed excited labia from here he could see your full swollen breast swaying teasingly as you panted. He frowned it wasnt right, his omega wasnt in the correct position instinct took over screaming you should be lower. He growled taking this as an act of rebellion pressing you down a little lowering your torso, ass higher so he had the perfect angle to feed your needy little cunt. You swung your head around to him pleading.
"A-alpha please I need you please dont tease me alpha I'm ready pleeaase Geralt!" He grunted reaching one hand forward impaling and you on two fingers violently thrusting in and out you cried out in bliss at his quick pace not expecting him to be so impatient, he grunted spreading his fingers on every thrust drawing two parallel lines inside of you his fingers holding firm resisting the tight pull of your walls as you tried to close around him just as you began rocking back against him he stopped moving curling his burried fingers down then cruely pulled you back to him by your insides.
"I told you to present, now do it properly!" You cried out a little as he tugged you back further draging your whole weight back with his two crooked fingers that were lodged deep inside you, quickly you pushed your chest to the ground curving your spine holding your ass high shivering and trembling.
"Good girl, now stay there and be quiet, beta is trying to get the pup to sleep. If you wake our pup I will be very displeased with you" you whined as he began thrusting again this time he groaned watching your pussy swallow his fingers greedy for more, you cupped your hand over your mouth as you couldn't help releasing a chorus of moans and grunts gasping as he scissored his fingers back and forths hittingnthatsoft little nerve inside of you. You lurched forward then tried grinding down on his fingers jumping as he brushed that spot again shaking your head.
"Oh there it is! Lets see how much you can take shall we?" You shook your head
"No no alphaAh!" You squeaked as he spanked you again harder this time then placed his hand around your throat pulling your head back leaning over you.
"If I have to tell you again omega I'm going to mount your face and fuck your throat raw until you can't make a sound am I understood now be quiet!" You whined nodding a little as his amber eyes glowed with promise and somthing else somthing darker that sent shiveres down your spine. He would most definitly follow through. He rubbed his fingers punishing your gspot wraking his blunt nails across it forcing you to squirm and shiver then he stopped pulling the hand away to force his leggings down he froze as he felt somthing. A bulge at the base of his erect cock wretching him self up right he looked down slightly panicked. What. The. Fuck. Was. That?. He couldnt make sense of it his cock was angry red and oozing cum much like any other hard on you gave him but it felt tighter, harder and there was a tiny lump at his base that shouldn't be possible he gulped looking at your bent over form still withering before him whining and mewling at being denied your release rockkng side to side. It was then Jaskier came out of the tent
"Well she has fallen to sleee- what the? Really!" He stood there hand on hip ready to lecture but geralt interrupted him
"I think....Jaskier could I be..I mean is it possible to...." the white wolf looked up with hope in his gaze he knew what this could mean, he might be having his first rut, getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to breed, to fill his omega, to fuck and knot her! mate her and breed her all in one! Jaskier moved his hands to his hair hissing a little knowing that Geralt had no experience of ruts, this could get ugly a fully grown alpha in his first ever hormone fulled rut the first time his inner beast was this cose to the surface? Jaskier trusted his alpha but normally alphas had expirience with their 'lessers' as they called them, they grew up having ruts and by the time they were this big, this strong they had a dencent control something Geralt might not have. the witcher was already pulling his lips into a sarl at him he swallowed and lowered himself to the ground showing as much of his throat the the huge alpha as he could whining low in his throat, he wet his lips and tried to explain Geralts confusion could make his lesser angry and frustrated in a small stuttering voice he spoke.
"Some-sometimes unmated omegas with young pups can cause ruts in alphas...Alpha I think thats whats happening....She-um she wants to be mated so theirs an alpha to protect her pup" silence followed Jaskier's explanation and you went to turn around wanting to know why he wasnt already fucking you, their conversation was lost on you, Geralts hands caught you smothering you ass with his hot hands he was snarling unable to help his knee jerk reaction, in his eyes your head had moved towards the beta you wasnt to touch that beta you was his! his to claim and mate. He frowned as you cowered a little shivering. his voice had dropped when he next spoke running his hands across you in sw soothng circles from your shoulders to your ass willing you to relax under him.
"Im sorry omega I didn't mean to frighten you , please just stay there I, I don't want to hurt you." You nodded uncertain looking at Jaskier who tried to crawl around to the side of you Geralt followed his movments his snapping at him then took a deep breath and glared at Jaskier
"Beta back up! your to close far far to close! " Jaskier looked a little confused.
"You think you might be able to breed her?" Geralt sucked in a breath he fet you beneath his hands trying to arch against him, you were lost to our own desire behaveing like you was in heat he took a deep inhale trying to capture as much of your scent as he could noteing there was a subtle change, it had ripened,his eyes opened and he fixed Jaskier wth a look could he? with this new development would he be able to? your body seemed ready again, your scent was sweet and fertile,Just this once ... He smiled wide and wicked his lips curled showing his fangs. The thought only crossed hismind for a second but he had already latched on to it, the thought of watching you grow full of his litter, and it would be a litter! he would fuck as many pups int you as he could while this lasted. He would give it his best shot. His omega, full and round with his pups glowing with life that he put their not Jaskier him! you twisted around to face him wanting to see what the fuss seemed to be about, you gasped when you saw his cock a reasonably sized knot froming at the base you couldnt help the excitment bubbling in your chest, you whined rocking from side to side wanting to entice him in, to make him want to knot you, fuck you and fill you ,you hummed as another wave of slick dribbled from your wanton pussy making you ready for him.
"Alphaaa! please please knot me alpha breed me!" he smirked rubbing a hand across your back hushing you.
"Im going to, only chance I'll ever get, you hear that omega? Your going to be bred again, this time by me! I'm going to knot you properly!" you squealed as he quickly rolled you back into position face down low and ass up,Jaskier gave his alpha a look, try for another? when Rebekka was only weeks old? not that he could fault the witcher for wanting to, I mean they were always lead to believe that they could never had pups of their own and it turns out that might be incorrect, that when presented with the right circumstances that maybe they could. You moaned as Geralts rough hands manhandled you back in position his warm hands seemed to leave tingles across your hips as he tugged you around spreading your legs and pushing you forward a little angleing you by pressing your shoulders down again like before holding you so that you'd take him deep and he would hopefully flood your womb. You cried out as he nudged forward not willing to risk this opportunity passing him by you held your breath as he smeared the head of his cock across your lips ghosting your trembling core he sighed a heavy gravly noise as he felt your desperate walls trying to suck him in, hissing as your hot core almost bruned him then he thrust forward impaling you with all of his might growling ,eyes cast down watching as you tight body was forced to take him up to his knot, Jaskier watched as Geralt tore into your body almost savagly then held himself still snarling, his pupils seeped out untill his eyes were nothing but a deep black void of feral need. You screeched out as his thick cock slid true bypassing any feebal resistance your body put up, you groaned his growls reverberated through your back making you shiver walls clenching around him as he burrowed deeper and deeper into you grunting and hissing the entire time as his throbbing cock parted your walls massaging the stretched passage deep before hiking your hips higher tilting you forward determined to leave his mark deep, you moaned an widened your knees keening as his .
"FUUCKYESSS thats it omega....Fuck good girl your going to be soo full...so so full....you want that? for me to keep you full with pups and cum?" you whined as he leant his weight down into you bashing your cervix instinct drving him, testing to see if he could breech it yet, that was his goal, to tease past it hold himself there an release into your womb determined to breed you himself this time. Your arms gave out when he pulled back a little then rammed forward grunting, you cried out as you starting falling face first but you quickly had one of his hands fisted in your hair dragging you back up he spanked you quickly then began to ravage you pounding fast and hard you whimpered in pain as he worked you harder than before bearly having time to catch your breth as he fucked it out of you as you felt small spurts of cum already trying to paint your insides scorching your channel lready. Jaskier gulped watching as Geralt fucked you brutally, he winced as he heard your pained grunts and the stinging slaps of his thighs and balls hitting your legs. you closed your eyes as Geralt rutted into you making you moan loud and long as he pressed harder each time you couldn't help moaning and crying out for him as he built up a bone rattling pace you squealed as he hurtled you into an orgasm making your whole body relax and spasm at the same time as you released over him pressing your head into the ground and arching your ass to him trying to swallow more of him as his balls pounded away as your sensitive clit sending small waves of pleasure up your spine making you tighten around him, despite the harsh thrusts you loved it feeling him part you so deep you cenched around walls fluttering trying to coax him into finishing as he fucked you through your orgasm you mewled pulling you head up as it became to much your clit started to sting under the harsh slaps it recived from him.
"N-NO ahahUGHFUCK PLEASE! alphaaa stop its to much-AAAHH FUCK NONONONO" You pleaded with him making him groan as he fucked you harder your knees fell out from under you as you collapsed exhausted kicking out when he mearly followed you down still driving into you as hard as he could lost in his own need to breed you, he growled tugging your hips up leaving the rest of you sprawled out feeling you fall into your second orgasm with a loud yelp.
"Fuck thats itUGHUGH GOOD GIRL fuck you're already trying to finish me!!" you mewled as he moved a hand to your throbbing clit rotating his wrist a little to get the best angle he then started flicking it left to right with fast light passes of his fingertips making you try to bare down on him you slowly began to feel him swell he swore as you panicked a little trying to avoid the thick flesh trying to breech you.
"Ah ah its ok almost there fuck yes! UGHUGH OH-SHIT FUCK YES omega shh shh come on take it, you can take it, dont you want me to breed you? to knot you, of course you want your alpha to knot you thats your purpose, you were made to be knotted" you cried uncomfotably when he tried pushing his knot into you.
"UGH FUCK SAKE stay ohfuuck stay still omega! Your getting it and thats FINAL!!!" You moaned as he held you firm with a snarl his throbbing cock pulsing forcing you to moan out loud with each thrust making you wither against him tired, fucked but your body still desperate for another realese chasing it as he rid you hard into the ground,you clawed at the ground trying to get away from the huge knot pressing at your swollen pussy, promising to destroy you
"NO YOU DON'T, GET BACK HERE!!" you screamed as he simply held your hips then with a heavy rutting motion began to push past your tender lips.
"no-AH NO IT HURTS ALPHA STOOOPP!! NO NO PLESE PLEAS-UGH FUCK!" you protested as he found himself settling deeper and deeper finally with a brutal thrust he had breeched your cervix making you scream as the sacred little opening was force fed a good few inches, it was a terrible double edged sword painfull and intoxicating he pinned you seemingly more excited now that he was past all barriers your body streched and willing to be bred. Jaskier watched cringing a little as you went pale face morphed into shock, mouth agape no sound escapeing and eyes wide tears smothering your face as Geralt snapped his hips forward again grunting as his knot was fully seated inside of you.
"Good girl fuck-OHH GODsuch a good girl, stuffed so full-fuck thats so good shit thats it little one nearly done" You clenched around him again at his praise, your alpha was proud of you when your body accepted him deeper you felt a tremendous stretch that stung your walls then you seemed to tighten around him, closing behind a fat ball of twitching flesh,his knot thats what he had just stuffed you with! it felt huge pressing on your walls from all sides he still gave short thrusts each rubbing on your gspot pulling and throbbing you could feel the bulbos head of his fat cock past your cervix, for all you knew he was in your stomach, you felt winded and full after a few small thrusts he grunted knot swelling with blood truly locking you to him you winced then without warning he then dove down latching him fangs into your neck giving you his claimin bite.
"A-ALPHA? Ohmy- n-No PLEASE IT HURTS STOP!" he smiled into the bite happy that you coudnt wriggle from under him he felt his balls tighten then start to release it was only then he pulled back licking at the wound carefully, his lesser was saited now you were his, his alone, he was knotted and filling you. Finally with the mark inplace he calmed down eyes returning to their normal amber. You whimpered as you felt the first flood of hot cum releasing into you the spray set something off in you as you tensed again around him shuddering your body trying to cum around him but struggled to clench around him properly resulting in a weak orgasm, he moaned praising you as he continued warming your insides it stopped then another stream and another it felt like he was releasing torrents of the stuff you moaned tilting your hips up trying to take as much as you could from him your own insides dragging it deeper as you trembled, you winced as he followed his knot was painfull and hard holding your muscles apart you tugged forward but he quickly reassured you holding you back firm against him.
"shh shh its ok omega, this is what you were made for, a knot, an alpha to breed your little cunt, you can take it you will take it all of it and if anything trickles out of your little stuffed pussy I'm going to do it again and again as many timed as i can untill you remeber your fucking place! mine your mine only! my mate, my omega" you whined feeling him twitching still realesing thick ribbons into you , you blushed when the sensation made you moan loud, after all the pleasure and pain it felt soothing he rubbed your back and wasnt long before you started shivering the coolnight air on your sweat slicked body made you cold now that you was resting.
"Jaskier are you ok?" the bard nodded enthusiastically trying to hide his rageing boner
"I can smell you Jaskier...can you go get some heavy blankets she's getting cold, then go sort yourself out....stay close" the bard nodded quickly he had tried to stay as still as he could Geralts lesser was.frightening to say the leaset if he had moved he could have drawn the alphas attention and that could have been his last mistake, he moved to the tent gathering the warmest blankets you had in camp then scuttled over to the other side of the fire to sort himself out. You whjned feeling a little sorry for him giving geralt a a small frown
"I could-"
"NO I might attack him, he will be fine mate now get some rest" Geralt wasn't going to let him touch you not so close afer mating you itd be a bad idea hslesser was gone for the moment but Geralt wouldn't risk his beta like that he could snapp and attack him quiet easily, you yelped when geralt quickly sat back down taking you with him litteraly dragging you around by his cock you winced as the were placed on his lap a heavy blanket over the both of you,Geralt was a furnace in his own right and soon you'd fallen to sleep. Geralt stayed sitting still for what felt like hours as you slept, Jaskier had gone to bed ages ago sleeping along side rebekka finally the withers knot shrunk carfully he slipped free noting that nothing had escaped he felt a little guilty as you winced hissing in your sleep as he pulled away but couldn't help the overwhelming relief as he looked at you neck.His.His hopefully bred omega. Quietly he carried you into the tent and laid you down, now all he had to do was wait and hope he hadn't fucked it up.
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The Lies of Men Chapter 16
Dean Winchester x Reader AU
Story Summary:Y/N is married to a very wealthy bank owner. After his true colors show through, Y/N runs to her police officer brother for help. Instead, she finds his friend Dean, who offers his support. Set in the 1940′s.
Catch Up Now: Masterpost
Warnings: None
Dean’s arms were wrapped tight around you as he helped you up the stairs, offering you so much more than physical support. “We’ll figure this out,” he kept promising over and over as he guided you into your room.
You were limp in his arms, letting him guide you to your bed. He gingerly placed you down, crouching down until his pain-filled green eyes were level with your own. “Don’t let him do this,” his voice was firm, yet gentle. “Don’t let him break you with this. Don’t let him win.”
“He hasn’t won,” you whispered. “But he has shaken me.”
Your admission brought a fleeting smile to his face. Brushing your hair back from your face, he sighed. “Anyone would have been shaken by that. But you’re tough. And all he did was make me damn sure this man will not be able to hurt you, or anyone else ever again.”
“Dean, can I talk to you?” Sam called from outside your bedroom door.
Dean stood up, squeezing your shoulder before stepping out into the hallway with his brother. As soon as he was gone, you stood up as well, rubbing your arms to try and remove the chill that refused to leave your body. The skirt of your robe and nightgown was damp from the rain, and you hastily pulled them off, tossing them into the corner.
Reaching into the wardrobe, you pulled out a silky, forest green nightgown, the color matching Dean’s eyes perfectly. Your knight in shining armor. The only man besides your brother you could trust. You felt horrible to pull him into this mess with Lawrence, but you couldn’t have asked for a better man. A man you had easily fallen in love with.
“Y/N?” A soft knock on your door pulled you from your thoughts. Amelia peeked her head inside. “Are you okay? That had to be horrible.”
You nodded, wanting to forget everything you had just seen. But knowing that it would probably stick with you forever. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid question. But I just wanted to let you know that Sam and Dean are busy downstairs cleaning up. Bobby’s here as well. But they wanted me to come up here, and see how you were doing. Give you this.”
It was a warm cup of tea. You took the drink, sipping on it as she stepped into your room. “I’m fine,” you answered, but it wasn’t the truth. Taking another sip of your tea, you shook your head. “Actually, I’m not. I’m about as far away from fine as I could be.”
“That was a stupid question. I’m sorry,” she apologized, taking the empty tea cup from my hand, setting it down on the vanity. “But Y/N, they just didn’t send me up here to bring you tea. They’ve come up with a plan. At least for a day or two.”
“And what’s that?” You asked, a yawn overtaking you. You were stressed, and exhausted, and ready to climb into bed and forget about today.
“Sam has a safe house,” she explained. “It’s down by the bay. They’ve instructed me to take you there. You’ll be safe, until Sam and Dean come up with a new plan.”
It sounded reasonable. “Let me gather a few items, and I’ll be ready,” you started to say, but she took your wrist in her hand, pulling sharply on you.
“No time for that. I have some items there. We need to go. Now,” she insisted, pulling you out of your room. With your exhausted mind, you put up no resistance, following along as she pulled you down the stairs.
“Wait. Can’t I talk to Dean before we go,” you pleaded softly as another yawn slipped past your lips.
She shook her head, pressing her finger to her lips. “Shh. We don’t know if there’s a mole in the house. We have to be as quiet as we can.”
You nodded, leaning against her, even more exhausted then you had been minutes before. Your body felt weighted, each step harder than the next. Down the back hallway, she pulled you, past the darkened kitchen. Out into the backyard, past the garage to the already open back gate. “Our rides here,” she told you, pushing you into the oldsmobile. Your eyes barely stayed open as she slid in beside you.
“Were you followed?” A male’s voice, slightly familiar in your sluggish mind asked.
“No, thank god,” Amelia exclaimed. “But hurry up Brady, before we’re caught.”
“Caught?” You yawned, leaning against the cool window.
She chuckled, her cool and timid behavior suddenly changing to one of contempt, and glee. “You were so easy!” She exclaimed. “A little tea, and you believed my story. After everything you’ve gone through I wouldn’t have thought it would be so easy.”
“No,” your mind struggled to wrap around everything. “You poisoned me.”
“Just a little sleeping potion,” she chuckled. “By the time you’re awake, we’ll be long on our way to our meeting with Lawrence.”
“Why?” You asked as you slipped into sleep, your freedom slipping away.
Read Chapter 17
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#the lies of men#dean winchester x reader#supernatural reader insert#supernatural x reader#supernatural fanfic#dean fanfic#katy writes#dean au
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OG616 : Thor: The Dark World - Pt.3 [Thor’s Return]
[My masterlist, where all parts of this and my other fics can be found]
Pairing: Loki / Sigyn (basically an oc based off the marvel/myth namesake)
Warnings: just more sad - but with some hope at the end!
Author’s Note: I take some deleted scenes as canon, so enjoy those making a little appearance. c:
Taglist: @high-functioning-lokipath , @onaheroicmission
To be added to the taglist, just ask me here or send a message! <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Loki was first imprisoned, it had been summertime - but the bright days and warm, temperate nights spent gazing up at the stars brought Sigyn little comfort. She wished he were there, with her. As time passed, along with grief for what could have been, a gradual swell of frustration and despair welled up inside of her.
He was so close. On the same realm, but stuck in the deepest reaches of Asgard.
Frigga had helped her send more gifts. Odin, catching onto their scheme, clearly disapproved. He never confronted her about it, but Sigyn often gave him a wide berth just in case.
And she never once dared to go near the entrance to the dungeons.
She avoided that area of the palace entirely, in fact. For months she dutifully kept her promise, instead pouring into the letters that were safely hidden in the folds of books she sent to Loki. She told him what everyone was doing, how the realms were faring, and what new (or old) places she’d found in the forest. She told him of any astronomical happenings, knowing he liked to watch the sky. She even told him, around Yule, how she had thought of him during the celebratory toasts.
By the time a second summer passed, Sigyn was running low on books to send.
Eventually, whispers of autumn played on the breeze. The chipper green hues of summer gave way to fiery reds, the same color as…
Sigyn sighed heavily, sitting on a tufted window seat in a breezy area of the palace, her sketchbook on her lap.
Thor still hadn’t returned home.
Neither had Sif, nor the Warriors Three. Instead, troops of Einherjar, often led by Tyr, funneled enemy captives into the dungeons. She saw them sometimes, droves of hardened criminals, some still covered in blood that was most likely not theirs, being paraded down into the depths.
It would be easy enough to disguise herself, slip in among them, and then… Well, trying to avoid being imprisoned herself was the tricky part. She huffed through her nose. In truth, she’d concocted dozens of far-fetched plans on how to reach Loki, or free him.
But she was bound by her word.
Frigga was too smart to let me go without making a promise, Sigyn mused, She knew I’d go straight to him otherwise. But this existence is.. Miserable.
Sigyn closed her eyes. She had spent countless days on a seat like this years ago, lying next to Loki. Sunny mornings and rainy afternoons, cozied up with a good book and loving company…
She shook her head and sighed.
An eternity alone.
One year was a fraction of her life, yet it felt like an eternity in itself. Were they doomed to this fate forever? Odin showed no sign of shortening Loki’s sentence, despite her excellent behavior. Even Frigga couldn’t convince him to letting anyone visit the dungeons, outside of delivering prisoners.
Fate…
Grabbing her book, Sigyn flipped through the pages. It doubled as a notebook of sorts, and often accompanied her on trail rides or trips to visit Heimdall and learn about the stars. It was an unassuming and well-loved little book, the pages all crumpled and covered in scribbled-down futhark.
Eventually, she found the page she was looking for, and the symbol upon it. Three sets of three lines. One, vertical, the other two at angles. The web of Wyrd. The net of Skuld. The matrix of fate.
Her eyes drifted to the margins, where she’d taken notes from a book in the library - the same one she had read frequently after Loki’s fall. It had quickly become a favorite book in those months, so much that she’d copied an entire page from it. A knot formed in her throat as she read.
“Here we see how the past, present, and future are interconnected. Norns, keepers of fate, weave them through spinning the strings of our lives. We provide the material with our choices, our actions. But who is to say this life is the only tapestry made?
Endless choices, endless possibilities await us with every day, every breath. Surely, other paths await. For as we exhale our final breath in this life, we inhale our first in another: An eternal tapestry of fate.”
Sigyn held the book closer, pressing it to her chest. A tear slid down her cheek, plopping into her lap.
I’ll see you again, love. In this life or the next.
~~~~
Weeks later still, Thor returned to Asgard, inspiring raucous celebration in his wake. The entire realm seemed to rejoice upon his return. By the time a new wave of prisoners had been taken to the dungeons, and those escorting them could return to their lives, it was dark out. Cold.
Snow drifted down from the sky, white powder collecting on the edges of streets and tops of buildings. The beginnings of winter had found its way to Asgard: the last hues of fall clinging to the trees, cool rain now replaced with soft flurries of white.
Sigyn took a deep breath of icy air, pulling the collar of her sapphire cloak closer to her neck. Oddly enough, she enjoyed the cold. It felt familiar.
She had changed into a slightly thicker, warmer version of her riding outfit. But now she adorned it with an emerald and gold sash tied around her waist, as well as her necklace, which was tucked in her shirt.
As beautiful as the palace was, Sigyn always loved roaming the city.
Fires blazed around her, filling the night with bursts of amber light, and countless Asgardians were already celebrating the recent victory on Vanaheim. Laughing, drinking, reveling.
Sigyn quickened her pace.
Children raced past her and she recognized them as Volstagg's son and daughter, following them through a tavern. She exhaled a gentle breath, the warm air melting the snowflakes on her shoulders as she approached a large table. A powerful voice filled the room everyone was nestled into.
"... Cracking under the strain, I threw the beast off. But, six more beat me to the ground, crushing my blade as if it was paper- Oh, you're missing the best part, hah!" Volstagg called his children over, scooping his daughter up into his lap. She giggled.
Sigyn took a careful seat next to Thor, who smiled a silent greeting. She returned it. Across the room, Fandral, ignoring his two lady-friends for a moment, gave Sigyn a small wave. She smiled again, nodding at him.
Thank the Norns they’re home safe.
"Now, where was I..?" Volstagg held his daughter in his lap.
"You were surrounded." Thor smiled, taking a drink.
"Again." Fandral smirked.
"Oh, yes, yes yes, by the most vile criminals the Nine Realms have ever produced!" Volstagg embellished each word with dramatic movements, entertaining the crowd.
"To our left, savage beasts, with fangs like knives! To our right, soldiers of fortune, their blades dripping with blood! And who was there to face the horde, but Fandral the Dashing!"
"I was." Fandral took a drink.
"Hogun the Grim," Volstagg continued, "And Volstagg the.." He stopped.
"Voluminous?" One of Fandral's ladies suggested.
"Fat." Fandral chuckled, and even Thor and Sigyn laughed.
Volstagg looked indignant. "Invincible!" He corrected, "I don't mind telling you, I feared for Thor's life." He pointed to the thunder god, who was still grinning.
"But," Volstagg raised his voice, "With steely courage, intrepid spirit, and an axe-" He beat the table with a fist, "Victory was ours!" then raised a toast to tumultuous applause.
Thor clapped, drinking more mead. "Truly, a tale for the ages."
"No doubt he'll be telling it that long as well," Fandral took another drink.
"Another!" Volstagg shouted, tossing his goblet aside. Several others did the same.
Sigyn kept smiling, but never as widely as she once would have.
I wish you were here, Loki.
I wish you were here beside me. Joining in the celebration. Correcting Volstagg, rolling your eyes and chuckling at him.
You could always make me laugh.
She felt Thor move next to her, setting down his goblet without so much as sipping from it.
"Brother?" She muttered to him.
He pursed his lips in a half-smile. “It’s nothing.” But as he gave her a firm, loving pat on the shoulder and left, Sigyn saw a pain behind his eyes she knew all too well.
The mortal he met, he still misses her. Her heart ached. I know how that feels...
Sigyn left the celebration early, heading straight to the palace.
It didn’t take her long to find Frigga. She was in her chambers, a basin of fire lit before her. Sigyn cleared her throat.
Frigga glanced at her over her shoulder. “It’s quite cold out tonight. Though, I expect the festivities are keeping you all warm.”
“Some warmer than others. Fandral has returned to being.. Well, Fandral.”
The queen laughed gently. “Yes, I expect he has.”
Sigyn huffed a small laugh, walking closer. They stood a moment, watching the flames.
“Frigga..” Sigyn started, looking at her - she noticed there were tears in the queen’s eyes. “Is.. Something wrong?”
Frigga smiled sadly. “I spoke with him today. Loki.”
Sigyn froze. Frigga continued, “Using illusions, of course. He’s settled in nicely - you did well, choosing things that would help him feel more comfortable. I had meant to fetch you tomorrow, in fact, to help you visit him through magic - Odin is in good spirits, now that Thor has returned. But I’m not sure Loki would like to see me for a while.”
Sigyn swallowed. “What did he do?”
Frigga rubbed her hands together. “He is bitter. Angry. Hurting. I fear resentment toward Odin and Thor has clouded his judgement..”
“I need to see him,” She whispered, so softly she was surprised when Frigga heard.
“Yes.” The queen agreed. “And he needs you.”
Sigyn looked at her, eyes filled with tears.
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[Date] 左然 Zuo Ran: 「醉意入怀 Drunken Bottled Truths」
Preview:
“Why...
I told you, to come find me when you run into trouble.
Why did you have to... with him...
Do you always trust others this easily!?”
youtube
Keep reading for the full date!
youtube
▌Location- Themis Law Firm, Break Room
Beep beep beep-- it was four-thirty in the afternoon, and my alarm went off on my phone. I closed the notification, saved the document I was working on, and closed my laptop. I brought my makeup bag from my desk into the break room and started my routine. There’s a business reception tonight, organized by the famous watchmaker brand in Stellis City, “LingXi Watches”. Zuo Ran had been responsible for one of their lawsuits and had been invited to attend. In turn, Zuo Ran extended the invitation to me as his plus one.)
MC:
(Maybe I should spend more time practicing how to put on makeup… My skills are seriously lacking… Oh well, I should be fine with a little foundation. I don’t think I should attempt anything more advanced than that.)
Just as I was rummaging through my bag of makeup products, the break room door opened. ChengCheng peeked in to the breakroom and quickly rushed over to me.
ChengCheng:
“Psst, is it true that you’ll be attending LingXi Watches’s reception with Lawyer Zuo tonight?”
MC:
“Yeah, why, what’s wrong?”
Suddenly, ChengCheng clasped my hands in hers and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
ChengCheng:
“I beg you… I only have this one wish in my life! If it’s not too much trouble, I beg you… you gotta help me!”
MC:
“What is it?”
ChengCheng:
“My favorite star is attending LingXi Watches’s party as their spokesperson. If you get a chance to meet him, can you help me get his autograph…”
ChengCheng continued to explain; I couldn’t get a word in.
ChengCheng:
“I’m not asking for you to hound him or anything like that! If… the opportunity should present itself, won’t you try and ask him for me…”
MC:
“Alright, I’ll try. No guarantees though-”
ChengCheng wrapped me in a tight bear hug before I could finish my sentence.
ChengCheng:
“Of course, of course! I owe you my life in thanks! MC, you’re like an angel sent down from above!”
▌Location- Zuo Ran’s Office
At the same time…
Zhai Xing:
“Are you really planning on taking MC to tonight’s banquet?”
Zuo Ran:
“That’s right, why?”
Zhai Xing:
“The reception isn’t exclusive to businesspeople; there’s going to be celebrities attending as well. I remember… Gao ShengHan, LingXi Watches’s spokesperson, will be in attendance.”
Zuo Ran:
“You pay attention to celebrity news?”
Zhai Xing:
“Of course not, I only know him because he recently starred in a popular new drama about love in the workplace. In the end, all the ladies in our firm were raving about him, so I remembered his name. I heard that Gao ShengHan is deemed ‘the senior we’d kill to work with’.”
Zhai Xing glanced at Zuo Ran and gave him a pointed look.
Zhai Xing:
“Aren’t you scared that she’ll…?”
Zuo Ran:
“I don’t think she’s the type of person to be attracted to TV personalities. Besides, dramas like that aren’t based on reality. A relationship is built upon a foundation of mutual understanding and trust.”
Zhai Xing:
“What you just described is defined as a slow-burn love. Now, let’s not forget that ‘love at first sight’ still exists. Hold on - what did you just say? ‘Dramas like that-’? What do you even know about TV tropes? You’ve watched his show?”
Zuo Ran awkwardly coughed, got up, and fixed his tie.
Zuo Ran:
“There’s not much time left, I’ll head out first.”
~~~
▌Location- Parking Lot
Zuo Ran drove us to the hotel venue, and we arrived close to the banquet start time. This was my first time accompanying Zuo Ran as his plus one. In the past, I had only attended strictly as his assistant. I couldn’t help but feel nervous. I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths. Just then, Zuo Ran spoke up beside me.
Zuo Ran:
“Ah, there’s something I have to remind you of.”
MC:
“What is it?”
Zuo Ran:
“There’s going to be all kinds of people at the reception. If anyone tries to force you to accept drinks, you need not go along with them. Immediately come find me if it happens.”
MC:
“B-but the guests tonight all have some kind of social standing. If I refuse their invites, it won't look good for them…”
I hesitated. Even if I didn’t have experience attending parties like this, it would sound rude if I refused.
MC:
“I’m not going as my own entity, my actions may directly impact Themis.”
Not to mention, I’ll be representing Zuo Ran as well… I can’t afford to do anything that might upset the guests; I’ll end up only causing trouble for Zuo Ran.
MC:
“Also, what if the other party is a client of Themis… it’ll be a good opportunity to get our firm’s name out there.”
Zuo Ran:
“I don’t need to drink to pull clients. Themis isn’t asking that of you, either.”
Zuo Ran smiled gently when he noticed that I was nervous.
Zuo Ran:
“All you have to do is be your everyday self. You’re the partner I’ve chosen, let your professionalism sway others for you. Believe in yourself, and trust me.”
He spoke directly and calmly, his words carrying a gentle strength.
MC:
“... I understand.”
--- PART 2 ---
▌Location- Banquet Venue
Even with Zuo Ran’s reassuring presence, I felt nervous walking into the venue. I checked out the beautiful hotel decor, and my sights settled on someone who stood out in the crowd.
MC:
(Is… Isn’t that Gao ShengHan?)
ChengCheng’s wish popped into mind, I hurriedly pulled out the picture she had handed me earlier so that I could confirm it was really Gao ShengHan.
MC:
“It really is Gao ShengHan!”
I accidentally spoke my mind, and Zuo Ran turned around at the sound of my voice.
Zuo Ran:
“What is it? Someone you recognize?”
MC:
“A-ah, not quite, I just saw someone famous, and I can’t help but feel starstruck.”
Zuo Ran looked over my shoulder, and saw Gao ShengHan. He raised a brow at me.
Zuo Ran:
“...”
MC:
“Seeing him up close in person, he’s actually quite…”
I turned around as I spoke, and met Zuo Ran’s sharp gaze. He was frowning, searching my face with an expression so strange that I couldn’t even begin to describe it.
Zuo Ran:
“You… care about him?”
MC:
“I guess so, his recent TV drama is quite popular.”
Zuo Ran quieted, and he glanced at the photo in my hand.
MC:
(C-crap… does Lawyer Zuo think I accompanied him just so I can meet celebrities? That’s so unprofessional!)
I quickly shoved the picture of Gao ShengHan back into my clutch, and awkwardly reassured him.
MC:
“T-that... Lawyer Zuo! I promise this will not hinder my work! Th-the picture… it’s…”
Zuo Ran:
“...”
One of LingXi Watches’s executives approached us and began to discuss the aftermath of their court victory with Zuo Ran, thus I couldn’t finish explaining myself. The case was one that Zuo Ran had worked on all by himself before I had become his work partner. My presence beside Zuo Ran might hinder his discussion, so I quietly left his side.
On the other side of the banquet hall, Gao ShengHan was entertaining a small group of people. ChengCheng’s wish popped up in my mind again, but…
MC:
“The people he’s with right now… must be a bunch of hotshots… How can a small-time lawyer such as myself approach the nation’s husband…”
As I stood aside brainstorming ways that I could approach Gao ShengHan, he started walking towards me.
Gao ShengHan:
“Hi, I was wondering if you were Lawyer MC?”
MC:
“Ah! Yes, I am, nice to meet you. You’ve… heard of me?”
Gao ShengHan:
“Of course. You were the one who defended PAX Group's Mr. Lu Jinghe from accusation, right? I followed the news coverage and even watched videos of the trial; it was very exciting.”
MC:
“You flatter me. I would’ve never thought that an A-list celebrity such as yourself would pay attention to the subject of law.”
Gao ShengHan:
“Ah, actually, I’ve only recently started paying attention.”
MC:
“Oh?”
Gao ShengHan smiled and used the topic of the lawsuit to strike up conversation with me. It turned out that he had been cast for an upcoming law drama and was brushing up on a lawyer’s mannerisms, even going as far as to shadow lawyers when they were on the clock. He told me he had reviewed many videos of trials, but there were still things he preferred to talk face to face about with professional lawyers.
Gao ShengHan:
“The office drama that just aired was made popular all thanks to the director’s hard work on writing such a phenomenal script. The truth is… my acting is still lacking… I didn’t come from an acting background, so there’s still a lot I have to learn. So I’m hoping that it’ll help if I prepare for the role in advance.”
He spoke with an absolutely charming and boyish determination, but stood firm with a man’s conviction. He was set on chasing his dream of becoming a good actor; it was hard not to like him.
MC:
(No wonder ChengCheng likes him so much…)
Gao ShengHan:
“Lawyer MC, I was wondering if you would share with me some tips and tricks when it comes to speaking in court?”
I was still working on getting ChengCheng her autograph, and I hastily accepted his request.
MC:
“Of course I can! Although it’s been said that facts can triumph over eloquence, in the eyes of the law, it is often that facts will benefit from eloquence. Polishing your debate skills and litigation strategies can get you twice as far, with half the effort.”
Gao ShengHan:
“I see, then what about cases with iron-clad evidence, or cases with little to no evidence at all?”
MC:
“Then we’ve got to cross-examine whatever they’ve got! A piece of evidence’s authenticity, legitimacy, relevance, and size of the evidence must always be considered and contested.”
That’s how Zuo Ran once dismantled a case with seemingly solid defense.
~~~Flashback~~~
Defendant Xiao Ke was charged with homicide and imprisoned twenty years ago. He escaped after serving his sentence for ten years, and was arrested again after returning home to visit his sickly mother.
Prosecutor:
“The prosecutor believes that defendant Xiao Ke’s behavior meets the severity of prison escape. The facts of the crime are clear, and the evidence against him is sufficient.”
Zuo Ran:
“On the surface, the defendant’s prison escape is indeed in line with escape crimes. However, I would like to ask the prosecutor, what is the legal benefit infringed by the escape crime?”
Prosecutor:
“The interests violated by the escape crime are punishable under the jurisdiction of the normal order of justice.”
Zuo Ran:
“Correct, but the defendant’s past prison escape does not violate the normal order of justice, and is rather an incorrect order. The guilty verdict on the count of first-degree homicide twenty years ago was fundamentally a false verdict!”
Prosecutor:
“Defendant, I must remind you that the chain of evidence was complete. Both evidence and witness testimony-”
Zuo Ran:
“The issue lies within the witness testimony! The time of the incident was 10PM on the eighteenth of February. The witness claimed he saw the defendant Xiao Ke push the victim off the east side of the bridge, resulting in the victim’s death. The witness emphasized that because the skies were clear and the moonlight was bright, he was able to watch the incident’s proceedings very clearly. However, the eighteenth of February was five days after the new moon, thus sufficient light could not have been provided. Secondly, the moon would have risen from the west, making the moonlight shine from west to east. If the suspect had pushed the victim off the east side of the bridge, his face could not have been seen solely by moonlight. Allow me to ask, how could the witness under those conditions see the defendant’s face at the bridgehead twenty meters away?”
One by one, Zuo Ran cross-examined the evidence the prosecutor had provided, tearing into each discrepancy.
~~~Flashback ends~~~
Gao ShengHan:
“Th-that’s incredible! Just like that, he managed to overturn the court ruling! But… even if it were a false verdict, it must have been difficult to win a retrial. Although I’m not well versed in law, people have always been unwilling to admit their own mistakes…”
MC:
“Well, that…”
Zuo Ran’s statement of defense back then, as a lawyer myself, and as his partner, I shared the glory and triumph of his success.
~~~Flashback~~
Zuo Ran:
“The evidence presented by the prosecution for the incident cannot form a complete system of proof. According to the principle of a false verdict, the defendant Xiao Ke’s initial ruling cannot be established, and he was falsely sentenced. Since he was falsely imprisoned to begin with, where is the escape crime? Therefore, the defendant’s prison break, cannot even be labelled as such.”
The jury broke out in a frenzy of discussion after Zuo Ran’s defense. He looked squarely at the jury and spoke again, the sound of his voice quelling the murmurs.
Zuo Ran:
“The purpose of upholding the law is not just limited to punishing criminals, but also to protect the rights of those who are innocent. Criminal law must be obliged to not only protect our country from offenders, but also to protect the wrongly accused as well as the prosecutors who put them there. If there does not exist such procedural justice, the upholding of justice itself will be as pointless as water without a source. Then, the dignity of the law will fall apart. The defendant hereby appeals to the court, to uphold the spirit of seeking nothing but the truth, and asks for a reevaluation of the evidence. We ask on the basis of the criminal justice system as the criterion, the defendant be pronounced innocent in accordance with the law.”
~~~Flashback ends~~~
The calm and orderly manner in which Zuo Ran delivers criticism, that is the masterful way in which Zuo Ran works his magic in court. And I think it’s an art, the best speech arts in the world.
Gao ShengHan:
“I see! No wonder I felt a sense of Deja Vu when I was watching the trial… After hearing about Lawyer Zuo’s speech-- I can see that you two share similar debate styles!”
MC:
“Huh?”
I’ll admit that I’ve picked apart Zuo Ran’s technique and mannerisms in court, trying my best to mimic him when I have spare time, but…
MC:
“I’m far from reaching his level.”
Gao ShengHan:
“No, I don’t think so. You’re close, very close to his skill level. Especially with the emotional control of the room, the way you conceal your intention behind hidden meanings so that your opponent says what you want them to…”
Gao ShengHan listed notes that he had taken on my style after watching my trial. He analyzed the similarities between our presence in court through the perspective of an actor.
MC:
(So to other people, this is what they see?)
I subconsciously scanned the sea of bodies for Zuo Ran’s familiar frame. He was still talking to the LingXi executive, his expression calm and indifferent. Suddenly, he must have felt someone watching as he returned my gaze and looked at me.
MC:
“!!!”
I hurriedly turned away. Gao ShengHan didn't notice that I was distracted as he continued rambling.
Gao ShengHan:
“Ah, I just remembered, you’re Lawyer Zuo’s partner, right? I’ve heard other people mention that you two are a natural pair…”
~~~
On the other side of the banquet hall, Zuo Ran was still responding to the executive’s incessant questions, but his attention gradually began to slip away to watch a certain corner of the room. There, Gao ShengHan and the girl were talking amiably; they seemed to have hit it off. The girl turned to look at him, then quickly looked away. Just then, a vivid smile blossomed on the girl’s face. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were sparkling, almost as if she had confided in the other man a secret that she had held deep in her heart.
Zuo Ran:
“...”
Zuo Ran’s gaze narrowed, and he subconsciously itched the palm of his hand.
--- PART 3 ---
▌Location- Banquet hall
After Gao ShengHan and I finished our discussion about debate techniques, he thanked me profusely.
MC:
“Ah, it was nothing. Then, Mr. Gao, can I ask you for a favor? It’s like this, er, I have a really good friend…”
I recounted to Gao ShengHan what ChengCheng had said to me in the breakroom, and he happily agreed to sign the photo.
MC:
“Thank you so much!”
Gao ShengHan:
“You’re very welcome! I should be the one thank you, honestly. Chatting with you has helped me a lot. And I would’ve never guessed that your co-worker has been supporting me ever since I debuted. Ah, aside from the autograph, let me film a shout out too! Would you help me take the video?”
MC:
“Of course!”
MC:
(Hehe… ChengCheng is going to flip when she sees this!)
I can just picture ChengCheng frothing at the mouth after I bring her the autograph, and a personal video to boot as I quickly pulled out my phone. Gao ShengHan waved enthusiastically at my camera and thanked her for her support and encouragement. After I ended the recording, he suddenly remembered something.
Gao ShengHan:
“Actually, Lawyer MC, I’m looking into starting my own studio. If it’s alright, would you help me with the studio’s legal aspect?”
Who knew I’d be the one to find new clients here!
MC:
“Thank you for putting your trust with us, I’ll inform Lawyer Zuo in a bit.”
Gao ShengHan:
“Then I’ll have to trouble you for that. To commemorate our upcoming collaboration, and to express my thanks for your help earlier, let’s have a toast.”
Gao ShengHan flagged down the server, who brought two flutes of champagne over.
MC:
“Then…”
~~~Flashback~~~
Zuo Ran:
“Ah, there’s something I have to remind you of.”
Zuo Ran:
“There’s going to be all kinds of people at the reception. If anyone tries to force you to accept drinks, you need not go along with them. Immediately come find me if it happens.”
~~~Flashback ends~~~
I looked at the champagne Gao ShengHan expectantly held out to me, and after I recalled Zuo Ran’s advice from earlier, I hesitated a little.
[Select: Don’t decline]
MC:
(It doesn’t seem like he’s forcing me to drink with him… Besides, Gao ShengHan did sign the autograph, and he’s looking to collaborate with Themis. It’ll look really bad if I refuse…)
Gao ShengHan:
“Lawyer MC?”
MC:
“Ah, thank you. A toast, then…”
I didn’t finish my sentence as a hand reached out to grab my wrist, interrupting us. It was Zuo Ran. He walked over to my side, and wordlessly separated Gao ShengHan and I.
Zuo Ran:
“Gao ShengHan?”
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo?”
Gao ShengHan:
“Ah! You’re the famous Barrister Zuo! It’s an honor to meet you in the flesh!”
Gao ShengHan held out his hand for a handshake. Zuo Ran glanced at Gao ShengHan, raised his hand, and shook it very formally.
Zuo Ran:
“Ah, pardon my intrusion, Mr. Gao. My partner here doesn’t take well to alcohol, I’ll take the drink in her stead.”
I stood frozen in shock as Zuo Ran plucked my champagne flute out of my hand, touched it against Gao ShengHan’s, and downed the drink. Our chat was cut shortly after Zuo Ran’s interruption. Zuo Ran stayed glued to my side for the rest of the night after that. Perhaps it was due to his naturally imposing aura, but no one else dared to propose a toast to us, and instead, opted to respectfully stick to business talk.
~~~
▌Location- The backseat of a taxi
The rest of the night passed in a blink of an eye. Since Zuo Ran had drunk, I hailed us a taxi. After we clamored into the back, all Zuo Ran said to me was, “We’ll drop you off first,” before falling completely silent. He leaned into the seat as a set of ocean-blue eyes looked out of the cab’s window at the passing city lights, seemingly lost in thought. The neon lights flickered over his face, and all I could see was his somber face light up in shades of blue, pink, green, and yellow. I don’t know why, but Zuo Ran seemed to be quite low-spirited.
MC:
(Has he been working too hard? Or maybe the LingXi executives asked difficult questions? If I tell Lawyer Zuo about collaborating with Gao ShengHan’s studio, will it help cheer him up? It definitely will! Afterall, this is such a well known client!)
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo, I was talking with Gao ShengHan earlier. He’s planning on building his own studio label. He has a lot of trust for Themis Law Firm, and he wants to hire me to act as the studio’s legal consultant.”
Zuo Ran:
“... You want to accept his commission?”
MC:
“Yes, afterall civil and commercial law is my strength and-”
Just as I was going to suggest bringing ChengCheng along as an assistant, Zuo Ran interrupted me.
Zuo Ran:
“...I’m sorry, let’s pick this up tomorrow. I’d like to rest.”
Zuo Ran closed his eyes and leaned against the headrest. After seeing how tired he looked, I instantly clammed up.
MC:
“Al- alright.”
MC:
(Lawyer Zuo must be absolutely exhausted…)
I quickly grabbed my phone and turned off the ringer. I didn’t want to disrupt Zuo Ran while he rested. Just then, a notification from ChengCheng popped up. She had sent me a pleading eyes emoji. I smiled at her impatience, and sent Gao ShengHan’s video over to her. As expected, ChengCheng was ecstatic, and my phone buzzed nonstop as she spammed me with countless reaction photos and gifs of Gao ShengHan: him acting cute, showing gratefulness, hearts, and kisses.
MC:
(She’s so happy, I don’t think she’ll get any sleep tonight! Today, I’ve learned that Gao ShengHan is truly a man with many expressions. I scrolled through the countless stickers and gifs. Infected by ChengCheng’s bubbly texts, I couldn’t help but smile.)
Zuo Ran:
“...Ugh!”
A sigh resounded by my ear. Zuo Ran reached out and grabbed my phone. He glared at me as his brows furrowed into deep lines on his forehead.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo?”
Zuo Ran didn’t respond. Instead, he flopped over on top of me, and I rushed to prop him up. Zuo Ran fell asleep with his head resting on my shoulder, drawing in small rasping breaths with the smell of alcohol hanging onto every breath.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo, are you drunk?”
I quickly told the cab driver to turn around after giving him Zuo Ran’s address.
--- PART 4 ---
After we arrived at Zuo Ran’s condo, he still wasn’t awake. It was a relief that I remembered Zuo Ran’s address and apartment number, I said to myself as I helped him up the elevator and into his home.
▌Location- Zuo Ran’s living room
MC:
“Hu… Lawyer Zuo, you’re home…”
I guided him over to his couch, and laid him down.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo, how are you feeling? You… you should rest on the sofa for a bit. Once you feel better, take a hot shower before heading to bed, alright?”
It’s quite late, and I’m worried about Zuo Ran. There’s no way I can stay here to take care of him; all I can do is try and leave him with reassuring words.
Zuo Ran:
“Hnng…”
It was a struggle getting him back to his suite, and Zuo Ran’s custommade suit was wrinkled from all the tugging and pulling. He stayed motionless in the position that I had left him in on the couch. I’m guessing he’s all out of strength. His skin was still flushed from the alcohol, his hair a mess atop his head, and his pretty brows were drawn tight in discomfort.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo…”
Zuo Ran:
“Water…”
Zuo Ran raised his hand and felt around on the ottoman, knocking several things down in the process.
MC:
“I’ll go get it for you! Just stay put, I’ll bring you some warm honey water!”
I hesitated on leaving Zuo Ran alone, but I quickly got up and brought him a mug of honey water. I helped him upright, and held the mug for him as he took tiny sips. I watched as his lips glistened with water; they looked really soft.
MC:
“...”
My heart pounded in my chest, and I forced myself to look away. Just then, Zuo Ran must have felt hot, for he started pulling at his tie. But no matter how hard he tugged, the tie wouldn’t give way. He scrunched his brows in frustration.
MC:
“Is the tie uncomfortable, Lawyer Zuo?”
He grunted and resumed tugging on his tie.
Zuo Ran:
“Take… it off…”
I obeyed, helping Zuo Ran take off his suit jacket, and then attempted to loosen his tie. One minute later…
MC:
(H-how do you even take off a tie…)
I struggled with the fabric. I didn’t want to use too much force and risk accidentally choking Zuo Ran. His flushed skin brushed against my fingertips, and I forced myself to banish those risky thoughts. After several failed attempts, his tie remained immaculate, whilst I had already accidentally loosened his shirt collar and several buttons in the process…
MC:
(W-what do I do now…)
My mind was mush. My vision blurred, and refused to focus on anything other than Zuo Ran’s neck as his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. His collarbone peeked out from his dress skirt, and I could see the beginning of a plane of hard muscle.
MC:
“!!!”
MC:
(I should have looked up a tutorial…!)
I fumbled through my clutch to retrieve my phone, and searched up how to remove a tie. I finally loosened the tie after following step by step instructions. I didn’t even have time to let out the breath I was holding as a breathy sigh drifted past my ear.
Zuo Ran:
“You…”
I raised my head and looked into his deep blue eyes. Blue like fizzy soda bubbles and hazy in condensation. Blue, like the rolling hills covered by rain and mist south of Yangtze River: faint, warm, and endless. Only then did I notice how close our faces were - close enough to share our breaths.
Zuo Ran:
“...”
I bolted from the sofa, banging my back up against the corner of the ottoman.
MC:
“L-l-l- Lawyer Zuo! I-I- I only… The tie couldn’t undo you.. No … N-no, I meant that you couldn’t undo the tie… Since you’re awake now, I should-”
I stammered through an awkward explanation and tried to inch my way closer to the door in an attempt to escape.
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t… leave.”
Zuo Ran overtook me in a bound as he grabbed me, pinning me flush against the wall. He looked directly at me as he took ragged and needy gasps of air. The smell of his cedar aftershave and fruity champagne hit me full force as my knees threatened to buckle.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo...?”
Zuo Ran swallowed hard, his voice becoming low and raspy.
Zuo Ran:
“Why… I’ve told you, to come find me when you run into trouble. Why did you have to… with him…”
MC:
“Him…?”
Zuo Ran’s demeanor and questions left me sweating.
Zuo Ran:
“Gao… Sheng… Han...“
MC:
“O-oh, him…”
I thought about what Zuo Ran told me in the parking lot, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.
MC:
“I’m sorry, Lawyer Zuo... At the time I didn’t feel it was right to refuse him… Mr. Gao had been very kind. He helped me with a favor, and even said that he’ll commission us…”
Zuo Ran:
“... Very kind?”
MC:
“Yes. Don’t worry, I have boundaries, and I would never drink myself silly with other people that easily. Mr. Gao is a good guy, so I-”
Zuo Ran:
“How can you be so certain! You just met him for the first time tonight!”
Zuo Ran’s aura changed in an instant, and it felt like we had been transported back to the courthouse, except I’m now on the receiving end of his scrutiny. In the past, seeing Zuo Ran fired up like this would’ve left me motivated by his passion. But now… I stayed trapped like a deer in the headlights, unsure of whether I should fight or run.
MC:
“I…”
Zuo Ran:
“Do you always trust others this easily!?”
I couldn’t refute Zuo Ran’s point. He was right, I’ve only just met Gao ShengHan, and I couldn’t possibly know what kind of person he truly was. Still, the Guo ShengHan I met at the banquet who was so hardworking and dedicated to his career, who had wholeheartedly put his faith in Themis… I couldn’t help but speak up for him.
MC:
“Just because it was the first time we met, that doesn’t mean one is incapable of judging a person’s character. Mr. Gao is very humble, he’s worked hard to get to where he is today… Even with all the fame and fortune, he’s still very approachable…”
Zuo Ran:
“Approachable? What kind of logic is that! He’s an actor, aren’t you wary of the fact that he could be lying to you? You would rather trust his word, over mine…”
Lying … to me??? In the heat of the moment, I forcefully pushed Zuo Ran aside out of frustration. Sure, I might not be close to your level of expertise when it comes to the law, but Zuo Ran, must you belittle me and doubt the fact that I can make my own judgements!
MC:
“Zuo Ran, just who do you have a grudge with to say all that?!”
I screamed back at him. The silence in the room was palpable after my outburst as a tense air settled in between us.
Zuo Ran:
“...”
He must have been taken aback by my reaction. Zuo Ran was at a loss for words, for once.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo… You’ve had way too much to drink tonight. It’s already so late, I gotta go.”
--- PART 5 ---
▌Location- Outside Zuo Ran’s Condominium
After I left Zuo Ran’s suite, I immediately hailed a taxi and went home. But… half an hour later, I had to turn back.
MC:
“I accidentally took Lawyer Zuo’s house keys with me…”
When I was trying to bring him back upstairs, I must have pocketed his keys after I pushed open his door while attempting to hold him upright. And after all that happened, I completely forgot about it until now.
MC:
“I gotta hurry, otherwise I’ll cause him even more trouble…”
“He’s lying to you…” Zuo Ran’s words came to mind, and my heart squeezed painfully. Is he unhappy with Gao ShengHan? Or maybe, it was out of line for me to pull new clients for us at the banquet?
~~~
▌Location- Zuo Ran’s living room
I unlocked his door with the keys and tentatively peeked in. Zuo Ran wasn’t in the living room.
MC:
(He must be in bed by now… Let’s just put his keys back and get out of here, lest I wake him up…)
I cautiously tiptoed into his living room, and was about to set his keys down on the ottoman. Just then, I nearly tripped over a sprawling mass on the carpet - it was Zuo Ran!
MC:
“L- Lawyer Zuo!?”
I hastily helped him off the floor.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo! Are you alright! What’s wrong with you?”
Zuo Ran opened his eyes when I shook him awake. His blurry eyes gradually focused on my face, and once he realized that it was me, he reached out and grabbed my wrist.
Zuo Ran:
“MC, you… It’s you…”
MC:
“Are you hurt anywhere, Lawyer Zuo? How did you end up on the floor? Are you feeling sick? I’ll go bring you a wet towel so you can wipe your face. Hopefully, that’ll help you feel more comfortable.”
I spoke while getting up in a hurry, but Zuo Ran pulled me back. Without any precaution, I fell into his lap. I could feel his body heat and pulse beneath his skin against the palm of my hands, and I jerked my hands away as if I had been burnt by it.
MC:
“M-my apologies, Lawyer Zuo! I-”
A pair of hands pulled me flush against him, interrupting my sentence.
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t go… Don’t leave me…”
Zuo Ran rested his chin on my shoulder, his bangs tickling my ears. He embraced me gently, as if he was scared of me rejecting his advance, but just tight enough that I couldn’t move, as if he was scared that I would leave.
MC:
“I was only leaving to grab you a towel…”
He held me even tighter, ignoring my protests, and muttering to himself over and over.
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t leave me… alright?”
His voice rasped in my ear, cracking in a vulnerable way that fell far from his usual composure. Like a soft and unbreakable thread, he had ensnared me in his web.
Zuo Ran:
“I’m sorry… I must’ve scared you… It’s all my fault… I’m sorry… So don’t leave me…”
MC:
“I…”
Is he like this because I left earlier?
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t go…”
MC:
“Go… where exactly?”
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t go over to stand by his side…”
MC:
“Who?”
Thankfully, my mind grew clearer.
MC:
“Is… Is this about Gao ShengHan’s commission?”
Zuo Ran pulled me even tighter against him as his arms caged me in. So that’s the reason. Lawyer Zuo misunderstood my intentions and assumed that I was quitting my job at Themis and was planning to work for Gao ShengHan’s studio. That’s why he threw a fit… He wasn’t truly upset at me… I wanted to laugh, but was also touched by his sentiment. I gently patted his back.
MC:
“How could I leave Themis just to chase after some celebrity…”
Zuo Ran:
“You’re so bright and outstanding, I’m not the only one… everyone can see it. I’m just someone with a bad temper. As your partner… I must have added extra stress to your work, but I… say that you’ll be my partner forever and always, alright? So don’t leave me…”
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo, you’re over thinking things. I have no intentions to leave.”
My words must have brought him some reassurance. He sighed, sinking against me as he rested his head against the crook of my neck, all the while slowly caressing my hair and letting it glide between his fingers. The calm and self assured Zuo Ran I thought I knew… turned out to be someone so delicate and childish. Unless this is just the alcohol talking, and he’s just treating everything that transpired today, including me, like a dream…
[Examine his hand in my hair]
Zuo Ran’s hair keeps brushing up against my ear, it tickles. I wanted to reach up and brush it aside, but I accidentally brushed his cheek.
Zuo Ran:
“I… Must be so dull… Celebrities, they must be fun to be around… You’ll be happier with him… Right?
MC:
“How could I be…”
Zuo Ran:
“You smiled…”
MC:
“What’s that?”
Zuo Ran:
“You smiled at him… so many times…”
MC:
“Well t-that’s because!”
“Because we were praising you to the high heavens”... How could I say something like that aloud to him…
Zuo Ran:
“...No need to cover it up, there’s no need to console me…”
His usual indifference fell through the cracks, his voice sounding incredibly lonely. Is he saying all that to make me consider leaving and collaborate with Gao ShengHan instead? I decided it was probably best not to ask him that.
MC:
“It’s true! It’s because… W-we… we were talking about Lawyer Zuo…”
Zuo Ran:
“Me? What… about me?
MC:
(It’s all good… Lawyer Zuo is so stupid drunk… he shouldn’t be able to recall our conversation in the morning…)
MC:
“I told him… that Lawyer Zuo is the best… and that I admire you… Gao ShengHan said… no wonder I was your partner… that we were alike… s-so that’s why I-”
I stuttered through an explanation, feeling the embarrassing twinge of red creep up from my cheeks all the way up to my ears. I felt like I was burning up.
[Examine his arm]
I steadied myself as I held onto Zuo Ran’s arm.
MC:
“Er… Lawyer Zuo… Why don’t you have a seat on the couch, does that sound good?”
Zuo Ran:
“It’s not good… You’ll just leave me…”
MC:
“I already said that I wasn’t leaving…”
Zuo Ran:
“You’ll leave…”
Zuo Ran ignored me and continued to slur the same thing over and over, almost as if I’d vaporize into thin air if he let me go. His hot breath fanned across my neck, and I hastily tried to move away from it, only to have him tighten his arms around me.
Zuo Ran:
“You said you wouldn’t leave…”
His whining was laced with grief, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I had done something evil.
[Examine Zuo Ran’s neck]
His body heat radiated through my thin dress shirt and settled in my bones.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo… do you feel cold, clinging onto me like this…”
Zuo Ran:
“Hah… Cold… You’re cold?”
He pulled me into his lap and pressed me against his chest.
Zuo Ran:
“You won’t feel cold like this, right?”
MC:
“...!”
[Examine his hand in my hair]
Zuo Ran:
“Don’t go…”
MC:
“For the last time, I really won’t.”
Zuo Ran:
“You kept staring at him… The moment we got there, you were looking for him… You… You even have his photo…”
MC:
“I- I was only helping ChengCheng get an autograph.”
Zuo Ran:
“Then stay by my side…”
MC:
“I will. I’ll stay at Themis, I’ll stay at Themis forever. Because I’m Lawyer Zuo’s partner.”
[Talk to Zuo Ran]
With his head on my shoulder, his breathing gradually grew steady.
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo?”
Zuo Ran:
“You’re my… destiny…”
MC:
“Eh?”
Zuo Ran’s voice fell to an inaudible whisper, I couldn’t comprehend anything he was trying to say.
Zuo Ran:
“My everything…”
MC:
“Lawyer Zuo?”
I called his name, but received no reply. He must have fallen asleep. I helped Zuo Ran onto the couch, gently laid his head down, and covered him with a blanket. He slept so soundly, it was almost as if I were the one who had hallucinated and conjured up all that had happened, like an out of body experience. But the hammering of my heart told me otherwise. I left Zuo Ran’s suite in a hurry.
--- PART 6 ---
▌Location- Themis Law Firm
The day after the banquet, I handed Gao ShengHan’s autograph to ChengCheng who was waiting by the door, and she held up the photo and cheered.
ChengCheng:
“MC, you’re the best! I love you!”
MC:
“You should save words like that for your idol.”
ChengCheng:
“Of course I will say it to him! But, you deserve my love, too!”
ChengCheng hovered around me excitedly, but then, she pushed up her glasses and settled down.
ChengCheng:
“Hang on, why are your dark circles so deep! The banquet ended early enough, didn’t it? I remember that you sent me the video recording at around 9PM. Did anything happen afterward? Unless you had too much to drink and didn't rest well?”
MC:
“N-nothing like that happened! I just didn’t sleep well, that’s it!”
My heart pittered loudly when last night’s events rushed to mind. I cautiously peeked around the corner at Zuo Ran’s office, and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was empty.
MC:
(Lawyer Zuo was completely wasted last night, he probably won’t come to work today right… How fortunate… I don’t know how I should approach him now…)
Just as I was lost in thought, ChengCheng nudged me with her elbow.
ChengCheng:
“Good morning, Lawyer Zuo!”
Zuo Ran:
“Morning.”
Zuo Ran looked at the signed photo in ChengCheng’s hand, coughed awkwardly, then looked at me.
Zuo Ran:
“Uhm. Hold on, come see me in my office.”
MC:
“Al-alright.”
I watched Zuo Ran walk away, my heart threatening to jump out of my throat as I stood anxiously.
MC:
(Why would Lawyer Zuo want to see me… What if he remembers what happened yesterday?!)
~~~Flashback~~~
Zuo Ran:
“You smiled at him… so many times…”
MC:
“It’s true! It’s because… W-we… we were talking about Lawyer Zuo…”
Zuo Ran:
“Me? What… about me?
MC:
(It’s all good… Lawyer Zuo is so stupid drunk… he shouldn’t be able to recall our conversation in the morning…)
MC:
“I told him… that Lawyer Zuo is the best… and that I admire you… Gao ShengHan said… no wonder I was your partner… that we were alike… s-so that’s why I-”
~~~Flashback ends~~~
▌Location- Zuo Ran’s office
MC:
(I’m so embarrassed…)
I begrudgingly followed Zuo Ran into his office, I didn’t dare look at him, so I kept my head down and stared at the corner of his desk instead.
Zuo Ran:
“You mentioned last night that Gao ShengHan wished to collaborate with our law firm for legal consultation in regards to his studio. After confirming the details of the commission with the other party, you may proceed with the contracting process. Startups start from zero, labor and management legal services will be a routine task for you. Risk prevention, business forms and contracts, terms and conditions, of the sort… you must meticulously plan, formulate, construct, and maintain them all.”
Zuo Ran’s voice rang true and indifferent like it always had, like we had returned back to status quo.
MC:
“...”
Zuo Ran:
“Any questions?”
MC:
“None.”
My mind was still reeling from last night’s events, and I couldn’t ask him anything even if I wanted to.
Zuo Ran:
“Providing legal consultation for a new business will be a good challenge for you. If there’s anything you’re unsure of, feel free to ask me. Ah, also…”
He hesitated before speaking again.
Zuo Ran:
“The entertainment industry… is shrouded in gossip and fake news. If you meet the client alone, it may cause unscrupulous articles to spread. If you’re going to meet with the other party… you must tell me- I’ll go with you.”
MC:
“Yes, I know.”
Zuo Ran’s indifference was a great relief to me. It seems like he doesn’t recall what happened… After I came down from my personal emotional rollercoaster, I noticed an ounce of regret peeking out in the corner of my heart… and I understood it less than I understood how it got there in the first place.
MC:
“Then, if Lawyer Zuo has nothing else to add, I’ll go and get started!”
I hurriedly scampered out of Zuo Ran’s office.
~~~
After watching the girl leave his office, Zuo Ran relaxed and sank into his seat. Like the way a delayed reaction would be, the back of his ears grew red and hot to the touch.
Zuo Ran:
“... I’m sorry… I…”
Zuo Ran paused as the blush creeped from his ears to his cheeks, then he pulled out a small hair tie from his suit pocket. This was left by her last night - and was the tangible proof he needed to convince himself that what happened last night wasn’t a dream.
Zuo Ran:
“And now… I don’t know how I can return this to you…”
The silky hair tie in his hands felt just like the way her hair had flowed between his fingers.
Zuo Ran:
“In the future…”
Zuo Ran coughed lightly as he looked at the hair tie with quiet eyes.
Zuo Ran:
“In the future, I’ll definitely return this to you.”
To the beautiful young eagle that spreads her eager wings and takes to the sky, chasing after a life that she yearns for… If she should fly to places further and further away, then all one can do is encompass the entire sky so that she will stay within reach.
——————
《CREDIT》
Translator: @humi-and-co
Editor: @hallowsivy
《未定事件簿》Tears of Themis is a 2020 Chinese otome game by 米哈游Mihoyo. All original credits go to 米哈游Mihoyo.
《 VOICE ACTORS 》
Zuo Ran | Zhao Lu: https://weibo.com/mzhaolu
Zhai Xing | Fan Churong
ChengCheng | V-17 Xiao Zheng: https://weibo.com/u/7360058865
#tears of themis#tears of themis translations#otome#未定事件簿#weiding shijian bu#左然#tears of themis zuo ran#zuo ran#otome game#otome game translations
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