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therhythmafterthesummer · 1 year

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Safe Haven (M) ~Bang Chan | Day 91.

Pairing: SpaceRebel!Chan x WitchQueen!F.Reader Themes: Fantasy AU | Sci-Fi AU | Royalty AU | Soulmate AU | Slow Burn | Mutual Pining | Angst | Smut | Fluff. Series Warnings: Third person POV · Very loose and liberal usage of Star Wars concepts (mostly to refer to weapons and tech). you don’t need to know anything about SW to read this, trust me · Physical descriptions of the main female character such as: can visibly blush, having long hair, and being short · Violence · Swearing · Mature themes and language · Original characters · Graphic smut (later chapters) · Mentions of the members of other groups (later chapters) · No one is straight, beware · Each chapter will include its own individual warnings. Chapters marked as M (Mature) either include highly detailed violence, or smut.

Chapter Warnings: graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut) · mentions of death · plot interwoven with the smut (kind of). Word Count: ~10k | AO3

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for a 18+ audience only. Minors do not interact. ✰This chapter has been reworked as of 16/08/2023

Previous Chapter: Day 90. | Series Masterlist. | Next Chapter: Day 92.

Smut warnings: fingering [F.Rec] · oral sex [F.Rec] · nipple play [F.Rec] · fingers in mouth · unprotected penetration [piv] (this is a fantasy world where you can trust people when they tell you they’re clean, the real world doesn’t work this way unfortunately so be careful out there!) · creampie (with no risk of pregnancy) · pretty vanilla, all things considered.

Disclaimer: the story presented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

The facility used as ‘Dall’s base’ was a bit difficult to navigate the further away Chan moved from the main areas. The staircase to get to the upper floors was almost hidden, so it took him a while to find the doorway that finally led him to the stairs.

He took the stairs two steps at a time, until he finally reached the landing area. There was a plaque with the number three on it next to a doorway, signalling he’d reached exactly the place he’d been looking for.

When Chan stepped into the third floor, he quickly noticed the area was barely illuminated by orbs of light, and much cooler than the rest of the facility.

There were hardly any doors, so it was easy for him to spot the wall clock the Queen had told him about. As he walked by it, the hands of the clock let him know it was past midnight. He turned right, and walked for a bit until he found the only door in the entire corridor.

Chan brought his fist up to the door, but he paused right before knocking. His knuckles shook a bit on the surface, just as a million different thoughts raced through his mind.

He wasn’t sure what exactly he was going to say, he wasn’t even sure what his own feelings were at this point… As he stood there, the relentless humming that accompanied his thoughts seemed to be shaking his core from deep within.

So, before he chickened out, Chan knocked, and the door slid open to the side shortly after.

It was a modest room, with just a single bed, a couple of windows on the wall showing the greenery and rocky formations outside, and a dining table in the middle of the room, with four chairs on each side. The sliding door quietly shut behind him, and his gaze trailed from the table to the windows on the far wall, where the Queen stood, already looking at him, toying with the rings on her fingers.

Silence stretched around them, eyes looking into eyes as unspoken words crossed between them. Chan wouldn’t dare speak, he kept his mouth shut tightly, looking at her face, pondering.

The Queen was the first to break the silence.

“Are you upset?” Her voice had a barely perceptible tremble to it, but Chan noticed, just like he always did.

Her voice pulled at his heartstrings immediately. It was an involuntary reaction at this point, and the feeling provided him insight on his own feelings, the exact insight he needed to reply. “I want to be, honestly”.

Her Majesty winced a bit, but still took a tentative step forward, bringing one of her hands to rest on the back of a dining chair. “I can understand if you were”.

Chan stayed silent, crossing his arms over his chest as he just stood there, looking at her intently.

“There were many times I wanted to tell you… Because I trust you, I truly do. Because you’re important to me. But I always chickened out…” She sounded not only honest, but also genuinely distressed about it, which was something Chan didn’t find pleasant in the slightest. In fact, regardless of his feelings, he hated that she’d feel distressed at all.

With an intake of breath, she continued. “So I can really understand if you were upset”.

Chan looked at her, scanning the features of her face for a brief moment, only to finally look lower to find that thin leather choker around her neck, with the blue stone-comm hanging from it, resting comfortably in her jugular notch.

Had she been wearing it like that all this time? Wearing a matching stone-comm with a mundane rebel unit leader so openly and proudly and prettily?

Was it silly of him to feel affected by a simple accessory?

Maybe it was.

Chan sighed. “It’s not like you lied. You never lied”, he was trying to rationalise the situation, to pick every detail apart in hopes of negating the very small sliver of negative emotions in him.

“Yes… but I hid the truth, and I’m aware of this”, her fingers tapped the back of the chair, and that characteristic tinkling sound erupted from her rings upon contact. “Regardless, whether I lied or not… that’s not what I’m asking”.

He could see it in every single one of her movements, even if she was trying to hide it… She was nervous, but she still stood straight, very obviously mustering every fibre of courage she could to face this head on. And he couldn’t help but respect that.

After a few moments of pondering, Chan let out a tired sigh, taking a tentative step forward. “There’s a small part of me, a very selfish, self-centred part of me that wants to be upset, honestly”, and it was true, he knew it as soon as he said it. “But then there’s a bigger part of me that understands. This whole thing, the Alliance… is something that’s much bigger than me, much bigger than us”.

The Queen was about to say something, but before she could, Chan interrupted her.

“And…” He took another step closer. “It might sound silly, but there’s an even bigger part of me that blooms with inexplicable pride and admiration. Thinking about all the things you’ve accomplished, all that you’ve been standing for all this time… Knowing it’s been you that’s led us and helped us… It’s a lot, but in a good way”.

There was no need to filter his words at this point, no need for pretence reproach, Chan meant every single word he’d just said.

The Queen just looked at him, with her eyes slightly wide, stunned as she listened to him and digested his words. He dared not move any further from where he stood, even if every fibre of his body screamed at him to do so. Keeping the promise he’d made all those months ago was important to him. Or, at least, for as long as she wanted him to. So, he just stood there, leaving the ball in her court and waiting for her response.

The Queen was still for a moment, save for her eyes that seemed to be jumping all over his face, although not entirely in focus. He could practically see the moment his words started sinking into her, how they slowly, but surely, shattered the protective walls she’d put up around herself.

Before Chan could register the movement, Her Majesty was already in front of him, and the collision of her body against his own almost tipped him off balance. He would’ve probably stumbled backwards, had his hands not instinctively found their way to hold her waist the moment she looped her arms around his neck, and brought him close in a tight hug.

Relief washed over him immediately, like breaking the surface of water after swimming at the bottom of the ocean, like taking that first deep breath of fresh air after his lungs had been straining due to lack of oxygen for much longer than they should have. The clean smell of her shampoo, the warmth emanating from her body, the physical feel of her pressed against him… His senses were entirely flooded by her, and Chan realised then just how starved he had been.

“I wouldn’t have accomplished anything without any of you. I should be the one beaming with pride”, her breath fanned his neck as the words came out of her lips, and goosebumps immediately rose on his skin.

His eyes closed, almost involuntarily, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. The Queen was so warm, and, with her proximity, Chan felt all those unnamed emotions stir violently within him.

He couldn’t really tell how long they stood there. All he could register was her warmth, the rise and fall of her chest against his own, the feeling of his arms around her waist, and hers around his neck while they just held each other.

Eventually, the Queen spoke, barely whispering, tightening her hold. “How are you?”

“Much better now”, and he was. With just a hug, it was almost like all that grumpiness and crankiness that had been plaguing him evaporated. “How are you, Miss Dall?”

Her Majesty chuckled softly. “Much better now, too”.

Chan asked the Queen about her brother and Hoseok, about Wang Eun, Talboot, and Jenna. And, of course, about Freyja. To which she simply told him they were fine, all of them. Although, Freyja seemed to be a bit grumpy these days. Apparently, after Chan left, she was moping for a few days, and Chan couldn’t help but laugh.

“Seriously, it’s like you enchanted her or something”, Her Majesty mumbled against his neck, and Chan tried his best to ignore the feeling of her lips lightly brushing against his skin.

She asked about his friends, to which Chan promptly told her they were fine. At least, in the grand scheme of things they were…

It was honestly heartwarming, just being able to hold her and talk to her, to listen to her voice physically there with him… He’d missed her voice more than he could’ve ever imagined.

After a while, the Queen pulled back slightly, trying to not break their embrace as one of her hands cupped his cheek to start tracing small circles on his skin. “I’m sorry”.

“I know”, one of his arms unravelled from her waist so he could place his hand on the small of her back, and he started tracing circles with his thumb there in a comforting gesture. The Queen smiled at him, warmly. Her eyes moved across his face, until they settled on his mouth.

Chan closed his eyes at the action, taking a deep breath before his tongue unconsciously darted out to lick his lips. “Gods, don’t look at me like that. I’m trying my best to behave”.

He wished he hadn’t opened his eyes again. Like wind caressing a candle’s flame, his resolve wavered immediately when he came face to face with the now serious expression on her face. He was getting lost in her blown pupils, in her gaze that was filled to the brim with so many different feelings he was having trouble deciphering any of them. It was all too alluring, too intense, and the second she spoke again, her voice but a whisper, his resolve crumbled immediately.

“I don’t want you to behave, Christopher”.

Okay, fuck his promise.

His lips were on hers as soon as the words left her mouth. The Queen yelped at the sudden movement, but reciprocated his kiss with as much enthusiasm as he’d conveyed.

With a swipe of her tongue against his bottom lip, he parted his lips, and their tongues finally met in the middle. Chan’s hands were trembling a bit with excitement, and, with his palms flat on the small of her back, he pulled her impossibly closer to him, bringing their hips flush to one another.

The kiss was getting more and more heated the longer they devoured each other’s mouths, something was brewing deep within him, within his heart and the pit of his stomach. It’d been too long, just way too long without her warmth, and he, feeling a bit selfish, had no intentions of letting her go anytime soon.

Chan needed her to know. The Queen needed to know the effect she had on him even with so much as a heated kiss. There was no way she wouldn’t notice his growing arousal, so might as well own it and let her know. After all, she didn’t want him to behave, did she?

She noticed. Chan knew it the moment the first wanton moan escaped her lips, only to dissipate into his own mouth.

His hands grew bolder the more they kissed. Chan dragged them up her back to briefly caress her shoulders and the back of her neck, before he brought them lower once again, until they found comfort on the curve of her ass. Even under the light pressure he applied over the fabric of her trousers, the flesh dipped.

It was all too familiar. For a second, his mind took him into the memory of them on that night in the castle town… Back then, Chan had wanted nothing more than to kiss her and feel her up. Right now, though, he wanted so much more, and he wasn’t going to hide it. Not one bit. So, finally giving into the impulse, he gripped her ass tightly with both hands.

The action clearly caught her by surprise, if the rather loud moan that fell from her mouth when their lips disconnected by the sudden jerk was anything to go by. Chan could see it in her eyes clear as day now–the want, the longing, all the unsaid words… They were right there in plain sight for him to admire as her gaze turned darker, as her pupils dilated.

He couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that came to his face at the sight. He licked his lips, and addressed the situation with a teasing tone in his voice. “You wanted me to misbehave, witch”.

Her Majesty huffed, with a smirk of her own on her lips. Bringing a hand to the back of his neck, she pulled his face close to hers, leaving their lips a hair’s width apart to brush against each other with every word. “Do your worst”.

Chan just groaned when their lips connected again.

The Rebel Alliance, the Charmer, his crew, everything faded into muddled water as his only all-consuming thoughts were her. Even if just for a moment, he deserved to feel normal. He deserved to indulge in the woman he longed for without any regard for the outside world, and he’d allow himself to be selfish this time, even if just for a bit.

Bending his knees, he gripped the back of her thighs, and exerted just enough force to scoop the Queen up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively with the motion, and, for a brief moment, Chan saw the smile on her lips. Only for a moment, though, just right before he kissed her once again.

He moved with purpose, breaching the last stretch to the table in a heartbeat, and carefully placed Her Majesty’s royal bum on the surface. ‘May the Gods bless whoever built this table’, Chan couldn’t help but think, for it was the perfect height for her core to press right where he wanted her most.

If Chan’s brain hadn’t turned to mush yet, it would’ve probably done so at this point, when the Queen’s legs pulled him tightly against her, when the barely there friction between their bodies started fueling his need. He brought a hand under her shirt, and as soon as his fingertips made contact with her lower back, goosebumps rose on her skin. She shivered under his touch, quiet whines filtered between their kisses, especially once his daring hand started travelling from her back until it reached the soft flesh of her belly.

“This needs to go”, Chan mumbled, pulling away from the kiss, and tugging lightly on her shirt.

With a chuckle, the Queen held the hem of her shirt high on her torso, holding onto her undergarments, and pulled both items of clothing over her head in one swift motion. After placing both her palms behind her, a knowing smirk spread on her lips as she rested her weight on her hands, falling back enough to give Chan a full view of her naked form.

Chan was a simple man. When presented with consent to ogle he’d gladly take it, and took it he did… To a certain extent, he’d been desensitised to seeing Her Majesty’s cleavage–thanks to her fondness towards pieces of clothing that framed her attributes. It was a completely different story seeing her upper body completely nude.

Her tattoos painted the skin of her chest, her sternum, and her sides, leaving just the skin of her breasts and her middle bare. His attention was drawn immediately to the delicate jewellery decorating her navel and–as a complete, direct attack towards his sanity–her left nipple.

“Holy shit…” Chan dived in, finding her neck and attaching his lips to her skin. He brought one of his hands to her right breast, and groped the soft flesh, all while the Queen had the nerve to laugh, which only aggravated him more. “A nipple piercing? Seriously? With no warning? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He descended from her neck, to her collarbone, where he settled to suckle the skin.

The Queen let out another breathless laugh, bringing a hand to his hair, so she could start massaging his scalp gently. “I think it would’ve been much worse if I’d just come up to you and told you how I looked like naked”.

Chan just hummed against her skin, finally releasing her breast, only to bring his fingers to her nipple, and toy with the hardening bud.

A shaky gasp left her mouth, and her legs tightened around his middle. He pulled away from her neck a bit, so he could have a good look at her face, at her half-lidded eyes and her parted lips. Chan licked his lips, unconsciously, just as a million ideas flashed through his mind, each one lewder than the last.

Tentatively, he pinched the sensitive bud between his thumb and index finger, eliciting a surprised moan from her lips. The Queen’s head lolled back, and her grip on his hair tightened the tiniest bit. “More…”

Who was he to deny such a request? Chan dived in again, his hand kept playing with her right breast as he brought his mouth close to the left. After a deep breath, he finally laid the first tentative lick on the decorated nipple.

The quietness in the room was quickly replaced with the Queen’s quiet whines and moans. Chan focused all his attention on her chest, on the soft flesh he was fondling with his hands, and the taste of her skin on his tongue. With every moan, his heart swelled in his chest, and even if his own arousal was straining his trousers, he didn’t care. At this moment, the need to please surpassed tenfold the need for pleasure.

He wanted more, though. He wanted to make her feel good in every way he possibly could, and he was going to do just that. Chan pulled away from her breasts, and the Queen quickly pulled him to her with force to bring their mouths together.

Bracing himself with a hand behind her on the table, he tentatively rolled his hips to get some friction, and an appreciative groan fell from both of their mouths with the movement. Before she could retaliate, he pulled on her legs that had settled around his middle to set himself free.

A look of confusion crossed Her Majesty’s features, until she realised what he was doing. He–rather ungracefully–yanked her boots off, he found the button of her trousers afterwards, and undid it with a swift flick of his fingers. Chan looked up, finding her gaze looking at him, focused solely on him. Biting her bottom lip, the Queen was hiding a lewd smile, completely, and utterly shameless.

Chan just huffed out a laugh, finally pulling her bottoms–undergarments and all–down and off of her legs. Tattoos wrapped around her nude legs, too, although he already knew this from the numerous times he’d seen the Queen just in a nightgown around the castle. The memory was still burned in his brain even when it felt like it’d happened a lifetime ago. He decided then that this was his favourite look of hers–completely bare, save for her characteristic tattoos, and her assortment of accessories.

“Fuck, you’re so fucking beautiful…” Chan’s mouth quickly found hers again, and he was hoping to convey every emotion he felt stir deep within him in that kiss. She returned it in kind, feelings of her own started overflowing and spilling into him. The Queen didn’t need to say anything, with every movement of her lips against his, with every swipe of her tongue against his own, he just understood.

Pulling away from the kiss, Chan was now filled with determination, he pulled one of the dining chairs to him and sat on it, right in front of her, The action made the Queen laugh for a moment, at least until he grabbed her right leg and slung it over his shoulder, taking her left thigh in his hand so he could spread her open for him.

As soon as he gained access to the soft skin of her inner thighs, he started peppering kisses all over, leaving a sheen of wetness everywhere his mouth touched. The Queen exhaled a shaky breath, throwing her head back.

“Who’s trying to kill who now?” She taunted, falling back to prop herself on her elbows, giving him more space and a better angle.

“Now?” Chan’s eyes were trained on her seeping core, and his mouth watered just at the sight. He let the leg he held in his hand rest against the armrest of the chair, and brought a finger to collect her essence, so he could spread it generously up and down her slit with an appreciative hum. “Definitely me”.

The Queen’s snarky remark died in her throat, replaced by a sinful moan the second his tongue made contact with that sweet nub of nerves between her legs. He licked, kissed, and sucked the area as if his life depended on it, the all-consuming need to hear her moan for him driving his every calculated move. Chan had a goal, and by the Gods he was going to reach it. He was going to make her reach it.

“Chris…” Her moaning his name in such a lewd tone almost, almost made him thrust his hips forward in his seat. ‘Fingers’ was the only intelligible word he could understand, and it was honestly all he needed to hear.

Chan hummed, bringing his hand to her core, and one of his digits tentatively teased the area, getting drenched in her juices before slipping inside. Threading her fingers in his hair, the Queen threw her head back with a satisfied sigh, keeping Chan in place as he explored her, as he looked for that especially sensitive area within her walls.

He pumped his finger for a while, testing different speeds and movements to gather her reactions, until one particular curl of his finger made her legs jerk, earning him a particularly shameless moan, and a barely audible ‘Fuck, right there’.

Ah, how incredibly gratifying that was…

Chan added another finger then, relishing the satisfying stretch around them. The Queen was just so warm, and as soon as both of his digits started a rhythm, his mind quickly filled to the brim with lecherous thoughts. How she would feel wrapped around his cock, how her walls would pull him in as she found her release, the faces she’d make as she came crashing down in bliss…

His mind ran wild as he looked up at her from between her legs, with his lips pressed on her clit as his tongue drew circles on it, fully enthralled by her blown pupils as she looked back at him, by the way her chest heaved with every laboured breath, and by the moans that unabashedly came out of her mouth under his touch. Everything combined was too much, and, somehow, not enough at the same time.

“Say…” Chan placed a kiss on her inner thigh after he pulled away from her core, and his other hand found its way around her hip to rub circles on her clit. His fingers didn’t stop moving, though. They kept slowly pumping in and out of her warmth, massaging her walls, and he was careful not to let her thigh fall from his shoulder. “I reckon you can take another finger, Your Majesty”.

The Queen huffed an incredulous laugh, and her voice was slightly shaky when she spoke. “I can’t believe you’re using my title as you… As you are–Shit, I can’t even think… As you’re fingerfucking me”.

Chan chuckled, the fire deep within him increased in size, fed by the sight of the struggling, fucked-out expression on her face.

Slowing the movements of his hands, he brought a third finger to her entrance, and started carefully pushing it in. Her legs trembled as soon as his three fingers bottomed out. He continued the movement of his other hand on her clit, while his fingers remained unmoving to give her some time to adjust to the stretch.

“If not ‘Your Majesty’ then what should I use?” Chan curled his fingers up, rubbing against that sensitive spot inside her walls. “My dear? My heart? My love?” Chan emphasised each term of endearment with a curl of his fingers, which only seemed to rile her up more.

“Any–all of them. Fuck, Chris, darling, I’m so, so close. I might cry”, she was whining, her head lolled to the side, and Chan wouldn’t be surprised if she truly started crying.

Chan chuckled, sucking delicate purple roses on the few unmarked areas on her inner thigh before he removed his hand from her clit, and replaced it immediately with his mouth. His tongue was relentless, determined to get her to her peak soon, aided by his diligent fingers to build her impending release.

The Queen was going to speak, but it was almost like Chan could see the exact moment the words died in her throat, replaced with a moan. With one more gentle suck of his lips, her inner walls started clamping hard on his fingers, and the sounds coming out of her mouth as her orgasm crashed down on her was nothing short of absolutely perfect to him. He was so focused on them that he barely registered the distant sound of ceramic shattering to pieces by the windowsill.

Swears flew from her lips as he drew out the last few waves of her release with his fingers, with his mouth that was still attached to her heat, languidly licking her clit until she weakly tapped his head.

The Queen was breathing heavily, and her legs were still slightly shaky. Chan stood up from his chair, removing his fingers from her core. Experimentally–and completely on impulse–he brought them up to her mouth, which she immediately opened. Her lips closed around the three digits, and her tongue lapped up her essence, licking them clean with an appreciative moan.

Chan licked his lips, enthralled by the sight in front of him. By the Queen lightly sucking on his digits, by the flush on her face… He removed his fingers from her mouth, and replaced them with his tongue, connecting their mouths in a sloppy kiss.

With a hum, the Queen pulled away from the kiss, sitting up straighter to look him up and down while her breathing was still evening out. Taking a hold of the hem of his shirt, she brought her lips to his cheek, and pressed a tender kiss there. “You’re wearing too many clothes, Christopher”.

Chan just chuckled, ignoring the heat that started to pool on his cheeks. He pulled his shirt over his head in one swift motion, leaving his torso bare save for the enchanted ribbon around his limbs, and the stone-comm hanging around his neck.

As soon as the garment was off, the Queen pulled him closer to her by his belt, her lips attached to his skin, leaving soft pecks behind his ear, moving slowly down the length of his neck, settling on his collarbone for a moment just to trail her way up again, softly mumbling against his skin between kisses. “So good with your mouth, hm? You’re so handsome, so broad, darling, fuck… Wanna kiss you all over…”

Coupled with her mindless words of praise, everywhere she kissed ignited a rosy flush on his skin. Warmth spread from any place her lips touched, and reached those secluded areas deep within him.

Cupping her cheeks, Chan moved her away from his neck to bring her mouth to his. He kissed the Queen almost desperately, with his body nestled between her legs. His hands found purchase on her waist, and he moved as close as he could so their bare chests pressed flush against one another. The skin on skin contact fed the fire in the pit of his stomach, and, all of a sudden, it was almost impossible to ignore how hard and leaking he was.

He felt her hand then and his hips bucked forward when she pressed her palm on the very obvious tent in his trousers. He couldn’t help but groan, especially as the heel of her palm exerted just enough pressure on him. Chan was close to begging, he would admit. But before he could open his mouth, the Queen started unbuckling his belt, and frustrated huffs started leaving her lips as she clumsily fumbled with the trail of buttons on his trousers.

“Why the fuck does it have this many buttons…” was all she mumbled against his lips.

Chan just chuckled in response, pulling away. He removed his boots in two quick movements, then took a hold of the waistband of his trousers to slide them off his legs, and his underwear swiftly came off with them. He felt his cock spring up the motion, but most importantly, he felt the Queen’s curious gaze burning his skin as she looked at him.

Licking her lips, she returned her eyes to his. Slowly, her hand moved, her short fingernails lightly grazed the skin of his thigh before finding their destination for her fingers to finally wrap around him with an appreciative hum.

Realisation hit him all of a sudden, it was a splash of reality that contorted his face into an uncomfortable grimace involuntarily, which clearly made the Queen sober up. Her hand was now unmoving, but still wrapped around him. “What’s wrong?”

“Shit, I…” Chan quite literally face-palmed himself. “I don’t have any protection on me. Getting laid was clearly not in my plans for this trip. Could’ve never even imagined you’d be here in the first place”, he added the last part with a sheepish laugh.

The Queen laughed at his comment, but went serious right after. “Are you… Are you clean?” Her hand around him didn’t move, the warmth of her palm tempted him to roll his hips forward, but he didn’t. Instead, he just tried his best to focus on what she was telling him. “I am. Honestly I haven’t done this in a long, long time. Years. And even then the last time was with a girl. And, I mean, it’s not like you can’t catch anything from sapphic intercourse, but…”

She was rambling. It was kind of cute, and it brought a smile to his face immediately.

“Hey, hey”, Chan brought his hands to her hips, and he traced circles with his thumbs on her hip bones, getting her attention back on him. “We, uh… there were one too many scares at the base, and I got fed up, so now I literally force everyone to get checked regularly. Myself included, to keep it fair”.

She hummed, understanding. So Chan just continued. “So, yes. Clean. And if it makes you feel any better, I also haven’t done this in a long time”, he shrugged.

Her Majesty chuckled. “Being a rebel leader is tough, isn’t it?” She emphasised her words by tightening her grip around him ever so slightly, which made him lick his lips instantly.

“Tell me about it”, Chan chuckled. “Also, I, uh…” He could feel heat creeping up his face, but he decided to ignore it, to instead focus on the movement of his thumbs against the skin of her hips. “I’ve never really done it without protection before, if that also makes you feel any better”.

“Oh? Really?” Her thumb swiped over his tip, collecting a bead of clear fluid and spreading it around, providing special attention to his frenulum, making him shiver. “I feel like this is a good moment to tell you I’ve never… uh”, she cleared her throat, then chuckled softly. “Never had penetrative sex with a guy before. If that makes you feel any better”.

Chan was honestly surprised, both at her comment and also at the fact that they were having such a normal conversation right there, with her hand around his shaft and her juices still on his face. He realised then that he liked it. He liked it a lot. He’d really just listen to her speak to him with her hand around him, not even doing anything, at any time. Which was honestly quite the revelation for him.

So, as to not break the habit, as if he hadn’t just stuffed her full of his fingers minutes before, he decided to be annoying.

“Wow, you don’t need to charm me up, love. I already got my pants off for yo–” His words died on his tongue, replaced by a hiss when she started to slowly pump her hand around him.

“Don’t tempt me”, it was her warning tone, the one she used when she absolutely wanted him to tempt her.

“Shit, is this your idea of a punishment?” Chan laughed, incredulous.

“Not even close, I’m just too horny”, she leaned in, and pressed a kiss to his lips. “If you’re clean and I’m clean then… everything else is up to spells and potions. I’ll handle it”.

She removed her hand from around his cock, and brought it to her mouth to spread some of her saliva on it. When she wrapped it around him again, and gave him a couple of tentative pumps, he couldn’t help but swear under his breath.

“Shit”, Chan closed his eyes, letting out a shaky exhale. “Gonna have to press your buttons more if this is what I’ll get”.

“When have you not pressed my buttons?”

Fair point, he supposed.

A groan fell from his lips as his hips instinctively chased the feeling of her hand moving around him. The prospect of fucking her raw had his hips bucking forward, chasing the sparks of pleasure that started to run up and down his spine.

It wasn’t like he’d never had the opportunity to have unprotected sex, it just always felt too… personal, so Chan never took the chance the couple of times it was presented to him. Here, though, with the Queen, he wanted it to be personal. He wanted to feel all of her, every centimetre of her bare skin, for as long as she’d let him.

Her hand was too dangerous, though. Her pace was picking up ever so slightly, and he’d be damned if he blew his load right here by a handjob of all things, so Chan held her wrist in place to stop her movements, while his other hand pulled her face closer to his for a quick kiss. “Maybe next time”, was all he said as he removed her hand from him.

She bit her bottom lip, anticipation was written all over her face when he moved closer, holding his cock and bringing it to her sopping folds. The contact with her warm, wet core made him shiver slightly. His need was increasing exponentially as he coated himself in her wetness, as he used the tip of his cock to lightly tease her clit before he lined himself up with her entrance.

“You sure about this?” He needed to check. Chan really hoped the answer was yes. Like, really hoped so. But had it been no, he was ready to pull away immediately.

Her Majesty huffed out a laugh, bringing the hand that rested on his chest to his cheek, and stroking the skin there. “Yes. I’d stop you if I didn’t. Just like I hope you’d do the same”, she leaned in and kissed him, moving her hand to the back of his head to play with his hair.

When he pulled back from the kiss, he just looked her in the eyes. He briefly wondered if his face showed his neediness as much as hers did, and, if so, did she feel as affected by the sight as he did? He hoped she did…

With one last lick of his lips, he finally pushed himself in, centimetre after centimetre diligently stretching her walls around him until he was buried to the hilt. Biting hard on his bottom lip, a grunt bubbled from his chest, and his brows furrowed in concentration. “How are you this tight even after three fingers? Holy shit”.

She giggled, fucking innocently giggled at the comment as if he wasn’t buried deep within her cunt. With one hand behind her for support, and the other gripping his hair, the Queen pulled his face closer to hers, with her mouth just shy of his ear. “I thought I told you earlier, darling. Do your fucking worst”.

Oh, fuck.

Challenge fucking accepted.

Hoisting one of her legs on his elbow, and with a hand on the table next to hers for support, he thrusted his hips hard. A strangled moan fell from Her Majesty’s lips at the sudden movement, joining his own groan of appreciation.

She wanted his worst? He’d gladly give her his worst. At least, to the best of his capabilities in this unfortunate setting.

Chan’s hips snapped fast, hard, as hard as his body let him. The sound of skin slapping against skin quickly filled the room, accompanied by their shared groans and moans. The incessant, ever-present hum roamed freely in his head, growing more intense with every single one of his thrusts.

As his cock repeatedly buried deep within her, as their tongues danced with one another, he had a revelation, an epiphany, almost.

Although he couldn’t fully understand how, or why, right then, there was no doubt in his mind that that relentless hum brought them to this moment, to connect in such an intimate way.

The table was moving a bit with every collision of their hips, hindering his pace slightly. Chan hardly registered it, his mind was too far gone at this point to reason time and space. With a deep flush spreading over her cheeks, and tears pricking the corners of her eyes, the Queen certainly didn’t look any better, either.

Finally, after months of keeping his innermost thoughts contained, his mouth was just running freely. It was almost impossible for it not to, when she was so close, when she filled his heart with so much warmth, and when the pleasure he was feeling was just inexplicably unmatched.

Look at you… So pretty… So warm… Taking me so well… So fucking tight and good for me, huh? He could barely register anything that was coming out of his mouth, the words just couldn’t remain contained within him anymore, he just said anything and everything he felt like saying. He’d stay there forever if he could, with his cock burying repeatedly deep within his lover, drawing out every single moan he could until she couldn’t speak anymore.

The grip of his hand on her thigh tightened, and Chan dived in to catch a nipple in his mouth as he continued to pound her to the table. He could vaguely feel Her Majesty’s nails digging into his shoulder while she tried to keep herself steady. The sting just added another sensory input that fueled the bright fire that was burning within him.

She was very vocal, which didn’t surprise him in the slightest. Ever since he met her, the Queen had never shied away from verbalising her opinions, so why would it be any different with sex?

He was grateful for that. Every groan, every sigh, every moan, every comment, just let him know if he was hitting the spot, if he needed to increase the pace, or change the angle. She was an open book, ready for him to read, and he’d diligently commit to every single word.

Chan could tell his own release was close, but he wanted to feel her come undone around him. He needed it. So, in an incredible display of multi-tasking capabilities, surprising even himself, he brought his hand between their bodies to start drawing tight circles on that sweet bundle of nerves between her legs. Her reaction was instantaneous, With muffled moans, her body tensed up, and her legs started trembling slightly with exertion.

Finally letting go of her nipple, he focused his gaze on her face, and the moment their eyes met, he vaguely registered her giving him a warning before she finally came undone. Her walls squeezed repeatedly around him, and the feeling started getting more intense as he approached his own downfall.

Holding onto the Queen’s hips tightly with both hands, Chan gave a few more thrusts, until he felt the telltale signs of his orgasm almost overflowing. He might have warned her, he couldn’t really tell.

Breathless words of ‘Come on, darling, fill me up’ and ‘Stuff me full of you’ encouraged him to his end, and, with one last roll of his hips, his orgasm washed over him, coating her inner walls in short spurts until he was milked dry by her clenching cunt.

His ears were ringing, the sound mingled with the ever-present hum. His head lolled to the side, his eyes closed shut while he took deep breaths and enjoyed the last few waves of his release with a slow grind of his hips.

When Chan opened his eyes again, he was greeted by his new favourite sight. The Queen’s flushed face, with the most delicious fucked-out expression on her features, her chest heaving with laboured breaths while she looked up at him. This moment solidified within him what he’d already known for a long time, something he didn’t dare say out loud just yet, but he knew it was the complete, absolute, irrevocable truth.

Chan was utterly, madly in love. And the feeling was spreading like wildfire inside of him.

The Queen held onto him, her fingers combed the hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, with her caring eyes staring up at him. Her voice was but a whisper when she finally spoke. “I’ve known since day one that you were stupidly attractive. But this…” Her hand moved down from his forehead to his chest, resting on top of his agitated heart. “This has got to be your prettiest look”.

Chan huffed out a laugh, ignoring the heat he felt creep up his face. Carefully, he pulled out his softening cock from her warmth, and quickly inserted two fingers in its place. She looked at him, curiously.

“You wanted to be stuffed full, no?” He teased, feeling immensely satisfied with himself when he saw the sheepish smile on her lips, accompanied by the deepening blush on her cheeks.

Looking down at the table, he spotted the disposable napkins. Careful not to let his fingers slip out, he brought the napkins close enough that he could pull wads of paper from the holder. He placed some right below her entrance, slowly removing his fingers to watch his own seed spill out, and onto the napkins.

Had he not just blown his load just a couple of minutes ago, Chan was certain he would’ve gotten hard right there just at the sight.

He did his best to clean her up, until finally she decided to pick up a napkin and finish the job. Chan collapsed on the forgotten chair, finally noticing the table had moved several centimetres out of its original position with a sheepish smile.

The Post-Nut clarity hit him like a truck as he sat there, and he brought a hand to cover his face, groaning.

“I can’t believe you let me fuck you on the table. Out of all the places we could’ve fucked… the fucking table, shit”.

Her Majesty just laughed. Her face was glowing with her post-orgasmic bliss, and the look certainly suited her. “I asked you to do your worst. I brought it onto myself”.

Chan chuckled, linking his fingers together with his elbows resting on the chair’s armrests. “I must confess, that’s not even a quarter of my worst”, the urgency had overwhelmed him, his own neediness and their current setting certainly rushed him. But he was fine with that, as she seemed to be. “But you’re right. It’s all your fault, witch”.

The Queen hopped off of the table, her legs were slightly shaky as she walked over to him. He had to admit that he was immensely amused–and satisfied–by this.

She brought a hand to his forehead, and released the tiniest flick of her finger right in the middle, to which he dramatically yelped, since it didn’t really hurt one bit.

Her Majesty held his jaw in her hand, with his chin resting comfortably in the warmth of her palm as her fingers lightly squished his cheeks, making him pout. “Can’t wait for the moment you get to ruin me”.

The contrast of her lecherous words and the dreamy expression on her face almost gave him whiplash, but in all the best ways possible. Chan would ruin her if she wanted, just like he’d let the Queen ruin him, too.

Her Majesty placed a delicate kiss on his forehead, right where she had flicked him. “I have to pee, be right back”.

She finally walked away from him, right towards the adjacent bathroom. On her way, she swiftly flicked her wrists, so the shattered remains of a destroyed vase could start gathering neatly on a pile on one corner of the room.

“Mind if I go in, too? I wanna freshen up”.

“Suit yourself”, she chuckled, going into the bathroom.

After a quick rinse, and a quick wee of his own because ‘Of course, Christopher. It’s important to pee after sex regardless of which genitals you have’, Chan came back out, and proceeded to plop down on the bed that was nudged in the corner of the room.

The Queen came out soon after, taking languid steps towards the bed. Tentatively, Chan opened his arms, an invitation she accepted in a heartbeat. As soon as she was settled, she snuggled closer to him and let herself melt into his embrace.

They stayed silent for a few moments, basking in their post-coital bliss, just enjoying the feeling of one another. As he traced shapes on her skin with his fingertips, Chan allowed his mind to wander, to think of a future in which this could be his day-to-day. A future where he could lay down and peacefully enjoy the company of the woman he loved…

Her Majesty broke the comfortable silence. With her face buried in his chest, her words were slightly muffled, but he still heard them. He heard them loud and clear. “I’m sure you can tell but… I missed you so much”.

Chan’s heart grew ten sizes, the mirroring of his own feelings instantly reassured him. He could’ve told her this, but he chose to tease her instead. “Oh, I could tell, alright”.

She weakly slapped his chest, to which he just laughed, and he finally poured his feelings out. “I missed you too, love. I love them dearly, but spending day and night with my seven younger friends slash brothers is just not the same”.

The Queen chuckled, removing herself from his embrace to lay on her side, with her face level to his. Bringing a hand up to his head, she lightly ruffled his hair. “You always look handsome, but I really like this look of yours”.

Chan groaned then, remembering the state of his head. “That’s how I can tell you like me for real. I look like a rooster. You should’ve never shown Felix how to brew those damn potions”.

The Queen let out a quiet laugh, but, clearly, the mention of his crewmate slowly brought awareness to where they were, and what they were here to do. Chan cleared his throat, sensing the change in mood.

“You can tell me to leave whenever you want to, you know?”

She hummed, looking at the ceiling.

After a few moments she spoke again. “That’s the problem. I don’t want you to”.

Chan held her hand, and brought it close to place a kiss on her soft palm. “Then I’ll stay”.

Her Majesty turned to look at him then, with a genuine smile on her lips that made her face light up. Chan would stretch these moments as much as he could. Although every single encounter prior to this had left him with nothing but a desperate need for her, he was determined to push through. After all, the moments were always worth more to him than the aftermath.

“So… round two?” Chan was only half joking. His limbs were still slightly achy from earlier. After all, even if he was in shape, sex was a different type of workout altogether, and it had been a handful of years since the last time he’d had it…

The Queen laughed at that, and a blush spread on her cheeks. “Give me some time. My joints are screaming at me, even if I hardly did anything”.

“Hey, you did very important things! You took it like a champ, and I’m proud of you”, he was teasing her, but he realised then that he kind of meant it.

Laughing softly, Her Majesty cuddled closer to him. She laid her head on his arm, and lightly stroked patterns on his chest as he curled his arm around her shoulders to play with her hair. Chan could feel his eyes drooping, his breathing was evening out, and sleep was certainly threatening to take hold of him as the long day finally caught up to him.

That was, until the Queen spoke again.

“I have… uh… There’s another thing I wanted to tell you”, her tone gave him pause. It was enough to snap him fully awake. She sat on the bed, folding her legs under her as she looked down at him. “It’s not really a secret… It’s just something no one knows and we don’t talk about… And now that you know I’m posing as Dall, I want you to know this, too”.

Chan propped himself up on his elbows, looking up at her, a bit alarmed, and completely unsure of what to expect. “Okay… Should I be worried about this?”

Her Majesty shrugged. “Depends on how you want to see it”.

She was quiet for a few moments, just looking into his eyes as she gathered the courage to speak. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly only to open them once again. “You asked me once why I had joined the Alliance…”

Chan nodded, giving her his undivided attention. She took this as a sign to continue. “I built the Alliance because, in a way, I felt responsible for the Charmer’s existence. So I made it a point to try and undo as many of the things he’d done as I could”.

Chan blinked a bit as he let her words sink in. “How could you possibly be responsible for the Charmer’s existence?”

The Queen took another deep breath, tapping her fingers on her thigh. “The Charmer wasn’t always a murderous man, he used to be just a boy. A very jealous boy. I know this, because I grew up with him, back when I still called him my brother. You remember, right? From the tapestry? Our brother Ike?”

Chan’s eyes widened with recognition, and the washed out portrait of the Queen and the High King’s older brother appeared in his mind like a distant memory.

She continued, her gaze now trained on the movement of her fingers on her thigh. “I used to look up to him… He was skilled and knowledgeable, and overall a likeable person… Until he wasn’t. We found out much later that ever since we were born, he hated us. Even when he pretended to be caring and doting, all that time, he just hated the fact that Sol and I had been adopted into the family, because it meant he would never have the throne like he’d always wanted. He believed it was his right to rule”.

A knot formed in Chan’s throat as he looked at the Queen’s face, as tears welled in her eyes.

“So he… he killed our parents, for bringing him into this world only to give ‘what was his’ to us. That day, he almost killed me, too, but one of the royal guards was able to intervene, and right after that Ike ran away… Many years later, I found out what he was doing and I just couldn’t stand back and let him”.

“That’s…” Chan reached for her hand to hold it in his and caress her knuckles with his thumb. “That’s horrible”.

“It is”, her eyes moved from their joined hands to his face again. “In a way, my older brother died that day. So, the man that stands now as the Charmer with my brother’s face I no longer consider as part of my family. I wanted to tell you this. It’s a part of my family’s history, and it is why the Alliance is so important to me”.

Chan looked at her for a moment, taking in the calm, yet guarded expression on her face. She looked genuinely relieved to have finally told him, but it was as if she was expecting him to suddenly feel different about her after handing him this piece of information. Which was something he needed to crush immediately.

“Come here”, he pulled the Queen into his arms, and her body instantly relaxed in his hold as she quite literally let out a sigh of relief. Chan could now fully understand her reservations, her need to put the Alliance first, the need she felt to remain anonymous and keep her façade as Dall until the very end. And he truly respected that.

As they laid there in silence, with his hands softly moving up and down her arms, and hers caressing his back, a burning question arose suddenly to his tongue. The realisation that the Queen was, and had always been, Dall, finally let things he hadn’t been able to explain or understand before fall into place.

“Is this why you took us in after the crash?”

She clearly didn’t need further clarification to Chan’s question, the memory of them in the twins’ throne room must’ve been just as vivid in her mind as it was in his. “You know it isn’t odd for us to help those who get stranded on our planet… It is odd for us to keep them in the castle, though. We usually just provide them shelter in the castle town”.

She softly tapped her fingers on his chest. “When you told me why you crashed… I felt so incredibly guilty. I knew immediately you were from the SKZ unit, that I had sent you there myself, and that you all almost died because of me”.

Chan hummed. He wanted to argue, to tell her it’d been his fault, he’d been the one to make the miscalculation that eventually led to them being discovered, but before he could speak, she continued.

“I realise logically that it’s silly of me. We all come into this knowing we might die for the cause. But I think you especially would understand how and why I felt the way that I did”, she removed herself from his hold, and propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. “Regardless of what happened, you all survived. And I am so incredibly grateful that at the very least, it’s brought you to me”.

Butterflies seemed to erupt in his belly with her words. Chan brought his hand to the back of her head, and pulled her down for a kiss. He hoped all his feelings could translate into that kiss. That she could understand that he, too, was grateful that such a dreadful event had brought something good to his life–her.

The Queen returned his kiss in kind, and, as she pressed soft kisses on his lips, she moved to straddle him. Chan’s hands immediately found their way to the supple flesh of her bum once she settled. With her body flush to his, the sudden contact slowly reignited that flame of need within him.

Her Majesty broke the kiss, and rested her weight on him when she sat up. Her core was almost pressing on his quickly hardening length, and Chan’s head was starting to spin.

Her eyes were trained on him, and a playful smirk spread on her lips when she spoke to him.

“So… Round two?”

Chan plopped down on the bed, breathless, with his cock still buried deep within the Queen’s cunt as the final spurts of his orgasm filled her up.

It was a transcendental experience, truly… Blowing his load in someone… Be could kind of understand now why his friends had risked it so many times. Never before had he felt the urge to do it, but now he was certain he wanted to fill her up any chance he got. As long as she’d let him, of course.

“Not gonna destroy any vases with this orgasm, huh?” One of his hands remained on her hip, tracing circles with his thumb on her skin, while the other came up to shamelessly squeeze one of her breasts.

“Fuck”, she let out a breathless laugh. “You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”

“Never. My ego is too inflated right now”, he was joking, of course. And she knew it, too–if her soft laugh was anything to go by.

With a smile on her face and her weight on him, she leaned in, and connected her lips to his. Chan hugged her waist, holding her tight against him. His heart soared, her soft pecks against his lips had warmth spreading all over within him, and heat settled on his face with her motions.

“What am I gonna do with you? You’re just too cute”, the Queen mumbled against his lips, making him giggle.

“Me?” Chan whispered between kisses, followed by a “What about you, witch?” that had her chuckling as she continued to peck his lips.

Her Majesty pulled away from him, and his hands settled on her hips again. She sat on him for a few moments as their breathing evened out. With her hands resting on top of his abdomen, she softly caressed his skin, almost absentmindedly.

“Chris…” There was a serious tone to her voice, a very serious one. Coupled with the now lack of a smile on her face, warning bells started ringing in his head. “There’s something else I want you to know”.

The abrupt change in mood gave him pause, and it was almost impossible to ignore. “What is it, love?”

“Tomorrow… Or I guess I should say today… My final mission… ” Her gaze was trained on her hands that were splayed over his abs, and she was clearly making a conscious effort to not look at him. “I might die”.

Chan propped himself up on his elbows, blinking a bit. He took a moment to let her words sink in, but they just didn’t make sense. They couldn’t make sense… He couldn’t help the flat tone of his voice when he asked, “…What?”

The Queen finally looked him in the eyes. “There’s a high chance that I’ll die today”.

He paused for a moment, scanning her face, and the gravity of the situation started dawning on him. “You can’t seriously be telling me this while I’m still balls deep inside you”.

She grimaced slightly at the realisation, slowly rising from his lap for his now soft length to fall from the comfort of her walls. His own cum pouring out from her onto him and the bed was clearly the last of his worries at this very moment.

“It’s a high risk mission. If the slightest thing goes wrong, which unfortunately, is very likely, I will die”.

Chan’s mind was racing, and anxiety and worry started clinging to every fibre of his being. But worst of all, the worry wasn’t the emotion that gave him pause. A different emotion was brewing quickly within him as she continued talking.

“There are backup plans of course, if that were to happen, but–”

The Queen’s words were cut off when Chan gripped her by the waist, and swiftly pushed her off of him so he could sit down on the edge of the bed, with his feet firm on the ground and his back turned to her.

Hurt.

The emotion bubbling over like a forgotten pot of water on the stove coating his insides with its sticky presence… Chan was hurt. Not by her specifically, but by the whole thing.

He was tired of having to deal with loss and grief, tired of this endless fight against injustice, but most of all, he was tired because it seemed like every time something good happened, every time he found something to be happy about, something just as bad came around the corner to taint it all.

Her Majesty could clearly tell something wasn’t quite right by the shift in mood, so she made no move, she just sat on the bed with her legs folded under her. She waited for him to speak, daring not to speak herself over the suddenly tense environment.

Chan had indulged in his deepest desires, he thought he’d be strong enough to deal with the aftermath, to deal with his sad, crude reality. He wasn’t. The evening filled with uncalculated hormone rushes caught up to him way too quickly, and he suddenly found himself unable to put his walls up.

“So, a goodbye”, Chan finally spoke, with a harsher tone in his voice than he had admittedly intended to use. “Is this what this is? You saying goodbye?”

“I… That’s not…” The Queen was hesitant to reply, which only made it worse.

Chan sighed, resting his elbows on his thighs. He lowered his head to his hands, and lightly gripped his fire-red hair in frustration. He knew he had to be logical and rational about the situation, but he just couldn’t bring himself to.

“Hey”, the Queen placed a hand on his shoulder, and a couple of her fingers went under the sliver of ribbon resting on his skin. At least, as odd as it might sound, the minute contact of her palm on his bare skin soothed him. “Chris, look at me”.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at her. He wished he hadn’t. The expression on her face was as pained as his must’ve looked, which only pulled harder at his heartstrings.

“This”, she gestured with a finger between the two of them. “Us… Nothing that has ever happened between us has been calculated in any way. Hell, I didn’t even know we’d end up naked on this bed when I called you here. I mean it”.

The Queen looked at him for a moment, taking a shaky breath in, only to let it out. “I need you to know that if it comes to it, I will fight. I’ll do my best to stay alive. I want to… I really want to come back to you”.

Chan looked at her, and his eyes darted around her face while he pondered.

He knew she was telling the truth, and, although her words comforted him in a way, it didn’t make it hurt any less, nor would it stop the worry and uncertainty that was now leeching onto his bones. With another intake of breath, he braced himself for what was to come, exhaling before asking,

“So, what’s this mission about and is there any way we can help?”

Author’s Note: where did all these words come from? i honestly don’t know. also, you know when you’re writing something and somehow things don’t end up as you expect them even when you’re the one writing? yea, my girl realised she could be open and just decided to open pandora’s box and drop bomb after bomb on my guy, and i just... let it happen lol. anyway if you’re reading this, i hope you enjoyed it!

Previous Chapter: Day 90. | Series Masterlist. | Next Chapter: Day 92.

#stray kids fantasy au #stray kids fanfiction #bang chan fanfiction #bang chan fic #skz fanfic #skz fanfiction #stray kids fanfic #bang chan smut #stray kids smut

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cloudshoregames · 12 days

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Come in TACCOM: BTE Overdrive - New Utility Systems

Greetings, Dan here!

Welcome back to the Beneath Twisted Earth: Overdrive preview series where you can get a sneak peak into each of the sections contained in the expansion. Naturally, you cannot have an expansion to a mech game without new equipment for your machine! This week begins our dive into the expanded garage section with new Utility Systems. One of the goals for new equipment options for mechs in this expansion was to add options that some may have found missing in the core rules. While through open theming of the existing mechanics, players could build almost any mech they could think of, there were just some specialty options that didn't quite make it into the available options. The new sets of equipment will help greatly expand into these mech fiction niches while also adding new and exciting abilities in combat.

While I've been sharing two options from each section thus far, I decided to include three three this time, as one is a rather special addition:

Autodoc: As an action, the autodoc system built into the mech’s cockpit will provide basic treatment to a pilot’s injuries, healing the pilot 1d6+2 HP. Can only be used once per injury. The pilot must suffer HP damage again before an autodoc can be activated.

SKATE System: This movement system is tied to a mech’s weapons systems. After completing an attack action the pilot may expend a reaction to free move up to 2 ranges from its current position.

Combiner Converter: As an action, initiate a combiner sequence handshake with an ally with a combiner converter within melee range. Once accepted, both mechs reconfigure into a combined mode. Once combined the converter can be activated as an action again to separate back into an individual mech. Refer to the Combiner Rules section below for a full rules explanation.

Combiner Mechs was something that I would have liked to have included in the core rules, but it took some time to work out how best to represent mechs of that nature in The Vibe System. Next time we'll take a look at the Combiner Rules with a special advance PDF that can be used right away with any BTE Campaigns currently running out there.

In the meantime, thank you for your interest. I look forward to seeing you at the launch of the premium versions of Beneath Twisted Earth and Beneath Twisted Earth Overdrive!

#beneath twisted earth #mecha #indie #mechs #ttrpg #bte #devlog #game development #indie ttrpg #itch.io #BTE Overdrive

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purlturtle · 2 years

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How would you recommend someone getting into discworld? I was just gonna get the first book in the publishing order and go from there, is that a good way to do it?

Hi and thanks for asking! I hope you don't mind me replying in the form of a public post, because I've been asked this a couple of times by now (🥰) and I think a public post that I can refer to is gonna be helpful!

The good news is that these books can be read in ANY ORDER. Yes, really. There are, I think, two instances in which a later book directly builds on what happened in a previous book, but even then the events of the previous book are referenced enough to make reading the later book on its own absolutely possible. What you *will* gain in reading them in order, either by subseries or as the whole series, is little easter eggs and a fuller sense of the Discworld as a setting. Now, having said that, I'll put the possible approaches under a readmore, so as not to clutter up people's dash:

These are the possible approaches:

The chronological approach will allow you to appreciate Pratchett's development/improvement as a writer. If you are already resolved to read more than one book (or intend to read all of them!), this is valid and very rewarding. However, the first books are a bit like Star Trek TNG's first season: he's still finding his way into Discworld as a setting, and into his voice as a writer. They are fun, but not all that representative of the (quality of the) rest of the series. I have advised multiple people, who couldn't get past "The Colour of Magic", to ditch that approach and try a different book.

The abbreviated chronological approach, in which you start with a later book in the series, and from then on read in publishing order. This way you jump over the Early Instalment Weirdness. Different people have different opinions on "when Discworld gets good" - mine is that by Guards! Guards! (skipping the next book, Eric), things are on more than solid ground. This one also works best for people who are ready to invest in a long-term reading project.

The subseries approach will help readers who are a bit up in the air if they really want to devote that much time. There are several subseries, characterized by a recurring cast of characters and themes, that you can read in *their* publishing order. These subseries are: the Witches, starting with Wyrd Sisters (a core cast of three witches, of course - the maiden, the mother, and the... other one, supplemented by recurring other characters, including more witches. Themes revolve around personal and social responsibilities, how communities work and how you can contribute, justice especially for "those that have no voices", and how fairytales and folklore works), the Wizards (very much not my favorite; if you detest academia, you will find the laughs in it, but it's extremely male-centered. Themes revolve around cowardice and courage and belief), Death as the personification of the end of life, seven foot skeleton and all, starting with Mort (a core cast of Death and his dysfunctional found family, including Susan, a true badass. Themes revolve around care for those entrusted to you, and around belief and ethics. They include some incredibly poetic imagery, and WILL make you cry, and also feel uplifted), and the Watch, starting with Guards! Guards! (a ragged band of misfits solve crime in Ankh-Morpork, largest of cities on the Disc. If you like Noir and Whodunnits, you'll love these. Themes revolve around what makes good policing and good politics). There's also a series of Young Adult novels starring Tiffany Aching, who grows into being a witch throughout these books.

The themed approach: several of the Discworld books directly spoof "Roundworld" stories or concepts, so if you like those stories or concepts, you'll probably like the Discworld take on them. Wyrd Sisters (a Witches book) = Macbeth. Witches Abroad = fairytales, Grimm and otherwise. Maskerade = The Phantom of the Opera. Moving Pictures = the early decades of Hollywood. Soul Music = Rock 'n Roll. Carpe Jugulum = vampires. Feet of Clay = golems. The Night Watch = Les Miserables. Hogfather = Christmas and its pagan origins. Small Gods = a scathing take on Abrahamic Religions, especially Christianity. The Truth is about journalism and journalistic integrity. If you like Leverage the TV show, Going Postal and Making Money will be right up your alley. Pyramids is about Egypt and The Last Continent is about Australia and Interesting Times is about Asia, but all of these are unfortunately books about "foreign cultures" written by a white man and it shows; I'm just including them for completeness' sake, but will recommend skipping all of them unless you're a staunch completionist. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rats is the Pied Piper of Hamelin reimagined (and will also come out as an animated movie sometime soon).

I am old enough to have read half the series in publishing order or rather, as they got published. A new Pratchett book was an automatic buy and instant read. I literally cannot overstate how deeply this series of books lives within me; I can quote you Pratchett for almost any situation in life. There are people holding off on reading The Shepherd's Crown (the last book published) so that they'll always have a "new" (as in: unread) Pratchett book on the shelves. These books will make you laugh and cry and wonder and stare at the wall and rage incandescently and change you. I shall leave you with a picture of my most cherished possession:

(ID: a photo of the frontispiece of Feet of Clay, with a signed dedication:

To Jana A word in your head! (Terry Pratchett's signature)

And a speck of sweet mustard on the side because I approached him in a restaurant as he was eating Weißwurst; serves me right but I love it! /End ID)

#Pratchett #GNU Terry Pratchett #Discworld #Discworld reading order #long post #thanks for the ask and I hope this isn't overwhelming!#I don't just write essays on TNG 😅#toss me and I'll write you a novella 😁

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what-the-phoenix · 2 years

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How I would change Piper Mclean

This is a slight carry on from this post where I posted what I would change about Jason Grace. These are some ideas on how I would change her character and certain scenes in the book because my girl wasn't done amazingly in the books. I have made one giant change to her character but I do explain why.

Her Godly Parent

So a large part of the original Percy Jackson series was the gods ignoring and not claiming their children, which was especially a problem for children of minor gods.

So much so that at the end of the series Percy made the gods swear an oath for all children to be claimed, which resulted in new cabins being built for the demigods of minor gods

And I felt that this was such an important theme that is missing from the heroes of olympus as the seven are all children of major gods, and little attention being brought to minor god demigods till the blood of olympus

So my way to address this is to change Piper's mother from Aphrodite to the minor goddess Peitho

Peitho is the personified spirit of persuasion, seduction and charming speech, this keeps to the core of her canon parenthood as Peitho is still associated with love as she is typically depicted as an important companion to Aphrodite.

Why Piper?

AND WHY NOT ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE 7?

So annabeth and percy are obviously set in stone

Jason and Hazel both have their counterpart sibling (Thaila and Nico respectively) and so need to be kept the same

A large part of Leo’s character is his backstory and fire powers so I wanted to keep him hephaestus

So it was between Piper and Frank

And I chose piper

Piper has to face a lot of negativity in how people perceive or act around her from her dad's ignorance, people being cruel about her native american roots and Drews unacceptance, which is then reflected in her own self confidence.

So I thought why not add another layer and have her stress about how she is the only minor demigod and whether she can stand on equal footing or be as useful as the others

This can also be used to give some more detail to canon facts like why her charmspeak is that more powerful than that of an aphrodite counterpart.

Her Claiming

How I imagine her Claiming would go

So for the sake of my version imagine that the events at the grand canyon happened a day earlier, so the lost trio are at camp for two nights and not just one.

The three arrive at camp, Leo gets claimed and the three split up

At the campfire that night Jason is revealed to be a son of Zeus (Jupiter) however Piper is not claimed in front of everyone which alarms Chiron and Annabeth as the gods promised and what if the problem with Olympus and it being closed off meant demigods won’t be claimed anymore.

Piper picks up on this and is a little bit worried herself however she is also annoyed as she is pretty sure she is being pranked as she keeps finding bits of twine in her hair

After the campfire Chiron tells her how Annabeth mentioned the car stealing and thinks she may have the gift of charm speaking and be a child of Aphrodite as it can be one of their powers, so for the night they place her there instead of Hermes.

She still does not get along with Drew, who claims she’s too much of a mess to be their half-sister.

Piper spends the next day with the Aphrodite cabin, and just doesn’t feel like she fits in with them at all unlike Leo who is getting on great with his siblings.

And to make matters worse someone is still leaving twine all over her.

That campfire night Rachel gives her prophecy, (replace dove with twine), while everyone is trying to guess what twine represents Piper interrupts claiming the twine is her, she finally receives an actual claiming with a golden glowing twine over her head (Yes the twine was a sign from her mom).

Cue Chiron realising she is a daughter of Peitho

She still stays at Aphrodite cabin that night as there is no Peitho cabin, and Drew is even worse as she was right that Piper didn’t actually belong in the cabin, and found it fitting that Piper's mum is not only a minor goddess but one of her mother Aphrodite's attendants.

When they attend breakfast there is a table for her, so she is forced to sit alone, until Leo brings out festus and they leave for camp.

Her Relationship with Jason

I stand with what I said in my previous post that i'd like to think that if Piper knew the memories were fake and that Jason is so amnesic that he wouldn't know his first name if he wasn't told(my retelling) that she would not pursue a relationship with him.

The Lost Hero (other changes)

See the jason post linked at top for any Jason related changes

There is still a lot of trauma from the battle of Olympus and still some divide in the camp between children of major and minor gods.

This is apparent in Drew who outright states minor god/goddess prejudice to Piper and how Silena died because of their cause.

Piper is obviously then curious about Silena but can’t find anything on her or ask anybody as it is a bit of a sore subject in the camp.

She manages to learn more about Silena and more about different kinds of love that Aphrodite and her mother represent thanks to Leo

Leo finds Beckendorf's journal in his secret bunk room when leo inherits his bunk and takes it with him to read and learn more about him on the quest

Once Leo finds out Piper wants to know more about Silena he lets piper read about her in the journals

When Piper returns she does not challenge Drew for counsellor (as she can’t she's a child of Peitho) but instead confronts her to be better and more like the Silena she read about and how she ran the cabin.

Between TLH and MoA

That 6 month period between books and how piper adapts to life at camp

The Aphrodite Cabin

So all of the quest goes pretty much the same with maybe some mentions of her mother

Aphrodite still meets her in her dream, and talks about how her mother was a great companion.

They get back to camp and Piper's cabin is not built and due to the hephaestus cabin working on the argo it is not completed until around three months into the six month gap. (This provides a bonding point with annabeth as piper has no idea on building design)

Piper stays in the aphrodite cabin during this time, now facing less hostility after confronting Drew about her attitude.

It is not immediate but over the months Drew opens up to Piper and becomes less snobbish in her ways as cabin counsellor, becoming more accepting and open to other campers.

Piper mainly follows the aphrodite cabin around for activities instead of trying to make her own schedule and assists drew in rounding up her half siblings

She becomes an honorary aphrodite camper and as she is a love goddesses daughter, Lacey and the others tell her about the ‘must make someone fall in love with you and then break their heart’ rule which she does not agree to and tells them so.

When she finally moves to her cabin she still sometimes sits with the Aphrodite cabin for food.

Camp Relationships

Piper has her own banner for campfire nights which is situated around the other minor gods/goddesses demigods and when she is not sitting with Jason, Leo or cabin 8 she begins making friends with these campers.

This then continues when she moves into her cabin in the minor god area of the cabins.

This area has more of a close knit bond due to many living together in the hermes cabin until they were recently claimed. Though they bond over their smaller number of people in cabins, but also how they are treated by some of the other campers.

Piper becomes good friends with Lou Ellen as she is interested in her magic and Lou Ellen in her charm speak.

This leads Piper to hang around with the Hecate cabin more and in turn learn more about the mist whilst she does.

MoA

So this begins like the original book until we get to the senate meeting and she shuts up octavian.

And he is like “a Witch? Wait no charmspeak she is a spawn of venus” and starts ranting about how a child of venus could possibly be one of the seven.

Piper then corrects him that she is a child of Peitho or Suada to the romans.

This then sets him off on another rant but instead saying that she is the child of a minor god BUT also how Suada is the roman goddess of Deception and Desire so how can the romans trust her and in turn the greeks.

HoH

The fight with Kione

So instead of Khione sending Leo to ogygia she sends off Piper, (maybe because of charmspeak or past encounters?). Leaving Leo a rematch against khione of ice and fire.

So Piper lands in Ogygia and is very confused about where she is until she is confronted by calypso.

Calypso lets her know that she won’t be able to leave as only heroes can on a raft and that she instead must be joining calypso for an eternal punishment on the island.

Piper does what she can trying to charmspeak a raft to appear but nothing happens

Her and Calypso bond as the days (?) go on (Not gonna lie I have no idea how long leo was on ogygia).

At night Piper tells Calypso about the old stories of the stars that her dad and grandpa Tom told her while Calypso explains her curse and about all the heroes that have come over her sentence.

Piper (like leo in the original version) is annoyed that percy forgot about calypso but is also confused at how calypso falls in love with all these people

She explains that love is something you can’t control before questioning why piper hadn’t tried charmed her into getting off the island

“ I don’t want to control your love” (lying facing each other on a beach under the stars piper realises she is definitely bisexual)

The raft appears the next morning.

And thus Piper follows the tradition of children of love. Of making someone fall in love with them just to break their heart

So yeah that is what I have at the moment, it's been in my head a while especially Piper going to ogygia and some I thought of while writing this.

#percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo #heroes of olympus #piper mclean #jason grace #jasper #tlt series #the lost trio #hoo #character analysis #i love making these AU's

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popculturelib · 10 months

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Continuing Disability Pride Month, we have Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond (2014) by Jose Alaniz. From the summary:

The Thing. Daredevil. Captain Marvel. The Human Fly. Drawing on DC and Marvel comics from the 1950s to the 1990s and marshaling insights from three burgeoning fields of inquiry in the humanities--disability studies, death and dying studies, and comics studies-- Jose Alaniz seeks to redefine the contemporary understanding of the superhero. Beginning in the Silver Age, the genre increasingly challenged and complicated its hypermasculine, quasi-eugenicist biases through such disabled figures as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and the Doom Patrol. Alaniz traces how the superhero became increasingly vulnerable, ill, and mortal in this era. He then proceeds to a reinterpretation of characters and series--some familiar (Superman), some obscure (She-Thing). These genre changes reflected a wider awareness of related body issues in the postwar U.S. as represented by hospice, death with dignity, and disability rights movements. The persistent highlighting of the body's -imperfection- comes to forge a predominant aspect of the superheroic self. Such moves, originally part of the Silver Age strategy to stimulate sympathy, enhance psychological depth, and raise the dramatic stakes, developed further in such later series as The Human Fly, Strikeforce: Morituri, and the landmark graphic novel The Death of Captain Marvel, all examined in this volume. Death and disability, presumed routinely absent or denied in the superhero genre, emerge to form a core theme and defining function of the Silver Age and beyond.

Who is your favorite disabled superhero? How do you think superheroes and disability work in later eras of comics?

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States. Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

#bgsu #disability pride month #superheroes #disabled superheroes #comics #disability in comics

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dorothydalmati1 · 8 months

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Obscure Animation Subject #43: Sazae-san

Originally posted on Twitter on April 3, 2023.

So, um… this is actually the longest-running animated series of all time! Don’t believe me, please read.

Based on the 1946-1974 gag manga by Machiko Hasegawa, the show is produced by Eiken (formerly TCJ until 1972) and airs on Fuji TV.

It premiered on the network on October 5, 1969, with a timeslot of Sundays at 6:30 PM, with each episode containing 3 7-minute segments, and it continues airing to this day. The show holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running animated television series in 2013.

The show is about Sazae, a very liberated woman, with many of the early plotlines revolving around Sazae bossing around her husband, to the consternation of her neighbors, who believed that a man should be the head of his household. Later, Sazae became a feminist.

Not in the modern American style, and was involved in many comical situations regarding her affiliation with her local women's lib group. Despite the topical nature of the series, the core of the stories revolved around a large family dynamic, presented in a lighthearted fashion.

In current culture, the popular Sazae-san anime is frequently viewed as a nostalgic representation of traditional Japanese society, since it represents a simpler time before many of the changes brought by modern technology. Its social themes are evocative of a nostalgic era.

And its a no-brainer that the show lasted this long for how much of a nostalgic feel it has. Usually, the stories are based on the ones in the manga like most anime, but due to the limited number of strips, a new anime-original story is created every few years.

In addition, the unique culture and events in a typical Japanese household, including the four seasons, will always be reflected in the story.

At the start of the anime, it was a slapstick comedy, but within a year it had become more slice-of-life. However, its still comedic.

For this reason, it is often described as a "national anime" in Japan and is regarded as a symbol of "universality" and "permanence". Whenever there is a change, there is always a great deal of media coverage, and the anime retains a strong influence on the public.

In recent years, due to the influence of its unchanging style, it is sometimes criticized as "anachronistic" or "this anime depicts the 20th century," such as the absence of smartphones and convenience stores in the work even though the period setting is the present day.

In response to this comment, the staff said, "The appeal of this anime is that it depicts scenes of everyday life and universal relationships that can be found in any family. Therefore, we have no plans in the future to incorporate events or items that would change them."

However, some of the phenomena, such as smoking and corporal punishment, which have come to be considered inappropriate due to changing times, have been removed or otherwise addressed. The anime is not well known outside of Japan, as it has never been developed globally.

However, in 2019, the producers stated in a conversation that they hope to be able to expand globally in the future. Otherwise, due to wishes and right-holders, most of the show is considered lost media with only a small percentage of episodes have surfaced online.

As of 2023, only Midori Katō, who plays Sazae, has never been changed. Katō was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the "Longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series". Very impressive that she’s been voicing for so long.

The opening is an introduction to the places that Sazae has traveled and visited throughout Japan since 1974. This video changes every three months. This has come to be viewed by cities as a "cost-effective means of promoting tourism" and Sazae is proud of promoting.

From the start of the series until October 1991, Sazae ended each episode by tossing a bean or rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth. It was replaced after doctors raised concerns that children may try to imitate Sazae and potentially choke on food.

Since November 1991, after the closing credits and the next episode previews, each show has ended with a janken match between Sazae and the viewers at home, in which Sazae holds up a sign representing one of the appropriate hand gestures. This made the closings more fun.

The anime series was originally sponsored solely by Toshiba. Later, in 1998, the program expanded to other sponsors, but the unity between Toshiba and Sazae-san remained strong. So when Toshiba withdrew its sponsorship due to poor management, it was big news.

Sazae-san was the last animated television series to use traditional cel animation, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital. The series finally switched to digital ink-and-paint animation in 2015. The opening and ending themes are by Yuko Uno.

There have been two hiatuses: the first, for about a month beginning in February 1975, due to the 1970s energy crisis; the second, for about a month beginning in May 2020, due to COVID-19. Programming during these periods was handled by rebroadcasting past productions.

In Japan, there is a term called "Sazae-san syndrome" (サザエさん症候群, Sazae-san shōkōgun), which refers to a depressed mood on Sunday night after an episode has finished on television, reminding people that the weekend is coming to an end, mainly children who hate school.

Regardless if it has done good or bad, Sazae-san is one most historical and important animated shows ever created, and it developed a cult following internationally. While most episodes are lost, the ones found give us an insight to the show and how popular it’s become in Japan.

#Sazae-san #obscure animation #anime

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camplofi · 1 month

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Life At Camp Lo-Fi: The Last Nine Years

All comments, questions, and general feedback can be sent to [email protected]. Record a voice message and send it my way or leave one at the Speakpipe page!

You can subscribe to Radio BSOTS via the following options: RSS feed ||| Apple Podcasts ||| Spotify ||| Google Podcasts Amazon Music ||| Goodpods ||| TuneIn ||| iHeartRadio

Connect with Camp Lo-Fi via social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

This episode's track list (title / artist / source / license):

1. Minor Event by Nangdo [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2010)

2. Where The Love Is (ft. Dale Novella) by Mikal Amin [Bandcamp] (2019)

3. Stroll by Exmiranda [Jamendo] (CC-BY-NC) (2018)

4. Home Is Free by Soul Inscribed [Bandcamp] (2020)

5. Guaranteed (feat. Ace Hashimoto) by Devin Morrison [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-ND) (2019)

6. It's Not Fair (Feat. Illspokinn) by Core Rhythm & Zajazza [Bandcamp] (2020)

7. Socks by Shlohmo [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2009)

8. INSTANT CLASSIC (Intro) / Tip Jar by CM & Tha Silent Partner [blocSonic] (CC-BY-NC-SA) (2021)

9. Alright Anyway Ft. Taelor Gray by SHON THA PHENOM [Jamendo] (CC-BY-NC) (2022)

This episode is the second of a two-part series looking back on 18 years of Radio BSOTS. Truth be told, the second half of the BSOTS life span is largely defined by inconsistency on the podcast feed and finding a regular groove on the broadcast side of the equation due to joining Bondfire Radio in 2015. Being a part of that radio family felt bigger than BSOTS and I wanted to be a team player. One might say that I ghosted my own podcast, but I came back to the feed when I felt like I had something to say. And when I couldn't find the right words, I let the music speak.

The selections included in this episode are all from artists that I've played in the past. Nangdo and Shlohmo both provide some stellar beat business found on the Free Music Archive. The moodiness of Shlohmo's "Socks" feels murky and disoriented while "Minor Event" by Nangdo plays around with brighter tones and vocal harmonies. Over on Jamendo, Canadian artist Exmiranda offers up a hynotic, hip-shaking cut in "Stroll" and Shon Tha Phenom turns the power of positive thinking into the anthmemic "Alright Anyway." Meanwhile, I used to play Devin Morrison's music on my Bondfire broadcasts years before I found out that his work is released under a Creative Commons license. "Guaranteed" is warm and soulful and feels like the nervous energy one gets when trying to play it cool around someone that they're attracted to.

It was important for me to represent for the music of Mikal Amin, Mtume Gant, and Baba Israel on this episode. All three of them spoke to me separately about being a part of Bondfire Radio, but long before that, they were all good friends of mine and artists that I had in mind when starting this podcast. Their recorded output and live performances rekindled my love for hip-hop at a time when I thought that I was done with it. CM & Tha Silent Partner represent another shining example of hip-hop that can reaffirm or reestablish one's faith in the genre. Their blocSonics E.P. remains one of the sonic highlights of the blocSonic netlabel's back catalog. I stil can't get over the fact that a clip from one of my early podcast episodes kicks off their follow-up release, blocSonics 2!

The last nine years have been full of highs and lows for this podcast, but I'm just thankful that it's still here. Although I take some time to tell my story, the music is still the star of the show and I hope that you find a new favorite artist or song as you listen.

Theme music produced by Cy Tru and edited by Macedonia. ID drops courtesy of Chyll Will, DarrenKeith, and Morganics. Background music includes "Infinity 2" by Techniken Defunkus.

Previous BSOTS episodes mentioned include: show #144 - Project: Mooncircle show #164 - Cupid Hunt's 2017: grass ain't greener... show #175 - Does Music Belong In Podcasting? show #179 - In Conversation With Douglas Whitfield (pt. one)

Other key info: Macedonia on Mixcloud Black Men Win episode with Jason Smith Friends Of CC Music episode with Jason Smith In The Mix With Leah B. Tha Bloc Report The Bugcast Afros & Audio Black Podcasters Association

The content of this show has been released under a CC-BY-SA license. All works within this show retain their original releases. See the show notes at bsots.com for more information.

Another BSOTS podcast episode for the people...

#BSOTS #podcasts #music #hip-hop #soul #funk #jazz #electronic

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2jaeh · 3 years

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FREAKS THE PREQUEL : TAEYONG X TEN X READER

genre: smut, humor

warnings: poly themes, alcohol, some drug use, threesome, oral M and F receiving, semi-public, fxm, mxm, just a lot of smut related tags tbh

word count : 11,8 K

AUTHOR SIN

Everyone had heard of you but where did the story begin ?

This is the prequel to FREAKS (Jaehyun x reader) a story of why the entire campus were almost certain that you Taeyong and Ten were in a poly affair.

A/N: before anyone asks I will be doing a part two of Freaks w Jaehyun, I needed to get this part out first! Also commissions are open on my fiverr and let me know in my inbox what you think of this series!

0. Prequel

1. Freaks pt 1

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You always wondered what it was like to fit in. Whether people rarely stared, that It didn’t matter what music you listened to or how you dressed as long as you followed the quota you were good. But four months into university made you quickly realise that it wasn’t easy making friends as people made it out to be. Being in the art department, you took notice of a few people that met your requirements but after an exchange or two the conversation fell flat and it would feel like you were back to square one.

You sat your sketchbook down on the wooden table situated at the back of the fine arts classroom and slumped into the chair waiting for class to begin. Your eyes watched every person that sauntered through those indigo doors. Hippies, wannabe tattoo artists, rich kids who took art just to prove they’re cultured, and the ones who weren’t worth remembering.

“Today we will explore life drawings so pull out the items I asked you to collect and partner up with the person seated next to you” your lecturer clapped his hands as the classroom filled with shuffling of seats and small greetings.

You turned to your left and noticed a black haired boy with a mullet cut passed out on the desk. You had seen him at a few parties but you’ve only exchanged less than a sentence with him.

Grabbing your pencil you poked his exposed arm until he groaned and stretched his arms out in front of him yawning, “Are we done already ?”

“We just started, and were partners” you faked a smile and shifted your desk closer to him.

“Oh shit sorry, you’re y/n right ?” He asked, his voice was soft and friendly. His cat-like eyes blinked cutely as he adjusted his loose shirt and turned his body to face you, “you were at Jungwoo’s party last week.”

“Oh yeah I was” you chuckled scratching the back of your head, “You…are Ten Lee, I remember your strip club design project. It was pretty awesome”

Ten’s eyes lit up at your words and you felt a sense of warmth emanating from him. It felt genuine unlike most people on this campus and you couldn’t believe it took you this long to even talk to him.

“I tend to see how far I can go before the faculty calls my parents in” he snickered and began pulling out his drawing equipment from his overly decorated tote bag. You mimicked his actions and in turn pulled out the items your lecturer had asked you to collect. Personal trinkets he said, three items that you think represented you.

You looked around at the nearby desks and noticed a lot of the same items placed on everyone's desk. Candles, AirPods, tea boxes, vinyls and anything else you would find on ‘art hoe Tumblr 101’. You annoyingly rolled your eyes as you looked down at your own equipment.

A rusty old key you had found in your room, the cigarette butt of the last one you smoked since you’d quit, and of course the grand finale, an anime figurine of a woman with boobs bigger than her head. Perfect.

“Hentai is…..your identifier ?” Ten stifled his laughter as he grabbed the figurine from your desk and closely examined her clothing, or lack thereof.

“I actually stole that from the store my ex worked at but yeah we can go with that, what is yours ?”

You watched Ten remove the items from his bag and your eyes widened at one item in particular, “dude is that a vibrator ?” You questioned and Ten grinned, holding up the palm sized gadget and switched it on briefly before turning it off and flinging it on his desk, “yeah I identify strongly with it” he shrugged.

“How exactly?” You quizzed him as the boy, still poker faced, played with the rings on his fingers.

“Vibrators pleasure people, and I do the same, there's no lore to it y/n”

“Good to know I guess” you pressed your lips together and you felt Ten tug on your arm until his lips were against your ear,

“You wanna skip and try it out in the bathroom ?”

———————————————————————————————————

You had no idea what the fuck was going on but within minutes you and Ten were walking down the hall to the nearest bathroom after he explained to the lecturer that the two of you had to hand in a business assignment a couple doors down. Ten pulled you into the girls bathroom and looked under each stall until he realised you two were the only ones in here.

“What the fuck is happening right now” you walked hand in hand with him into the last stall and leaned against the cold tiled wall.

“You about to get one of the best orgasms ever that's what” Ten bit down on his lip cheekily and found the slit of your floral skirt and pushed it to the side, revealing your black laced panties on full display for him.

As Ten’s fingers slowly began making its way to your core you smacked his hand, causing him to look up with wide eyes, “What ?”

“At least kiss me first, how am I supposed to get in the…mood?” Ten chuckled at your words and raised his hands amusingly, “Okay Okay I didn’t think this would be a whole ordeal”

You rolled your eyes and pulled Ten by his neck into a deep kiss that actually surprised the both of you. Each side was filled with lust as your tongue moved against his and fought for dominance. Ten pressed his body against you roughly, earning a moan from both of you once you felt your bodies connect in the most passionate way. Kissing him was different, It completely changed the way you looked and felt about him. He went from being the cute cat boy in your class to probably one of the sexiest people you had ever met. Ten roughly bit your lip and smirked into the kiss when he felt your nails dig into his shoulder. He quickly used the opportunity to slip his hands in-between your legs which you politely parted for him and ran a finger over your core.

“Oh shit” you breathed against his lips as he moved the material out of the way and slipped his finger inside with ease. His finger moved slowly in and out of you while his lips were still attached to yours not missing a second of that mouth-watering kiss. You had no idea when his finger was replaced with the vibrator but the sensation made you break away from the kiss and throw your head back in ecstasy, not knowing when was the last time you even felt like this. The combination of Ten’s wet kisses on your neck and the vibrator completely destroying you, it was happening. The orgasm of the fucking century was approaching. You would like to believe that you were only at your breaking point because you hadn’t hooked up with anyone in a while not because Ten was this good. But he was. He was fucking amazing and this was just a taste, just an introduction to him.

Ten increased the speed of the vibrator until your legs were shaking and clasped his hand over your mouth to prevent the whole department from hearing you coming undone.

“Fuck..” You sighed, holding onto his shoulders for support as you tried catching your breath, “yeah the whole pleasure analogy between you and the vibrator….I get it.”

“Glad to be of service” Ten stuck his tongue in his cheek and began neatening his outfit before hooking arms with you and walking out of the bathroom. You already had no intention of going back to class anytime soon so the two of you ended up wandering the halls of the pristine campus, hoping the day would pass away.

“Y/n” you heard a voice call from behind you, not your favourite voice in the world.

“Fuck” you sighed and turned around, watching the tall black haired man make his way over to you. You watched a cocky smile spread across his face as he came over, his tall frame standing over you and Ten.

“What do you want Jinyoung ?” you asked, raising your eyebrow at him and folded your arms.

The boy bit down on his lip and moved his hair out of his face, “I just came to say hi y/n do you have to be so rude ?” He scoffed and raised his eyebrow at Ten, “got a new boy toy ?”

“What Ten and I do is honestly none of your business” you responded coldly, Ten immediately putting two and two together and stifled a laughter before smiling up at Jinyoung,

“Oh you’re the ex boyfriend ? Is this the one who finishes in 10 seconds ?” Tens words caught you off guard causing you to let out a chuckle and Jinyoung to shift uncomfortably in his spot. He tried his best to stay composed but his red ears told a different story.

“That’s probably someone else, you know she’s been around the block” he licked his lips and folded his arms across his chest.

“Anyway do you want something ? We gotta go back to class” you rolled your eyes and rested your head on Tens shoulder.

“Come out with me tonight, you know I always get guestlist to varsity parties” Jinyoung said and Ten waved his hand in front of his face startling Jinyoung, “I have plans with her, so maybe next time” Ten pulled you down the hall before Jinyoung could get in another word. You couldn’t help but turn back and take in his dumbstruck frame as the two of you furthered away from him and headed back to class.

“We have plans ?” You asked as the two of you slipped back into your seats and Ten propped his legs up on the table and leaned back,

“Yeah there’s a party at that guy Wooyoung's place tonight and we’re going” Ten stretched his arms above his head, “wear something sexy so I’m not standing out.”

————————————————————————-

Of Course listening to Tens words and knowing the kind of closet you were working with it wasn’t that hard to not stand out. You opted for a cute little baby blue mini dress that was tight enough to show off your curves and a pair of holographic combat boots. Your favourite part was always getting to match your eye make up to your outfit. Drawing on an intricate design that accentuated your big round eyes almost made you doll-like.

You retrieved your phone and noticed you received a text from Ten, who had already updated an outfit pic on story. A very low buttoned down black shirt and black shiny pants that had a fucking garter around his leg ?

Yeah he was hot and the both of you knew it.

You grabbed the last of your things and made your way downstairs to Ten who was waiting at the dorm house entrance. Unconsciously biting on your lip you were welcomed by his slender figure posted up against the fence with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He looked straight out of a movie.

“God finally….holy shit you look hot!” He whistled and pulled you into a tight hug before pulling you into a kiss and grabbed your waist. The kiss was indeed surprising even though earlier that day he was practically fucking your brains out.

His lips were soft and sweet, laced with a hint of the menthol cigarette from earlier. Ten finally pulled away and he gave your ass a cheeky squeeze before handing you his half burnt cigarette,

“Let’s have a wild fucking night then shall we ?”

Taking the cigarette from him you took a drag and blew the smoke up into the air forgetting about your sobriety and watched it disappear in the night sky, “let’s go.”

The night was cold but quite a few people were all over the residence roads, making their way to various parties or down to the bars where the rowdiness had already begun.

“Shit I really should’ve brought something to pre drink” Ten sighed and pulled out his phone.

“Who are you texting ?” You asked, trying to match his quick footsteps as yall began nearing the busy part of the street.

“Yuta, you know that tattoo guy ? He always has a bottle on him” Ten explained as you followed him into a narrow corner and saw a group of people gathered at the steps of the building. You noticed a few people from your department hanging around but the most noticeable person was in fact Yuta Nakamoto. His long black hair, pierced ears and tatted up body was hard to miss. You got a tattoo from him once and it almost ended with him making out with you on his work desk.

But that was a story both of you agreed to forget.

“Ten and y/n, weird combination but I’m not really surprised, what’s up ?” Yuta grinned and handed Ten the bottle of vodka while pulling you into a quick hug.

“Yeah it’s called matching each other’s energy” Ten winked at you and took a shot of vodka straight out of the bottle before handing it to you. You eyed the clear bottle up and down knowing your kidneys were screaming at you right now but fuck you hated walking into a party without a slight buzz going. You took the bottle and took a shot before wincing at the bitter taste and the fiery sensation that was now running down your throat. “You ready ?” Ten grinned holding out his hand and you placed your hand in his, nodding a thank you to Yuta and his friends before entering the chaotic party.

There were people of all kinds inside. Some from your department, some from God knows where. All you could see were lingering eyes on you and Ten as you stepped inside. Some people made it obvious that they were staring, hoping that maybe you’d strike up a conversation with them. Others just peeked and gossiped amongst their friends as they stared at the outfits that you and Ten adorned.

“What else do you expect from people who sleep around with drug dealers” you and Ten overheard a girl say as the two of you made your way over the kitchen for drinks.

“Drug Dealers ? Geez that’s the first” Ten scoffed and sifted for a cider in the cooler.

“None of that bothers you does it ?” You smiled, intrigued as the cat-eyed boy barely noticed a few people checking him out from behind the counter.

Ten handed you a drink and leaned up against the counter taking a sip of the cold liquid before shrugging,

“Why should I let it bother me ? It’s not like their lives are interesting that I want to fit in with them, I mean their lives revolve around talking shit about me” Ten giggled and took another sip of his drink.

His confidence was extremely attractive and his words resonated with you. It made you wonder if maybe you thought too much about it at times even though you didn’t care to conform to society norms of an average varsity student. Hanging out with Ten for just one day already gave you more life, more energy than anyone prior in your university. Ten wasn’t hesitant to show you that he felt the same way either. To him it was fate that he had sat next to you earlier today because he finally found someone worth keeping his attention.

“There’s something about you y/n I just feel like we get each other” he scratched his head and looked over at you, “it’s so easy just hanging out with you without feeling so fucking drained.”

“I feel the exact same way, like don’t get me wrong I like hanging out with the likes of Yuta and that guy Hendery in our class, but it’s different with you” You grabbed Tens hand and he squeezed your hand tightly,

“Here’s to tolerating only each other.”

You and Ten toasted and downed the last of the cider before heading to the dance floor filled with people who either despised you or wanted to be you.

As the two of you danced it felt like the room was moving in slow motion, the mixture of the smoke filled room to the loud music and alcohol in your system made you feel euphoric. As you danced the night away, you had no idea when you and Ten had separated on the dance floor but a sudden tug on your arm snapped you out of your daydream to face a harsh reality.

Jinyoung.

“Please leave me alone” you groaned as he wrapped his arms around your waist and placed his mouth against your ear,

“Baby I’m sorry when are we going to put all that shit behind us ?” He groaned, slipping his hands to your sides and squeezed gently.

“You cheated on me asshole did you forget ?” You shrugged out of his grip and pushed by the bodies of people trying to make your way to the backyard for fresh air.

The small garden was filled with people having intimate conversations and someone throwing up in a bush at the back. Normal house party shenanigans.

You rolled your eyes when you noticed Jinyoung had followed you out already trying to put his hands on you once again. “Would you stop ? Why don’t you run after the girl you had in your bed when we were together” you spat and headed for a bench.

“You know what, keep resisting, that’s why your ass is sitting here alone” Jinyoung retorted and pushed his way back into the party.

You groaned and sat on the empty seat far away from the party, finally able to hear yourself think and breath in fresh air. You were about to slip back into a calmer state when you felt someone drop in the seat next to you and as your thoughts expected it was Jinyoung, it ended up being a boy you had never seen before.

“Hi, sorry I didn’t mean to startle you” the boy said, his big round eyes sparkled under the night sky. His body was petite like Ten but he was broader in the shoulder department and had the most innocent face you’d ever seen.

“Oh it’s not a problem” you replied, still taking in his striking features. The boy brought a small metal flask to his lips and took a shot before offering the drink to you,

“It’s tequila” he smiled and you mouthed a thank you before shooting back a bit of the drink and handed it back to him.

“I’m y/n….I haven’t seen you around before” you quizzed as the boy set down his flask and ran his fingers through his blonde hair.

“I’m Taeyong, I’m actually new here” he replied and wet his lips with his tongue, “I’ll start in the art and design department on Monday.”

“I’m in that department, well welcome to hell” you grinned and held out your hand. Taeyong grinned and took your hand in his and gave you a firm handshake before scooting closer. As much as you convinced yourself he had the most adorable and innocent face you’d ever seen, there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“I just came here to get drunk and get laid but like everyone’s looking at me weird” Taeyong goofily laughed and you joined in, “can’t help you there, I’ve been in that position for a few months now” Taeyongs eyebrows raised at your words and jumped to his feet, holding out his hand for you to take,

“We both have nothing better to do so let’s get wasted.”

You and Taeyong set up a couple shots and downed everything in one go, not bothering about anyone around you or what they had to say. Taeyong was hilarious, his face was animated as he talked which made you laugh, something about him drew you in like a moth to a flame.

The two of you went from casual talk to dancing together and you didn’t mind the closeness, especially when he danced so fucking well against your body. You had no idea when it happened but Taeyong had spun you to face him while the two of you danced and your bodies were practically merged together as Taeyongs lips inched closer and closer until you felt him practically getting dragged away.

“Yo what the fuck man” Taeyong shouted as Jinyoung had a fist full of Taeyongs shirt and escorted him outside. A few people pushed past you to see the commotion before you processed what the hell had just happened.

Making your way through the curious crowd you watched as Taeyong and Jinyoung squared up in the middle of the garden for everyone to see.

“What the hell are you doing with my girl, man ?” Jinyoung shoved Taeyong who stumbled back, the alcohol not helping his balance in any way. You rushed toward them as Taeyong found his footing and pushed Jinyoung right back, he was definitely way stronger than he looked.

“Jinyoung I’m not your girl you moron” you snapped and tried to stand in front of Taeyong before things got any worse.

Jinyoung scoffed and took a step forward, challenging you but you stood your ground even though your head was spinning from the amount of alcohol in your system.

“You’re defending this nobody ? Y/n you’ve really hit rock bottom now haven’t you ?” Jinyoung said, loud enough for every person to hear. This was one of his traits that you hated most.

Gaslighting.

When Jinyoung knew he had lost you it resulted in insults, manipulation, making you feel like you needed him more than he needed you. But it never worked and it drove him insane.

“Hey it’s not her fault she decided to drop the dead weight in her life” Taeyong shrugged and took a step forward, “don’t worry I’ll make sure she gets satisfied in any way she wants.”

Before you could even respond Jinyoung swung at Taeyong, hitting him right in the jaw before two other men stepped in and held him back. You rushed over to check on Taeyong who instead of showing signs of anger or pain, was laughing.

Laughing with a bruise on the side of his jaw, unphased by what had just happened. Jinyoung muttered curses as the guys dragged him away from the garden and the crowds of people finally dispersed, unsatisfied with the lackluster of the fight.

“Are you okay ?” You sighed helping him up and took him to the side of the house where it was more secluded from the public. You shone your phone light to get a better look at his bruise and Taeyong winced at both the sudden light and the throb from the hit.

“I’m fine I’m fine, it’s really okay” he chuckled and leaned against the wall pulling you with until you were inches away from his face.

You had no idea why, especially considering you just saw him get hit in the face, you leaned in to kiss him. Whether it be the alcohol or the adrenaline from the fight you just found Taeyong to be so goddamn hot in this moment. Taeyong moaned into the kiss as he slipped his tongue into your mouth and massaged circles on your lower back. Your lips moved against his slowly and passionately, smirking into the kiss when he bit down on your lip cheekily.

“God there you are”

Your kiss quickly broke when you heard the high tone of Tens voice and he made his way over to you and Taeyong.

“What the hell happened, I heard that idiot Jinyoung was harassing you again and-“ Tens eyes turned to Taeyong against the wall and pointed to him with his index finger, “who the heck is this ?”

“Uh this is Taeyong, he helped me with the Jinyoung issue” you scratched your head and Taeyong half waved at Ten before clutching his jaw.

“Uhm okay” Ten pressed his lips together, “let’s go back to my dorm I’ve had enough of these Neanderthals...Taeyong you can come too.”

————————————————————————-

The three of you finally arrived at Ten’s dorm in silence. You and Taeyong shifted awkwardly in the middle of Ten’s bedroom, not knowing exactly what to do. Looking around you noticed Ten had an eye for interior design. His furniture was quite outlandish for a dorm room yet it was surprisingly homey.

“God please sit or do something you guys are making me uncomfortable” Ten groaned, kicking off his boots and discarding his shirt. Taeyong opted for the office chair near Ten’s desk and you took a seat at the very edge of Ten’s single sleeper while he lay on his back next to you on his phone.

“You guys like sushi ? I'm feeling for sushi” Ten hummed scrolling through a food ordering app completely oblivious to the awkwardness that still sat in the room.

“Sushis good” you nodded,

“Yeah I don't mind either” Taeyong added but winced when he felt the sharp, still very prominent pain in his jaw.

“Ten you got an ice pack or something ?” You sighed, jumping off the bed and rummaged through Ten’s mini fridge. “Yeah right at the back” Ten replied, still trying to place his order for the late night meal. You retrieved the ice pack and knelt down in front of Taeyong who smiled shyly as you placed the ice pack over his swollen jaw. Taeyong silently thanked you for your kindness and applied pressure to his jaw as you decided to take a seat beside his chair, to make him feel a little more comfortable in your friends bedroom.

“Okay” Ten threw his phone aside and sat up to look at the two of you with inquisitive eyes,” yall gonna tell me what happened here ?”

“Well I lost you on the dancefloor and Jinyoung found me” you began, Ten already rolling his eyes at the sound of Jinyoung’s name,

“I went outside and Taeyong approached me, he’s going to be starting at our department on Monday and he didn't know anybody, so I offered my friendship in a form of alcohol and having a good time” you smiled and Ten scoffed.

“Jinyoung saw you guys just drinking and decided to rearrange his face ?” Ten raised his eyebrow, he definitely knew there was more to it considering the two of you were sucking each other's faces off in a dark alley.

“Okay so we were quite close, and honestly does Jinyoung need any other reason ? He wanted to punch you this morning” you groaned.

“Yeah but I was literally fucking you in a bathroom stall with my vibrator y/n”

Taeyong’s eyes widened at Ten’s words and looked between the two of you frantically, “Wait you guys are together, I mean hooking up ? Why did you kiss me ?” he questioned while Ten just laughed it off and turned on his bluetooth speaker.

“Chill, we're not together you can have a little relationship if you want to” Ten smirked, stretching his arms above his head, “honestly if you wanna hook up now I like watching.”

“God shut up, and none of us want a relationship. We just got there to have fun and Jinyoung ruined everything” you groaned, leaning your head back against Taeyong’s leg as he finally returned to tend to his bruise.

“All this aside do you guys mind if I hang out with you ? you’re honestly the only fucking normal people on this campus” Taeyong pouted and you and Ten shared a quick glance before grinning from ear to ear.

“Okay he’s cute I get it” Ten sighed and held out his hand to Taeyong, “I'm Ten, y/n and I only started hanging out this morning, neither of us have close friends on campus and frankly everyone finds us annoying, welcome to the club.”

Taeyong smiled cutely and shook Ten’s hand, setting down his ice pack and got to his feet, “Well i'm Taeyong, I too don't give a shit what people have to say about me, I like doing whatever I want with whomever I want and I'm pretty sure after tonight people aren't gonna like me either, so I guess i'm in.”

Before you could even say your part to this little club initiation your phone began to blow up with message alerts and story updates from practically everyone on campus tagging you in a specific video.

“What the hell is going on ?” you frowned as you opened instagram and noticed that the account that everyone was tagging you in was a burner account with a few videos and two pictures. Ten and Taeyong stood on either side of you as you opened up the first video and noticed that it was taken in the hallway earlier that day with you and Ten linking arms. The second video was at the party, you and Ten dancing with each other and the video cutting to you and Taeyong dancing together. The last video on the account was a blurry video of you and Taeyong making out and Ten walking in, with the ending obviously being the three of you leaving together.

“Why is this account posting videos of us ?” Taeyong asked, noticing that he too was tagged by people who he didn't know at all. Ten pulled up the account on his own phone when the account refreshed and a new post appeared, this time it was text only.

“It's probably Jinyoung I’ll just call him and-” You were cut off by Ten grabbing your phone and tossing it on his bed, “dude what the hell ?” you protested but Ten silenced you with his finger.

“This is garbage right ? like what do our lives and how we live it got anything to do with any of these assholes ?” Ten bit down on his lip and looked between you and Taeyong, “They are so obsessed with us, wondering if the three of us are fucking right now ? really ? well let's give it to them.”

“You want the three of us to fuck ?” Taeyong quirked his eyebrow, his large eyes still hazy from the party.

“I want them to believe we are!” Ten grabbed Taeyong by his shoulders and looked back at you, “any publicity is good publicity. We get to be ourselves and we get to piss people off for free.”

“Would be pretty funny to see all of this blow up in Jinyoung's face honestly” you agreed, and Ten’s face lit up before moving his attention back to Taeyong, “What do you say pretty boy ?” Taeyong scratched his head and shrugged, “All this pretending and I don't get any action here ? doesn't feel like a win at all” You tried to hold in your laughter as Ten groaned at the blonde boy’s words and held his face between his hands before pulling him into a kiss, you watched Taeyong’s tense shoulders finally drop as he leaned more into the kiss and wrapped his hands lightly around Ten’s waist.

Ten pulled away and swiped Taeyong’s lips with his thumb, smiling at the doe-eyed boy, “we will have to make it convincing right ?”

“Okay im in” Taeyong smiled brightly and the three of you held hands in the middle of the bedroom, sharing mischievous glances with each other, anticipating the fucking whirlwind of chaos that was about to hit the campus.

“Good, well I guess the only thing left to do is upload our first post of the official poly club” Ten smirked and pulled the both of you onto his bed. Ten sat in between you and Taeyong and turned on the video mode of instagram stories. First he showed his face then turned to you, pulling you into a soft sensual kiss before moving to Taeyong next to him and did the same. After breaking the kiss with Taeyong, Ten nudged you to move over to the other side of him, putting you right onto Taeyongs lap. Ten focused on the two of you as you lifted Taeyong’s chin with your index finger and bit down on his lip, slightly pulling, teasing him as he brought his hand up to wrap around your neck. Ten zoomed in as you and Taeyong shared a very scandalous kiss for everyone to see. Your tongues darting in each other's mouth while the music drowned out your subtle moans.

“Done!” Ten chirped and uploaded his story, making sure to tag the burner account in every single clip. There was no going back now and every moment of this escapade excited you. The comfort you felt around Ten and Taeyong was something that you’d been craving for a long time. As cheesy as it was to say, and especially since it was only Day One, they felt like your soulmates.

“Man I fucking love this campus” Taeyong threw his head back and groaned while you and Ten burst out laughing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday quickly approached and as soon as you and Ten stepped on campus all eyes were on you. It gave you an incredible sense of confidence and you had no idea why. Heads turned with every step, everyone was whispering as the two of you walked hand in hand through the hallway keeping your head up high and not giving a shit about anyone. Taeyong was waiting for you guys at the end of the hall, adorning a buttoned down printed shirt and ripped jeans that snatched his waist in the right way. Taeyong was leaning against the wall with a lollipop in his mouth and dark sunglasses while everyone who passed him did a double take.

“Hey babes” he smirked and placed a kiss on your cheek and Tens before joining your walk towards your first class for the day.

It was so surreal going from everyone ignoring your existence to every single person watching the three of you, anticipating what was going to happen next. You found your seats in the middle of the lecture, giving everyone the best possible view of course. The professor cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and Ten tried to stifle a laughter as the people who stated they didn't give a shit about you guys clearly paid a lot of attention now.

“Give them a show bestie” Ten whispered in your ear before gesturing to Taeyong who sat on the other side of you, slumped down in his seat with his legs spread apart deliciously. You nodded and slowly reached over to Taeyong, caressing his thigh and he bit down on his lip while keeping his eyes on the lecture slides in front of him. You noticed two guys shuffling behind you and one pulled out his phone, waiting to record the next escapade of the campus’s new favourite stars.

You danced your fingers up Taeyong’s thigh and inched closer to rest your hand on his crotch as his breathing hitched. Leaning forward you made your movements less suspicious to the professor and everyone around you except the camera that was now focusing on your actions. Taeyong sunk further in the chair awaiting for you to quit teasing him and touch him where he needed you most. You obliged to his needs and palmed him through his jeans and you heard the guy behind you curse under his breath as you began rubbing Taeyong’s member. It felt so fucking powerful to do whatever you wanted after being so cautious on this campus for so long. The ironic part was all that shit about you being notorious on campus was a fucking lie. No you weren't a saint but you were not sleeping around every other day since you hated about 90% of the people that attended the university. Now with that burner account claiming to know more about your sex life than you did, what was holding you back now from doing what you wanted ?

Taeyong undid the button on his jeans and pulled down his zip enough for you to slip your hands inside his pants with ease. A gasp from Ten made a shiver run down your spine, coming to your senses that you were giving Taeyong a handjob in the middle of a 10am lecture.

“Shit he's walking up” you chuckled and pulled your hand out of Taeyong’s pants and quickly pretended to be involved in your studies as the professor began walking around the room. Taeyong groaned loud enough for most of the front row to turn around and look at him in annoyance.

“Is something wrong Mr Lee ?” The professor raised his eyebrow as Taeyong quickly redid his pants and hid his prominent boner from his professor.

“One of the questions is a little….hard” Taeyong groaned while you and Ten covered your mouths trying to hide your laughter.

The professor shook his head and went on his way as you and Ten watched Taeyong struggle with his boner for the next thirty minutes of the class. Finally the lecture wrapped up and as soon as the three of you made your way to the hallway you felt Taeyong tug on your arm and began leading you into the girls bathroom, into the nearest stall. A few girls in the bathroom frowned at Ten sauntering into the bathroom straight after, setting down his bag on the counter and began fiddling with his hair.

“Uh this is the girls bathroom ?” a girl snapped, folding her arms and made eye contact with Ten through the mirror.

“So what ? I saw a vag before love, and just because i'm a guy doesn't mean I want yours” Ten shrugged and the girl cursed and stormed out of the bathroom. Meanwhile your mouth was practically merged with Taeyong’s as he pressed his still very hard member against your stomach and nibbled on your bottom lip.

“Was giving me blue balls for thirty minutes worth all of that ?” Taeyong growled as he grabbed your ass roughly, causing you to moan in his mouth. “I'm sorry baby let me make it up to you” you purred and dropped to your knees while Taeyong braced himself against the ceramic wall for what’s to come.

You undid Taeyongs jeans and pulled it down along with his boxers, allowing his member to spring free still hard as ever. You looked up at him, eyes big as you began stroking him slowly before spitting on his tip in order to lubricate him.

“Fucking hell” Taeyong yelled.

A girl on the outside jumped at his words and looked back at the stall then looked at Ten, who was just waiting on the two of you.

“Exam season huh ?” Ten pressed his lips together as the awkward girl quickly dried her hands and rushed out of the bathroom as soon as possible.

You began bobbing your head on Taeyongs member, fully taking him until he reached the back of your throat causing you to gag. Taeyong marveled at the way your plump lips wrapped around his tip, he couldn't help but grab your hair and slowly pull you off him just to take in the sight of your messed up lipstick. You gave him a cheeky smirk before locking your hands behind your back and giving him full control of his movements. Taeyong took full control, his dark eyes narrowed and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth before thrusting inside of you at a rapid pace. You felt your throat burn at the way he fucked your mouth rapidly but it turned you on so much that you waited until he finally came inside your mouth and you swallowed every bit of him. Taeyong pulled you to your feet and kissed you passionately, his tongue tasting remnants of himself.

“Thanks baby” Taeyong cooed in your ear before exiting the stall, stuffing himself back into his pants while a few girls looked at him absolutely horrified. You followed him, neatening your hair and washing off your mouth and borrowed a lip balm from Ten.

“Had fun you two ?” Ten smirked, leaning against the sink as you and Taeyong made yourself a little more presentable before making your way out of the bathroom. Upon exiting the three of you noticed the two guys who were filming in the lecture room quickly run after you.

“Don't we get the ending to what went down in the lecture room ?” the one boy snickered like an immature school child as his friend kept the camera on the three of you making your way out of the art department block,

“She swallowed, the end” Taeyong threw his arms around both you and Ten leaving both boys dumbstruck at his words.

You playfully nudged Taeyong who just shot you a cheeky smile as you made your way to a little bench under a willow tree. This was where you usually sat on your own, when you didn't have the energy to socialize with the rest of the art students. Now, it felt a little more complete with Ten and Taeyong accompanying you.

“So my lovelies there's this afterparty happening after the final football game of the season next month” Ten said twirling his ice coffee in his hand as he took in the afternoon sun.

“What do you have in mind ?” you crinkled your nose as you sifted through your unappetizing salad in a box.

“Okay so you guys heard of Onlyfans right ?” Ten looked between you and Taeyong.

“That site that pays for nudes and shit ?” Taeyong quizzed and Ten nodded brightly and leaned in, “I was thinking let's capitalize a bit of this leading up to the party” Ten responded and pulled up an invitation on his phone,

“The afterparty is being held at Jinyoung’s frat house, him and his idiotic friends are making people pay in order to decorate their football recreational room or some stupid shit like that.”

You took a closer look at the invite and rolled your eyes at the ridiculous pricing, as if their parties were worth going to anyway. Jinyoung was incredibly full of himself and he knew a lot of people worshipped him on campus thanks to his parents being higher ups and the poster boy for the football team. Going for his pride, knocking him where it hurts would be fucking bliss.

“We open an onlyfans, nothing too scandalous but it's gonna get people interested enough to pay forward and we use that cash to host our own party on the same night, free entrance of course” Ten continued and already started setting up the OnlyFans account.

“We should make the party crazy as hell too so nobody would resist coming over” Taeyong added and began going through his contacts, “there's this guy called Seungyoun, he’s a fourth year and knows that DJ from that enigma club from downtown.”

“That's perfect, and we will get Yuta and his tattooist buddies to do temporary sets for us, also my friend Chaeyoung in fashion can help with decor” Ten squealed, already messaging whoever he can.

“My friend Hendery has...uh happy pills if you're interested” you mentioned, knowing that everyone knew Hendery on campus for selling shit, not strong stuff but able to keep you going for a good amount of time.

“Yes! Anything to create hype and watch those preppy idiots sit in an empty house come game night” Ten replied and showed off the OnlyFans page he attached to his instagram account.

“Okay, so what now ?” Taeyong’s large eyes looked between the two of you.

“Now” Ten threw his phone in his bag and got to his feet, “we go back to my dorm and take some naughty pics.”

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“I don't think my ass looks good in that” you whined as you got off Taeyong’s lap and took a look at Ten’s camera viewfinder. Taeyong grumbled, sitting in nothing but leather pants on Ten’s office chair, “your ass looks great trust me” he smirked and reached to pull you back onto his lap.

“Come on, just a few more then you can take pics of Taeyong and I” Ten pointed his ring light where Taeyong had a grip on your ass that adorned very pretty pink lingerie. After a few more angles and more compromising positions, Ten finally got what he needed and handed you the camera,

“Make us look cute” He winked and pulled Taeyong to his feet.

“What are we gonna-” Taeyong’s words were cut off by Ten shoving his hand down his pants, “okaaaay” Taeyong pressed his lips together as you began snapping pics of the two of them.

They were so beautiful to you. Every picture you snapped looked better than the last and they needed no direction at all, just enveloped each other with their ridiculous sexual energy, filling the room with their pheromones.

“Done, you guys look sexy as fuck” you purred earning a kiss from Taeyong who was obviously horny from the entire ordeal, but when the fuck was his dick not hard.

You felt yourself being tugged away and Taeyong whined when Ten handed the camera to him and pushed you down to lie on his bed. You felt a shiver run down your spine when Ten positioned himself between your legs and moved his body down until his face was level with your core.

“Taeyong, stand above y/n and shoot down from this angle” Ten instructed to which Taeyong obeyed and his shadow casted over you.

Ten leaned in and kissed you softly on your mound as the room echoed with the camera shutters and your deep breaths. You desperately wanted to run your fingers through his hair but you’d only ruin a perfect shot. It was agonizing but you had to stay still while Ten had his way with you.

Ten moved the piece of fabric to the side and peppered kisses all along your inner thigh and around your core. You were unable to see his face thanks to Taeyong hovering over you but you pictured that smug smile spread across his face as you restrained yourself. You sucked in another deep breath when you felt his tongue dart out and take a slow lick before placing his mouth on your mound and ate you out like an expert.

“Fucking hell” you sighed as you felt his tongue inside you, exploring every part imaginable. You could tell the scene was getting to Taeyong too, as he stood there one hand on the camera and the other hand on his hardened member, watching Ten eat you out.

“Did you get the shots ?” Ten suddenly said, pulling away from your core as you squirmed out of protest.

“Uh..yeah I did,” Taeyong muttered, still staring down at your legs spread wide apart and his member practically screaming through his restricted pants.

“I hope you're not planning to wrap this shit up right now Ten” you groaned, reaching your hand down to your core in order to finish what he had left off.

Ten snickered and slapped your hand away, “of course my lovelies, I never quit a job halfway.” Ten gestured for Taeyong to stand next to the bed while he inserted a finger in you, causing you to moan his name out loud. As you got accustomed to his finger you managed to sit up a little and watched as Ten rubbed Taeyong’s boner through his pants. God you had never been in a situation like this before. How the hell did you get so lucky, meeting two men willing to fuck you and each other.

Ten entered another finger inside you as Taeyong undid his pants and Ten’s mouth was pressed against Taeyong’s member while pumping his length. Taeyong’s eyes were on your figure as he moaned when Ten took him fully in and his fingers were now destroying your core.

“God im so close” Taeyong whined and Ten slowly took his length out of his mouth and looked up at him and then down at you,

“I think you should cum on y/n, she wants it” Ten licked his lips and looked at you with hooded eyes.

“Y-yeah Taeyong….just do it” you squirmed as Ten’s fingers slowed down, holding you back from your orgasm.

Taeyong uttered a few curses and Ten quickly returned to pumping his member until he was at his breaking point. Ten removed his hand from Taeyong and gave you his full attention, attaching both his mouth and three of his fingers inside of your core. Taeyong stood over you with dark eyes as you reached out to run your hand down his exposed thigh.

Taeyong grunted as he released, you felt the warm liquid all over your stomach and breasts while Ten was still recklessly fingering you until you had one of the craziest orgasms of your life. You couldn't process when Taeyong had pressed his lips to yours and Ten had left to get tissues for the mess the three of you made.

“That was some content our viewers missed out on” Taeyong sighed, still trying to catch his breath. You chuckled and went over to the bathroom to quickly shower off the mess and returned in Ten’s oversized shirt, taking a seat between the two of them in bed.

“Okay I uploaded a few previews and linked the onlyfans subscription link” Ten announced as he uploaded three of the explicit versions on the paid side of Onlyfans, “we will get a notification when someone has subscribed and our earnings are on this page.”

The three of you sat, mouths dropped open as you watched subscription after subscription start to fill the page. The comments were flooding in too, and someone even left a hefty tip in a matter of minutes. Ten switched to the earnings page and the account was already sitting at a triple digit.

“What the actual fuck” you gasped as more people began visiting the page and your followings on instagram began skyrocketing.

“This was way easier than I thought it was” Taeyong marveled, also noticing many people start dming him on instagram.

“Well Jinyoung and his goons wanted a party, well here’s the party of the fucking century” Ten smirked and hi5ed the both of you as absolute chaos ensued all over social media in real time.

Just like that in the next couple of days the three of you were watched by the entire campus. It was like Jinyoung wanted. To show the campus that you were notorious, and nobody should get involved with any of you. But that's where his plan was flawed.

Every single person on the campus besides his legion of preppy followers were obsessed with the three of you and craved more. Despite the onlyfans pictures containing no nudity, people still subscribed, they still tipped, they would do anything to see more.

It was in the middle of the afternoon and Ten had confirmed the account had garnered enough money for the party. It had been about three weeks since the very first post on the onlyfans account and now the account stood at a staggering 850 subscribers, each paying for the monthly subscribed content plus tipping generously from time to time. In the midst of all of this the three of you were also preparing for the party that was going to be held on the big day. Taeil, a friend of Taeyong's, allowed you to use his frat house for the event since it would look good for student rentals later on. Yuta and his friends prepared alcohol and a temporary tattoo station to appease drunk girls to get matching tattoos and frat boys to bet their friends to tattoo a dick on their faces. Chaeyoung, Ten’s friend from fashion completely transformed the house into an instagrammable masterpiece, channeling one of those fancy hollywood parties that nobody could ever get into. Seungyoun, the fourth year who was friends with a lot of musicians and DJs from downtown spread the word on campus radio, letting everyone know about Ten’s huge announcement that was about to happen Tuesday afternoon, 2:30PM.

“Alright you thirsty hoes, I see you all made it” Ten said into a karaoke microphone he found from God knows where. Ten got up on the table in the courtyard, standing in front of a huge crowd of students who quickly gathered ready for the grand announcement that was the talk of the town for the last week now.

“We would just like to say that we're so grateful for all your support on our….craft and in order to honor that, were going to host the best party of the fucking semester” Ten shouted while people cheered from the front all the way to the back of the crowd.

“If you look at the link under Ten’s instagram bio, it should take you to a little preview of what’s in store come saturday” Taeyong explained, leaning into the mic while the crowd murmured in confusion.

“Saturday after the big game ? Isn't Jinyoung having a party that night ?” someone in the crowd said followed by more confused chatter.

“That's right, I am having a party after the game” Jinyoung said, moving through the crowd accompanied by two of his frat members and sneered at the sight of the three of you,

“What ? Are you guys planning an orgy or something for your onlyfans ?”

“If you want to suck my dick all you gotta do is ask Jinyoung” Taeyong mused and a few people giggled while Jinyoung shifted uncomfortably and gritted his teeth.

“Listen, you freaks are not having a party on the same night as me” Jinyoung spat and took a step forward, “save yourself the embarrassment of nobody showing up and cancel it.”

You approached him slowly, chuckling darkly as he watched your fingers dance up his arm and up to his jaw, caressing his cheek, “Sweety are you threatened ? You're afraid everybody is gonna ditch your little frat party and come to mine ?”

Jinyoung tried keeping his cool while you stared up at him, playing with him like a little toy in front of everyone to see.

“Are you afraid if people come over i'm going to hook up with everyone who gives me attention ?” Jinyoung avoided your eyes when you recited the words he wrote about you on that burner account. You smirked up at him when you noticed how he still wasn't man enough to own up to his actions.

“Well, our party is FREE by the way” you continued, stepping away and now addressed the crowd in front of you, “So if you’d rather go over to Jinyoungs then go ahead, but if you wanna come play with us…”

You walked up to Taeyong and gave him a sloppy kiss as he grabbed your ass in front of the entire campus to see, “we will see you Saturday night.” The crowd cheered and Jinyoung growled, taking one more glare at you before storming off with his frat boys away from the cheering crowds.

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It was D day and everyone who helped with the party gathered in the kitchen, drink in hand and took a final glance back at the rager that was mere minutes away from opening up.

“I can't thank you all enough, actually I did, with all that onlyfans money” Ten stuck his tongue out and Seungyoun whistled while everyone clapped.

“No but seriously, thank you guys….revenge never felt sweeter” you smiled and Hendery put his arm around you as you leaned into him, “if nobody shows up well more for us!”

“Cheers, freaks¨" Taeyong yelled and Ten nudging him in his abdomen,

“Really ? I'm pretty sure Jinyoung’s little nickname for us isn't a compliment” Ten rolled his eyes playfully.

“Its a compliment to us, fuck it im a freak and proud of it” Yuta raised his glass, and a few others joined in.

“Fine Freaks club it is, cheers everyone!” Ten raised his glass and everyone clinked glasses before downing their respectful drinks.

It wasn't long before people began pouring in, it wasn't a large number but it was still something. Most people were from the music and arts departments, and you noticed a few girls from your business lecture drop by as well.

“You think the rest all went to Jinyoung ?” You bit down on your lip as you and Ten monitored the crowds of people while having a drink.

“Maybe ? doesn't matter though, our party is way cooler” Ten shrugged and threw back his drink, “but if you really want me to pull one last move hey just say the word.”

You looked over at the black haired boy and frowned while a cheeky smile spread across his face and he pulled out his phone. You watched him text a few paragraphs and slip his phone in his back pocket before returning to his drink.

About 20 minutes later Taeyong emerged from the crowd to join the two of you in the kitchen, a confused look spread across his face.

“What's wrong ?” you quizzed him.

“Some of those basketball guys are here, they brought over like fifty more people” Taeyong pointed to the entrance and you and Ten watched the guys who the campus worshipped next to the football team enter the party, followed by their fangirls and whoever else wished to be in their presence.

“What the heck did you do ?” your eyes widened as the small party now turned into a whole fucking campus rager.

“Oh I told Johnny Suh that I'd give him a lap dance in front of everyone if he came over with his friends” Ten smiled, waving at the tall brown haired boy with a goofy grin spread across his face.

“Johnny Suh ?! as in the captain of the varsity basketball team ?” you were still confused as to how and when Ten had started talking to one of the most popular guys on campus.

“Yes him, now if you would excuse me, I have a deal to seal” you and Taeyong watched Ten down his drink and make his way over to the lounge where Johnny stood excitedly.

Ten spoke to the DJ and the DJ had the crowd clear up the center of the room while everyone exchanged confused glances as to what the hell was about to go down. Ten placed a chair in the middle of the room and pushed Johnny’s large frame down until he was seated, legs apart and that goofy smile never leaving his face. His teammates whistled as Ten used a piece of cloth to cover Johnny’s eyes, and took off his belt in order to retrain his hands behind his back.

“I gotta give it to Ten, he sure knows how to put on a show” Taeyong wrapped his arm around your waist as the two of you watched Ten fuck around with the captain of the basketball team.

The room was filled with flashing lights, everyone recording the moment as Ten gave Johnny the lap dance he was promised. Johnny slumped in the chair allowing Ten to grind into his hips, and you're pretty sure if the music wasn't so goddamn loud the whole campus would've heard Johnny moan in Ten’s touch. Ten ended it off with a cheeky kiss and untied Johnny, whose face was absolutely red as all of his friends cheered them on, all of them attacking him with hi5s.

That definitely sealed the deal, because after a few uploads of the clip, almost everyone was at your party and Jinyoung’s was most likely empty right now. The party was so big that people were on the street, everybody having the time of their life.

“We did it” Ten threw his arms around you and Taeyong as you stood on the balcony, overlooking the party from above.

“Yeah, we really did” you chuckled and sighed deeply, “I wish I could look at Jinyoung’s face right now.”

“Oh you didn't see ?”

You and Ten turned to Taeyong as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery. You and Ten burst out laughing when a video of Jinyoung sitting in his empty estate with a few of his preppy friends looking absolutely miserable.

“Fuck thats brilliant” you leaned your head on Ten’s shoulder, completely satisfied with how the night turned out.

“Hey you guys wanna go back to my dorm ? I'm kinda over this” Ten yawned and placed a peck on your forehead.

“You wanna leave your own party ?” Taeyong scoffed, shoving his hands in his pocket.

“This” Ten gestured to the three of you, “This is my party, let's take it back to my room.”

You and Taeyong both obliged and without anyone knowing the three of you escaped the party and made your way over to Ten’s dorm room hand in hand. Upon entering Ten threw off his shirt and kicked off his boots and Taeyong did the same, the two boys grabbing alcohol from the mini fridge and set them up on Tens desk.

“Oh by the way I have something” your words had both the boys turn to face you and you held out your hand, holding three small blue pills,

“Hendery gave them to me, Its not that strong and the high will only last for an hour or two but fuck its good way to end the night off right ?”

“I'm in” Taeyong grabbed the pill and handed you a drink, the three of you washed the pill with beer and Ten switched on a playlist before joining you and Taeyong on his bed.

“I know we've only known each other for like 2-3 months now but I fucking love you guys” you sighed, running your hands through your hair and looked between the two boys.

“This group, us, was the best thing that ever happened to me” Taeyong replied, “you two whores mean the world to me.” “Very sentimental Taeyong” Ten chuckled before reaching out to caress your cheek, “I love you too babe, both of you, were soulmates, if like the devil decided to link people together or something.”

The three of you chuckled and the laughter quickly switched to Taeyong rubbing Ten’s thigh and looked over at you with dark eyes. You had no idea if it was the drug, or the alcohol but there was a desperation within you. Grabbing Taeyong’s face, you pulled him into a sloppy kiss, and quickly switched to Ten, giving him the same energy as Taeyong pushed your shirt over your head and sucked on your exposed skin.

Ten unclasped your bra and massaged your breast as Taeyong kissed the other, each boy stimulating you in the best way possible. Taeyong growled and tossed you onto your back, pulling your skirt off and began sharing a passionate kiss with Ten who was already down to his boxers.

Once Taeyong pulled away from Ten he moved on top of you, grabbing you by your throat and rubbed his hips against your core, the friction sending you into a frenzy. Your thoughts were so focused on Taeyong you had no idea when Ten had got on his knees beside you and began kneading your breasts and rubbing his length with his free hand.

“Who do you wanna fuck first ?” Taeyong growled in your ear that made you so wet you had no fucking clue who you wanted, you just needed someone inside of you at this moment.

“I think it's fair if I go first, I've waited long enough” Ten smirked and switched positions with Taeyong who jumped off the bed to get rid of his pants.

You watched Ten’s dark eyes take in your body, and his beautiful body looked so fucking alluring under the dim lighting of his bedroom. Ten rid you of your soaked panties and wasted no time in inserting two fingers in your wetness.

“Baby girl has been waiting for this for a while huh” Ten purred while Taeyong grabbed your jaw, pulling you into a kiss before making you sit up enough for his member to meet your lips. Just as you took Taeyong in your mouth Ten had already replaced his fingers with his member and began thrusting into you at a rapid pace.

“Oh fuck” you groaned as Taeyong guided your movements on his member with a fistful of your hair. All three of you were so in tune with each other, rough when needed to be and delicate straight after.

As Ten fucked you he leaned forward enough for Taeyong to bend down and meet his lips, the two of them sharing a dirty kiss while they fucked you senseless. Ten pulled away from Taeyong and rammed into you until you came all over his member. “Come on open wide” He mewled and pulled you up and shoved his length in your mouth until he came, making you swallow every bit of him.

“Get on top of me” Taeyong demanded and you did as he said, climbing on top of him and sitting on his length. Taeyong let out a groan, finally feeling you around his length and you felt Ten sit behind you, his hands cupping your breasts as you bounced on Taeyongs member.

“You think you can take both of us ?” Ten whispered in your ear and his request somehow made you wetter than you already were. You had only tried it once, but never in a situation like this. You quickly nodded and Ten caressed your body, leaving sweet kisses all over shoulder and neck before jumping off the bed to rummage in his closet.

Taeyong, not knowing or caring what was going on, carried on slamming himself inside of you, his nails digging into your ass as you rode him like a pro.

Ten returned with what you assumed to be a bottle of lube and bent you over slightly, making sure his touches were careful and delicate. Taeyong finally caught on and slowed his pace despite almost being at his orgasm, in order to make the process easier for you.

“If it's too much just let me know” Ten pecked your cheek and inserted a finger inside your ass, the new sensation was odd but extremely satisfying. Ten continued lubing you up while Taeyong stroked your thighs and made sure your body was relaxed in their care.

“I'm ready, just do it, I want to feel both of you already” you whined and both boys cursed at your words, each anticipating this new experience.

Ten inserted himself and gave you a moment to adjust to him and Taeyong, before slowly moving his hips, keeping his touches light.

“Oh God that feels so good” you moaned as Taeyong picked up his pace and the both of them began fucking you at the same time, something you always wished would happen eventually. Ten returned to his roughness and bent you a little more, allowing Taeyong to lean up and capture your lips, his tongue entangling with yours as the new position only got him back to chasing his raging orgasm.

“Fuck im gonna cum” Taeyong groaned, slightly mad that he couldnt hold onto this feeling any longer.

“You wanna cum inside her mouth ?” Ten asked in between his grunts as he felt himself also reaching his second orgasm.

“No I wanna cum in yours” Taeyong replied darkly, and Ten’s thrusts stopped abruptly to look down at Taeyong.

“Well...fuck okay” Ten finally said and pulled out of you, allowing Taeyong to move to the side of the bed while Ten flipped you on your back and inserted himself in your core. Taeyong stood on the bed for Ten to get better access to his length as you screamed Ten’s name who was quite literally destroying your core at this point.

Taeyong yanked on Ten’s hair causing him to slow his thrusts and you watched the delicious sight of Taeyong slipping his length into Ten’s mouth and Ten swallowing every bit of him. It was quite possibly the hottest thing you'd seen in your life. Ten wiped his mouth as Taeyong slowly pulled out of him with a groan he returned to slamming his hips into yours. “I'm so close Ten” you groaned as Ten crouched over you, allowing you to wrap your legs around his waist as he brought both of you to your climax and let out a huge sigh when he finally came undone with you following shortly after.

“How much money do you think we would've made on onlyfans for that ?” Ten breathed as he collapsed in the bed next to you and Taeyong crawled on your naked body, resting his head on your chest as the three of you tried to catch your breath.

“Probably enough to drop out” Taeyong hummed, his eyes drooping as he made himself a little more comfortable.

“Yeah but hey it's time to end the notorious onlyfans account now don't you think ?” your eyes shifted to Ten who nodded at your words and got up and grabbed his phone from his desk,

“Tae-Ten-Y/N onlyfans era has now come to an end, thank you everyone who tuned in” Ten said, falling back into bed and showing the account that was now deactivated.

“Kinda surprised you are willing to end the onlyfans era Ten, this doesn't have anything to do with Johnny Suh now does it ?” Taeyong raised his eyebrow and you also joined in, looking at the black haired boy with curious eyes.

“Maybe,” Ten sighed, rolling his eyes as you and Taeyong mimicked kissing sounds, “Ugh anyway, they have a game next week, I want you guys to come with.”

“Fine, i’ll ask Johnny how it felt to taste my c-”

“Shut up Taeyong.”

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ONE WEEK LATER

“I have no idea what the hell is going on but Johnny is so hot” Ten sighed as the three of you sat in the bleachers of a varsity basketball game.

“Athletes are not my type these days” you shrugged taking a bite of your corn dog, watching Taeyong play some game on his phone.

“Oh shit they're almost there” Ten pulled you to your feet as the crowd all stood up around you cheering on the varsity team as the time began running out. You watched Johnny run across the court and throw the ball to a boy with chestnut coloured hair, and upon receiving the ball, the boy threw the ball straight into the hoop at the last second, taking his team to victory.

“Fuck….who is he ?” you gulped, as his teammates carried him on their shoulders and his lips curled into a tight grin, showing off a beautiful set of dimples. “That my dear friend” Ten patted your shoulder, “That's Jung Jaehyun.”

#nct smut #wayv smut #nct scenarios #wayv scenarios #taeyong smut #ten smut #taeten smut #taeten #jaehyun freaks au #freaks au #nct x reader #taeyong x reader #ten x reader #nct au #wayv au #nct fanfic

583 notes · View notes

five-rivers · 3 years

Text

Hobbies

Phic phight! @idiot-cheesehead-archenemy

A series of vignettes about Danny having various hobbies.

(Master the Orb)

Danny exhaled slowly as the ice built up between his hands. Each new layer glittered in the ghostlight cast by the overhead ambient ectoplasm, embedding complex patterns in the overall piece as new layers built up over it.

“Very good, Great One,” rumbled Frostbite behind his shoulder. “Your control has improved immensely.”

Danny inhaled equally slowly, examining his work so far but not adding to it quite yet. “I don’t know. It looks a little lopsided.”

“Mmm, it looks fine to me. Especially for such an early attempt.”

Danny sighed, exhaling the ice he had built up with his breath. “So, it is lopsided.”

“Consider it practice,” said Frostbite, encouragingly. “It takes time to master art of any kind.”

“Humans do ice sculpture, too,” mumbled Danny. “They get really good, too. I’ve seen pictures. And videos. They don’t even have ice powers.” He rubbed his thumb over the surface, smoothing over a slightly rougher patch.

“That may be true,” said Frostbite, “but, again, you just started, Great One. You have only had your powers for a little while. Give yourself some support.”

Danny shrugged. “I guess it isn’t something my life depends on, so I can relax about it.” He built up another layer of ice. “This is oddly therapeutic, and I don’t say therapeutic lightly. You know Jazz.”

“I do indeed,” said Frostbite, somewhat ruefully, head half-bowed.

Jazz could be a force of nature, even more so than ice powers.

He held the ice orb up to the light. It caught on the patterns he had placed there. Fractals were the easiest. He was hoping that if he got better, he’d be able to make real sculptures with patterns in them, instead of just orbs.

But, first, he had to master the orb. Just like how when drawing you had to do circles first. Circle. Orb.

Ooorb. Yep.

The controlled application of ice. The evenness of the internal patterns. The solidity, density, and durability.

His orb was… not very orblike, despite what Frostbite said. Frostbite probably thought he was making so flat on purpose.

Yeah. He was terrible at this.

He was having fun, though.

(Furnace)

“You’re taking up glass blowing?” asked Tucker, surprised.

“Yeah? Is there a problem?” asked Danny, reaching over to stop his friend from accidentally drawing a line of orange sharpie across his poster on the themes in Macbeth.

“No!” said Tucker, quickly. “But, like, why? It just seems… unlike you.”

“Exactly,” said Danny, nodding sharply. “It has absolutely nothing to do with my powers and nothing to do with my family. Plus, I had a coupon.”

“For glass blowing?”

“It was a groupon,” said Danny. “For making Christmas tree ornaments. I’m going to do it with Jazz.”

“But, Danny,” said Sam, looking over from where she was working on her own poster about Twelfth Night, “glass blowing, uh, involves a lot of heat.”

“Sure?”

“Danny, you have an ice core.”

“Ah,” said Danny. “Well. I’ve got to use that groupon. If it doesn’t work out, it’s only the once, right?”

“Oh my gosh,” said Danny, wringing sweat out of his t-shirt. “That was awesome!” He giggled to himself and peaked into the annealer again. “So awesome!”

“Uh huh,” said Jazz. Her attempts had been… rather less successful than Danny’s, partially because she was trying so hard to make them perfect. But she had managed a few little baubles, nonetheless. “I think these’ll all be good for the tree. Assuming we get one.”

“And it isn’t set on fire.”

“Oh, yeah, that was a bad year.”

He squeaked open the annealer again, only closing it when the instructor lightly scolded him. “They’re so terrible and lopsided,” said Danny.

“Hey,” said Jazz. “Mine are fine.”

“I know! I was talking about mine.”

“Ah, okay then. I agree.”

“You aren’t supposed to agree.”

“What, you want me to lie? And after you said it first?”

“No,” said Danny. “But you could be nicer about it.”

“I’m your sister, what do you expect?”

(Lung Capacity)

Danny let the last note trail off to complete silence. He stared apprehensively at the assembled student body. Curse Mr. Lancer’s extra credit talent show assignment. Any minute now, they’d start laughing at him.

What was he thinking? He’d just watched a few YouTube tutorials on breath control, and he thought he could come up here and sing in front of people? He was a moron, and—

Sam and Tucker started cheering wildly, followed rapidly by everyone else in the gym.

Okay. What?

Sam and Tucker, following impulses known only to overexcited teenagers, swarmed up the stage and attacking Danny.

“Why didn’t you tell us you could sing like that?” demanded Sam.

“When did you learn?” asked Tucker, doing his level best to noogie Danny. “Why did you learn?”

“I wanted to improve my, you know, wail,” muttered Danny, “and all the breath control YouTube videos either had to do with diving or singing, so…” He did a little head wiggle to illustrate his point and also dislodge Tucker.

“I just can’t believe you kept this a secret from us,” said Sam.

Danny snorted and took a sort of half bow before attempting to leave the stage. “My dudes, I am basically made of secrets.”

“Encore!” screamed someone who clearly hated him.

“Oh, no,” said Danny, bracing himself against Sam and Tucker who were pushing him back into the middle of the stage. “No encore. I don’t do encores.”

But now people were chanting. Chanting.

“Come on, Danny,” said Tucker. “Just once!”

“Yeah, these are your fifteen minutes of fame!”

“I had those already! Multiple times!”

“That was Poindexter.”

“And now it can be you.”

Danny reluctantly took the microphone back off the stand.

(Letterhead)

The ink was thick, almost creamy, and paint-like. It was the ectoplasm mix, which also gave it a rich, rosy glow.

Danny was practicing ghost calligraphy. Well, one particular subset of ghost calligraphy, one which put special emphasis on the color of the letters as well as how they fit together.

It was a totally useless hobby. But it was… not exactly calming. No. He’d gotten way too angry about poorly formed arcs and crooked lines a couple of times. So. Yeah. Not calming. But… meditative. Meditative. And there was something satisfying about seeing the finished product.

Plus, if he framed his better finished work, they made for good presents for weirdo ghosts.

“You misspelled this,” drawled Ghost Writer.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Keuwii only has one kei.”

“This is only one kei.”

“What’s this, then?”

“It’s a flourish.”

“A flourish.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s a critic. If you don’t want it—”

“I didn’t say that.”

Danny raised an eyebrow.

Ghost Writer made a show of rolling his eyes. “Very well. Do you have one for my half-brother Randy. Perhaps one that says something along the lines of ‘idiot?’”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

(Babies on Fire)

“Danny,” said Jazz. “What are you doing up at three in the morning with a lighter? And… yarn? Is that yarn?”

“Dad wanted me to learn how to sew,” said Danny, “but I don’t like needles, not the sharp ones, anyway.”

“You get stitches every other week,” pointed out Jazz.

“Exactly,” said Danny, gesturing with the lighter. “So, I decided to look into, you know, knitting. And I was on knitting websites, and having, you know, a pretty good time with that, but then I found out about the babies.”

“The babies.”

“The babies,” said Danny, seriously. “And the blankets that are on fire. It depends on the yarn, you see. If the yarn is the wrong kind of yarn, if it catches on fire, the blanket can melt onto the baby. It’s terrible. Just terrible.”

“I kind of think that if the blanket is on fire you have bigger problems,” said Jazz. She took a step closer to her obviously insane younger brother. “Are you… testing the yarn?”

“I have to, Jazz. It’s for the babies.”

“Alright,” said Jazz. “You are going to limit it to just the yarn in our house, right?”

“But we don’t have any babies.”

“Okay, that didn’t answer my question, but, like…” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Since we don’t have any babies here, why are you testing the yarn?”

“Because we might have babies here in the future,” said Danny. “Or I might knit something and give it to someone as a gift and then they give it to their baby. Oh my gosh, I’d feel so guilty.”

“I’d be more worried about the toxic waste in our basement,” said Jazz, which was exactly the wrong thing to say to a sleep-deprived half-ghost on the edge of an Obsession-fueled breakdown. Danny vanished in a blur, trailing yarn behind him. Jazz, who had only gotten up for a glass of water, cursed under her breath.

(Before the Ball)

“I’m so, so sorry, Dora,” said Danny, holding back something adjacent to laughter.

Dora laughed, more openly. “It is fine, Sir Phantom. Even now, you are better than my brother.”

“Am I really? Your brother? Who was raised to do this?”

“Well,” said Dora, letting go and stepping back out of the range of Danny’s feet. Which were, evidently, both left feet. “No, I’m afraid, but it is amusing to say, isn’t it?” She pressed her fingers to her lips, suppressing more laughter.

“Yeah, it is,” admitted Danny.

“In any case, you are far more graceful concerning your mistakes than he ever was. More gallant. A better representative of chivalry altogether.” She patted the shoulders of his shirt.

“Thanks,” said Danny. “Do you think that I’ll be, uh, ready in time for the party?”

“It’s more than a party,” said Dora. “You’re being officially knighted. You’ll be a peer of the realm.”

“Aha,” said Danny. “Yeah. I don’t… what? Really? That’s a thing?”

“You thought I was joking?”

“No,” said Danny, drawing out the word. He had, in fact, thought she was joking and only accepted her offer to teach him how to dance because he thought it sounded like fun and like it might take his mind off his problems. “Of course not. So. Dancing. Important. For first impressions?”

“Everyone already knows you, Phantom,” said the knight assigned as Dora’s bodyguard. “But dancing is surprisingly useful for swordplay. Which you need all the help you can get at.”

“You said I was getting better.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re good.”

“Ouch.”

(Time)

“I don’t have time for a hobby,” complained Danny through the Fenton Phones. “Maybe if the ghosts let up a bit—” He zapped one of said ghosts.

“Danny, are you fighting ghosts right now?”

“Yeah. That’s my point.”

“Oh my god, get off the phone.”

“No way! This is the only time I can call you, what with all of your classes.”

“Danny…” said Jazz, clearly exasperated. He took advantage of the lull in the conversation to blast a few more ghosts.

“I’m fine Jazz.”

“You are not fine. You are, like, ten thousand miles away from fine. When was the last time you even slept through the night?”

“Eh,” said Danny. “Recently?”

“You need to take more time for yourself.”

Danny sighed and captured the last ghost. “Maybe catching ghosts is my hobby.”

“Catching ghosts is your self-imposed penance for doing something that isn’t even your fault. Not a hobby.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk to you on Wednesday, same time.”

“Danny, don’t—”

He hung up.

“Ugh,” said Danny. “I guess I need to find a hobby. Have to find time to find a hobby.”

“Perhaps I could be of help.”

“Ah!” Danny jolted forward, dropping his phone.

Clockwork gestured with one hand, and the phone dropped back into Danny’s hands from above.

“Ohhh my ghost, why are you here?”

“You were just talking about finding time. And now I’m here.”

“Good timing, I guess?”

“Only the best,” said Clockwork, evenly. “But we were speaking of hobbies. Might I suggest ice sculpture? Your friends in the Far Frozen would be more than happy to teach you...”

#danny phantom #phic phight #phic phight 2021

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sepublic · 3 years

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Amelia’s Alzheimer’s?

From what Owen Dennis told us, Book 5 of Infinity Train would’ve been a movie, covering Amelia’s takeover of the train… Which, I don’t know if Book 5 would’ve gone over her takeover, AND her eventual arc post-Book 3, but; I believe the implication is that like Book 4, this movie would’ve been a pure prequel, set in the past. A good look and further contextualization of Amelia’s past sins and how she got into the headspace she now has, in order to set up for a future Book where she finally gets her proper arc.

That leaves just three other books… One about Guilt, the next about Revenge, and the last of Acceptance. Book 5 is about Grief fittingly enough, and we know that Book 8 (Acceptance) would’ve delved into a passenger with alzheimer’s, whose condition would’ve kept them from engaging with the Infinity Train’s intended function properly. Owen Dennis mentioned how this final season would’ve been based on his own experiences with his grandfather, who had a similar issue in the past.

It’s easy to assume that Book 8 would’ve been about a whole new character, which leaves either Books 6 or 7 for the resolution to Amelia’s arc- But what if that’s not the case? The Book 8 protagonist would be pretty old, presumably, so…

…What if Amelia was the Book 8 protagonist? What if, by the end of the series, Amelia’s age would’ve caught up to her, and she’d start developing alzheimer’s- Further complicating her attempts to get her number down, especially when she can no longer remember Alrick like she used to!

Think about it- Amelia as the final protagonist would be a neat book-end to the series, given how we began with her as the final antagonist of Book 1. The show starts and ends with Amelia, who alongside One-One and Samantha the Cat (and arguably Randall) are basically the core, central tenet characters of the entire show. The resolution of Infinity Train is the resolution of Amelia, who serves as the passenger most entwined with the train, having once been its conductor even!

Not only that, but with how Amelia’s character serves as a means of criticizing and showing the fallibility of the Infinity Train, how she’s able to game the system, how she works in a place to criticize One-One’s direction with it… And her having to deal with alzheimer’s could continue that theme of Amelia’s character being a commentary on the flaws of the Infinity Train, if it can’t account for her memory loss!

Amelia’s memory loss would be difficult to work with, if we’d only gotten to know her in just Book 8; But now we have Books 1, 3, 4, and 5 (at the very least!) to bring background and context to her life-story, and it’s a LONG one too! Setting up Amelia’s past in great detail, going into the intricacies across the entire show… It could be setting up the audience to remember all of this, when Amelia herself can’t- So we can get a better idea of her frustration, of how she ended up here when Amelia herself is confused, etc.! We gain a deep and intimate understanding of Amelia’s past for her, in preparation for the memory loss of Book 8.

Owen talking about how Book 8 would’ve been based on his own experiences, watching his grandfather deal with amnesia- From a meta sense, the audience could serve Owen’s role! We’re the younger people, watching Amelia, our favorite old lady, grow across the series… We get attached to her, she’s basically like family, so naturally it hits harder to see her lose her memory. It’d be a meta way for Owen to really capture what he experienced in real life, by having the audience take his position when observing the character of Amelia.

From an in-universe standpoint, perhaps Hazel could serve as the proxy for Owen! She’s more or less Amelia’s daughter in the technical and arguably figurative sense- We don’t know exactly how their relationship would progress, and the last time we had hopes of Found Family for Hazel, it didn’t quite work out… But regardless. Perhaps Hazel, as a kid with relation to the older Amelia, would’ve gotten to grow up with her surrogate caretaker, learn to value and appreciate her and vice-versa; And then we see from Hazel’s pained perspective, the loss of Amelia’s memories. Perhaps Amelia losing her memories of her times with Hazel, even!

This could tie Amelia and Hazel’s stories together, especially with how linked the two are, with Hazel resulting from Amelia’s failed attempts to bring back Alrick! And Hazel has a few of Amelia’s memories- She remembers taking ballroom dance lessons, because Amelia was drawing upon those memories when trying to recreate Alrick. Hazel could serve as a young guide to comfort Amelia, a genuinely emotional connection, someone who remembers what Amelia can’t, in the absence of Alrick.

Book 8 would’ve been about Acceptance- AKA the final part of the 5 stages of Grief, when dealing with the death of a loved one… And Grief is the theme of Book 5, Amelia’s origin story! Amelia would accept the death of Alrick at the end of Book 8, and perhaps Hazel could learn to accept the death of Tuba and another family member in Amelia… In the sense that yes, Amelia is leaving her too- But Hazel will learn to move past Tuba’s death, and perhaps her own experience can help Amelia as well. They can grieve for Amelia’s memories, for Alrick, etc.

It’d also be an interesting and frustrating challenge for Amelia- As someone who no doubt has at least some pride in her intellect and mind, having her own mind start to degrade… It’d really put her into an interesting headspace, and force Amelia into that acceptance of what is inevitable, that some things she really can’t change. And of course, this could deal with theme of acceptance, of how Amelia clings to her past with Alrick; Having her memories of him start to fade could really shake this up, and force her to re-evaluate her life and values, her priorities… Perhaps decide to instead focus on the Now and Future, accepting that her past with Alrick is not only long-gone, but possibly due to be forgotten. That she can love and appreciate what it did for her, but Amelia has no choice but to move on- Even without those memories, without that past, she still has a future with Hazel and everyone else to keep living for.

For all we know, Samantha the Cat could even come into play here! She’s someone with access to people’s tapes, among them none other than Amelia’s- And before she gave it to Simon, Samantha also had the ability to create new tapes from passengers on the go. Samantha is a long-lived denizen, at least about 150+ years old, she’s lived and seen the entirety of Amelia’s reign, and was likely there since the very beginning; Owen Dennis did allude to Samantha being present in Book 5… Specifically, he suggested that us seeing Samantha kill someone was a possibility, amidst One-One or Amelia committing murder instead; And that of course suggests that, regardless of whether or not the Cat kills someone in Book 5, she’d still be a prevalent character.

Samantha having that past with Amelia, and her own conniving nature, could possibly lead to her conflicting with Hazel, perhaps recounting memories differently, or trying to tell them in a way that’d sway Amelia to her side, who knows? It’s also worth noting that she’s someone who has regret and loss in Simon… So perhaps if she served as a central cast member for Book 8 (befitting my point about Amelia being a book-ends kind of character), Samantha would’ve learned to accept the death of Simon, and/or help Hazel and Amelia move on as well. It’d be a fitting and appropriate farewell, I believe, to have Amelia and Samantha, two main-stays since the beginning, have their arc at the very end of the series.

And Hazel? Hazel could be representative of a new generation, to step up and take the mantle passed down. One-One’s own input would be fascinating, because like Samantha and Hazel, he has quite the past with Amelia, and a lot of significance and understanding of her sins. And with his control of the Infinity Train, I can see him attempt to recreate Amelia’s destroyed tape, or even try to create a new tape for her, to try and get around Amelia’s memory loss. The Infinity Train selectively deciding which memories it only thinks are important could lead to disagreement with One-One and conflict, exposing the flaws of the system- And/or, the Infinity Train might come across a roadblock because it can’taccess Amelia’s memories anymore!

This could be a culmination for One-One’s arc as well, as seeing his failure to account and accommodate Amelia’s alzheimer’s, leads him to decide to make MAJOR reforms to the Infinity Train as a result! Maybe he’ll even stop the whole process of kidnapping passengers (while still letting the denizens function and roam freely). Him and Amelia have an unusual, kind of at-odds but not really, sort of frenemy relationship; They’re working together, they’ve been enemies, they’ve collaborated, each was the reigning conductor at one point. We could have Samantha as someone with negative recollections of her time with Amelia, One-One with overall netural ones, and Hazel with positive associations! Three different people with different pasts and interactions with Amelia, to provide their own input on their time with her, and thus help her rediscover her past…

…Or, at the very least- Come to terms and accept who she is, and finally move on. And, it goes without saying that Amelia’s dilemma with her huge number could be complicated by her Alzheimer’s, if she can’t remember things- And it’d be interesting to see how it might fluctuate, if at all. Perhaps Amelia’s progress actually gets pretty good, but THEN the memory loss begins to kick in, and that frustrates her. It’d teach the lesson that progress is not linear, that sometimes you might backtrack, you might think you’re so close, only to have retread the same path… And sometimes you’re tired of the journey and just want to get to the destination, to the final stop at the end of the railroad. We could have Amelia learn to accept help from others, to not try and seize control for herself as all-powerful Conductor, to gain some humility amidst her pride in her own ability and intellect…

We could have Amelia awkwardly navigate the train without her memories, stumbling across and slowly figuring out what needs to be done in order to lower her number, with just the number’s movement as an indicator, and no memories to work off of! Her only hints are whenever her number moves to a certain situation, so Amelia really has to work backwards… Through trial and error, figure out what needs to be done; Perhaps a callback to Grace and Simon, who had no guidance and struggled with figuring out what their numbers expected of them.

It’d be an interesting book-end to THAT point, especially since it was Amelia who unknowingly contributed to Grace misinterpreting the function of her number, so then having Amelia rectify this with herself, learning to properly figure out what her number means, and then accepting that without going into denial like Simon did… It’d really show the growth of her, but also the series, and of course the fact that Grace and Simon were literal kids, and Amelia is a seasoned adult. And of course, there’s the existential questions, if Amelia is a different person without her memories, if those sins still apply if she can’t remember them anymore, if she’s essentially disconnected and detached, etc.

We might see Amelia operate without any memories of her grief with Alrick, see how she is without that- And it might concern and frustrate Amelia, because she could conflate moving past Alrick, as being the same as getting rid of him truly… And the memory loss certainly doesn’t help. Who is she without her memories? It could lead to an identity crisis that echoes back to Book 2’s themes. Amelia without memories might learn to rediscover herself by looking into her past, perhaps existing without recollection, just this number she slowly figures out how to lower. Perhaps having a new, more detached/objective look at her own past, from a perspective as someone who doesn’t remember them, so it feels like the recollections of a stranger- It might contribute to Amelia really coming to terms with happened, with herself, and finally Acceptance.

It really could be the culmination of the series; With how the age of protagonists for each Book gets progressively older, Amelia’s elderly age and Alzheimer’s would’ve been the end of the line, the final stop/destination for the train. It’d make Amelia the central Passenger of the show, who we’ve been following since Book 1, watching her progress, in a sense seeing her grow up- And then finally seeing her grow old and suffer from Alzheimer’s. The journey of the Infinity Train could be the journey of Amelia, from her boarding the train, to the final destination, literally and figuratively. It could tie into the arcs of Hazel, Samantha, and One-One, and finally deconstruct the Infinity Train with an outsider who did exactly like that!

What do you guys think? I think it’d be quite the experience to watch Amelia grow and struggle as a person, so it really does feel personal and intimate to us, when we know her memories, only for Amelia herself to lose them... A fascinating, bittersweet study and journey of Amelia, but one we accept, because the journey made the destination worthwhile.

#infinity train #infinity train amelia #amelia hughes #infinity train hazel #infinity train one one #infinity train samantha #samantha the cat #speculation #theory #meta #infinity train book 8 #owen dennis #alzheimer's

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caffeinatedseri · 3 years

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The Significance of Sunsets

We’re introduced to the significance of twilight during the Cannibalism Arc via the Tripartite Tactic.

The essence of the Tripartite Tactic supports 3 core themes of BSD: moral ambiguity, the cyclical nature of life, and the beauty of humanity.

First, the Tripartite Tactic establishes the moral balance of the BSD universe through the government, PM, and ADA’s interactions with one another to ensure the balance of Yokohama.

Day and night are binary opposites, similar to how the government and mafia operate on opposite sides. That would imply that the government and mafia are always at war with one another, working to bring the other down, but the Tripartite Tactic suggests otherwise.

Both the government and mafia’s survival are necessary to secure the balance of the city, just like how day and night, good and evil have to coexist in a state of balance.

However, there is a middle ground that bridges these opposing concepts together: twilight — as represented with the agency.

As the evening acts the neutral point from day to night, the agency acts as a morally neutral organization between the government and mafia. They don’t necessarily abide by the laws and rules of “justice,” but they still work to establish a semblance of “good” in this world.

We’ve seen the government act in suspicious ways, we’ve seen the mafia act in good natured ways, and we’ve seen the agency do both of the sort. Even though the government and mafia are supposed to represent “good” and “evil”, the fact that they break these molds serves to once again prove the moral ambiguity within the BSD universe.

Twilight also symbolizes another important idea — the cyclical nature of life. As the passing period between day and night, it represents the end of a day, which will always lead to the start of a new day.

This cyclical nature lends itself to a feeling of hope that drives the journey of redemption — the hope that the night will pass and a new day will begin encourages our characters to persevere and hope for something better.

Cycles also show themselves through character interactions throughout the generations.

Mori abused Dazai → Dazai abused Akutagawa → Akutagawa abused Kyouka, In this case, the cycle of abuse is born (although it fortunately stops at Kyouka).

In parallel, Oda helped Dazai → Dazai helped Atsushi → Atsushi helps Kyouka, For this, the cycle of redemption is born.

As twilight is a time for sunsets, sunsets are an inevitable motif for these themes. The arrangement of colors in the sky, characteristic of a sunset, tends to evoke feelings of awe or admiration for the beauty of such sunset. The beauty of a sunset symbolizes an appreciation for the beauty of humanity, aligning with the theme of accepting human nature as is. (think Dazai)

Keeping in mind these 3 aspects: moral ambiguity, the cyclical nature of life, and the beauty of humanity, the significance of every scene with a sunset becomes more prominent.

Sunsets in BSD always appear at important points of the narrative, with my favorite being:

This scene’s significance is primarily Dazai’s transition out of the mafia as represented through the light shining through the window — as if light is being shined on the darkness that had surrounded his life.

This scene happens to be one of my favorites because it touches upon all three themes that the twilight-esque light represents.

Moral ambiguity: Oda knows that Dazai doesn’t care about justice or evil, or defining aspects of morality, so Oda argues Dazai should work for justice. Oda doesn’t try to argue that justice is morally correct, but he simply says it is “better” in an extremely vague way.

The idea of Dazai joining the side of justice with no strong moral conviction opens up the concept of moral ambiguity. Is it important for him to have a moral code if he wants to find the purpose of his life? Can he help others if he doesn’t believe it’s the “right” thing to do? Does it matter?

Most importantly, does saving others whilst not believing in the standards of morality place you within the boundaries of justice or evil? Or are there no such defined boundaries?

Cyclical nature: Oda pushes for Dazai to save people, instead of killing people, mirroring the actions of Natsume-sensei who helped Oda come to that same resolve. This starts the cycle of Dazai helping Atsushi, Atsushi helping Kyouka, and hopefully Atsushi getting to help Akutagawa as well.

This scene also reflects the idea of the “end of the night”, or the start of a new day as Dazai abandons the PM, and starts anew in the Agency.

Beauty of humanity: PM Dazai was arguably the most “inhumane” version of Dazai that we’ve seen, due to his heavily logic driven intellect and distrusting tendencies.

However, in this interaction with Oda, we finally see his humanity shine through. Oda gives no reasonable, straight-forward explanation as to why Dazai should leave the mafia, but Dazai follows his advice regardless because of their trust.

The ability to trust and love, an innate part of human nature, can be seen as foolish from the eyes of the logic-driven, but ultimately that’s what makes being human beautiful.

I admit the last scene may have been a little vague with whether the setting was actually a sunset, but this one is more obvious!

This takes place after SSKK’s fight with Francis, and they regroup with Dazai, Fukuzawa, and Kyouka.

Cyclical nature: As the finale of the Guild Arc, the sunset represents the end of a day and the start of another as they close this chapter of their lives. It also parallels Dazai’s “redemption” scene, as Kyouka finds her redemption in sacrificing herself for others and becoming part of the agency.

Just as Oda was able to help Dazai in the previous scene, Dazai is the one who tells Kyouka exactly what she needed to hear in order for her to survive and find a home in the agency.

Beauty of humanity: Being human means to be compassionate, and I’d argue that Kyouka was uncompassionate in the past, just because no one had shown her what compassion was like. However, Kyouka grows from that — with the help of Atsushi and Dazai showing her empathy and kindness, she’s able to reciprocate that feeling and be willing to give up her life for the sake of others.

Dazai also praises Akutagawa for a short moment in this scene, which is also an act of compassion from Dazai although Akutagawa deserves more than that.

This scene follows the party at the end of the Cannibalism Arc, as Dazai and Atsushi have a nice heart-to-heart.

Dazai’s toast here is technically an anime-only moment, but obviously all of the sunsets are anime-only. Regardless, I’ll be discussing his entire talk with Atsushi here, along with the toast.

Moral ambiguity: Akutagawa’s promise to not kill anyone for 6 months mirrors that of Oda — a mafia member who doesn’t kill. By doing so, he directly challenges the morality involved with being a mafia member (what would be “bad”) and breaks away from the black and white labels of “good” and “evil.”

If we followed the code of justice, presumably the morally “right” way, then it would dictate that Akutagawa would need to be punished for the crimes he committed. However, Atsushi’s decision to form that promise with Akutagawa gives him an opportunity to grow and redeem himself, even if Akutagawa fits with the “evil” label.

Akutagawa and Atsushi are obviously foils — they’re different in almost every way, which you could use to define Atsushi as the hero and Akutagawa as the villain, but it’s undeniable that they also share many similarities. As the line between “good” and “evil” blurs, moral ambiguity is developed.

Cyclical nature: Once again, this scene closes out the Cannibalism Arc, with the sunset symbolizing both the end and beginning.

Atsushi’s promise with Akutagawa parallels that of Oda’s dying wish to Dazai; they’re both founded on the basis of trust, and they push towards a brighter future for Akutagawa and Dazai respectively. Thus, the cycle of redemption repeats itself once more.

Dazai’s “To the stray dogs” statement also parallels his toast with the Buraiha trio (Dazai, Ango, Oda). It could be just a callback to Oda, but it also expresses Dazai passing on the toast to Atsushi, from one stray dog to another. Nevertheless, this still represents a cycle of actions in which the previous generation affects the present.

Beauty of humanity: Dazai toasting to Atsushi with the phrase “stray dogs” offers a sense of compassion and hope. Dazai and Atsushi have undoubtedly grown closer to one another throughout the entire series up to this point, so it makes perfect sense that Dazai shows that he cares by sharing a piece of his past with Atsushi.

Toasting directly to the stray dogs implies a celebration of sorts for these dogs, who are stray but ultimately not alone. The toast is indicative of a hope for a better future whilst also acknowledging how one can feel lost in life (and how that’s okay).

Atsushi’s promise with Akutagawa also serves as an attempt to teach Akutagawa the beauty of humanity, since Atsushi believes that Akutagawa doesn’t see the value of life (which is preventing him from getting Dazai’s approval). I would argue that it should be the other way around, but Atsushi has good intentions here.

After Atsushi discovers the death of the Headmaster of his orphanage, Dazai gives some comforting advice.

Moral ambiguity: Atsushi struggles with his conflicted feelings towards the Headmaster’s death, which is perfectly understandable.

The Headmaster can’t be defined as completely good or completely bad, because he did impact Atsushi’s life in a way that led him to where he is today (once again, no definitive black or white answer as to whether that’s good or not).

Atsushi struggles with the thought that he has to pick whether to feel glad or upset, in order to fit within the neat labels of black and white, happy and sad. In response, Dazai (the definition of a morally ambiguous man) simply says:

Although Dazai says “There’s no one who can fully grasp the deepest feelings of another person,” in the anime, I think the meaning of that is better stated in the manga. Dazai reasons that he can be both glad or upset, his feelings can be mixed, and there is no clear cut answer for how to feel (as Dazai only gives a general piece of advice).

Cyclical nature: Dazai’s statement, “when someone’s father dies, they tend to cry”, could honestly be interpreted in a multitude of ways.

Dazai’s reference to a father figure suggests that this “father” is simply a person who impacted their life greatly and made them who they are today. (since both of their fathers are unknown).

Following this definition, Oda is the father figure to Dazai in the same way that the Headmaster was to Atsushi. Although their methods of “helping” Dazai and Atsushi differ very drastically, the same cycle of this “father” figure impacting the life of their metaphorical son repeats.

Oda giving advice to Dazai, and Dazai giving advice to Atsushi is also another cycle — the cycle of reaching a hand out to someone in need. (which is the more sensical of these two conclusions)

Beauty of humanity: Dazai’s ability to be compassionate truly shines in this scene and shows just how much he’s grown from his time in the PM.

In contrary to PM Dazai’s unfeeling self, Dazai is able to empathize with Atsushi on a personal basis; just as the Headmaster was a integral part of Atsushi’s past, Oda was the same for Dazai.

Dazai’s growing ability to understand others demonstrates his willingness to grow more accustomed to human nature, and love it for what it is.

Atsushi’s confusion in dictating what he should feel also speaks on the nature of humanity; his feelings don’t have to make sense for him to feel them. In fact, the more illogical his emotions are, the more human he is.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd meta #bsd analysis #bsd dazai #bsd atsushi #bsd kyouka #just me gushing over how much i love sunsets #there are many more sunset scenes that i didnt cover hmmm

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captainsimagines · 3 years

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To Topple A Giant || Chapter Three

Summary: You had made it your mission to destroy even the smallest evils. When the opportunity arises to finally take down your own family after years of gaining their trust, you reach for it. And so does Steve, the man who represents a symbol of everything you hate.

Pairing(s): Steve Rogers x Reader || Avengers x Reader

Part 3 of 10 ~ Mini-Series

Warnings: This story contains mature themes and discussions such as extreme canon violence, strong language, emotional angst, mentions of Endgame deaths and recoveries, sexual situations, and emotional/physical abuse. All trigger warnings will be listed before the chapter. This is purely fanfiction.

Warnings in this chapter: sexual harassment (slight); talk of sexism/misogyny/canon violence; mentions of drug use; mentions of depression

Word Count: 8,900+

The Compound, 2023, 3:16pm

It probably would have been better to grieve as a group, to help each other in understanding what just happened, to lean on each other. But the second you saw Clint fall to his knees without Natasha beside him, soul stone in hand and face miserable, like he saw a wandering ghost in need of help, you started to walk backwards off the platform.

You stumbled and teetered before finding balance against the railing. No one seemed to notice you, all wrapped in their own suffocating grief, and you abandoned the group to run across the grounds of the compound. It wasn’t until you ended up by the lake that you realized you were crying, tears flowing but face tough and angry, chest heaving as you came to a stop. You just stared at the ground, shaking hands still gloved and teammates still back at the compound and - oh, god Clint, oh god, oh god, oh god.

Chest still tight and finding it harder to breathe, you shut your eyes and leaned against the nearest tree. Several minutes flew by, the only sounds that of your suit’s fabric stretching and retracting as your breathing grew slower. And the grief that enveloped you almost instantly turned into fury, and it hurt, it hurt, but you were just so damn angry that you found yourself wishing it was you. Natasha didn’t deserve this, and neither you, but you would give anything to just believe for a second that this couldn’t be real.

But you all knew the risks. This was inevitable. And you were so angry.

Voices startled you from your thoughts and you watched your teammates pace toward the dock, ideas bouncing from one head to another as they strategized ways to reverse this. But Clint quickly shut them up, telling them that no matter what they did, a sacrifice was a sacrifice and that was the end of it.

“It was supposed to be me.”

And finally someone said it, because it should have been anyone but Natasha, and that thought caused bile to burn your throat and why in the world could you not control your breathing?

You ran from your spot, legs carrying you to the gardens and burning as you increased speed. You collapsed near the lake, shredding your suit until you were left in the comfortable t-shirt and leggings underneath, sounds of the garden ringing in your ears.

The time of day could be told by the purple and orange streaks painting the sky, evening dew on the plants near your feet and the sound of a cricket’s chirp cutting through the silence. You counted the hours this way, focusing on the colors and sounds of the outside world that for some reason, didn’t feel like your own anymore. Guilt latched onto your core as you found yourself falling into the therapeutic senses of it all, eyes closing and a silent plea of ‘I’m so sorry, Nat’ escaping your lips. The tears you had shed hours ago were now dry, creating a minor strain of your skin, noticeable as you moved your face.

Legs dangling from the dock and eyes simply watching the sky change shades, you barely heard the soft footsteps behind you. And you smiled, surprised that it took your teammates this long to recognize your absence.

Thor grumbled below his breath as he sat beside you, his feet barely touching the water. You swung your legs together, impossibly empty yet consumed minds working behind such sad eyes.

“You want to jump in and freeze? It’s autumn, it’s cold, we’ll probably die from hypothermia.”

Your body lunged forward lightly as a tiny laugh left your throat, a small smile twitching on the corner of your lips. “Yeah, I’m down.”

Thor grinned at your equally dark response, reaching over and gripping your hand in his. He rubbed small circles into your knuckles and resumed watching the clouds shift.

You looked down at your conjoined hands, wondering why he came after you in the first place. Still, you squeezed his hand back and relaxed in the feeling.

“Doesn’t seem worth it anymore.”

Thor turned his head, “She traded her soul for trillions of others who had no choice.”

You mumbled, “Still isn’t fair.”

Thor scooted closer to you and wrapped his arm around your shoulder, grinning when you accepted the invitation to lean into him.

“None of this fair. We have one more fight, Y/N.”

You sighed, ready to complain and run back to the compound to lay under a mountain of blankets, wallowing in self-pity and increasing depression.

“Look at me,” Thor instructed, gently pulling away from you. “I know what you’re feeling. I too want to sleep and never wake up.”

Your face dropped, sympathy flooding your eyes. You raised a hand to lay your palm on his cheek, wiping away the stray tear he had let slip. “You don’t have to be so strong.”

Thor leaned into the feeling of your warm hand and he gave you a sad smirk. “I know. But it’s all we know how to be.”

Thor could sense your depleting energy, and as much as he wanted to carry you to your bed and wrap a blanket around you, cup of tea ready and some comedy movie on repeat, he had to persuade you. There was one more fight that needed to be fought.

“Breathe, and think of the first thing that brings you comfort. Lean into that, let it give you strength, and use it.”

You turned to him, prepared to protest, but Thor simply gripped your face in his hands, allowing you to do the same. He rested his forehead against yours. “Think and use it.”

You nodded, still apprehensive to the idea, but you shut your eyes and thought. New and old friends. It could have been anything - Natasha’s final and unknown farewell, Wanda’s loud laugh as she fought Sam (who was on Steve’s shoulders and her on Bucky’s) and tried pushing him into the water, or even Tony’s face as he realized he forgot to put the lid over the blender before turning it on - anything, but you held onto the first flash of joy your mind recalled.

The sudden image of Steve’s face frightened you. Not because Steve himself was scary, but because the more you thought of him, the more prepared you were for the final battle. You had something to fight for. Someone. You simply saw Steve - Steve who tucked his knees up to his chest when he sketched the trees outside his bedroom window - and how he would put his pencil down and march toward you because ‘don’t you ever knock?’, and push you out of his room as you laughed and apologized at the same time.

“Use it,” Thor repeated. You opened your eyes.

So you wiped your tears and changed back into your suit, hair now held in a ponytail and new gun on your hip. Your breath hitched as Bruce lifted the gauntlet to put it on, his eyes swimming with fear but also determination, and you found yourself glancing at Steve. He felt eyes on him, and he found yours, and something alerted you of the shift. Perhaps this was his last straw, it was yours too, but this was different. You wanted to go back to Thor and ask him to help you find that memory again, ‘tell me to imagine Steve again, Steve with his soft face and gentle hands, Steve who doesn’t look like he’s just seen a ghost!’. A perfect stranger, and before you could ponder such a drastic change, Bruce began screaming in agony. You stood behind Tony, allowing Bruce’s screams to fuel your energy, because you had one more fight.

Just one more.

A Forest in Iowa, 2025, 6:47am

You awoke with a strangled groan, a crick in the neck that needed to be remedied by a quick snap to the opposite side and a very numb ass. You dreaded having to remove your arms from the warmth the blanket provided, but the quicker you turned the car on you could relax. You leaned over and did so, the tingles along your lower back and bottom begging you to get out of the car. Steve was startled awake from the sudden rumble of the engine, alert within seconds and examining his surroundings.

You practically crawled out the car and stretched every muscle, even muscles you didn’t know could become inflamed, and started walking around the campsite while rubbing your palms on your sore ass. Steve joined you outside after a few minutes, laughing at the random stretches you were performing.

“Laugh all you want, Rogers but if I don’t get this knot out my ass then any danger we encounter you’re taking out alone.”

“Do you need help?”

You snapped your body back up, an involuntary loud cackle rising from your throat. “That would be a treat.”

Steve rolled his eyes and began stretching himself, arms bent and raised behind his head as he tugged on his elbows. “I just meant in general. Not specifically your ass.”

You giggled at his innocence, walking back to the car and grabbing the blanket you had regretfully crawled from. You wrapped it around your shoulders and made your way back to Steve, extending your right leg out and dipping your upper body down to continue the stretch. You heard the sudden ‘pop!’ of your hip, surprising both you and Steve. You screamed in slight but joyful surprise, pulling yourself back up to look at Steve. He just stared back, amazement and a little concern in his face. He scrunched his nose and smiled wide.

“That hurt?”

You shook your head ‘no’ and extended your left leg now, bending down and stretching the same way. Again, ‘pop!’

And Steve had to walk away in complete astonishment, hands covering his ears and a comical expression on his face, because it just sounded so weird.

You stopped at the first secluded diner you stumbled upon, barely open for the morning and understaffed. There was a lonely waitress behind the counter folding napkins and cleaning the leftover coffee grounds someone forgot to clean before her. She looked about thirty, slightly dark circles under her eyes, but presented a cheerful smile as you and Steve walked through the door. If she was surprised with two Avengers walking into her place of work, she did an excellent job at hiding it.

“What can I get you two?”

You took a seat on the light blue swivel chair at the counter and flashed the waitress a kind smile as you spoke. Her name tag read ‘Martha’. “Coffee and tea to start with, please.”

She clicked the coffee maker on and went to retrieve a kettle from the back, leaving you and Steve alone.

“You hungry?” you asked.

Steve plopped down in the chair beside you, already grabbing the two sugar packets he would put into his tea. “Starved.”

You rolled your eyes, “You were the one who refused the last granola bar.”

“You said you were hungry.”

“Aw, you starved yourself for me?”

Steve huffed in annoyance, playing with his sugar packets and head hung low to avoid recognition from incoming customers. You stared at him longer than usual, studying the way his jaw ticked every so often and how he would sniff at nothing only to pass the time and countless thoughts. You reached over and grabbed a handful of sugar packets, piling them in between you and the super soldier, and began constructing the base of a tower. It seemed to snap Steve out of whatever thought he had, and he quickly became interested. He helped steady the base, careful fingers adding to the height. You two worked in silent cooperation, little giggles filling the empty and quiet diner.

Martha returned with two mugs and went to grab both the freshly made coffee and tea. She watched as you and Steve constructed your sugar packet tower, a smirk on her face as she poured your drinks. “Anything to eat?”

And it was one of the best meals you had. The sheer amount of grease on those sausages and hash browns warmed your once empty stomach and meshed with the coffee in the most delightful way. You almost wanted to ask for seconds, those scrambled eggs not nearly enough, but the longer you stalled the longer the ride on the freeway was going to be.

You paid and left a generous tip, finishing the remaining amount of coffee in your mug. Steve had gone to the restroom, your sugar packet tower still standing tall and proud. It didn’t seem like Martha was going to knock it down any time soon. The bell over the front door dinged with a new arrival, the cold air from outside making you clutch your hot mug tighter.

You glanced over your shoulder out of instinct. The man looked to be in his mid-forties, a trucker no doubt, and had only the slightest hint of an unwashed smell. He took a place at the counter a few seats away from you, throwing his hat down and begging Martha to bring him a coffee of his own. You took a sip from your mug.

“Woah, you’re an Avenger, aren’t you?”

Busted.

“Nope.”

The man scooted a few seats closer, eyes now wide awake. He pointed at you in an almost accusatory manner, but voice still cheery. “No, seriously - I’ve seen your face in the news and everything!”

You set your coffee down and saw the look of pity Martha was throwing you from across the counter. “You want a picture or something?”

The man laughed now, a nasty smirk on his face. “Or something would be nice.”

Your face scrunched and your shoulders immediately tensed. “You better not be implying-?”

“Woah, hey, no harm here! I just mean, you’re here alone and I’m here alone…”

You looked away from him, taking a big swig from your mug. The burn down your throat was somewhat therapeutic. “I’ll do the picture or else I start screaming.”

“I’d love to hear that.”

Steve rounded the corner when he heard a full-on conversation he was sure just started during his absence. He almost cursed himself for leaving you alone during such an important mission, even if it was to urinate. He could have had you standing outside the men’s restroom just to feel more secure of your well-being. Still, he remained behind the wall and listened to the conversation. If Steve was to interrupt before you could get your own kicks in, then he wouldn’t hear the end of it.

‘I had him on the ropes!’

‘Excuse me for assisting a teammate!’

‘Get bent!’

Yeah, Steve would let you kick this person’s ass and brag about it instead of yapping at him.

You groaned, hoping the loud sound would make the man retreat back to his breakfast. “Bet you would.”

But it seemed to encourage him more, and he stepped closer to lean on the counter and bump your shoulder with his. You kept your eyes trained on your abandoned coffee.

“C’mon, I’m just a lonely trucker trying to make ends meet. I think I deserve some kind of reward.”

You put on your best fake smile, tilting your head towards him. You flashed your teeth, a great distraction for him as you reached into your pocket for your throwing knife. “That picture offer seems to be wearing very, very thin, dude.”

He placed his dirty hand on your shoulder, squeezing as he spoke in a low whisper. “Guess that’s for the best.”

His hand was immediately twisted from your shoulder, the sound of his instant wail frightening poor Martha. You knew what had happened, and as chill as ever, you swiveled the chair around casually.

The man groaned in discomfort, “Woah, hey! - oh my god.”

Steve’s single hand was crushing his, digits begging for mercy as each second Steve squeezed even harder. He could feel the man’s knuckles start to crack painfully. “Yeah, ‘oh my god’. Touch her again and I’ll total your truck.”

The man shook his head violently, “We were just talking!”

“Nuh-uh,” you chuckled, elbows resting on the counter behind you.

“C’mon Cap, you gotta believe me!” The man tried to sprinkle some humor on the situation, which only caused Steve to shove him into a booth, hand still gripping his.

Steve towered over him now as the man had no choice but to fall back into the booth. “That’s just it - I don’t.”

The man looked from Steve’s face, to yours, to his own purpling and bruising hand. “What are you two doing out in the middle of nowhere anyway? Danger nearby?”

You stood from your seat and stood beside Steve, arms crossed and a smirk on your face. “Look, bud - tell anyone you saw us and you’ll regret it.”

And like the idiot he was, even with Steve’s hand cramping down on him, he still countered. “Are you threatening me?”

Steve couldn’t believe this guy. Of course, he could squeeze harder and just yank this guy’s fingers clean off, but he wasn’t that evil. The guy was just a creep and a pervert, which in Steve’s moral compass, called for a few cuts and scrapes and not a permanent disability.

“Yup, and I tend to have some creative ways of framing people.”

“C’mon, I know you can hit harder than that!”

Steve threw a few more punches at the cushion Bucky was holding up, boxing gloves nearly sliding from his fists because of their large size.

“One more, there we go!”

Bucky lowered the cushion as Steve threw his last punch, racing toward the bench to fetch Steve’s inhaler and hand it to the younger boy.

“I could have gone longer.”

Bucky smiled at his best friend, “I’m sure you could have but you were about to pop a lung and I love you too much to see you go out that way, pal.”

Steve took a drag of his inhaler at the same time he tried to wrap his arm around Bucky’s neck. But the older boy was quicker and lunged out of the way, taking a celebratory light jog around the ring for such minimal effort on his part. Steve just glared at him, a small smirk forming as Bucky started chanting.

“Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, defenders of America, the world, we avenge the fallen!”

Steve let Bucky exaggerate, inhaler finally working enough for him to take a big swig of water. “You really think we’ll save the world?”

Bucky held his chest and laughed loudly, “America isn’t going to war anytime soon, pal. Let’s focus on rescuing dames from bullies and perverts first!”

“Captain, you gonna let her-?”

You snapped your fingers in his face to get his wandering eyes back on you, “I’m speaking to you.”

Steve couldn’t hide his grin, a slight blush growing on his cheeks due to your authoritative tone. He had heard you speak this way countless times, roughing up some guy on the opposite side whenever they proved difficult. Although you weren’t currently throwing punches, Steve was proud nonetheless.

You continued, “Tell anyone and I’ll tell the cops you tried selling us drugs.”

The man’s eyes widened comically, “What? I don’t even have-”

You reached into your back pocket and revealed a tiny baggy half-full of white powder. Martha’s tiny giggle reminded the man that he had an audience, a possible witness, but her overall lack of involvement was enough to know he was alone in this. “Come again? You were saying something?”

The man gritted his yellowing teeth, “No fucking way.”

You jiggled the baggy closer to his face, watching in amusement as he whipped his head to the side as if it was poison. “Way. I’ll stash it in your beloved truck where only the dogs can smell it.”

Steve, hands still gripping the man out of instinct, was completely shocked. He watched the baggy in the most peculiar way - analyzing its size, crumpled appearance, even the way the tiny specks of white dust latched onto the moisture inside, resembling salt or sugar. Obviously he knew what product you handled, but he had never seen it up close and personal unless he was in the evidence locker room. Maybe ‘shock’ wasn’t used with negative connotation, because Steve wanted to both laugh at your threat and snatch the baggy from you to ensure no other soul saw you handling it.

The man looked from both you and Steve, determined expression falling as he ran out of viable options. He sighed in defeat, “Okay.”

You snatched the baggy away from his face and pocketed it. You smiled at him with such brightness, as if you hadn’t just threatened to ruin his life. “Cool, nice meeting you!”

Steve let him go and walked back to his original seat to pick up his coat. He ignored the annoying babbling from across the diner, choosing to grab your belongings too and smiling at Martha as he took his leave. You rushed after him, turning back to wave at Martha.

“Best coffee ever, Martha!”

You settled into the car and continued your drive fairly easily, a comfortable silence between you two. Steve didn’t know if it was the jitters from the coffee - not like he was really affected by caffeine anyway - or the effects from the uncomfortable situation he should have pulled you from sooner, because next thing he knew his voice was an octave higher and cracking. “So, you just had that shit in your back pocket this whole time?”

You choked on your laugh and covered your mouth, looking up from your phone and at him. You shared the same playful look in your eyes.

You shrugged, “You never know when you might need it.”

Steve shook his head but kept the same tiny grin, “Do you…?”

The playfulness somewhat subsided, and you shifted uncomfortably in your seat. The seatbelt was digging into your right breast and side of your neck. Steve waited for your response, the question an entirely personal one. He was about to retract it, apologize and focus on the freeway for the remainder of your trip, but you cleared your throat.

“Once. But I was young, curious, and it burned like hell so I didn’t do it again.”

You were fourteen, still unsure of yourself and the world around you, clinging onto the inner child your environment was beginning to kill. You remember running through the mansion, the ranches, random hotels and random weddings - a dozen other children and teenagers running alongside you, each avoiding interaction with those their guardians had told them to avoid. And you remembered the day you wanted to enter your bedroom to retrieve your little iPod shuffle, the door resisting as you pushed. Your strength ultimately won, revealing a bedroom floor full of all types of guns, grenades, and automatic rifles. You didn’t scare easily, you never had, but that angered and annoyed you greatly. That was your room, your own sacred space to avoid confrontation, and it had been tainted. You had stepped over the guns carefully and reached your bedside table. Attaching your headphones to the device and clicking shuffle, you had almost missed the packages of drugs laying on your white bedsheet. Where you slept.

More out of anger than curiosity, you had carefully poked a hole in one of those taped packages and rubbed it over your teeth and gums like you saw some of your father’s men do. The sensation was weird, more numb than anything, and although you wanted it to taste like the flour you used for baking, it didn’t. So you picked a small portion under your pinky nail and sniffed. It burned, similar to when you burped and the carbonation came back up through your nose, and you wanted to scream. An instant headache, an unknown high, and a very angry Seda appeared around the same moment.

“Why do you carry it now?” Steve asked.

You snapped yourself out of the flashback, “My father knows we’re traveling by car. We’ll be arriving in the next day or so. He could call at any time and tell me he needs someone taken out in whatever state we’re currently passing through.”

Steve hummed, face showing discomfort. “Taken out? Do you often plant drugs on innocent people?”

You huffed, “Hardly innocent. Just drug dealers or other smugglers that got on his bad side.”

You played with the button to roll down the window, watching the moisture from water droplets begin to dry and leave their smudge. You continued, “Quick drop into a glove compartment or someone’s pocket while they’re distracted usually does the trick.”

Steve’s shoulders relaxed, “Guess I can understand that.”

You left the window slightly open, the cold air nipping at your cheeks. The smell of rain was prominent. “I do my research before, you know. I don’t just frame random people.”

Your soft voice suddenly hurt Steve, almost like you were accusing him of thinking of you as evil. Whether you discussed your undercover work with him or not, he would never assume you escaped morals. You were an Avenger after all, and even though no one knew, Tony used to have a huge part in the decision-making process with Fury. And if Tony had seen something in you, then he trusted him. “I know.”

“Thank you, by the way. I may not look it, but he did scare me for a sec.”

Steve sighed, “We’re partners, Y/N. I would never let anything or anyone hurt you.”

You rolled your eyes at his sincerity, smiling toward him but avoiding his gaze. “Still… thanks.”

“No problem. Your playlist this time?”

You passed the next several hours listening to mostly instrumental music, the foggy and dense atmosphere of each state you drove through providing the same calm feeling. It was winter after all, and although California didn’t have quite as much snow as the midwest, it certainly had rain. The drive consisted of small talk about your surroundings, about your friends, about the most random things you could fill into a twelve hour time stamp. You played with the seat warmers, laughing when Steve jumped a foot in the air when his got a little too hot for his liking. And his cursing. When you first met Steve, he didn’t curse all that much unless it was in the middle of a fight or when he was truly angry. But now, especially after these last couple of years, his vocabulary expanded to new inappropriate lengths. You didn’t mind, no, it made the conversations all that more interesting.

So when Steve grumbled under his breath as he spilled crumbs from his granola bar onto the passenger seat (you had volunteered driving the sixth hour in), and mumbled “jesus fucking christ”, you gave him such a bright smile with equally bright eyes that had Steve scrunching his eyebrows together and he leaned away from you, a blush crawling up his neck.

‘What?’

‘You took the lord’s name in vain.’

‘Yeah, so what?’

‘Over a granola bar.’

‘... I see your point.’

You stopped about an hour away from the hotel, legs cramping and backs strained but overall happy that no one else on the journey recognized you two. There had been that kid who paused in the aisle of a small gas station, wide eyes staring up at both you and Steve as you reached for a bag of chips. Steve had crouched down to his height, chatting for a few seconds before giving him a small fist bump. You smiled at the kid, bringing your finger up to your mouth to mime a tiny ‘shh’, and followed Steve out the store after paying.

You spent the next few minutes stretching, the sudden pops of your hips causing Steve to create as much of a fuss he had done before.

‘Is that normal?’

‘It’s a ball and socket joint, they crack.’

‘So violently?’

‘It actually feels awesome.’

The California air was musty this season, humid and wet. The smell of various weeds and tree bark overpowered anything else, and although there was moisture in the air, the coldness dried your eyes. You found yourself blinking multiple times to accumulate some tears, and you reached into your backpack to reapply some lip gloss. You donned a simple, forest green tracksuit with a knitted sweater over it all, layers and layers to combat the cold breeze. Steve wore a similar knitted sweater, but he seemed less fazed by the cold than you were.

“So, how much do you trust this person?”

You snapped your head up from your lazy resting and asked Steve to repeat his question. Once heard, you shrugged and answered. “About ninety-five percent.”

Steve chuckled and wrapped his arms over his chest, “Will it ever be a hundred? C’mon.”

You grinned back and took a deep breath, chilly air slightly burning your sinuses. “They took a bullet for me once. And they didn’t have to.”

You were meeting your main contact of the mission. Maribel, a childhood friend, a friend who ultimately took a bullet for you to keep your undercover identity a secret. You could have been compromised, forced to stand trial in front of your father and his men, but she took the fall. After going off the grid and living in Madripoor for about six years, she had contacted you after the snap. Her relief, and her eagerness for revenge, all were to your benefit. So you fed her any information you could, both vowing to fuck with your father in any means. And since you were the only person on the inside with ties to the Avengers, having Maribel be an insider with no ties ultimately helped prepare your case. Two sides, two people with shared experiences, all truth. And you were going to do everything in your power to clear her name and get her a good deal.

“So, why isn’t it a hundred?”

“I haven’t trusted anyone a full one-hundred percent since SHIELD was compromised.”

Steve’s voice dropped a little, but you could still make out his teasing tone. “Do you trust me?”

“It wavers.”

“Wait-”

You interrupted and pointed toward the trail hidden by the trees, “There she is.”

Maribel had changed immensely since you last saw her. Her natural ginger hair was now dyed a dark brown, her freckles seeming to have multiplied and draped themselves from her cheeks and down her neck, over her shoulders, etc. She wore all black, leather jacket and leather boots, loose strands of hair blocking the view of shoulder buttons and shoulder pockets. She looked younger, more refreshed in her natural glow, healthy even. You found yourself breathing a sigh of relief, chest tightening with genuine love as she flashed you a wide smile. You gave her a tight hug, patting her back and welcoming her back to the states. She smelled of the bushes she had to track through to get here.

She released you from her tight grip and looked over at Steve, giving him an almost teasing look. “Heard you were invited. Nice to meet you Captain.”

Steve shook her hand, “Pleasure’s all mine.”

She chuckled and winked at him, “Y/N inform you about me? How do I sound? Look?”

Steve seemed to be affected the same way you had, an involuntarily reddening of his cheeks giving him away. “Like a possible ally.”

Maribel scoffed playfully, “I’ll take what I can get.”

“Status?” you asked.

Maribel handed you the file she carried, “Hotel is secure. Neighboring cities have no alerts about your arrival or of the upcoming celebration. Everything’s pretty quiet.”

You smirked, looking over to Steve in recognition of what that meant. “Of course it is. He wouldn’t dare kill any U.S citizens on American soil.”

“Heard he got sloppy,” Maribel sang, rocking back and forth on her heels.

“Let’s hope it’s to our benefit. You meet up with the agent in charge I told you about?”

Maribel nodded, “Torres is set up a few miles from the venue. He’s been running surveillance for about three days already.”

“If you can’t get into contact with me, Torres is your second. Got it? He reports back to Sam.”

Maribel agreed, “Got it. So, what’s the plan for the rest of the week?”

“Steve and I will draft a report tomorrow morning and send you the encrypted file.”

“Can’t wait. It’s nice to see you again, Y/N,” she smiled, bringing you back into a tight hug. Steve simply stood to the side, listening around for any disturbances.

“Likewise,” you spoke, sad to watch her walk away and back toward the hidden path. Her feet crunched on some fallen leaves purposefully. You suddenly remembered the bit of information that could be useful if Maribel were to encounter an old foe.

You called out to her, “Oh, and if anybody asks - Steve is my boyfriend and you’ve known about it for three years now!”

Steve hid his face behind his hand, looking down to his feet to avoid Maribel’s teasing and humorous expression. “Lucky you!”

The hotel was nicer than you expected, the pictures on google doing little to showcase just how grand it really was. With some of your savings and a little money under the table from Fury, you were able to book a single bedroom with two beds for five nights. Obviously, the wedding night wasn’t counted as the two of you were going to have to haul ass immediately, but five nights in this grand arena seemed vacation enough.

From the outside, it seemed like any chain hotel, but the inside provided a more Gothic feel. It compared to a Vegas type, but also your typical breakfast inn. It was an odd combination, but you figured they had that liberty since it was a really quiet part of the city and didn’t see many regular customers.

You lugged your suitcases through the elevator doors and pressed the button for the seventh floor, looking around for the security cameras in the corner. You spotted the red light blinking and immediately smiled and waved.

“Steve, say hi to Bucky.”

Steve looked at the camera and raised an eyebrow, giving a small wave. “You know regular security can see us, too?”

“Can’t hear us, though. Neither can Bucky.”

“So, if I were to call him a thousand bad words right now, he wouldn’t know?”

You squinted at Steve as the elevator dinged, “He can still read our lips.”

“That adds to the fun!”

The room was big enough to set up an extra pull-out table and computer in the corner, the only separate part being the bathroom to the side of the entrance door. The beds were both queen sized, multiple throw pillows scattered on top and two bedside tables in the middle.

You rushed inside and threw your suitcase carelessly at the foot of the bed closest to the door, and ran to leap in the air and land face first on the cushy mattress. “Heaven!”

Steve picked up your suitcase and set it against the wall, “Glad to see you’re already making yourself at home.”

You rolled over and pressed some pillows to your chest, “You ever plopped yourself down onto a hotel bed? Do it!”

Steve tilted his head slightly, reluctant to the idea. “What if I break it?”

You burst out laughing, “Oh my god, I didn’t even think of that.”

Steve sighed, shoulders sagging as he gave in. “Promise you won’t laugh if I break it?”

“Do you know me?”

Steve rolled his eyes and braced himself against the wall, pushing himself off and leaping into the air only lightly, crashing onto the bed the same way you did. The bed creaked and made a horrible sound. But it held, the wood proving stronger than you thought.

“Okay, I see the pleasure in that,” Steve laughed, face still smushed inside the mountain of pillows. You lay in your own beds for about an hour, naps wholeheartedly enforced.

A quick knock on your hotel door snapped you from your short slumber. You rolled over with a groan, looking over your shoulder at a still snoring Steve. His age was catching up to him alright, because he totally should have woken up from that. You opened the door and greeted Torres, allowing him to step inside. He lugged in a hotel cart with a heavy drape over it, careful in not hitting the doorway.

“Agent Y/L/N, it’s so great to see you again!”

Now Steve was awake.

“You too! I thought our last rendezvous was cut too short,” you teased, sticking your bottom lip out and giving him puppy-dog eyes. Torres blushed under your gaze but shook his head at your flirting.

“Well, here we go again! Got everything you need right here.”

He revealed the desktop computer and multiple other monitors, radios, a printer, and earpieces.

“Looks like Christmas morning,” you joked, helping Torres set up.

“Sorry for waking you, Captain. Sam said I had to deliver all this before nighttime.”

Steve waved his apology off, “Don’t worry about it. Thanks for doing this.”

“Anything.”

You went over the itinerary for the rest of the week and once Torres announced his leave, you handed him the extra key card you had asked for.

“If you need anything, or we don’t radio in at the times we set up, you use it. Okay?”

Torres gave you a sincere smile, tucking the key card into his coat pocket. “You can count on me.”

Once Torres left the room, Steve spoke. “Watch him barge in when one of us is showering.”

“Let’s hope we don’t scar the poor kid.”

It took about two hours to set up all the tech and connect it all back to the compound. You video chatted with Bucky and Scott and discussed the itinerary tomorrow. You double-checked mic connections, triple-checked police reports filed within the last few hours, and reviewed spy cam footage Torres had taken of the ranch. It was basically homework.

“We have to set up our backstories, our so-called relationship, you have to know everything.”

Steve hummed, tapping his pen on the table. “Where do we start?”

“They might ask why you help me in the first place.”

“Fuck America, that’s why.”

You stuttered, voice timid and eyebrows high. “O-oh?”

Steve laughed at your reaction. He leaned in with confidence, “I mean, your father grew up close to a similar time I did. He’s old fashioned, no?”

“Kind of. He’s old so he hates the new clothing styles, women’s rights, the works,” you shrugged.

“Wow, he sounds worse the more you speak about him.” You rolled your eyes at Steve and his sarcastic tone. “So I can say America just changed way too much since I came out of the ice.”

You nodded and rapidly wrote the basics of the backstory into your notepad. “Okay. But I hope you know you’re gonna have to play into that conservative part, especially with him and Seda.”

“What do you mean?”

You smirked at him and cocked an eyebrow, “You gotta be drowning in toxic masculinity.”

“Fuck, really?”

You almost wanted to lean over and slap his shoulder. It was then that you realized how disconnected Steve really was to this whole situation, never once meeting your father or his minions. He didn’t know the shit that went down when he was in hiding, only the basics, and scaring him now didn’t seem like a great idea.

“Really. You’re playing the role of my boyfriend in a male-dominated drug war. They think you’re in charge, which is technically correct to assume. Your rank is higher, your status is higher, so your personality needs to match that or else you won’t gain their trust.”

Steve shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, “I don’t know the first thing about disrespecting women.”

You snorted, “I’m gonna be honest and say that was the most adorable shit I’ve ever heard.”

“Stop it.”

You spoke with your hands, fingers dancing as a way to sprinkle some sensitivity on the issue. “Order me around. Tell me when it’s time to leave, be possessive if anyone wants to get my attention, interrupt me.”

“Y/N, I don’t think I can do that.”

“You technically already do it.”

Steve blinked, “Excuse me?”

You lowered your voice to explain, “You’re my Captain. You give me orders on the field. You shut me up when I’m too loud or turning something serious into a joke.”

He shifted again, “But I don’t do it to dominate you.”

“I know you don’t. Trust me.”

“So, I gotta become an asshole?”

You nodded, “Yes. But you need to know your limits.” You handed Steve multiple files for him to examine.

“Ramirez is one of the rare ones that loves his family, especially his wife and daughters. You can’t be an ass in front of him.”

Steve grinned as he read, surprised with the restraint Ramirez and his men were able to achieve. “Guess that’s a little relief for me.”

“And White is too much into his own product all day to give a shit.”

Steve paused before he spoke, licking his lips in hesitation. “What happens if your father goes overboard?”

“Shit,” you mumbled, tumbling into the compound and practically crawling to the first floor. You didn’t know who was home or who was visiting. Wanda, Steve, Natasha, Vision, and Sam were on the run for more than a year now - Scott and Clint were on house arrest (which you were also, technically) - so you truly did not know if your cries for help would be heard. You had practically begged to accompany Wanda or be with Bucky back in Wakanda, but because of your undercover status (and the fact that your father still did not know you aided Captain America in hiding an assumed fugitive), you weren’t allowed to leave the compound without permission. The memory of the separation was almost as painful as the gunshot wound in your abdomen.

You clutched the side of your stomach and crawled through the doors.

“Arrrgh - is someone home?”

And with a stroke of luck, Rhodey rounded the corner just in time to hear your plea.

“Oh my god,” he mumbled, dashing across the room to help you sit up. “What happened?”

“They were getting too suspicious,” you said, wincing when Rhodey pressed a nearby blanket on your wound. “I couldn’t give them Steve’s location.”

“Are you talking about your father and his partner?”

You nodded quickly, helping Rhodey apply pressure.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, alert the medics. First floor,” Rhodey stammered, the sight of your blood making him a little queasy in the morning.

“I’m gonna kill him if he got one of my kidneys - I was saving that, you know?”

Rhodey involuntarily laughed, quickly covering his mouth. You brushed it off and let him know that if you were still able to joke, he was able to laugh.

“Take your mind off the pain, what happened?”

You sighed, shutting your eyes in distress. “You know that the main players in this game are me and Steve. My father decided that it was time to meet the star-spangled man, time to meet who is distributing his product behind the back of the U.S government.”

Rhodey rotated the blanket to dab with a clean side. You continued speaking.

“I told him Steve wasn’t active at the moment - not a lie, by the way. But the more I told him that I had no way of being in touch with the dude, the angrier he got. Seda fired a warning shot into my gut, I guess.”

“Shit… I can’t authorize any more solo trips without back-up, Y/N. This has gone too far,” Rhodey sighed, adrenaline lowering once he saw a few medics burst through the door.

Hours seemed to pass before you awoke. The doctors found no serious damage, your stitches were already healing with the help of Tony’s new tech, and you were up and walking within hours. A slight pinch in your gut bothered you, but other than that you pulled yourself out of bed to go search for Rhodey. You heard voices talking over one another, all angry and authoritative. You tip-toed into the room just in time to see Rhodey end a call and turn back to the group of people he was talking to in person. Your breath hitched when you saw him, face still rugged and more tired than you remembered, but still gorgeous.

“Steve?” you quietly muttered, all eyes darting toward you. “Wanda?”

You tried to run over to them but were caught limping. Still, Wanda rushed over and enveloped you in a tight hug, noticing the way you twisted your hip outward to avoid full contact.

“Y/N, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” Rhodey said as he came over to hold you steady.

“What happened to you?” Steve asked, his hand now resting on your blushing cheek. You studied his blue eyes carefully, scared that this reunion was going to last for only a few more seconds, his warm hand making your stomach knot. He had a full beard now, hair longer than you remember, and he filled in his suit more. You were so unbelievably happy to see him after everything that went down.

You patted his chest with a soft chuckle, “Finally ripped that star off, huh?”

Steve’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but you could see a glint of tenderness.

He placed his hand over yours, “Who’s ass do I have to kick?”

You waved your hand in the air. “Family drama.”

Rhodey didn’t let that explanation fly, though. He informed the rest of the team of what happened to you, Steve’s anger building.

But you quickly silenced them, “I’m alright. I’ll deal with it later. What threat do we currently face?”

After their brief update, you were ready to go back to bed.

“So, you’re telling me that we gotta fight this big purple dude because he wants Vision’s stone? Sure, why not?”

“I really hope he doesn’t go overboard.”

Steve repeated the question, however. “What do we do?”

You sighed, picking at the potato chips to your side. “If you’re feeling uncomfortable, or I am, we’ll just squeeze each other’s hands.”

“Like a safe word?”

Your smile grew slowly as you registered his innocent words. “Yes, Steve, like a safe word.”

You popped a chip into your mouth and leaned back into your chair, “Wow, you’re on a roll with that adorableness.”

Steve rolled his eyes and stole a chip from your bag, “Shut up.”

You pointed at him and smiled wider, “See? Toxic bitch.”

It took a moment for Steve to register his previous words, “Okay, okay. I get it. I’m sorry.”

“Forgiven.”

You dusted off your fingers and handed him even more files, “Alright, so we know that to make it in this drug game, you gotta have connections everywhere.”

“Understandable. What are we looking for tomorrow?”

“Drug lords love to conduct business in the middle of huge events. Big distractions mean more leeway.”

“But tomorrow?”

“We’re going to cut them off. Swipe their ID’s.”

You elaborated, “To survive in this business, you have to have ID’s to get anywhere and everywhere. We’re looking for fake press ID’s, fake police ID’s, even fucking farming and landowning ID’s or… licenses, really. Those two give us the proof of ownership for certain lands.”

“Just swipe them?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“My father keeps them all in a little safe inside the wall. It’s located in the study. Just his and Seda’s.”

“And they won’t notice they’re missing?”

“Word is that they’re not planning a move until the day of the wedding. Meaning, they’ll be cut off when they open that safe. We have to keep the product from moving or else our agents won’t find the tangible evidence when we give them the green light.”

Steve wrote in his notepad. “So, we’ll focus on the hacking-?”

“During the rehearsal dinner.”

“Gotcha.”

You grabbed the bag of chips and ate a few, the silence still comfortable. You spoke, stealing Steve's attention from the files. “This is gonna work, Steve.”

Steve thinly smiled and reached over to steal the bag from your hands. “As long as we don’t get caught.”

The steam from the bathroom practically whipped Steve across the face, the smell of lotions and perfume overpowering the natural odor of the hotel air conditioner. He groaned as he searched his suitcase for his pajamas.

“You couldn’t have left me some hot water?”

You scoffed, towel rinsing your wet hair. “It’s a hotel charging two hundred a night. If you don’t have hot water, then we’ll go down there and ‘Karen’ it up.”

“Funny,” Steve mumbled, pushing past you and locking the bathroom door. You stood, arms slightly raised in confusion, expression mimicking those in comedy shows. If there was any hidden camera, your eyes scanned for it.

“Uh, what’d I do?” you mumbled to no one in particular. But you brushed off Steve’s sudden change in attitude and sat for the next thirty minutes hand drying your hair in sections and watching television. You were invested in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares that you barely heard your phone ding. You unlocked your phone, laughing under your breath at the group chat messages.

Bucky: Kill him yet?

Peter: bet she will by wednesday.

Wanda: Ridiculous, all of you

Y/N: Twenty bucks says he kills me.

Bucky: hey are you even allowed to bet on this?

Wanda: Seems fair since you’re so sure she’ll crack

Peter: She’s more sneaky

Y/N: He mad right now

Bucky: He’s always grumpy before his bedtime

Y/N: dude it’s eight

Peter: lmfao

The same fog of heat exited the bathroom as Steve opened the door and you murmured a quick ‘I told you so’ for him to hear. He ignored you, rubbing his eyes as he plugged his phone to his charger and crawled under his blankets. He sat up, though and reached over to grab his sketchbook, knees coming up to substitute as a flat surface. You snuggled into your blankets after turning the television volume lower and placing the remote closer to Steve’s bedside table. You brought the blanket up to your chin and hummed peacefully.

The sounds of Steve’s pencil prompted you to open one eye. His tongue was between his incisors and his eyes were squinted slightly, hair only a little wet from his shower and the tip of his nose pink.

“Drawing always seems to ease your mind, huh?”

Steve didn’t look up from his drawing, “It’s relaxing. I have control over it, so…”

You thought his explanation was weird, but you understood what he meant. “I wish I could draw. It seems fun.”

Steve paused his movements and glanced over at you, “Do you want to learn?”

You stretched your legs and moaned loudly, “What? You want to teach me how to draw an eye tonight? I’m warning you.”

Steve shook his head, “Right, I don’t think I have that much patience.”

You snorted, cracking your knuckles absentmindedly as you searched for a more comfortable spot. “Mm, maybe some other time?”

“I know you sing, though.”

You flopped back over to face Steve, elbow now propped up to hold your weight. “How in the world do you know that?”

“You sing sometimes, in your room. It was quiet, but you would sing along to some song on your earphones.”

You scrunched your nose and chuckled, “And you were just outside listening?”

Steve paused his movements again, “What? It was pretty.”

You sank back down into your pillows and drew the blankets higher. “I feel like you saw me naked.”

Steve scoffed, “Totally not the same thing.”

You teased Steve further, “I’m exposed.”

A throw pillow hit your side out of nowhere. “Stop it, I was being serious!”

You grabbed the pillow and threw it back at him, “I haven’t sang in a long time. I hum mostly.”

Steve caught the pillow, and resumed his sketching. “Well, you should definitely sing more.”

“Thank you, my number one fan. I’ll take that into consideration.” You sighed and closed your eyes again.

“Why did you stop?”

You winced but quickly covered it by taking in a deep breath, eyes still closed.

“You’re still fuming about it. You’re still fuming about your image being ruined. Good ol’ Captain America as a secret, undercover drug dealer!”

Steve finally showed proof of cracking, hands gripping his hair harshly. “Y/N, I said don’t start! I’m finished!”

But you persisted, now screaming and countless, frustrated tears tainting your red cheeks. “You can’t fucking stand me because I tarnished that fucking star on your chest! I made you look bad to a bunch of fucking criminals!”

“Guess I just didn’t feel like it anymore.”

Steve didn’t want to ignore that, he wanted to dig deeper, but even with much persistence pinching the tip of his tongue, he remained silent and accepted your answer. He glanced your way a few times throughout the next couple minutes, finding your chest fall into a steady rhythm as you drifted off. He turned a page in his sketchbook, quickly brushing the surface clean of any dust before starting the outline of your sleeping form.

TAGLIST: @dumb-ass-writer @justab-eautifulmess @supraveng @mycosmicparadise

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