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allandoflimbo · 10 months

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I C E P R I N C E S S 11

Pairings: Popular Girl!Reader x Outkast!Bucky

Explicit Content - Smut - NO MINORS

Summary:

Bucky Barnes is the quiet boy who gets picked on.

The Reader and her friends run with the popular crowd at Stark High.

As the Winter Ball approaches, she is partnered with Bucky Barnes for a class project. They grow close in an inadvertently secret friendship, which later turns into love.

Only catch is…she’s Steve Roger’s ex girlfriend, and before she was partnered up with Bucky, her friends had planned to use and turn Bucky into Stark High’s new it boy to try and get back at Steve; a disgusting bet.

Another catch: She’s a figure skater at the town’s arena every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Bucky works part time at the rink resurfacing the ice. The other doesn’t know.

Modern AU High School fic - later goes into adulthood.

M A S T E R P A G E - FULL SERIES

Warnings: This story will have a lot of angst, a lot of fluff, a lot of cursing, and a lot of sex. Oral, praise kink, body worship, overstimulation, etc. you know me. There will also be loss of virginity in this.

Please support your content creators and writers and leave a review.

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A/n: The chapter you've been waiting for. Smut ahead. Reminder that everyone is 18 or older and consenting adults. :)

The Cabin

The day had started a little awkwardly. Everyone had to find their rooms and unpack. Sam and Bucky were rooming together, Matt and Steve, you and Sharon, and Carol was with Monica. There was a spare room for if your friend Nat decided to arrive tomorrow.

You had spoken to Bucky only briefly, he'd been acting awkward since Steve showed up. He was always so chatty but now with everyone around, it was like he reverted to not speaking as much.

But you don't miss his eyes the way they stay with yours.

Now the popcorn was popped, and the pizza was baked. Closing in a eight pm, the lights were off and the fire in the fire place was blazing. Your eyes would meet across the circle as everyone talked to each other.

At one point, you decided to go into the kitchen for a can of soda when you heard footsteps behind you.

You turned around and the blue-green eyed boy smiled at you.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, Steve."

You feel a bit awkward as you move through the kitchen and closer to him.

"How are you doing?" He asks softly.

"I'm alright," you answer, you push a strand of hair behind your ear and cross one of your arms over your chest, "takes time, ya know?" You add a chuckle in for the sake of you me sanity. He knows you're talking about multiple things. Your break up, his cheating, your accident, your recovery. He knows you've changed in the last six months and he's admired the girl you've become. He would always respect you.

"How's skating going? I missed your last one. I'm sorry."

You swallow hard.

He sees a far away sadness in your eyes before you respond.

"It's okay." You whisper. You look away from him and to the ground, "I miss him, Stevie."

Steve reaches forward and cups the back of your neck with his right hand.

You blink away tears as his thumb runs over the scar there.

"Oh, Y/N." He says.

"I never thanked you properly for being there for me."

He smiles at you.

"I'll always be there for you."

It's then that you both hear someone walk into the kitchen. You look over to see Bucky standing in the entrance mid step.

You don't know why you overthink the situation. Maybe it's the way he eyes Steve's hand on your neck.

Bucky feels like he's suddenly intruded on something he didn't want to see, even though he had no right to not like it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean—" Bucky mumbles, about to turn back around.

"No, it's okay." Steve says, dropping his hand away from your neck, "Bucky, right?"

Bucky nods.

"I was just telling Steve about my brother," Steve is momentarily shocked, not expecting you'd be so transparent with Bucky, but he doesn't mind. If anything. It just peaks his interest. He doesn't miss the way your eyes soften and the way your voice has taken on a new tone. Bucky clears his throat, "he was there for me through it all when it happened so he knows everything."

It's meant to console Bucky. You don't know why you feel the need to justify this position and make Bucky reassured it's nothing happening. But the words do the opposite of console Bucky.

"I understand." Bucky says. He forces a smile and your eyes meet once more. You're the one that swallows hard this time, "but really it's fine. Just wanted to let you guys know they're about to start a game. I think telestrations or something."

You and Steve both nod and Bucky leaves.

Steve clears his throat and turns to you with a knowing smirk.

You frown at him.

"What?" You ask.

"He likes you."

You blush as you look away from him. You let out a small chuckle.

"No, I don't think so." You say quietly.

Bucky didn't like you. Did he?

"Please. The way he was looking at you?"

You shake your head to yourself remembering all the things Bucky said to you at the restaurant.

"He'd never like someone like me. He's said so himself."

"A sweet girl like you?" You don't say anything as you stare back at the entryway Bucky just walked out of, "and something tells me you like him, too." Your eyes flicker to his at those words.

—-

"That's not fair! You cheated!" Sam yells.

"How the hell did I cheat?" Steve exclaims with laughter.

"You and your damn drawing skills, that's how."

"This game doesn't even keep score." Carol says, "get over it." She rolls her eyes.

Sam glares at her as he reaches for the Grey Goose bottle, downing the rest of it in one go.

You raise a brow at him.

"Sore loser alert." You mumble.

Everyone laughs.

"You know what, y/l/n?" Sam says once he puts the bottle down.

"What?" You ask playfully and smirking.

He squints at you and a smile fills his face.

"You're lucky you're cool or I swear." He says.

"Alright, enough of this shit." Matt says, reaching over for the telestrations box and packing up everyone's little notebooks.

"Hey!" Sharon protests, "we weren't done."

"I don't care Sharon, let's play a real game. Anyone up for truth or dare?" Matt says with a smirk, "an X rated version?"

You're biting at your bottom lip as your eyes migrate towards Bucky on the couch next to Sam. You pull out your phone.

Let's ditch everyone. Want to see something cool?

You send him the text. You watch as he frowns when he feels the vibration in his pocket and pulls out his phone. He reads your text and smiles.

| Sure. Go ahead I'll be right behind you.

You smile as you read his response. You clear your throat as you stand up.

"I'll be right back, guys." You announce, pulling your black hoodie down.

Sharon looks up at you with furrowed brows.

"Where are you going?" She asks.

"Just outside for a bit. I'll be back." You say.

Bucky feels the butterflies in his tummy as he watches you walk out the cabin and into the night air.

He takes a sip from his Coca Cola can and then places it on the table next to him, next to a stack of Uno cards.

"Alright, who's going to start?" Matt asks, obnoxiously excited. His eyes dart over to Bucky knowingly, but Bucky's patience is wearing thin:

"I have to excuse myself, guys." Bucky says, throwing everyone except Matt a smile.

The girls all smile back at him and Sam and Steve give each other a knowing look with a small smile.

"Okie dokie." Sam shouts, "be safe out there."

Matt's face is in a hard glare as his nose flares, eyes not darting away from Bucky.

He can't help the scorn as Bucky follows behind you out the door.

"I'm tired. I think I'm gonna head to bed." Carol says, yawning.

"Me too." Steve says.

"Same." Sharon.

"You're a bunch of old people." Matt mumbles, marching away.

—-

"Where the hell are we going?" Bucky asks you, following across the large open field and into the woods.

You smile faintly.

"You'll see," you look over at him and smile. His eyes meet yours in an intense stare, and his gaze follows the bridge of your nose, "you trust me?" You ask so quietly he almost doesn't hear you.

"Yeah." He doesn't even hesitate to respond.

"Come on." You say.

You two walk for about three more minutes. Through heavy trees and over a small river that has a log connecting one side to the other as a bridge.

He halts when you stop in front of him. His eyes follow your gaze to the white building standing in the middle of an open field.

It's a white church with black shudders, completely abandoned and half falling apart.

"This is creepy." He says.

You giggle.

"You're safe, don't worry," you grab his hand and you lead him into the church. The moldy wooden floorboards creek beneath your feet as you step inside, letting the heavy black door close behind you.

You look up at Bucky. His jaw is sharp, handsomely perfect, and his eyes take in the terrifying dark space. Half the ceiling is caved in, exposing the night black sky.

"Stay here." You tell him.

"What?" There's a certain fear in his voice that you find adorable, "where are you going?" He asks as he watches you walk into the abyss of darkness.

You don't respond and Bucky shifts his weight from leg to leg anxiously. He says your name once more and nothing. He licks his lips and is about to decide to disobey your order when he hears a loud bang and a humming sound. Then he sees you perfectly clear as you walk back to him.

He can see you because there's a large chandelier hanging from the partial ceiling that he hadn't seen before and it's hundreds of bulbs glow a bright orange above you. He's speechless as his heart beats like crazy inside of his chest.

You're giving him the brightest smile he's ever seen in his life and you're glowing like the sun. You looked breathtaking.

You motioned your arms around you to show him to look around and he does. The whole church is glowing and it looks beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you.

"How—" he starts, his voice fading off.

"I found this place a couple years ago when we first started coming here."

"Alone?"

"Alone." You confirm.

"You've never showed anyone else?"

There's a beat of silence.

"No. Just you." You say.

You watch him intently as he walks up to you. He's giving you a look you can't identify. Then he smiles wide.

"I don't know if I should be scared of you or..."

You tilt your head at him.

"Or?" You ask.

You both hear a rumble and your eyes dart up to the sky. Somehow you had both moved to the center of the church.

"I don't know. Something. You're interesting." He whispers, looking back down at you.

You don't realize how close you both are. You're too caught up in this moment to tell.

"You're something, too." You say, a smile pulling at your lips.

He laughs.

And just like that, the skies open up and the rain begins to pour over the both of you.

You look up and laugh.

"We're going to get sick." Bucky chuckles.

The rain picks up even more and Bucky stares down at you. You're soaking wet. Your hair glues to the side of your face and to your shoulders. The rain drops dangles over your lips and your eyelashes.

Somehow, he finds himself grabbing your hand. You squeeze each other tightly.

The lights flicker above you until they finally shut off completely. The rain was getting worst.

Bucky doesn't say anything as he pulls you behind him in the darkness.

For the first time in a long time, you feel truly safe.

Out the church, you both speed walk towards the woods. The trees help a little to shelter you from the rain but it still continues to wet you nonetheless. The cold air didn't help either.

He guides you across the log that's laid over the river, his hands holding your waist. Through more woods and more mud, you're both practically walking puddles.

Both escape the woods and the cabin comes in straight view.

You both make a run for it through the sheets of water, your hands still clasped tightly together.

You find yourself slipping on the mud beneath your now dirty shoes and it causes you to slide to the side and towards the grass.

Bucky laughs out loud as he catches you and you laugh too.

He's got you until you're steady back on your feet and you continue your run inside.

You're at the front door and his hand keeps slipping from the doorknob. He chuckles as he watches you getting even more wet, if possible.

You looked goddamn adorable.

He finally manages to get the door open and he closes it quietly behind you. You're both still laughing and your shoes squeak over the floor. The cabin is dark, a clear sign that everyone was already asleep,

Bucky is still laughing and your mind is in a daze. You're giggling non stop. Your back is against the wall next to the stairs that leads up to the other rooms and he's standing right in front of you, laughing and smiling non stop.

You place both your hands on his chest as you giggle, and suddenly he's right up against you. Your hands slide up until they are near his shoulders. You can feel him rumbling beneath your hands as he laughs and whispers something you can quite understand.

"Shhh, shhhh..." you tell him playfully between giggles. He giggles and his eyes crinkle at the sides, "shhh." You say again.

Eventually his giggles dial down, as do yours, and silence engulfs you both.

The rain patters against the glass and ground outside.

Your eyes follow his piercing blue eyes and how they're looking into your own, and then they travel down his nose, and to his lips.

There's no more laughing.

Bucky leans his forehead down against yours and closes his eyes.

Oh, this, this felt like a thousand burning suns.

You find your hands on either side of his neck as his nose hits yours. You both smell like a fresh thunderstorm.

With a sigh he opens his eyes. His left thumb runs over the tops of your cheeks and your eyes meet again.

You feel like you're going to implode when he starts to slowly move in. You find yourself meeting him halfway.

Both of your eyes are halfway closed as his lips finally run over yours in a soft but languid peck.

You're both still when he pulls back just enough to meet your eyes again.

In total sync, you both move in at the same time, smashing your lips together in a passionate and dirty kiss.

You find your hand going to the back of his head, near the nape of his neck, and you deepen the kiss even further.

The sound Bucky makes as he tilts his head for better access, letting his tongue run over yours, makes your core tingle and your insides burn.

His right hand is on your waist traveling upwards to your neck. His left hand is cupping your face. The sighs of contentment that you leave on each other is magical and a language of its own.

He slows down his kisses and then fully stops. You're going to ask him what's wrong when he grabs your hand and starts to walk up the stairs.

You've never felt like this before.

This was a first for you.

Your heart skips a beat as you watch him find the spare room that was being unoccupied.

His fingers run over yours as he opens the door and pulls you inside. He locks the door with an audible click and neither of you waste an extra second.

Your kisses are hot and frantic. He's pushing you to walk back towards the bed and you sit on it on your knees. You grab his shirt in a fist and pull him to follow you.

Once he's also on his knees in front of you, he grabs your wrists and leans back to look down at you. Both of your lips are swollen and both of your eyes are dark.

He runs his hand once more over your chin and to the back of your head where your hair runs between his fingers. He leans his forehead down against yours.

Suddenly, you're both nervous.

You've never done this before. You wonder if he has.

You're so shy right now but also so scared; in the best way possible.

"You want this?" His question is hoarse and three octaves lower than it normally is.

You nod.

He kisses you one more time and then his fingers go to the hem of your soaking wet sweatshirt.

Once he pulls it off you, your skin feels much colder and crave his touch. You've got a black tank top on and you help him remove that, too.

You were beautiful. Your perky breasts are the sweetest things he's ever seen and your nipples are hard against the cold air. Left hand to your neck, he kisses you again, letting your tongues dance together.

This time, you help him pull off his own black sweatshirt. He has nothing underneath and your hands immodestly goes to his pecks and down his torso. He shivers underneath your touch.

You're not sure what to do. Since you've never done this, you don't know how much is too much yet. You've only read about scenes like this in books and fanfiction but doing it in real life felt so much scarier.

You knew it was because it was your first time, it would get easier, but you wished it wasn't this scary. Every move you make is determined but hesitant. You're afraid of disappointing him. You wanted this to be perfect.

But you knew that if this was his first time too, it wouldn't be romance book perfect.

But as he removed your shoes and pants, and when you were both just in your underwear, you realized it didn't have to be perfect and that's what made it perfect.

It wasn't about who did what but about what you were trying to express to each other. You hoped deeply that he was feeling the same thing you were.

He's hovering over you. The pillow is behind your head and he's got his left forearm over it. His right hand is on your waist where he rubs soft circles just over your underwear.

You both kiss again, this time his lips catching your bottom one beautifully.

"Bucky." You whisper, hating to break the silence but knowing that communicating is going to be important right now.

"Yeah?" He asks just as quietly, his thumb running over the top of your head.

You maintain eye contact as you shimmy your underwear off and down your legs. Bucky gulps, his eyes darting down as he watches you.

He doesn't miss the way you close your legs involuntarily to shy away from his eyes.

No one has even seen that part of your body before.

"Please be gentle with me." You say.

He whimpers at your words. Not because he doesn't like it but because you sound so sweet.

"Of course," he says, his right hand going to the outside of your thigh. He kisses you again and you moan against his mouth, "I'm scared." He freezes up at your words. Did he do something you didn't consent to? Did he scare you? Shit. He starts to pull away from you but you grab onto his neck again, "I know it's going to hurt, that's why I'm scared. It's not you. It's that part of me, I never...and I've always heard..." your voice starts to fade away as small tears fill your eyes and he starts to realize what you were saying.

Bucky doesn't know why he'd always assumed you and Steve had slept together before. Maybe it just seemed to him like it made sense. You and Steve were together for so long and were eighteen already. Bucky wonders why it never happened.

But he's also feeling something else. He's feeling special and prideful. Because you, god how he treasures and admires you. He would never do anything to hurt you ever again and the fact that you will be each others first, it sends a fire through his heart.

He's so happy it's you and he hopes you feel the same way about it.

"I will never hurt you," you trust him immensely even though you know that what he's about to do to your body he has no control over how it will feel. At least not much control, "I've never done this either." You kiss him when he says that, "it won't be perfect, but that's okay." You whimper, "we'll have other times after this one." He says against your lips. You chuckle at his words, finally feeling more at ease. His words lighten everything for just a moment, but that's it.

"Can I touch you?" He asks against your lips.

You nod.

His lips leave yours and they move to your collarbone. He leaves you three pecks there, then he moves his face back to hover over yours again. It's then that you watch as he dips two fingers into his mouth and then down to your core.

You moan quietly as he rubs your clit in small circles. He responds to your moans with his own and he watches your face. Your eyes are closed and the smallest of pants and gasps leave the break of your lips.

"So beautiful." He whispers.

He gains more confidence when he watches you lick your own fingers. You meet his hand.

"Put them inside me." You tell him desperately.

Buck gulps and nods his head. He's never done this. He's watched porn before but actually doing it was different. He doesn't want to disappoint you.

He slides his fingers further down your folds, he gathers something of what's leaking out of you on to his fingers and then slides into you bit by bit with his pointer finger. Then he adds his middle finger.

He stretches his left arm above your head as he looks down at what he's doing to you. He gains confidence and his fingers gain speed and technique, making a come-here motion as he watches you unravel underneath him.

Your hand leaves your clit as his own palm starts to do the work for you.

"Oh, fuck." You groan. It sounds so filthy along with the squelching noises around you and Bucky knows he won't last long the second he's inside of you. He's taking pride in when he sees how he's giving you so much pleasure right now.

He quickens his movements, and you lean up on your arms, looking down at him work you. Your left leg widens a bit and you start to meet his hand with your hips as you feel your end approaching.

You don't care how loud you might be panting and the noise the mattress might be making over the bed. This felt unworldly.

You feel so close that you start overthinking it. What if you became too sensitive and it made the pain worst?

In a matter of seconds you have your hand on Bucky's wrist, stopping him.

You're still panting as he looks at you confused. You don't pull out his fingers, you just hold onto him. You both share a sloppy kiss.

"I want you inside me." You say against his lips.

Bucky keeps eye contact with you as he nods.

He pulls his fingers out of you and your hands go to his boxers.

Bucky hisses when his dick is free. He's already leaking precum and is as hard as a rock. This might be your first time but you know he might not last very long.

That's okay.

Bucky gasps as he feels your small hand wrap around him. It feels softer than you thought it would and heavier. His legs tremble over you as you stroke him once and then twice.

"Fuck,—" he grunts. You look up at him and god if he doesn't look absolutely gorgeous and perfect. He had his own hand on his abdomen as he looked down at you work him just right, "stop, stop." He whines, pulling you off of him.

He grabs your hand and folds your fingers with his. He holds it on the pillow next to your heard. Then he's over you again, and he looks completely enthralled by you.

Your right hand goes to his cheek as you lean up and kiss him softly.

Bucky's thumb from his other hand drags over your top lip.

This was it.

You feel him maneuver and then you feel it. His tip runs from your clit all the way down to your entrance and back again.

You can tell he's already so close and you're so apprehensive.

"I'll go so slow for you, okay? Okay? You don't have to worry with me. I gotcha." He reassures you.

You can only nod as you feel him prepare.

The first inch push isn't so bad. The second still isn't terrible but he can tell you're starting to tense up. You're gnawing at your bottom lip as you stare down. He stops.

"Hey, hey," he says gently, cupping your face, "your tense. Shhh." He wipes the tear that runs down your cheek.

"I'm sorry." You say.

"Don't be sorry. I just need you to keep remembering what I promised you." You nod again.

He waits a few more seconds and then continues. It's the fourth inch that does it for you and you find a shout getting stuck in your throat. It doesn't come out because you're biting so hard on your bottom lip.

"Shh, shh," he says softly, "I got you. I got you."

He keeps going further in and the sting you feel hurts bad, making you almost move up the bed. You gasp, your hand going to his toned abs.

"God." You groan.

"Almost there." Another and another and another.

You shake your head back and forth.

"Just do it fast, Bucky. It's okay." You tell him.

Bucky leans his forehead down on yours and nods.

You close your eyes tightly together until you feel him flush up against you. He starts with soft thrusts that make you cry softly, but after a few seconds, it starts to go away and you find yourself trying to find his lips.

He moans as you both share a deep kiss and as his hips pick up in speed.

He pulls away from your lips and he moans. It's so hard to keep it quiet when you know everyone outside could hear you. But the sound of skin slapping on skin and your little breaths are too noticeable.

He feels so good inside you, and the way he rubs your clit perfectly in sync with his movements has you feeling amazing.

His thrust get faster and harder and you can see the sweat on his chest.

"I'm sorry, fuck, I can't—" he whimpers, his eyes closing tight. His mouth opens in a gasp as he rams hard into you just once and he's grunting out loud.

You knew this would happen and it doesn't surprise you. It also doesn't disappoint you. You gave him pleasure and you were his first as he was yours. This was everything you wanted.

You let him spill into you and you run your fingers through his hair, pulling his face closer into the crook of your neck where he places little kisses.

He does something you don't expect.

He doesn't stop moving. You know he must be in pain from being over sensitive but he's on a mission for you.

He wasn't going to be a cliche first time where his girl doesn't cum.

"Come on, baby," he mumbles into your neck, his tongue dancing over your hot skin. You feel his fingers on your clit and he starts flicking you fast and hard, "come on." He repeats.

He's practically sobbing at this point as he works overtime to try and get you to cum and fuck, you do.

You cum hard.

You're groaning and moaning and gasping as you grab onto his head and back, eventually your left hand going to the pillow behind your head. You move your hips faster against his rod until you know you've coated him entirely in your cum. Your movements slow down as does his and all you can hear is your heavy panting.

"Oh my god." Almost inaudibly and more to yourself than anything.

He kisses your neck again. He lifts himself just slightly to pull out of you.

He lays down next to you, facing you, and pulls the covers over the both of you.

You're staring at each other, completely lost in the other.

He's trailing your features with his fingers and you're kissing his fingers as they occasionally pass your lips.

He leans forward and kisses your lips once more.

Then, sleep overcomes the both of you.

N E X T C H A P T E R

#Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #Bucky Barnes smut #Bucky Barnes fanfic #mcu fanfic #marvel fanfiction #winter soldier fanfic #modern au

93 notes · View notes

avocado-writing · 2 years

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Rated E, NSFT, MINORS DNI

Tagging: @white-wolf-buckaroo @felhomaly @sinfulrefugy @venusthepirate @lunarpansexual @wanderedaway @georgiee-riviere @mushywutty

Reblogs appreciated, Requests Closed while I catch up - let me know if you want to be tagged for future works! (thank you konront for the gif!)

The businessman smiles and shakes his guest firmly by the hand. Through the scope of the rifle you can just about read his lips. Something about it being a pleasure as always.

You lick your lips, feel the trigger under your finger. It will be the last time it will be a pleasure if you’ve got anything to say about it.

God you fucking hate being on the top of a building. You have to lay down in order to line up the best shot and weather-beaten concrete is uncomfortable. It’s October, too; that means in the exposed air you’re freezing your tits off.

Could be worse, though. Tangerine is laid out next to you, binoculars up to his eyes, surveying the scene as well. Heat radiates off him like a bloody furnace. Arseache in the summer, godsend in the winter.

“You see him?” he asks, his breath causing a little puff of mist in the cold air.

You don’t nod, not wanting to risk ruining your line of sight. In fact you barely move your mouth to answer.

“Yeah, I see him.”

You’ve got the best shot in the company. That’s why you were sent on this mission. And with his brother sick, they got Tangerine to tag along as backup. You’ve been paired up on the odd job in the past, and you’re not sure if he’s more of a help or a hindrance.

You let out a long sigh between your teeth as a woman steps in front of the target, clutching his hands and speaking animatedly. You wish you could have done this on any other night. But no, had to be when there was a party on, when there were people to witness it.

“The client wants to make sure a message is sent to everyone there,” your handler had said. What’s a better message than brains all over your fancy cocktail outfit, eh?

Now he’s been blocked, you have time to shift uncomfortably.

“Fucking hate laying on my front,” you mutter. Does your back in for long periods of time, and that’s usually what these sorts of jobs require.

There’s a little pause. A beat. You can almost hear Tangerine weighing his options before he replies.

“That’s not what you thought last night.”

Your heart skips a beat, jaw clenches. You can hear the grin on his face.

Oh the bastard. The bastard.

“Tangerine…” you warn.

“What? I’m just saying. And you look lovely from any angle, darling.”

“Tangerine.”

“Ah, come on. Everyone knows you’re legendary at shots like this. Don’t you want to make it a bit more… interesting, for once?”

God you wish his voice had less of an effect on you. Your body has an almost instant response to it, and you find yourself lightly squeezing your thighs together.

So what? What if you’d indulged in his request last night to lay down front-first on the hotel bed? He’d offered you a massage, after all, and knowing what today would bring you didn’t want to pass it up.

You shiver, and it’s not from the cold. It’s from the memory of his warm, calloused hands on the skin of your back, kneading all the tension out of you.

Fuck.

“Stop it,” you manage. When he speaks his voice is a lot closer, now. His mouth is right next to your ear and his breath is hot on your skin. He smells of tobacco and woodsmoke and you love it.

“Stop what?”

Shit, the target is moving across the room. You carefully aim the gun along with him.

“Stop winding me up.”

“Oh, that’s the last thing I want to do. In fact I far prefer helping you unwind.”

His moustache brushes the shell of your ear, and it reminds you of the way he dropped kisses down your spine last night. The noises you made when he did, the coarseness of his facial hair setting you on fucking fire.

Ever so lightly Tangerine traces his fingertips down your back, the same route he took with his mouth. You’re fucking pathetically turned on by it. Swallowing down the little moan you desperately want to let escape and try to stay focussed on aiming.

Try.

“‘Course,” Tangerine says, his voice dangerously low and gravelly, “I could just fuck you right here. Pull up that pretty little skirt, push your panties to the side. Warm you up with my fingers before moving onto my cock.”

You swallow dryly. There’s a throbbing you can’t ignore between your legs now. Yeah. You’d love that, actually. For him to fuck you like you did last night, using his whole weight to press you down and leave bitten bruises on your neck. Snap his hips so hard into you that the slap of flesh on flesh is like thunder, making you come when he reaches under you to play with your clit.

“Would you like that?” his teeth skim your earlobe, sending a jolt down your spine. “Just say it.”

He almost yelps when you pull the trigger. The bullet flies through the expansive glass windows and through the target’s skull, littering the opposite wall with the contents of his head.

Even from up here you can hear the screaming. You begin to pack up your gun, quickly and efficiently.

Tangerine just stares, agog.

“Fuck me,” he mutters in amazement. You grab him by the tie, and kiss him so hard you feel the breath being slammed from his lungs.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m planning on.”

#tangerine x reader #tangerine x you #tangerine x y/n #tangerine bullet train #bullet train fanfic #request #lemon and tangerine #lemon and tangerine…#bullet train #aaron taylor johnson

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justmochi · 1 year

Text

Away

pairing :: eden x seokmin

word count :: 1.3k

synopsis :: eden and seokmin facetime while on tour.

time :: november, 2022

warnings :: fluff, angst. they have a tiny argument but it gets resolved

taglist :: @cafemilk-tea @cixrosie @moonlight-additions @cosmicwintr @astraw-astro @ateezjuliet @succulentmom

The hotel room was quiet and cool, Eden groaning to herself when seeing the digital clock reading 4AM. It was a vicious cycle of her laying in bed for 30 minutes before getting up to go to the bathroom and splashing her face with cold water. She even considered getting in the warm bath in hopes of falling asleep in the tub. She hadn’t had this much trouble sleeping in months. It was probably the homesickness getting to her. She had been in Korea for the past two years but never left for this long of a stretch. Getting only an hour of sleep was starting to wear her down during their tour.

After washing her face once more, she paced her room a few times before picking up her phone. She was surprised to see a notification from her boyfriend, quickly opening it and seeing a picture he sent of his dinner. They were in two completely different timezones now. When his schedule was packed with activities and promotions, she was either rehearsing, performing, or supposed to be sleeping. The only time they could really talk was during the late hours like right now.

She watched him send another text, apologizing for texting her so late and forgetting about the timezones. She giggled, another text coming through of him cursing realizing the more texts he sent that she was bound to wake up.

‘Damn, I’ll stop now. I’m sorry I hope I don’t wake you up.”

She sat on her bed before pressing the video call button, hoping he would answer. She was relieved to see his worried face looking at her through the screen. “Baby, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

Eden smiled, shaking her head before throwing her legs up on the bed and laying down. “No, it’s okay. I’ve been awake.”

“Why are you awake?”

“Can’t sleep. I think I’m getting homesick.” She pulled the thin sheet over her shoulders, getting her head comfortable against the pillow.

“I’m sorry.” Seokmin frowned, his lips pouting as he broke his chopsticks into two.

“Your dinner looks good. Is that what you sent me pictures of?”

“Yeah. It looks like I’m eating by myself tonight.”

“Eat your dinner with me. I’m right here.” She smiled, watching him look up with a blush on his cheeks.

“Are you sure? You need to rest.”

“I know I know, I wouldn’t be able to sleep either way.” She motioned him to eat his food with her hand.

The two talked while Seokmin ate his dinner over the phone. It had been ages since they had dinner over a video call. It was usually just the two going out together.

There was a moment when she tried to hide her giggles, a piece of food stuck at the corner of his mouth.

“What’s funny?” He asked innocently. Eden pointed to her own lip.

“You’ve got something there.” If she was there in person, she would’ve grabbed a napkin and gotten it herself.

He snorted, hiding his face from the camera and wiping his lips. “Thank you.”

“If only I was there to take care of you.” She chuckled, grabbing her phone and turning on her other side.

Seokmin set his phone up, asking her about all her tour stops so far and hearing her ramble about all the interesting things that have happened. They shared a couple laughs before Eden grew quiet, the long stretch of silence enough to worry him that something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” He laid his head in his arms, looking up at the phone with puppy eyes. She had a faint smile before sighing.

“I just know my body is going to give out on me by the end of the year. I can already feel myself shutting down.”

“E, you just have to remember to take care of yourself.”

“I know and I do.” She pursed her lips.

“I know touring is exhausting. That’s why sleep is the most important thing you need right now. It’s not healthy going this many days without sleep.”

Eden was at the point where she got irritated when someone just told her to sleep, as if it was that easy. For a while, he was the perfect remedy for her insomnia.

“Can no one grasp the concept of insomnia?” She got defensive, running her hand through her hair. “I’m tired of everyone telling me I need to sleep as if it’s so easy and effortless.”

“I understand-“

“Do you? You of all people would know it’s just not that easy for me.”

The man was silent, unsure of what to say next. Eden hadn’t ever expressed herself in this way to him so it was new territory. Now he wondered if she was mad at him and immediately felt guilty.

It was way too quiet for the both of them. Now their comfortable silence that was always normal to them felt so antagonizing.

“I’m sorry, Seok.” She covered her face with her hands, sighing. “I don’t mean to be a bitch. I’m just so tired.”

“It’s okay, baby. I’m sorry too.” He pouted, looking down at his hands and messing with the ring on his pinky finger.

“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m being a bitch when you’re just trying to help.” Tears pooled in her eyes because of the possibility of hurting his feelings.

“You’re sleep deprived, of course you’re gonna be a bit more sensitive.”

She nodded knowing he was right, wiping her eyes and looking back at the phone as she slipped her hand underneath her cheek to rest on the pillow.

“I love you and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. So please just look out for yourself whenever you can and I will work on being more understanding.”

The couple agreed, hearing each other out after getting over the gloomy atmosphere.

“Seungkwan’s even got me drinking those americanos.” She sighed heavily, watching him laugh at her comment.

“How do you like them?”

“I don’t like it but I need the energy. I’ll take whatever I can get.” They stared at each other through their phones as it grew quiet again.

“I miss you. Like a lot.” Eden whispered, pulling her blanket closer to her chest and feeling her heart swell by how domestic he looked. His hair covered his forehead and he was wearing a hoodie.

“I miss you too.” He held his arms out like he was asking for a hug, except she couldn’t give one to him.

She reached for the lamp on the nightstand, turning it off and laying back down. She took one of the extra pillows she had and propped the phone against it. She yawned, covering her mouth as he smiled at her.

She couldn’t help but smile back. His grins were contagious.

“Are you gonna try to sleep?” He asked her, speaking softly.

“I want to. I have to be up in three hours.”

He started humming, watching the corners of her lips curl into a smile. “Should I sing?”

“If that’s okay.” He knew she liked it when he sang to her. She also loved hearing him talk and falling asleep mid conversation. It was different not having him in person.

Seokmin started singing, making sure not to be too loud. When she would peek one of her eyes open, he caught her and kissed the camera for her. He tried to sing with a smile on his face, but watching her toss and turn and shifting her head just to get comfortable against the pillow made him sympathize with her.

He brought his phone with him everytime he moved. He sang when cleaning up his food and doing his skincare. When he got comfortable in his own bed and plugged his phone in, he saw how her facial expressions loosened. Eden had finally drifted off to sleep.

He wanted to be sure she was really asleep, so he hummed for a while more, even singing some of his songs to her. He was getting tired too, mouthing an ‘I love you’ to not disturb her slumber. He pressed the mute button, dozing off shortly after.

#justmochi: eden #eden.writings #eunmin #eden.love #blackpink 5th member #5th member of blackpink #blackpink oc #fake blackpink member #fake blackpink oc #fake kpop addition #fake kpop idol #fake kpop soloist #kpop addition #addition to kpop #dokyeom x oc

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clericofshadows · 6 months

Text

trust doesn't come cheap

Description: Regis learns who brought his body to Cerberus, has a productive conversation with Miranda, and finds comfort with Zaeed and their budding relationship post-meeting with Kaidan and rekindling their triad.

Pairing: Regis Shepard/Kaidan Alenko/Zaeed Massani, primarily Regis Shepard/Zaeed Massani

Rating: E

Note: Sequel to feeling numb, lost in time. Title is from Take a Bullet - Nothing More.

Regis ran his hand down his coat, feeling for the hidden pocket where his N7 Eagle laid inside. “Ready to get some answers?” He said, shouldering his bag.

Zaeed nodded, pulling out his Talon from his bag, connecting it to an empty holster on his belt. “Sure, but are you ready for whatever you’re going to hear?”

Regis pulled a face. “I have to be. I need to be.”

“You know this already, but don’t let it show.”

He appreciated the concern, despite already knowing how to handle Aria. Regis wasn’t sure what he thought about her. Did he like her? No. He nearly blasted her head off when she suggested that she could find him a nice man to help him loosen up.

Chances are she feels the same way about him. He’s perfectly okay with that.

She’s a valuable resource and nothing more to him. He wouldn’t shed any tears if something happened to her, but better the enemy you know than the one you don’t.

With one last look at the apartment, they left and locked the door, ready for when whoever else in their family needs a safe and accessible place to recharge and regroup.

“I do, but thanks.” Regis nodded, throwing his sling bag over his body.

Afterlife wasn’t far from the apartment, and soon they both walked past the growing line, heading inside without a second glance at the bouncer. The pounding music filled the air, normally a backdrop Regis loved.

Now it’s merely the soundtrack to a conversation that could easily go south.

They approached her couch, the guards parting at the sight of Regis and Zaeed.

She crossed her legs, leaning into the couch with barely a glance. “Meeting up with an Alliance soldier. You’ve been productive.”

“Nothing misses your gaze?” Regis asked, staying standing.

“You didn’t deny it.”

“Why would we?” Zaeed interjected. “You know what happened. No need to challenge it.”

“Which means I might have an idea why you are here.” She dismissed the guards around her with a wave. “Ask.”

“Liara T’Soni met up with you regarding my body, correct?” Regis asked point blank, keeping his tone neutral.

Aria’s face slowly broke out into a smirk. “She did. Did Vik tell you about what little they knew? Shame they didn’t take up my offer. Omega misses them.”

If they weren’t surrounded by guards and loyalists, Regis would take her head off for the comment about Vik alone.

But to have that direct confirmation that T’Soni was the one who brought him back, who had the means to let him rest and give his family closure, to possibly get his goddamn ring back…

Regis found himself nearly consumed with anger.

“They don’t miss you,” Regis said, not missing a beat. She didn’t react. “So, it’s true then that she was working with Cerberus in order to get my body? Why was it even on Omega in the first place?”

Her expression darkened. “Blue Suns were going to exchange it with the Shadow Broker to give it to the Collectors.”

The Collectors wanted his body? Why? Nothing about this made any sense. Were they interested in his visions? So much about the Collectors were unknowns, and yet here they were kidnapping human colonies for some purpose.

“It sounds like you weren’t too happy about that,” Regis observed. “Not too happy about Collectors involved on your station?”

“No one’s happy about Collectors,” she replied. “But yes, you could say that. Did a major favor for me clearing out most of the trash when dealing with Archangel.”

“In other words, the idiots dumb enough to sign up for that mess of an operation,” Zaeed said. “Wasn’t sad to see it happen. Org has gone to shit since I left.”

“Vido is still at large,” she commented, turning to face Zaeed, who looked none too pleased at the mention of his name. “Perhaps one day I’ll see new leadership. Anything else? I think you’ve learned everything you wanted to know.”

He did, not that he was particularly happy about any of it, knowing how he has all the cards to approach Lawson with what he knows.

An unpleasant conversation was waiting for both of them.

“I think we’ve covered everything,” Regis said, turning to leave.

“Wait,” she said, stopping both of them in their tracks. “I’m going to ask you something in return: What was your relationship with T’Soni?”

Despite his growing anger, Regis had to hold back a snort. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t, but I am curious as to why she went to all these lengths to bring you back when you obviously find it offensive that she did it.”

“I rescued her last, refused any sort of meld to gain information, and tried to get her off my ship as I saw her as a liability. I believe she took what was mine, and I’m going to get it back,” Regis replied, staring her down with his glowing eyes.

“She’s in Illium,” she offered. “If you’re so hell-bent on confronting her.”

Regis nodded, already aware of her location but thankful she told him. “Are we done here?”

“We are,” she replied, sitting back down. “Get rid of the Collectors. They are a stain on this galaxy.” The guards returned. She made herself comfortable back on the couch, her stance loose and relaxed even under Regis’s scrutiny. “I’ll be happy when we stop crossing paths, Shepard.”

“I share the same sentiment,” he replied, turning his back on her. Zaeed followed a step behind him. “You likely won’t see me again once I’m back with the Alliance.”

“And I look forward to it.”

Regis walked down the stairs and quickly made his way out of the bar, the tails of his trenchcoat flowing behind him. He stopped once they were at the entrance to their dock, leaning against the wall by the doorway.

“What now?” Zaeed asked, giving him a concerned look.

“Going to confront Lawson because I want more answers from her. She lied to me about not knowing who had my body, who probably has my fucking dogtags,” Regis muttered, shaking his head and taking a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. “I’m not sure who I hate more. “

“What are you more angry about? Being brought to Cerberus by her or being revived by them?” Zaeed asked, his voice soft despite his usual gravel.

Regis frowned, his thoughts swirling with anger, betrayal, and a sense of loss. “She had the means to inform the most important people in my life that my body was found at the bare fucking minimum. If I didn’t have you, I may not have ever answered any call or reached out to anyone I cared about. And who knows what would’ve happened between Kaidan and I, or the Alliance and I…”

He wasn’t sure if Kaidan would have forgiven him for working with Cerberus, if he found out in the midst of his posting…

“But you do have me, and I’m here however you need me,” Zaeed replied, leaning in close. Regis closed the distance between them, more free and open with his affection now that he met up with Kaidan, that they were able to clear the air and open the possibility for more. That their triad can and will continue one day.

Zaeed pushed him up against the wall, the same spot where Regis first saw him on Omega, threatening a target. The feeling of the cold, hard panel sent a shiver down Regis's spine, heightening the intensity of the moment. Regis let out a pleased sound, letting Zaeed take over despite where they were, submitting to his advances.

Someone cleared their throat a short distance from them. “I wouldn’t say this is the best time and place, Commander.”

“And why is it that you care, Lawson?” Regis asked with a hard glare, his earlier desire replaced by irritation at the intrusion. She stood with an arched eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her expression. She folded her arms across her chest, seemingly unfazed by the situation, her confidence unshaken.

Changed out of her normal Cerberus dress “whites,” she wore a long coat belted around her body with a pair of black pants and boots, a clean and pristine look that suited her well.

Out of all the fucking people to interrupt… but perhaps this was a good opportunity to go ahead and get that damn conversation out of the way.

Zaeed slowly pulled away, tilting his head to the side as if to ask if Regis was going to go ahead and deal with what he learned from Aria. Regis nodded, answering the silent question.

“I assumed you wouldn’t want the crew to gossip about your love life,” she replied, keeping her expression neutral. “Or perhaps even beyond that. Word travels fast about you.”

Regis wouldn’t have called it concern, the barb at the end seeming to signify she was talking about the Alliance being aware of him… and all his connections there. As if she was baiting him, dangling the knowledge that she knew about his relationship with Kaidan. And what that could mean if he were to learn of this "affair."

“You’re right. Word does travel fast about me. Shame that it took me a while to learn who exactly handled my body here on this fucking station,” Regis said, watching her eyes widen in recognition. The truth hung in the air between them.

She stepped back. The gravity well stirred.

“I knew your word was full of shit, but I never expected this,” he continued, staying against the wall. “We are going to have a long talk.”

She almost seemed like she wanted to run, remembering his clear threat from their last conversation about his resurrection. Her expression was tight, hands poised in such a way to cast a mnemonic at any moment.

Zaeed took pity on her. “All he wants is the goddamn truth.”

She took a deep breath. “And where are we going to have this talk?”

“My family has an apartment. Small, quiet, out of the way,” Regis offered, kicking off from the wall. “Zaeed’s right. At this point, I’m so fucking tired of being misled, lied to, and used. I want the full story.”

“And after?”

“We’ll see where it goes.”

Lawson nodded, and Regis led the way. Zaeed followed them a step behind. Regis didn't really want to use the apartment for their conversation, but it was neutral enough and safe from wandering ears.

Once back inside, Regis motioned for her to take a seat. She declined the offer, staying standing. Any easy escape, perhaps, but Regis didn't want to make good on his threat, not really.

Not when there was more to gain from Lawson.

"How the hell did T'Soni even get involved in this? Did you get a motivation out of her? Was she paid off?" Regis started, firing off questions.

"Somehow, she got word your body was on Omega, and we got word that the Shadow Broker wanted it. She was… rescuing it, you could say, and we gained a partnership. You had quite the impact on her if she wanted to risk everything to save a corpse," Lawson explained, answering his rapid fire questions without a blink of an eye, wanting to please him, perhaps, or get him to stand down.

Regis continued with barely an acknowledgement, "And that's the problem! She had the means to inform the Alliance, to give my mother and my family some peace about my body, but instead she sold it to you and conveniently left that juicy little tidbit to herself."

"It seems like you are more angry about her involvement versus us bringing you back," she observed. "Am I wrong?"

The same damn dilemma Zaeed presented to him. Regis figured at this point, she knew too much about him, what was one more fucking secret. “No, not really,” he sighed, sitting down on the couch, letting his guard down. He was tired, no longer caring about putting up a front. “Sure, I’m still pissed at the lack of autonomy I’ve had here. Your organization could’ve spinned something more interesting than just keeping me hostage. But you didn’t and I’m still here, so what does that say about me?”

Zaeed kept a concerned eye on them from the kitchen. Regis didn’t meet his gaze. “Ever since Torfan, the one thing I’ve fought for is my autonomy. I’m not some fucking dog for the Alliance who isn’t afraid to rip a target to shreds. You’ve seen my service record. You know what I’m capable of.”

“You fought back and made your own path,” she said, sitting down on the far end of the couch. “Noble.”

He scoffed. “Hardly. I didn’t want to be used. Still don’t. Didn’t. Whatever.” He turned to face her. “All this to say, why did you lie? You knew I wanted answers, you knew I would cooperate better knowing the truth. So why hide it?”

She almost seemed to be fighting with herself, her expression twisting until falling flat. “I was wrong about a lot of things concerning you, Shepard. I started to realize that during our first conversation that I was misled by T’Soni. I could tell that you were ready to strike back, and I didn’t want to lose you to that. All I cared about then was the mission. And you were an obstacle to that. But now? I was wrong.”

“And it pains you to admit it?” Regis asked, keeping his voice neutral. “I don’t necessarily blame you for wanting to protect your mission, even if you’ve put your lot in with the wrong group. But you saw how important my own body and personal effects were to me. And you brushed it off like it was nothing.”

“I’ve never been able to feel truly at home in my own body,” She admitted, turning away from him and staring down at her folded hands in her lap. “I joined Cerberus to get away from my father who created me as a genetic dynasty based on his template. I never had a life, a personhood away from him. Everything he did was calculated to make a perfect individual. I’m sure you’ve read my file.”

Regis nodded. “I did. You were quite thorough on your abilities. Clearly full of talent, not much field experience but that could’ve been improved on. But why tell me this?”

A sign of surrender, perhaps. Maybe the beginning of a truce. Both of them were tired of holding up the standards they had set for themselves at the beginning of the mission, a Cerberus loyalist and a trapped Alliance soldier.

Lawson sighed, a deep, almost reluctant exhalation. She finally met Regis's gaze, her normally confident demeanor faltering. "I tell you this because I want you to understand, Shepard. I may have been wrong, but I also know I can't change the past. What I can do is acknowledge my mistakes and try to make amends. I was built for perfection, and you… you challenged that.”

“By being an imperfect resurrection?” He challenged.

“I consider you some of my best work,” she said with a sense of pride. “Even if you did wake up early. You were a marvel.”

“I hope that you at least plan to use what you learned for the greater good. Hell, I might even be inclined to help if you decide to abandon Cerberus. The interfacing changes you made to my amp port are exactly the kind of advancements we need for all our biotics,” Regis said, praise evident in his tone. “Look, I’m still angry at you, don’t get me wrong. But I can admit you are competent at what you do.”

“And you are right to feel that way. I shouldn’t have hid that from you.” A calculated risk she made that backfired on her. He knew he was an important asset, and he can begrudgingly admit that he would have immediately gone after T’Soni the moment he learned the truth. Now that he only just found out, he’s going to bide his time some more. Maybe try to get some more information out of Kaidan about Wren’s surveillance.

“No, but at this point, it’s in the past.” He ran his hand down his face, rubbing at his beard. “Let’s start over. We may never fully agree on anything, but this mission needs as many hands as I can get, and I’m losing out by not at least giving you a chance.”

She nodded. “We definitely did not start on the best of terms. I’d like to get to know you beyond reports.”

He held out a hand, glancing at Zaeed out of the corner of his eye. His arms were folded against his chest, but he looked pleased, a small smile gracing his features. “Regis Lucian Shepard. N7 Sentinel, Human Spectre, and cybernetics specialist.”

She shook his hand, a subtle sense of relief in her touch. “Miranda Lawson. Cerberus officer and biotic and medical specialist. It’s good to finally meet you.”

He nodded in response, pulling away and leaning back against the couch. “For what it's worth, I hate that Cerberus was the only way you could get away from your father.” He met her gaze and gave her a slight smile. “I’ve made it clear what my stance on Cerberus is. When we get out of this shit alive, you know I’ll help get everyone out, not questions asked.”

“I’ll… consider it. At the very least, I’ll let the crew know in case they wish to go to the Alliance,” she said. “I haven’t told many about my past. We may be enemies, barely even acquaintances, but… you understand what it’s like to have a legacy.”

Legacy… Yeah, he understood. Having a feeling from the beginning that he and Lawson were cut from the same cloth, a part of him mourned the loss of an interesting friendship, marked by Cerberus associations.

“When I enlisted, they expected another Hannah Shepard, and they got something completely different. Her legacy followed me even after Torfan, and I almost imagine that if she didn’t have the history she had with the Alliance, I may have gotten a different reaction out of them publicly.” Regis closed his eyes. “But I embraced it anyway.”

They may not get there anytime soon, and he won’t deny the trauma that Ceberus has brought him… but one day, if they survive this, she could be more than just a useful pawn in the chase against the Collectors.

“That you have. It feels like I’m talking to another person now.”

“Figured someone like you would be familiar with that.”

“I am,” she admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear. “We all have many faces. Good to meet what I think is the real you?”

“Dare I say the same about you?” He challenged, and she laughed.

Regis made a motion with his head, and Zaeed rejoined them. He made some space for him, scooting over closer to Miranda. She raised an eyebrow. “I guess I should also apologize for my earlier comments, but I don’t think I was wrong to call you out.”

Zaeed chuckled, waving it off. “No hard feelings. It was his goddamn fault anyway.”

“You didn’t push me away. You were the one that pushed me against the wall. Hell, you knew what the spot was, didn’t you?” Regis accused, pointing a finger at his lover.

He shrugged. “Complain all you want about it. You wouldn’t change a goddamn thing.”

Regis hated that he was right. One thing they all shared was the thrill of being caught, playing around with the dynamics of being just in sight, waiting for someone’s wandering eyes to catch them in the act.

“There was history between you two, yes?” Miranda asked, watching the two with clear interest. “Didn’t come up at all. You both did well hiding that you knew each other.”

Regis nodded. “We met a few years ago. Lovers for a short time, then friends, and now back to lovers.”

She glanced away from them for a second before turning her gaze back to them. “Sorry for asking but… what about Alenko?”

Of course she would know about him. Not that they really hid their relationship, and with the photo in his cabin, anyone could see there was something between them. He had to appreciate her being concerned about something that in reality should never have bothered her.

“Let me rephrase. The three of us were lovers, then friends, and now back to a triad,” Regis amended. The change didn’t phase her, merely acknowledging him with a nod. Speaking of Kaidan. “Where did you get that photo of him if you didn’t retrieve my personal effects?”

She sighed. “As you could probably guess, T’Soni gave it to us along with a few others. I’m not sure why she did. Maybe to help by giving you a reminder of what you were fighting for? I almost deleted them.” Miranda admitted, folding her arms against her chest. “I thought it was a bit much. Why give us something so precious?”

Regis's expression darkened, and he clenched his jaw. “Either way, she had no fucking right. When I saw that photo… I saw it as a threat. I almost didn’t get in contact with him to clear the air.”

“That’s why you organized this leave,” she realized. “Smart.”

“Not going to chastise me for spilling all your dirty secrets?”

“Well, since you’re talking to me, it seemed like you didn’t have much time. Alenko’s moving up in the Alliance, and we couldn’t get much information about him. Still, we gave you free reign on the ship, and we knew the risks. I won’t stop you from getting closure or going out on requests that concern your skills and the ship. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

Regis inclined his head. “I appreciate that.”

"She’s right. If we had our way… this would not be how we would be spending our time in this apartment,” he purred, not at all caring that they weren’t alone. Damn him.

Regis sighed and shot Zaeed an exasperated look. "Zaeed..."

Miranda shook her head at them. "What have I signed up for… Well, if there's anything else you need from me, I can leave you to the rest of your leave, now that you’re behind closed doors.”

Regis felt his face turning red. "No, no. We're good, Miranda."

“Right, it’s not like we have that much time left,” she said, standing up from the couch. “I won’t push it, but the next mission that’s coming up… the convict recruitment–”

Regis saw where she was going and interrupted her. “I need to start evaluating you and Taylor, but this upcoming mission is meant to be a transfer.”

Zaeed shrugged. “Remember our record so far? Be prepared for the worst.”

Having to cure a plague, rescue a damn vigilante from three different gangs, and figure out what to do with a krogan in stasis was not in any of the dossiers. Regis was sure that the handoff wasn’t going to go well, but he wasn’t about to say it out loud.

“Fine, but I’m blaming you if it all goes to shit,” Regis muttered. “Sure, you can come. Might not be a bad idea to have two biotics evaluating them.”

“Thank you, Shepard,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything?”

“Same for you,” Regis said, standing up. “We’ll follow you out. Might as well get back on the ship.”

“I have to ask. What did you do to Moreau earlier? He seemed subdued…” Miranda trailed off as Regis moved to open the door for her.

“Zaeed and I both changed his worldview a bit,” Regis chuckled. “Gave him a little too much information about our past.”

“Shame you can’t always use that. I like him, but someone needs to put him in place on occasion.”

“Is that why you set up EDI next to him?” Zaeed asked, amused. Miranda didn’t say anything and only gave him a smile in response.

“She’s great, isn’t she?” Regis said with a smile, locking the door behind them. “I even looked into parts of her code. She’s quite special.”

“Not about to remove her locks, are you?” Miranda asked, though not accusatory.

“Not going to say I won’t ever do it,” Regis said. “If you know my cybernetics background, you know how interested I was in VI.”

“It came up, yes,” she said. “It’s why we leaned so hard into getting EDI for you.”

“Like I said, she’s great, and while at first I figured my background had to do with her involvement in our mission, I also knew she’s quite the important asset. Do you happen to know where she came from?”

She shook her head. “I was given access to a lot of things, but not her project and origins.” This time, Regis felt he could believe her.

He nodded. “Another mystery for me to solve.”

She merely smiled at him, and they continued their walk back to the Normandy in silence.

– –

Back on board the ship, Regis headed straight for his quarters, knowing nothing was on the agenda until the next day shift tomorrow, back to work after the short leave. Just a day’s leave, nothing much to it.

But the crew seemed to appreciate it enough. Despite his earlier hostility, at the bare minimum, he wants them all functioning. Important for the mission.

He’s still not happy with any of their career prospects, especially the yeoman who insists on keeping track of everyone’s daily on-goings next to him at the galaxy map.

Zaeed followed behind him as Miranda popped into the armory, likely to speak with Taylor. Regis needs to get to know him more and start evaluating him as well, knowing the man was former Alliance–Corsairs. He didn't know much about them, but was curious to find out why he left.

Zaeed pressed the console to summon the elevator. Thankfully, it was already on the second deck, and they quickly went inside and headed to his cabin.

Once back inside, Regis dropped his bag in his desk chair, removed his gun from his coat, set it on the desk, and sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. Zaeed put his Talon on the coffee table and sat down next to him. “Regis?” He asked, scooting over so that their thighs were touching.

Ever since he learned that T’Soni was the one who betrayed him, who thought she had the right to make that choice for him, a feeling of anger and disgust was growing inside him, waiting to be unleashed, waiting to get the revenge he craved so goddamn much.

Now he only felt tired, exhausted by what he learned. Unable to do a damn thing about it except wonder why? Why did she focus on me?

“I prioritized her mission last,” Regis let out a sigh, his voice heavy with resignation. “I didn’t think we could get much out of her. An estranged daughter forging her own path? I figured saving her would be more of a burden. The priority was getting Benezia and saving the colony, finding leads on Saren. Then Virmire happened, and I nearly lost everything."

Zaeed leaned against the couch, and Regis allowed himself to lie on his chest. “I almost had to make a choice between saving Kaidan or my best friend, I said no and saved them both anyway, nearly jeopardizing the mission. At that point, I had been yelled at, bossed by, and dismissed by the Council, and we still didn’t know where Saren was headed. We had one lead left, and it was her.”

Regis closed his eyes, recalling the mission. “We rescued her in the nick of time. She had trapped herself in some Prothean contraption, likely for days. We used a mining laser to get her out and it triggered a collapse of the ruins. We barely got us and her out. Once back on the ship, we gave her the medical attention she needed. But when I pushed for the Council to place her in protective custody, they shot me down.”

“And what happened next?” He asked.

Regis grimaced at the memory. “She suggested melding with me. With her prothean knowledge and the cipher and the beacon in my head, she could likely pinpoint where Saren wanted to go. I refused. I didn’t even want to meld with the asari that had the cypher, but there was no way around it. This… I fought back. She was young, naive… I didn’t trust her in my head. Instead, I gave her detailed accounts of my visions, and we managed to figure out where Ilos was with some cross-referencing of galaxy maps and her own knowledge. She stayed on board until after the battle, and left voluntarily.” Regis finished. “Sure, you could say I was too hard on her. But I was ready to end Saren and I considered her a liability.”

“And she had no goddamn reason to be so attached,” Zaeed murmured. “I’d almost understand if you did meld with her. I’ve done it before, and it’s intimate as hell. Even among friends, it feels like it leaves traces, changes you, changes them. I've never regretted it, but it definitely leaves its mark.”

Exactly what he was afraid of. “So, I wasn’t wrong to feel the way I do,” Regis said. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“We will get them back. I’m sure she’s waiting for you to come to her at some point. Illiuim’s not a long flight from here. Maybe after we get the goddamn convict?”

Regis rolled his eyes and continued to make himself comfortable in Zaeed’s arms, sighing. “All I want is to have my fucking dog tags back.”

Regis shrugged. “I’m almost waiting to get back in contact with Kaidan to get more information about her surveillance. She’s being watched by an old friend of mine, Wren. Don’t want to fuck up whatever they are doing.”

“And to tell him what you learned.” Zaeed shook his head. “She gave you a gift in the worst goddamn way. You said it yourself. Who knows what would’ve happened if you didn’t reach out? Kaidan’s seen the worst of Cerberus.” Did Zaeed know about his missions, about what the Alliance had him doing?

Regis sighed. “We both have blinders on when it comes to them. I can’t wait to tear this organization and The Illusive Man apart.” His biotics reacted to his anger, a thin corona of purple wisps surrounding him. “I wouldn’t have blamed him if he refused to even consider speaking to me.” And would it be mine or her fault?

“Don’t think it would’ve gotten that far, babe. He–we–still loved you. Would probably be scared for you–hell, I was when I saw you walking towards me back when you were recruiting me.” Zaeed’s voice softened. Regis raised up and leaned in for a kiss, soft, slow, and sweet.

They maneuvered themselves so that Regis was now on his lap. Regis started kissing down his neck, at the Blue Suns tattoo, mouthing against clean, vanilla scented skin. Zaeed tilted his head back for better access, tangling his fingers in his hair. “Dare I say you’ve gotten even goddamn better at that?”

Regis smirked against his skin, taking a moment to toss his own coat on the couch before working on Zaeed’s. He stilled him, taking it off himself and wrapping his arms underneath him. “Let’s move this to the goddamn bed.”

Zaeed picked up him effortlessly–fuck, he forgot how strong he was–and placed him on the bed, climbing on top of him. Zaeed pinned his arms above his head and he traded places, kissing down Regis’s neck and his tattoo. “You and your damn turtlenecks,” Zaeed said in a low, throaty growl.

“Gives you a challenge,” he teased, nearly gasping out the last word as Zaeed kissed that sensitive spot just underneath his ear.

“You know I like a goddamn challenge,” Zaeed purred, full of warm smoke. “Let me know what you want out of me?”

A question posed as a command. Needing to set boundaries, what they wanted out of this. Regis nodded. “Same as before, mostly. Just don’t put too much pressure on my neck. Not sure if… I ever want to do that again.”

He nodded. “Of course, love. Anything else? Stay with the traffic light system?”

“Yes, but if I want it all to stop and want you to be here with me, take care of me, I’ll say ‘oxygen.’”

Zaeed stayed stoic, but pain flashed behind his eyes. Regis furrowed his eyebrows. “Too much?”

“Don’t like thinking about how you died, but it makes for a good word because of that. Mine is still ‘Suns.’ Not much has changed for me either. Though, I found a new appreciation for being manhandled…” He trailed off with a knowing look in his eye.

“Kaidan’s so good at that, isn’t he?” Regis said with a smile. “Wonder if he’s already back on Horizon.”

“Might be. We can send him a picture or two later.”

“Maybe he can send some in return.”

“That would be so goddamn nice. So, Regis, what do you want out of me?” He asked again, leaning in, his lips brushing against his.

Regis chased after him. “Whatever you want to give.”

“I think I’m going to take care of you. Something nice and slow, soft. Take it easy. Been a while since I”ve been able to appreciate you,” Zaeed said, moving to toy with the hem of Regis’s turtleneck. “How does that sound?”

“I like the sound of that.”

“Good,” Zaeed said, and he surged forward, claiming his mouth once more and tugging off his turtleneck. They broke apart briefly to get rid of the offending garment. Regis reached to take off Zaeed’s shirt, pulling it over his head, taking in the expanse of rough, tattooed skin, his gaze falling back on the new flowers on his hip. Zaeed positioned himself so Regis could get a better look at the ink, tracing it lighty.

“A perfect recreation,” he murmured, looking at his own porcelain flower sleeve.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Zaeed turned to meet his gaze.

Regis responded by kissing down his chest, lightly teasing his nipples, tracing the lines of ink down his chest. Zaeed let out a pleased sigh, a hand tangling in his hair as Regis made his way down, tracing and kissing new scars, new lines of ink, relearning and reacquainting himself with the man in front of him. Before continuing, Regis deftly removed his pants and boxers, tossing them aside. He sat back down on Zaeed's clothed lap, gently grinding into his slowly hardening length.

Zaeed took in the sight with a seductive grin. "I have an idea," he purred. "Turn around for me, back against my chest. Grab the lube and condoms before you do.”

Regis immediately knew where he was going, quickly moving to do what he asked. He leaned over to grab the lube and condoms he stashed in the side table, glancing back to see Zaeed tugging off his boxers, revealing his leaking, hard cock. Regis’s mouth watered, wanting to worship all of Zaeed with everything he has.

He’ll have to promise to take care of him later, taking him apart with his mouth and biotics.

Regis grabbed what he requested and slowly turned around to face Zaeed, his heart pounding with anticipation. He placed the supplies within easy reach and settled himself back against Zaeed's chest.

Zaeed's hands roamed Regis's body, tracing lines of ink and contours of muscle. "You know, I've missed this," he rumbled. "Feeling your warmth against my skin, knowing you're mine."

“I’ve missed this, too,” Regis agreed, closing his eyes and losing himself in the feeling of Zaeed’s hands roaming down his body, his lips teasing his neck. “I’m yours. Both of yours.”

Zaeed's skilled fingers worked their magic, one hand lightly resting on Regis's neck, exerting just enough pressure to send shivers down his spine, mindful of his earlier warning. A soft touch was good. Regis nodded, whispering, “Green” when Zaeed’s hand stilled, waiting for confirmation.

The other hand moved lower, seeking the heat and need between Regis's legs. “Just enough for a tease,” Zaeed whispered into his ear.

With skilled precision, he took Regis's cock in his hand and began to slowly work it, his rough, scarred hands providing a perfect balance of pleasure and friction. Regis fought the urge to thrust into Zaeed's grasp, knowing that his impatience might lead to an early end. He moaned Zaeed's name, squeezing his eyes shut, surrendering to the sensations as Zaeed masterfully guided him closer and closer to the brink. He was leaking all over his hand, providing the perfect lubricant.

"Just a tease," Regis gasped, echoing Zaeed's words, even as his body ached for release. "The man says. Always such a bastard."

Zaeed's hand stilled, and he whispered a playful warning, "Careful, this bastard is your key to getting what you want."

He’s going to play that game, hm? Regis will gladly join in, remembering back during their days on Omega, cleaning up their messes and getting to know each other beyond the battlefield.

“And what is it I want, exactly?”

Zaeed leaned in, nipping at Regis's earlobe, his voice gravelly and full of desire. “You want me. All of me. And you’re not going to get it unless you play nice, baby.”

“I’ll be nice,” Regis gritted out. “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

"That's what I like to hear," he purred, his voice heavy with desire. “Let’s see if you’re good at listening. Get on your knees, resting on your thighs.” Regis moved into the position, feeling Zaeed settle back behind him. Zaeed's lips found his neck, placing soft kisses along the sensitive skin, removing his hand to grant better access to his tattoos. “Perfect,” he whispered, his approval evident.

With a soft click, Regis heard him open the bottle and coat his fingers with lube, teasing downward until reaching his waiting entrance, teasing his hole in soft, slow circles before pushing a finger in. Regis threw his head back and moaned out his name, hearing him chuckle as he slowly worked him open.

“You’re doing so good, babe,” Zaeed praised, slowly pushing another finger in. “Relax and let go.”

Regis let out a shaky breath, smiling as Zaeed rested his chin on his shoulder, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, distracting him with words as he pushed yet another finger in. “Think you’re ready for me? Tell me what you want.”

Regis wasn’t afraid to beg, to ask for what he wanted. “I want you to fuck me, Zaeed. Hard and fast, slow and soft, whatever you want. Please,” he begged, nearly sobbing when he slowly removed his fingers.

“Now I’m asking what you want. I got you right where I want you,” he said. Regis looked back and watched as Zaeed stroked his cock, keeping his composure steady as he rolled on the condom and slicked up his cock with expertise.

Regis knew exactly what he wanted.

“Fuck me, Zaeed,” Regis said again. “I want it hard.”

Zaeed leaned in for a kiss. “Gladly.” With a single, controlled thrust, he pushed inside, drawing out long moans from the both of them. He stilled once inside, letting Regis adjust to the feeling. So perfect and thick, Zaeed always made him feel so full.

Regis was almost tempted enough to do it, thinking about what Kaidan’s reaction would be back on Horizon, likely about to make good on his promise to smoke Regis’s cigarettes he stole. “Don’t tempt me,” He moaned, pushing back against Zaeed’s thrusts.

Zaeed wrapped one arm around his chest, his hand resting close to Regis’s nipples. The other rested on his thigh, grabbing it tight and wrenching his legs further apart. “Going to have to tell Kaidan all about this,” Zaeed purred into his ear, starting to move his hips in shallow, quick thrusts, working Regis up to more. “Maybe get that drone out of yours, record you moaning his name as I’m the one fucking you, showing him how much we need him here. How does that sound?”

“Maybe after,” Zaeed murmured, picking up the pace. His lips found Regis's neck, leaving biting kisses, marks to show off later. “We can send him a picture like the two of you did. Teasing me with what you had.” He punctuated his statement with a hard and deep thrust. “So goddamn cruel of you.”

Regis choked out a moan, moving to grab his leaking, throbbing cock, desperate for release, but Zaeed batted his hand away, replacing it with his. “I’m going to get you off,” he said, stroking his dick lightly, a firm grip made all the better with his calloused, rough hands. “When I say so. When I do.”

Regis could barely think, much less speak, all at mercy to Zaeed. Every roll of his hips, every bite against his neck, every scratching tease against his nipples brought him closer and closer to release.

But it wasn’t enough.

Zaeed whispered, pausing his thrusts for a moment. “You said you wanted it hard? I can make it rougher for you.” Regis whined at the loss.

“Remember the last night we shared… you rode me, and before you came on my cock, I pushed you face down into the bed on Kaidan’s orders.”

“How much?” Regis groaned, tears filling his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath.

Regis remembered, the night haunting his fantasies and dreams long after. Kaidan loved to watch them, not always participating directly but making the scene his in every way with every order he made.

"Yes," he moaned, his voice shaking with need. "Do it, Zaeed. Make it rough."

Zaeed didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled out of him and pushed Regis against the bed, putting his weight on top of him, grabbing a fist full of hair and pulling just enough for it to burn, to bring tears to his eyes. “Regis?” He asked, his voice low. Another affirmation, another check in.

“He loves it when you yank on his curls,” Kaidan said from the armchair, legs crossed and fully clothed, a direct contrast to Zaeed and Regis on the bed. “Oh, he might complain that you’re messing up his routine, screwing up all his time and effort. Don’t listen.” He wanted to argue with Kaidan, to bite back for revealing all his secrets. He couldn't. Zaeed had stuck his fingers in his mouth, to lick and suck on as he was getting prepped, likely keeping him from being mouthy. His cock twitched at their words, betraying how much he enjoyed behind an outsider to their conversation. “I’ll keep that in mind. He likes to fight, doesn’t he?” “He does. And I love that about him. It’s all talk to rile us up. He’ll submit in the end. It’s his favorite thing.” “That I figured out right from the goddamn beginning.”

“Green,” he replied, grabbing fistfuls of the sheets. “Fuck me.” He punctuated the reply with a pulse of his corona, letting it surround him in a wave of purple, his fingers ready to twitch and send it careening towards Zaeed.

Zaeed pushed back inside with one swift thrust, setting a hard, brutal pace, keeping Regis’s head pulled back with his grip on his hair, the other resting possessively on his thigh. All Regis could do was surrender to the intense pleasure, letting out a stream of grunts, moans, whines, and writhing beneath Zaeed's warm, heavy body. The pain from his hair being pulled and the pleasure of being fucked and filled was a delicious sensation, one that Regis didn’t want to ever end.

Every forceful thrust drove them further toward the brink, and Regis knew he was teetering on the edge and his release was rapidly approaching. Zaeed had to be close too, his grunts slowly being turned into vocal moans. “Goddamn, you feel so good. I’m getting close, love.”

In response, Regis could only whimper and moan, unable to form coherent words, barely able to think beyond the haze of pleasure. “Please,” he choked out between sobs, grinding up against the soft, silky sheets. His corona flashed with every thrust, his control waning, his biotics betraying how close he was to letting go.

“Wrap those biotics around me,” he ordered, his thrusts losing their rhythm and becoming more erratic. Regis gripped the sheets tighter, threatening to tear, raising one shaky hand to force the barrier outward, enveloping both him and Zaeed into pulsing waves of violet. Without warning, Zaeed cried out Regis's name as he found his release, his hips slowing as warmth filled the condom inside him.

Regis couldn't hold back any longer. He let go, channeling his biotics to intensify the pleasure, sending shockwaves of ecstasy down to his throbbing cock. He came with a shuddering release, moaning loudly as he painted his chest and the sheets beneath him with his come, trembling with his release.

Zaeed collapsed on top of him, his weight a pleasant, grounding sensation as he pulled out of him. Regis stayed where he was, feeling his come and sweat drying on him, the room suddenly cold.

Zaeed rolled off of him. Regis watched him dispose of the condom, tossing it in the bin by his bed. He settled down back beside him, reaching for the box of tissues on his night stand. “Let me clean you up, babe,” he murmured, careful to not sit in the wet spot.

Regis rolled over, feeling utterly wrecked, whining as Zaeed slowly wiped off the drying come on his chest and on his oversensitive cock, his body aching with every movement. “I might need more than that,” he groaned, feeling content and sated.

“Wasn’t too rough, was I?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“It was exactly what I wanted. Love you,” Regis said, reaching up to caress his face, fingers gently touching the scar around his white eye. “But not the brightest idea I’ve had with our mission coming up.”

“Probably not,” he chuckled, tossing the dirty tissues in the bin. “I love you, too. I missed this.”

“Me too.” Regis closed his eyes. “Still want to send Kaidan that picture?”

Zaeed activated his omnitool with a gleam in his eye. “Of course.”

Regis settled against Zaeed's chest, knowing that they must look thoroughly debauched after their evening together. His frizzed, sweaty hair framed his face, bite marks and scratches adorning their bodies. Zaeed took the picture with a smirk on his face, sending it to their private chat.

Regis’s own omnitool pinged with the message.

ZM: Payback is a bitch. We’re missing you already. [Image Attachment]

They settled in their afterglow, knowing they should get up and trade out the sheets and get a little cleaned up before tomorrow, but neither wanted to move just yet. The conversation he had with Aria and later Miranda weighed heavily on his mind even after all the distractions he tried to do to set it aside for now.

Their omnitools pinged. They shared a look, Zaeed moving in to peck Regis on the lips before he opened the message.

KA: Payback is a bitch, huh? Here’s another view to remember while we're apart. Glad you two are making it together, it’s a beautiful sight. [Image Attachment]

The photo was a picture of him on a balcony on what must be Horizon, sitting out in the late-night air. He was shirtless, and the picture showed him smoking a cigarette, looking impossibly handsome and relaxed.

“He made good on his promise to smoke my damn Astras,” Regis said, shaking his head.

“That he did,” Zaeed said, staring fondly at the photo before turning off his omnitool. “Want to vid call him?”

Regis nodded. “Not that I want to ruin what’s going on here, but I need to tell him. Hopefully Hackett and his team can figure out what they want to do with her next.”

Regis pressed the request to call and Kaidan answered it right away, the stub of a cigarette between his fingers.

He took them in and his smiling face immediately morphed into one of concern. “What’s wrong?” he asked, putting out the cigarette in a nearby ashtray.

“T’Soni brought my body to Cerberus,” Regis said after taking a deep breath. “Aria confirmed it, as well as Lawson.”

Kaidan covered his mouth with his hand, looking away from the screen. “Fuck. This whole goddamn time, she knew where you were, she knew where your body was and gave it to them!” His hands were balled into fists. “I’m so glad now that Vik was able to give me that footage so we were able to keep an eye on her, but I never anticipated this.” His voice was laced with venom.

Kaidan didn’t have the same reservations about T’Soni the way Regis and even Ashley did, but he wasn’t quick to trust her either. No one was, not when they were so close to pinning down Saren, not when they had no time to integrate her into the crew.

Not when they all saw his violent reaction against a mind meld.

“Does this mean she has your dog tags?” he asked, motioning to his own against his chest.

“That’s my working theory. I hate to say it, but I trust that Lawson wasn’t lying to me when she said Cerberus never retrieved them.” Zaeed’s arms tightened around him.

“Yeah, I read through all those reports. Gave them to Hackett as well. I also talked about them with Vik,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “You were missing armor and other parts, but most notably your whole damn chest piece was gone.”

“I didn’t like the implications of that either, but one way or another, I’m going to find out what happened to them.”

“I’ll contact Hackett and see what Wren thinks and you can go from there. Illium is in your territory, right?”

“More or less,” he shrugged. “I have some freedoms, believe it or not.”

“Probably to try and get our goddamn guard down,” Zaeed muttered, pressing a kiss into Regis’s hair.

“Still, it works in our favor. You heard what she said earlier. I’m able to do as a please to some extent,” Regis said. “I’ve come to an understanding with Lawson,” he amended for Kaidan’s benefit.

“Is that wise?” Kaidan asked, though no judgment laced his tone.

“I think she’s tired of putting on a show as well. We have similar goals for now, and honestly, I want her to be an ally only for the stuff she did to bring me back,” Regis admitted. “You know how easy it is now to access my port? Send a signal and it’s ready to be accessed.”

Kaidan nodded. “I get it. Trying to get her to defect?”

“You’re damn right. She’s wasted here.”

“We’re already preparing to have a whole ship full of people defecting whenever you’re done with your mission. You sure do like convincing people of your opinion,” Kaidan chuckled, eyeing them up and down. “Seems like the two of you had fun.”

“We wanted to recreate that last night we shared. Missed you and your goddamn orders,” Zaeed said, wrapping a possessive arm over Regis.

“You know how we love following orders, Kaidan," Regis quipped playfully.

“Oh?” Kaidan replied, leaning forward, a grin slowly forming on his face.

Zaeed joined in, his voice a low, suggestive purr. "We thought it'd be a nice little reminder of you while we're apart."

“I’ll keep that in mind on these lonely nights,” he said, stretching out in the chair, spreading his legs and moving his hand up his thigh. “Thought I wore you out today. Should’ve remembered you were never satisfied after one quick fuck with a long stretch without it…” he trailed off.

“Should’ve made the brass give you more time,” Regis teased. “It was enough, love,” he emphasized. “I would’ve been happy with just a chat and you gave me more than that.”

“I know,” he said. “Wish I was able to worship you both the way you deserve.” He let out a yawn. “Probably time for me to go. Got a colony to take care of.”

Regis pressed his hand against the screen, and Kaidan mirrored the action. Zaeed placed his hand over Regis’s, and with one last longing look, Kaidan ended the call.

“Be seeing you, Kaid. We won’t be goddamn strangers,” Zaeed said. “Be safe out there.”

“Same to you. Love you both.”

Regis shut off his omnitool with a sigh, looking up at Zaeed. They shared another kiss, seeking out comfort from each other.

After a few minutes of soft teasing, Regis finally broke apart, resting his forehead against Zaeed’s. “Want to get cleaned up real quick?”

Zaeed barked out a laugh. “Gotta make it quick, or else we’ll get even dirtier than when we started.”

“Tempting.”

“Oh, really?” He asked, throwing the sheets off of him and getting up from the bed. “Tell me more.”

“I can think of a few things. Sucking you off in the shower, letting you fuck my throat until you come. Or maybe we can switch roles, let you pleasure me for a while,” Regis said, following behind his lover.

“Insatiable.”

“Says you.”

“I’ll give you that. We’re all terrible.”

“It’s why we work so well together.”

“The only reason why?” Zaeed teased, leaning in the bathroom doorway.

Regis kissed him. “It helps. Now get your ass in there and get the water warm. I’ll switch out the sheets.”

“Yes, sir,” he chuckled, heading into the bathroom. Regis rolled his eyes and got busy, tossing the soiled sheets into a bin and replacing the ones on his bed. Wasn’t the cleanest and nicest work he’s ever done, but it’ll do for now.

He joined Zaeed in the shower, gently touching his shoulder before grabbing his preferred products. They shared some heated glances and light teases, but never went any further than that, enjoying the time they had together and wanting to get some sleep after getting all cleaned up.

After drying off, slipping on some comfortable pants, and finishing their routines–and oh how Regis loved the domesticity of getting ready for bed with him–they got back under the covers in the fresh set of bedding.

Regis hoped that the convict recruitment would go well. Of course, it probably won’t, but he’ll at least have a new ally by his side. Maybe. He still has to figure out what to do with the krogan and how he wants to evaluate Vakarian.

Zaeed settled against his chest, and Regis wrapped an arm around him, smiling as they got comfortable. Regis was usually the little spoon, but he was happy to oblige the other position at any time.

He looked forward to working with Miranda and getting to know her more, to see if she’ll be willing to join the Alliance or leave Cerberus after this mess. Always planning for something.

T’Soni’s consequences can wait for now. He has a mission to complete.

#mass effect #mass effect fanfiction #cleric's writing #regis shepard #this took me ages to figure out and the ending is a bit meh #but yay it's done

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furys-mercy · 10 months

Note

🌟 = Who is your muse’s favorite family member, why? (Would be interested in this one particularly for Sebastian as well as Mercer!)

Mercer's Answer

"Favorite? Well tha' ain't really fair ta be pickin' an' choosin'. They'd think I didn't love 'em if I did tha', right?" Mercer kicks his feet up on the desk. "An' tha's tha last thin' I'd want. So rather'n do tha' I'll jus' tell ya wha' I like 'bout all'a 'em. Or well... some'a 'em. I can't go through all'a Sari's family. There's too many ta keep track of..." He looks as if he's going down a list of people in his head. "Anyroad, startin' with Sari, she's carin' an' generous an' will take care'a anyone who needs it. Sai's 'er cousin an' she's all sass, but I wouldn't be breathin' if it weren't fer her. I ain't sure if Gizmo wants ta count as family, but... I'd wager he does an' pokin' fun at him's one'a m'favorite thin's ta do... an' he's damned fine with a wrench." He leans back, clearly thinking about who is next. "Gadget makes sure I'm on top'a m'shite. I'd starve without 'im, I swear. Lazne does tha', too, o'course. But she's also real good at pushin' me in tha direction I need ta be goin' in..." He trails off. "Last one's Bash, I 'spose. An't tha's... well... tha' boy could charm tha pants off'a basically anyone. I jus' wish he'd learn ta use tha' fer somethin' better'n wha' he's been usin' it fer. Don't get me wrong, I love 'im. I'd do anythin' 'e needed, but damn does he need ta be brought back down ta size."

Sebastian's Answer

The elezen man sweeps his tailcoat out from under him as he sinks down onto the crimson setee. He only manages a small smirk. "It is almost as if you ask me to tell you which great wrym I would prefer to be consumed by. Though, such a comparison gives my siblings far more credit than either of them deserve. Dacien has the wits of a turnip, which speaks volumes about Marcette, as he is most certainly her better in all things not concerning lace or embroidery." Sebastian crosses his legs and rests his black gloved hands atop his knee. "My mother was, most certainly, the best of us. How she produced the two of them is truly beyond me. Their father must have been an absolute fool." There is something in his tone that suggests he doesn't believe that, but it is gone in the blink of an eye. "Her death was not only a loss to me and the House of Vairemont, but to all of the Holy See, and I will hear no different."

His blue eyes sparkle and he sucks in a deep breath. "It would seem I am still not accustomed to knowing the identity of my father, as I have failed to mention the brother he left me. While not as... plentiful as what my mother bequeathed me, August is not to be ignored. Though, sometimes I wonder if he wishes to be as he spends all of his time hiding his skills away in the dark of that shop. Surely he would be better suited to the Crozier? He won't hear of it, of course." That little smirk grows as he speaks. "I do find it interesting that he lectures me on how I have allowed the nature of my birth to inform my views of life, while he has done the exact same thing. Do you not find that interesting?" With a quick flick of his wrist he waves the conversation away. "But, back to the question at hand. I am sure the answer is quite clear. Were I forced to choose from my living kin, I would name August. In fact, it would seem that there was no need of force. I have made the declaration only moments after being asked." The smirk grows. "Do run along and tell my sister, would you? I would wager I can hear her screams from here."

((Thanks for the ask, @wispofwillow. TLDR; Mercer won't choose because that's just not how he works. Sebastian will absolutely choose and then use his choice to aggravate his other siblings. Dacien won't care and he knows that, but Marcette... there is nothing worse than being cast aside for a filthy brume rat.))

#asks #asked and answered #ask me anything #ic ask

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 1 year

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The Great North (All the Things She Said, Part 2.)

Description: After a rather unlucky coincidence, Lord Asriel is left alone on his supposed expedition to meet the king of Lapland. Thanks to Thorold's advances, he's lucky enough to get an assistant sent over from the University of Oxford.

Part Summary: Whatever you imagined North to be like, its actual appearance didn't match your expectations and wasn't as thrilling. On the other hand, it was thrilling to see the first armoured bear in your life - except he hadn't had his armour and started drinking heavily.

Word Counter: 5.3 K

A/N: To be frank, I'd like to tie the story into the concept of the cannon while not specifically writing anything that would change it - so, Iorek already rampaged Trollesund and killed his predecessor and by that logic, he's already bending the steel for people of Trollesund. The witches also are connected to Lanselius at this point. So, why not mention it, huh?

By the way, I was then questioning myself as far as the logic goes and while it's not technically a rightful expedition I think there still would need to be official documents and results written down.

Tagging: @emmyspov

Series master list: h e r e | Series playlist: h e r e

As you walked through the city of Trollesund, watching people being busy, fully captivated by their work and duties, your head was pretty much fully emptied out. The travel itself wasn't bad - the college paid you a ticket for a zeppelin and a first-class ticket to a ship setting out of Northern Brytain. By that point, you've been on the road for a week and each of them, you've captured in your journal. For each of your expeditions, there was a journal; this one was thicker than the rest of your journals and also vestured in a leather cover. As soon as you landed in Svalbard, the omnipresent cold hit your face, crawling deep into your bone marrow. And you had to add that you were wearing a proper coat, a warm hat, and boots padded with the finest, warmest fur. None of that helped. And you haven't even set out to venture to Asriel's observatory which was located at least two days' worth of travel from Trollesund... Without counting the time you'd use for resting.

"I already hate it here, " Joy mumbled, obediently running next to your foot. She was very curious about the town since it differed from everything you had experienced in Brytain. Everything in this town looked so dishevelled, old, and worn out, showing obvious signs of usage; all of the oil and dirt had its magic, you needed to admit. The people of Trollesund might've not been the richest, but everything they made was sturdy and steady.

"You're such a grouch, come on. We're on an adventure." "We're far from home and everything is so wild and cold here. How can you be so optimistic, Y/N?" "Because we, my dear, will see all of the northern fauna in its natural habitat. There are so few studies originating in taking interest in this rare ecosystem and the bio-cultural symbiosis between animals, armoured bears, and humans. We're gonna make the top ten for sure!" - You answered with a broad smile, trying to remind yourself of all of the great prospects that were ahead of you, waiting for you to explore them. The... Another part of the negotiations, the 'Golden boy part', was something you were trying to forget about for as long as you could. "May I remind you that I still am a coyote, Y/N, an animal that is supposed to live in warm American prairies and deserts? I'm not a snow fox, you know?" "And may I remind you that as long as I'm fed and warm, you're feeling that way too? What's gotten into you, Joy? Haven't seen you like this for a long time."

This time, the coyote looked up to you with its gentle golden eyes, her expression being overshadowed with worries and fear. Not hesitating, you dropped to your knee and looked your daemon deep into her eyes. What Joy needed to hear couldn't be said out loud. "Listen, Joy, Dr Carne has sworn on the law of scholastic sanctuary that this will forever remain a secret. And he never intended for anything but good to happen to us. This man wouldn’t cross us and he wouldn’t give out heads to the Magisterium for free. You have nothing to be scared of, we are safe and fine and we'll have an amazing adventure out here.”

“You’re really this calm about… Well, everything? This man is studying Dust, Y/N, he’s not conducting just some ordinary environmental expedition, you do realize that?” “I’m calm because I have faith in Carne and Asriel. Do you really assume that with the danger that this expedition holds, he’d just take the papers, travel all the way to London, and then wave them in front of the Cardinal’s face to flip him off? Think about the time we’ve been editing his article about Space and time… Remember how much he managed to reveal with this paper alone? His vocabulary and sentence structure, the way he's able to express his opinions or to explain the basics to a person who had never heard of such things... We both know he’s a genius.” “A genius with no sense of self-preservation or an ounce of reason in his mind. This is dangerously close to tiptoeing with insanity, Y/N, and you’ve taken part in this voluntarily.” - Before you could say anything else to Joy, both of you looked at a well-built man who had just approached you. He had a big smile, a fuzzy beard and warm, dark eyes. Since you had a raising suspicion that the man was at least somewhat nice, you smiled right back at him, standing up with the journal in your palm.

“Are you alright, lassie? Couldn’t miss the way you're standing in the middle of the street if I tried to.” “Ah, yes, thank you for asking. Joy, my daemon, is feeling a little bit unsettled because she can sense a huge animal wandering about.” - Even if the man hadn’t ever seen you, based on your blabbering alone he must’ve realized you’re coming up with everything on the spot. Not an ounce of truth in anything you’ve been saying. - “We’ve travelled here all the way from Oxford, you see? I’m an animal and environmental researcher and we’ve travelled here for our newest study, the bio-cultural system of Svalbard. Joy has been just rather unnerved by the presence of Panselbjørns on the island, just as I’ve been.”

“Oi, based on the way you’re talking alone I’m sure you’re a scholar, eh? And your daemon isn’t wrong if that's what you think, lassie. We have a bear living in this town." - The man explained rather proudly as he stepped closer to you, his deamon taking the form of a hound sitting beside him while staring at you with dark eyes. "A bear working for humans?" - The question was filled with genuine confusion on your part. You haven't seen an armoured bear in person before. Still, what you've gathered from all of the literature and official documents concerning negotiations with said bears, these sentient creatures were taking a strong liking in their pride. Proud as all bloody hell; so proud they'd rather die than humiliate themselves in such a way.

The Panselbjørne were majestic bears awaking respect within every living soul that had bumped into them, solitary sentient creatures that bowed to no man. They didn't answer to anyone but their king and even this bond was supposed to be quite loose. So how the hell did an armoured bear get into the city in the first place? "How did an armoured bear get in here? I suppose he hadn't just walked in asking about work applications, had he?" "Lassie it was a bloody massacre. The bear came here one day and started attacking the folk while destroying the city. It was horrible, young lady. After we took off his armour, he vouched to help the folk repair what he broke. He's not a bad bear, our Iorek." "Iorek Byrnison you mean?" - As you looked over to Joy, you'd swear that you had already read this name somewhere. It was a very old and very official document regarding the succession of the Svalbardian throne. Who had written it down and how precisely this document got into the college's possession was beyond you, but it was there. - "I've heard of him. Would it be possible to speak with him? For the... Research purposes, of course."

"It would be wiser not to interruprt him during the day, lassie. Then, it would be smart to ask the bear himself if he'd like to chat with you, I'm not the one to tell you. But if I were you, I'd try asking the folk working with him how much he'd drink. That might help you with talking to him." Drinking? A Panselbjørn drinking spirits? Again, Joy's eyes scanned the man in front of you. This situation seemed somewhat tricky, to begin with; a prideful creature working in a human town, drinking alcohol? No. That was not at all what Panselbjørne were supposed to be like. - "Thank you, sir, I'll ask around about Iorek around Trollesund."

"I thought you'll be staying about?" - The man wondered, raising one of his eyebrows while watching you as if something was wrong. "Never said that. I'll soon join a colleague of mine in his laboratory far up north. The innkeeper told me you can see the auroras clearer there than anywhere else in the whole world." - You answered, stepping away from the man to nonchalantly suggest that you'll be ending the conversation with him. Your sledge was about to prepare, that was one thing, and you wanted to look around for the Iorek you've been told about. "Aye, I know who you're talking about. We've seen the lad here once or twice, dressed very expansively with the behaviour of a butcher's dog. Haven't met someone with a more punchable face 'til then." "That sounds... Precisely like Lord Asriel. Let me apologise for his behaviour if he had been causing any trouble. It won't happen again. Well, I'll have to..."

"Careful for the witches, lassie. They have their contacts in here." - The man said instead of saying goodbye, turning right on his heels, leaving you in the middle of the road. After watching his back disappear in the distance, you've decided to sit down and start writing your first entry in the journal. The first one was making enough sense - Iorek (An armoured bear working for humans? Drinking Spirits? - Need to attempt to talk to Iorek for the sake of research... Fine, it's just curiosity.) - while your last one was simply - WITCHES??? HERE??? - with three lines highlighting the words.

Obviously, just like every other kid living in Brytain, you've been familiar with the entire concept of witches even though you haven't seen them with your own eyes. These women were supposedly enchantingly beautiful and free-spirited, who were enough to madden one's mind. Unlike the bears, they weren't in your research field and the stories about them were mere rumours rather than actual, historically reliable sources. So while you heard of the concept, you couldn't tell how much of said concept is based in reality. After finishing writing down your notes, you decided to pick yourself up and stroll through Trollesund - it wasn't for long, but you still had around thirty minutes to capture a glimpse of the mysterious Iorek.

As you made your way through the settlement, everything seemed to be in order; which, in translation meant that there were no bears in sight. That was until you came about a big, fenced property from where great slams of pure force could be heard; a huge gate made out of the thickest iron plates you’ve seen was held together by an overly-sized chain, locked together with a massive lock.

“Do you think Iorek is there?” - Joy muttered with curiosity, trying to catch a glimpse of anything under the gate, yet the small crack wasn’t enough for her to get a good look at the scenery. As you formed an answer, another of the forceful slams rang through the air, followed by a painful, horrifying roar which undeniably belonged to a bear. Blood started to freeze in your veins as you listened to the sound of unsaid rage and pain. - “I think he is. Let’s look around for an entrance, he might be hurt.”

As you asked Joy to run around the perimeter, you let the journal fall into your bag before circling around the other side of the property. The walls were made out of various steel plates, some of which were thicker than your thigh, and the spots that were only fenced by wires were blocked off properly. “Here! Here!” - Joy cried out as you saw her tail disappearing into an easily missable hole in the fencing - you could see a woman turning at you, obviously telling you not to go there just as you slipped in, holding your breath so you could squeeze through the tight space. As you pushed further in, you could feel your coat catching on various wires and small pieces of scrapped materials. The curious it’s got the better of you, didn’t it? Because just as you stumbled in, literally falling on your palms covered in leather gloves, you saw Joy cowering in fear; her golden eyes were open wide, he tail low between her back legs as she walked away from anything that was standing right in front of you. The presence of Iorek hit almost all of your senses at once.

First, there was the stench of his breath and the volume of it; the smell of spirits and meat the bear was feasting on after his shifts had ended wrapped around your nose, making you gag inaudibly. Then, there was the size of his enormous paws; one swing would knock you unconscious, and the second would either rip your head off or slice your throat open effortlessly. Only after that, you gathered enough courage to look at the bear hovering over your head - he was furrowing at you, his eyes watching you with anger as if you were the one holding him inside of the gates. His fangs were sticking out of his mouth as he hung it open, trying to figure out what to do, and his scarred muzzle crinkled in a confused expression. Iorek. As you prepared for your head to be chewed on, the bear simply snickered with anger and turned away from you. - “My workshop is forbidden to people and their daemons. Leave now, I do not require company and neither do I want it.”

Before he could make it halfway back to his shop, he began to grunt in displeasure; this time, it was nothing more than mere pain. By looking at the ground, you were quick to deduce what the origin of said pain could've been. There was a small, almost unnoticeable blood trail left behind the animal as it slowly moved forward. "You're injured." - Your tone was quiet and rather gentle in order not to upset or challenge the bear. You still had an awful lot of work to do and you needed to get to the observatory, quite frankly, alive. - "Humans are annoying and I know that, but I'm here to help. I won't pray, I promise Iorek." - Your knowledge of his name caught his attention; he turned his head right back at you and looked at you closer. You, in the meantime, walked over to a crate to sit down on, opening your bag; as you struggled to find any cloth, you simply took your coat off and pulled your cashmere sweatshirt down in order to have at least something to operate with.

"I haven't seen you around before... And yet, you know my name. Who are you?" - The bear asked you with suspicion, looking you up and down. - "It is in your best interest not to lie because bears won't fall for such deception." "Lucky me, I wasn't about to lie anyway." - With a smile, you put your coat back on and sat down, patting your knees. Iorek, even though you tried to be as calm and gentle as possible, was still on the edge over whether he could trust. - "Let me start with the basics, then - my name is Y/N and... It might come off as a surprise, but I'm a doctor of animal studies, operating at the University of Oxford in Brytain, Iorek. No malicious intent in sight so, please, stop being stubborn and let me help you. This bloody sweater cost me a whole fortune."

With a prolonged sigh, the bear sat down in front of you, putting his palm on your new, stylish warmers. You've maybe bought a whole new wardrobe just because you wanted to dress nicely in Asriel's presence; he might've been a private, strange person who had no self-preservation instinct, yes, but you wanted to match his style in this regard. You wanted to feel equal to him. "You differ from the people of Trollesund, miss Y/N, your heart seems to be filled with kindness. They are cruel and cold, holding me inside these gates without mercy, let me out when the sun sets behind the horizon. None of them would've helped me. I won't forget this gesture." "Why do you think that is? Why do you think they wouldn't help?" - While chit-chatting with the bear, you started to pull the bit of metal out of his paw. Iorek twitched a few times, closing his eyes in pain. As you watched it slip out, you grabbed one of the fabrics to cover it, searching for a small bottle of spirit in your bag. Also, Iorek's compliment about the kindness in your heart made you smile blatantly, but you assumed Iorek knew that he is the cause of the said smile. - "I don't have proper disinfection so this has to do. Desperate times, am I right? It will sting... A lot."

Normally, you weren't too big on drinking - but the innkeeper told you that it can save your life in the Northern wilderness. So you've bought a few mini-bottles to have on hand and right at that moment, it paid off. "I don't have to think about their reasoning..." - At this moment, he howled in great pain as you poured the spirit into the wound, covering it with another piece of fabric immediately. - "What you see around is my punishment for all the harm I've caused to the folk of Trollesund. The night it happened... I wasn't myself, Y/N, I was a beast torn from the chain. I couldn't compose myself no matter how much I tried. I've spilt blood, destroyed properties and brought night terrors."

"If I may, you don't strike me as this sort of... Of a bear. I don't know you, by all means, but you seem to be wise and astute. Just as I seem to be kind." "Back then, I've long forgotten who I once was. I've been exiled from my homeland and my friend, Lee Scoresby, wasn't nearby - I shouldn't have accepted the spirits the locals offered me to forget my wrongdoings because when I did... I have been deceived and stripped of my armour - which is the biggest shame that a Panserbjørn can imagine." "I know I've promised not to pray and I hope you won't understand my boldness as an attempt at deceiving you..." - You mumbled while patching the paw together, making sure the improvised bandage will be comfortable to walk around and work with. - "But what happened before you accepted the..." - The rest of your question couldn't be finished because of the metal gate opening loudly with folk pouring in, led by the man you'd met earlier.

"Las, this is not a place you should be at. It's dangerous." "No, it's not, trust me. This sentient, conscious animal needed help and as an animal researcher, it was my duty to assist. Iorek is not to be at fault." - With that, you stood up and patter the side of his enormous paw, letting him know that your job is done. - "I'll leave this workshop at once." - Looking away from the few newcomers, you turned your head to Iorek. - "When I'll come back to Trollesund for supplies, would you spare some time for me? Please?" "I will, Ms Y/N, doctor of the University of Oxford. It was an honour to meet you." "Pleasure was on my side, Iorek."

"You see, we could call for Sysselman to arrest you at once." - One of the ladies who were accompanying the gentleman, and who was yelling at you before, hissed in your direction. Now, you were standing outside the workshop and listening to repeating enormous slams coming from there. Iorek was back at work. "Yes. You definitely could." "You're lucky we're in a good mood..." - She muttered, letting you scoff under your breath. Not even Joy was able to hide the grin on her face. "Good mood, sure." - Joy's voice rang inside your head as you walked among them, not listening to the rest of what she had to say. - "They're just scared because they don't want to get tangled up in a diplomatic dispute with Jordan, as simple as that, Y/N. Sometimes it's fun, having some sense of authority." "Just don't let it mingle with your mind too much. I wouldn't stand listening to hours of your self-praising dialogue." "Oh shush, Y/N."

Not long after being forced out of Iorek's workshop, more like forced-labour tiny space for a bear that was far too intelligent and big for it, your sledge was ready to set off on a journey through the Great Northern wilderness. On your journey, being accompanied by a local hunter, you've taken two photograms (one belonged to a waste, endless snow plain with the sun setting on the horizon and the second belonged to a pair of snow foxes who were staring at you and Joy with pure interest) and made countless journal entries to describe the excitement that filled you up. The pages were filled with plain reflections and observations, occasionally you also drew a sketch, trying to capture the essence of the place inside your mind.

To be frank, the further you were from any signs of civilization, the darker the nights got and the colder the climate was - snow usually came late at night or very early in the morning, but that wasn't anything Samuel couldn't handle. The reindeer pushing the sledges with all your belongings was well-tamed and calm, even though the biggest snow storms you had to push through. On a late evening of the second day, you stopped yourself for a second to look at a majestic cliff covered in snow that was frozen solid.

Your cheeks were on fire, stinging with each blow of the ice-cold wind, you've been dressed with God knows how many layers of clothing just to be able to use your limbs and keep warm. Samuel made you both a strong herbal tea mixed with some of the spirits to keep your bloodstream bumping that hot fluid into your body, so you unfastened the staple off your belt to take a sip out of the thermos while taking in the sight. On the very edge of the cliff, probably built into the rock, there was the observatory you've heard all about. The lights were on, almost welcoming and inviting. It wasn't excessive but it wasn't too small either, the outer walls made out of, presumably, insulating panels to keep the place warm. So far, the place itself didn't appear to be too bad.

"Almost there, miss. I'll get you inside in about an hour before another snowstorm hits us. How are those cheeks of yours doing, huh?" - The hunter asked with a scoff, poking fun at you. Sure, you should've expected the North to be very cold (that's why you bought so many warm clothes in the end), but you didn't expect your mimic muscles to stiffen up in a rather uncomfortable smile which you weren't able to shake off for the most part of today's morning. Now, you scoffed at the question, but you'd been crying seven hours ago since the spasm hurt really bad. You had to close your eyes and push your face above a fire for the muscles to finally relax. "Much better now, Samuel, you're a wizard. Now I'm better off knowing I'll need to pack a face mask with me." "Don't call me that. Don't want the Magisterium coming after me." "Oh, don't worry." - You answered in a similarly amused tone of voice. - "Your secret is definitely safe with me."

As you pushed closer and closer to the observatory, the night was getting bleakly cold; you had high snow boots on with a pair of woollen socks inside, but you couldn't feel your feet for at least ten minutes by that point. As usual, both your daemons hid under the fabric holding all of your stuff in place so they wouldn't freeze to death. Thankfully, the doorstep was just a small bit away now, not even ten minutes of a painfully slow pace. "Are you sure you're supposed to be here? Doesn’t add up to me!" - Samuel called out all of a sudden, trying to shout over the strong wind howling in your ears. - "I know I shouldn't stick my nose into your scholar business, but... You seem nice and I do mean it in the best way possible." "I'm pretty positive I am, Sam, this is my home for the next four months. Shame I won't be able to take morning strolls under the morning sun!" "Well, technically you can but you’ll need to dress properly and take a cup of hot coffee! But that's beside the point! I'm talking about that scholar who's living here! Asriel IDon’tRememberHisLastName!" "What about him? Has he been acting up around you? Was he rude?" "You see, you're nice and he's... How should I put it delicately?" "I know what he's like, don't worry! I've already worked with him previously. And to answer your question, I'm totally in the right place. Only Golden boy would choose this place to in voluntarily."

“Golden boy?” - Samuel repeated with an amused expression creeping all over his face. - "I like that. I like that a lot. I’m just worried because sometimes he doesn’t seem to have an ounce of reason. Asriel is smart, smarter than all the folk in Trollesund with me included, but he has the look of a madman.” “Really? Either I’m blind or he never looked at me that way. I’d never suspect that, to be honest with you!” “Or never look at you in that way, probably. As I said, you’re a nice person to be around.” “Samuel thank you for the kind words but stop complimenting me. All the blood will flow into my cheeks and instead of pushing my face above a fire, I’ll have to push my head into a sink full of boiling hot water.” - And with that, you’ve both stopped at the summit, standing right below the entrance. The storm was getting worse, the wind now picking on both intensity and cold.

As Samuel helped you carry all your bags and replenishments of supplies, you started to look for your copy of the keys that had been sent to you by Thorold; you managed to open the door wide, putting it all into an entrance hall before saying your goodbye to Samuel, wishing him farewell as you watched him pushing back through the snow, his reindeer never leaving his side. The night was just getting worse and as you watched him disappearing into the void of darkness, you hoped he'd make it back home alright. It was hard to tell if it was the journey’s toil that had left its mark on you or if it was the numb feeling in all of your limbs, but you’d never been in a warmer and nicer place than Adriel’s observatory. It was visible at the first glance that he doesn’t bother with cleaning too much; the place wasn’t wreaked by strange smells or dirt visible by the eye, but pure chaos had overtaken every surface visible on the first floor. It was dimly lit, feeling almost overly secretive and intimate, but you’ve been able to recognize the kitchen and a door cracked open, leading into the bathroom.

As you walked further into the building and took off your gloves, hat and the hood of your coat, the feeling of a burning, almost painful sensation overwhelmed you; your limbs remembered that they were indeed still attached to your body upon regaining sense. It felt strange… To have all five fingers again. The sudden warmth difference also wore you out instantly. Now that you were in safety, you were ready to sleep through a whole day's worth of time. You could’ve been standing in one place for around five minutes, just taking in the interior of the place and regaining control over your body when you noticed fuss coming to you from the upper floor; Asriel wasn’t seen for a few moments as he made his way to the stairway, pulling the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows.

It was unclear who Asriel was expecting to appear on the doorstep... Yet simply the way Asriel stopped in his tracks to look at you with disbelief made you realize that you certainly weren't who he'd been awaiting. He froze in place, still holding the hem of his sleeve between his fingers while watching you awkwardly smile at him, even raising your numb hand to wave his way; Stelmaria was accompanying him, tilting her head to her shoulder as she let her eyes ponder over you and Joy.

Asriel still looked the way you remembered him - and mind you, it was a few good years since you’d had the time to look at him properly, without any sense of rush. When he was around Jordan, which wasn't too often, you'd pass each other in the hall while walking to entirely different parts of the college - once in a time. The man was clearly in good condition (given the circumstances outside, he had to be in the best shape possible), letting his clothes delicately outline his frame; his sweater was tucked into cosy pants that highlighted his hipbone as well as emphasized the width of his shoulders. The features on Adriel’s face had grown a little deeper, worried, and the wrinkles were standing out more than you remembered - but that could be easily explained due to the dim lighting of the observatory. Sure, his hair was quite overgrown and wavy, but that could be understood due to the absence of any professional barber. If someone would ask you if there was a feature which remained just the way you recalled it, it was his eyes - the shape and intense blue checked out perfectly, just like the intensity with which he was watching you.

It was still there. Throughout the years you’ve spent building your own academic career, you managed to persuade yourself that this must've been a fabrication of your mind, something that would make you feel better about spending your evenings in utter silence disturbed only by the music coming from the gramophone located in the back of his office. Now, standing in front of him as you returned his look, it clearly wasn’t just a delusion. The lingering sensation in his stare, unsaid words you wished to hear. Thoughts locked in the fortress built out of cold logic and knowledge, topics that were never brought up even though you’d both enjoy talking about them; you’d maybe even laughed, who knew?

Before you could say anything out loud, just as you opened your lips to greet him and send regards from Dr Carne, Asriel outran you by a long shot. As he made his way down the stairs, you could hear him breathing out loud as if you had just upset him somehow. Then, he spoke; in a tone that sent chills down your spine and made you shiver. First, there was the frown and second, there was the thunder taking the form of his voice. - “What on Earth are you doing here, Ms Y/L/N?”

#lord asriel x fem!reader #lord asriel #asriel belaqua x fem!reader #asriel belaqua #his dark materials (2019 2022)#his dark materials imagine #his dark materials hbo #his dark materials #hdm #iorek byrnison #IT'S IOREK #WOOOO #i do love this bear and I would die for him without a doubt in my mind #he's the mvp of movie/show no doubt about it

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blu-joons · 2 years

Text

BEST FRIEND (G)I-DLE A⇴Z HEADCANON ⇴ Song Yuqi

A ⇴ ATTENTION

Your attention was something that Yuqi craved quite a lot of the time, out of everyone in a room, she liked for you to be watching her the most. She’ll usually sit right beside you too so that she can have you over anyone else.

B ⇴ BICKER

The two of you will bicker just about every single day, you and Yuqi can’t help but wind each other up. Most of the time it’s just because the two of you mess around with each other, with others around you always leaving you to it when you bicker, knowing that you’ll soon start acting as if nothing happened.

C ⇴ COMFORT

One of the best things about Yuqi was how empathetic she was whenever you needed comforting. She always seemed to know what to do to try and cheer you up, and when she did so, she was relentless. Yuqi would absolutely refuse to leave you alone until she was able to see you back smiling again.

D ⇴ DISAGREEMENTS

When the two of you disagreed, everyone knew about it. You were pretty petty with one another and would usually be pretty stubborn towards being the one to admit that they were wrong. Out of the two of you, Yuqi would usually be the one to end up stepping up and apologising to you, she was much better at talking through problems and clearing the air, even though she’d make you wait a couple of days to hear it.

E ⇴ EARLY YEARS

There weren’t many people that Yuqi could rely on at the time of the start of your friendship, and so she found herself turning to you for quite a lot almost from the very start of your friendship. The reliance that Yuqi had on you meant that the two of you became very close very quickly as she confided in you things that other people would take at least a couple of months to share with others around them.

F ⇴ FAMILY

Yuqu’s family completely adored you, mainly because they knew that Yuqi would always be well taken care of whenever she was around you. They loved to hear what sort of things the two of you were up to, taking a great interest in your friendship. Every time that they saw you, her family made sure to let you know just how thankful they were to know that Yuqi had you whilst living so far away from them.

G ⇴ GETTING TOGETHER

When the two of you met up with one another, you loved going somewhere busy. It was all about the atmosphere for the two of you, which usually ended up with the two of you going to a concert that was going on around the city or to a showcase where you could get stuck in in the middle of the crowd.

H ⇴ HABITS

She had a habit of interrupting you and being able to predict exactly what you were going to say. Yuqi was pretty confident of what was going in your head most of the time and loved to try and irritate you by answering something for you before you had the chance, knowing that she had the answer spot on too.

I ⇴ INSIDE JOKES

You both had plenty of inside jokes because you spent so much time together it was inevitable that plenty of jokes were made. Your jokes were quite often at Yuqi’s expense as you never forgot any of the moments when she embarrassed herself in front of you, knowing that you could use it against her at some point.

J ⇴ JEALOUSY

There were a few times when Yuqi would get jealous seeing you with other people, she could never really hide it in her expression. If you were around someone that she didn’t know, then she would definitely ask you who the person was when you returned to her, forming an opinion them pretty much straight away, mainly so that she could reassure herself that they wouldn’t be as good a friend to you as she was.

K ⇴ KICKS

Yuqi got a kick out of teasing you, never failing to remind you that she always knew the perfect way to be able to wind you up. Pushing your buttons was up there as one of Yuqi’s top skills, everyone around the two of you knew that if anyone was going to get under your skin, it was only ever going to be Yuqi.

L ⇴ LOVE

She loved having someone to mess around with, you and Yuqi screamed trouble whenever the two of you were together. Your friends never quite knew what to expect when the two of you were together as mischief was never too far away. Yuqi loved that she could just be herself around you and do whatever she wanted to do, without anyone there to tell her to stop, only just to remind her to be careful.

M ⇴ MEETING

The two of you met during Yuqi’s early days at the company where you worked. You had spotted her walking around a little lost and offered to help her head for the right direction. Ever since, Yuqi had looked for you around the company, with those searches eventually being to find her best friend around the building.

N ⇴ NONSENSE

If there was one person in the world who would allow Yuqi to be her true, authentic self, it was definitely you. Around other people she sometimes felt as if she needed to still be a little guarded, but never with you.

O ⇴ OBSESSION

Yuqi was obsessed with how good of a friend you were to her, which left her wanting to be a good friend to you too. She definitely felt incredibly lucky being able to call someone like you her best friend.

P ⇴ PRECIOUS MOMENTS

The moments that meant the most to Yuqi were the ones when you hung out with her and the other members of the group. She loved watching her two worlds collide and as you got on so well with the other girls, it was the perfect recipe for success inviting you to most of the things that the group all did together.

Q ⇴ QUESTIONS

If she needed advice, Yuqi would usually turn to you, knowing that you were the one that knew her the best. You could clear up pretty much any confusion that she had, easily able to put yourself in her shoes.

R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS

When you were working with the group, Yuqi made sure to make you wear your own personalised uniform to make sure that everyone knew that you were her best friend. Every member of staff knew just how close the two of you were, but Yuqi just wanted to make absolutely sure that they were aware.

S ⇴ SUPPORT

Being away from family, Yuqi relied on you quite a lot to support her, and you delivered every single time too. You tried to attend as many events as possible, whether it be fan signs, concerts, or sometimes even rehearsals, you liked to make sure that Yuqi knew that she had a familiar face cheering her on.

T ⇴ TRIPS

Most of the time, the two of you would trip back to China so that Yuqi could see her family. Quite a lot of the time they told her to bring you along when she flew home as they loved catching up with you too.

U ⇴ ULTIMATE

There was no one else that Yuqi trusted more than you, if there was one person that she could count on, it was definitely you.

V ⇴ VISITS

Because you worked at the company, you were able to visit Yuqi quite a lot when she was busy at work. It would be a strange day for her if she didn’t at least get one knock at her studio door at some point in the day.

W ⇴ WISDOM

She loved to pass on her cheesy advice to you, the more she could make you cringe with her wisdom, the better for Yuqi.

X ⇴ XXXX

Most of the time if the two of you were affectionate with one another, it was because you were trying to tickle one another. You didn’t care where you were, if one of you wanted to poke the other, you definitely would.

Y ⇴ YOU

You were her rock, Yuqi knew that she could count on you for absolutely anything.

Z ⇴ ZZZ

It was pretty rare for you not to spend the night whenever you and Yuqi did something together. Luckily for you both, Minnie never cared when you stayed over too, enjoying the extra company with you there.

---

Masterlist

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venomroses · 8 months

Note

also don't want to start discorse so fine to not answer but- it does also bug me that there is far more top surgery trans art than bottom surgery or other kinds of transition options. same way there's a bunch of stuff about binding but i had to hear about the existence of packers by word of mouth from a transdude friend. (almost like there's a bias away from dicks or genitals in general because people still find those 'gross')

anyways love your hcs as always <3

no literally and theres definitely bias away from phalloplasty (which would be something easy to show in visual art the way top surgery is easy to show bc rff phallo takes a skin graft from your forearm which leaves an obvious scar in a place thats not nsfw or at all hard to show but ofc never is), and i also dislike that when top surgery is shown like 99% of the time its two perfectly even flat pink lines that sit just under the pecs when irl scars can be uneven or raised or different colors or in different places or literally anything

and its just interesting in danger days specifically bc most people hc the zones are a really accepting place for trans people but the only types of trans ppl i ever really see are those who are on T and have had top surgery (or want it but havent gotten it yet) with the perfect even scars, transfems who may or may not be on E, and non-binary people who are perfectly androgynous so as not to reveal their agab. and like ofc its fine to have characters like that but it would be nice to see something else

like. i have way too many opinions on this that are definitely gonna get discourse-y and i dont need to write a whole essay but basically it would just me nice to see disabled characters whos disabilities arent just waved away by giving them the right kind of aid and trans characters with a variety of experiences in regards to medical transition, especially in a world where those things are way harder to access than irl

and thank you i love yours as well <3

#asks #footnotesnake

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wanderingchocolateeclair · 9 months

Text

Interdimensional Therapy AU - Part 7

Welp its been a while, I do apologise for that- anyway-

A Jeanist crossover fic with @laughteronsilverwings!!

This time we start with e!jeanists pov!!

Previous Part || Next Part

CW: None, but pls let me know if I've missed anything /gen

“Ah, thank you.” Tsunagu nods and takes his ice cream, placing it opposite his drink -so it wouldn’t melt too fast- and making sure the spoon was neatly stuck in the top of the ice cream. He had gotten through two skewers now and almost all the bread- luckily just the right amount of everything was left. Perfect.

“So…” he trailed off, looking down as he saw a couple of civilians looking at him from the crepe stall in the distance behind Arcane. Pointing and whispering, always trying to be discreet but making it more obvious. It was fine, it didn’t matter. It never mattered. Tsunagu was so used to it- but that didn’t stop how embarrassing it felt. It didn’t stop the guilt. He cleared his throat and forced himself to look back up at Arcane. “Any friends? School friends?”

Tsunagu takes a bite out of his ice cream. He can hear and feel the whispers, comments -some sexual, some degrading, all of them making him calmly furious on Jean’s behalf-, the shifting of fabric as people turned away to gossip. “I can light them on fire if you want,” He says casually. “Or tell them to stop. Or run them away…” Honestly, he wants to humiliate them. Make them trip. Clothes coming undone. Tsunagu wants to beat them bloody and claw their eyes out.

He might be going a little bit too far off the rails here. So Tsunagu doesn’t voice his thoughts out loud.

“But I’m homeschooled, so, uh, I don’t really have friends.” He takes another bite. Honestly, today might be the longest conversation he’s had with someone that isn’t over the internet or related to schoolwork in… years. Hm. Maybe discounting Paris though. But then again, it had mostly been sign language and writing for the longest ones, and with the police it had been also short.

But anyways. Back to food.

If he mixes the mint ice cream in, would it taste better or worse? And if he dips the ice cream in freshly-spilled blood, would that make him throw up or enhance the taste?

Tsunagu gave a panicky laugh and waved his hands slightly. “Ah- hey, no don’t worry about it- I’m used to it.” He finished up his food and stared at the plate. Hm. Let’s not…

“Homeschooled, huh?” Interesting. Tsunagu can’t help but wonder how his life would be right now if he hadn’t been forced through the hells of public schools and all that came with it. It probably wouldn’t have changed much, though. People always found ways to…gossip. Maybe the physical aspect would have been different…who knows.

“I see… I attended a public middle school… It was such a mess.” He reminisced, forcing out a small laugh and picking at his ice cream. Mint-choc-chip… well, it tasted just as good as any other ice cream does- so he wasn’t gonna make any complaints! “So- do you have a question?” He tilted his head. There were some obvious ones that Arcane could ask, but seeing as he seemed to pick up on… well- not picking them up- he may change the subject, and well, Tsunagu wasn’t going to complain about that either.

Tsunagu frowns, going over the things Jean’d said in his head. “Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean that it’s right,” He says, scraping both of the ice cream balls out, tipping them into his mouth, and swallowing most of it as soon as they landed. “Public middle school? If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. I can find another question,” He mumbles around the remains of frozen… cream?

Actually, he didn’t know what ice cream was made out of. So. Mouthful of slowly-melting ice cream. The dessert cooled both his body and his anger.

…Tsunagu was still quite tempted to, like, shoo the onlookers away, though. Honestly. Didn’t people know how to mind their own businesses, in his universe? There wasn’t ever things happening like this, in his Paris.

But that might be because of the underground crime. And vigilantes. Maybe his ‘verse was just wilder? Eh, whichever one.

“Ah, well where to start…” Jean scratches his head. “My parents didn’t want to send me to private school, since they thought it would give me and my sister-” Oh, he has a sister? Maybe that was who the HPSC had over him. “-a better experience.” He rolls his eyes. Ah. Tsunagu senses a story, there. He hasn’t been to any schooling-schools, but he’s, well… heard stories of how bad things can get, if you’ve got a ‘bad’ quirk.

Complete bullshit, in his opinion. The only thing that made villains were expectations and surroundings, mostly. There were a bunch of other factors, yes, but, well. Jean was talking. Tsunagu wasn’t going to go on a philosophical rant.

“The only experience I got was a shit ton of bullying and almost dying- many times- and severe anxiety and depression.” Jean laughs bitterly, eating his ice cream with small bites. Tsunagu couldn’t relate to that. The ice-cream eating, that was, not the mental illness. He’s pretty sure he… might have something along those lines? “UA was, quite frankly, a lot easier to go through after all that, though.”

Jean picks up another bit of ice cream, a little larger than the rest. He eats it. Tsunagu nodded. Well, good to know that children were cruel in all universes. “...Well,” He says. “I mean. Children are cruel everywhere, I guess. Sorry you had to go through that. And good job on not snapping. If you want to go and burn the school down -I’m assuming this is your world, since we haven’t run into a third one of us- we can go, I’m totally down for that.”

If it had been him, and he’d been forced to go through all that, day by day, hour by hour… Tsunagu was fairly sure there’d be deaths, and not his. Well, maybe his, but also probably not? He’d have made it look like an accident. What a shame, that this child didn’t look both ways before crossing the street. What a shame, the school didn’t check it’s lunches, leading kids to get sick. Food poisoning is such a slow way to go.

Ruining reputations and getting rid of assholes. Two bird with one stone. He coughed. “Anyways, it’s your turn on asking, right?”

“Ah, thanks- though, there were definitely times I almost did snap- luckily not.” Tsunagu smiled.

But also. What the fuck. How- How on earth did Arcane just eat that ice cream???

“I- I need to ask…” Tsunagu shook his head in disbelief. “Sorry, but how on earth did you just. Eat your ice cream like that?”

“Oh, I don’t have a gag reflex anymore,” Arcane says, sipping on his boba. “I trained myself out of it because of- well, you know the food they serve at fancy adult galas, weddings, and how it’s both… not very good, and it’s rude to not eat it? It’s easier without a gag reflex. I still taste it, but it makes it easier to keep a poker face.” He shrugs. “Some people thought I got rid of it for something else, though.”

No gag reflex… huh. Tsunagu nodded, thinking about all the fancy hero parties he was taken to as a kid. “That… sounds like a good trick to have…” But hold on- something else? “What… what do you mean, something else?”

Arcane scrunches his face up. “It’s a little bit weird, but apparently they thought I was, uh, sucking dick. To put it crudely.” He chugs the boba through the straw, draining a good third of the remaining drink. Somehow.

Tsunagu choked on the last bits of his ice cream, plenty of thoughts and questions flooding his head but one in particular:

THAT IS A CHILD.

“Wha- who- why???? You-” He stuttered, making a very expressive face and gesturing at the air. “That….huh??” He settled on. Yeah, there really wasn’t a question there, more just pure confusion.

Tsunagu shrugged. “I’m pretty sure they were just looking for gossip,” He settles on. Also, he’d been an adorable kid -according to people he’d ‘grown into his features very well’, whatever that meant- and as such, had been prime gossip-bait.

Plus he was fairly sure one of the regular guys at the galas his parents took him to was… well, he’s just going to say that that guy likes feeling strong. Dominant. Probably had a superiority-inferiority complex of some kind.

And, yeah, he’s not going to think about this anymore.

“Okay- so-” Jean calmed himself down, taking a serious tone. That was the tone for a Serious Talk. “Throwing aside people’s constant need for gossip -being a direct target of it myself too- you are… still just a kid.” He grimaced. What was Jean thinking about? Well, he did say that he’d been bullied before. Tsunagu has started few whisper campaigns, he knows how effective they are. Or maybe it was more recent? Oh, he’s talking again-

Jean tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “Maybe it’s jokes and gossip, but well- still. Unfortunately we aren’t in your ‘verse… I’d love to knock some sense and general decency-“ The sentiment was sweet, but they were rich, morally deficient people in a wholly different way than him. Knocking skulls together, or manners, would be a whole other beast. “-into them… in whatever ways would fit best.” Jean leant back in his chair, sighing and crossing his arms.

Tsunagu’s… oddly touched by this. Fuck. He’s gotten attached. He adjusts his glasses. “That’s… kind of you?” But he doesn’t really get it. Why would Jean, well, help? Tsunagu’s clearly got things under control -though from his perspective it might not be?- and he’s not bothered by it. So. Hmm.

Would asking why Jean cared be used against him?

He discards the thought almost as quickly as it came to mind. Jean wasn’t- well, he might be, but if he was to hurt Tsunagu he’s pretty sure it wouldn’t be in the form of verbal attacks. Though. Still- augh.

This was a different world. Nothing that was said here would be able to get back. So Tsunagu clears his throat. “Though. Um, why are you… bothered about this?”

He also wants to ask about the dick tapestry in Jean’s apartment. But that could wait.

Ah. So, how would Tsunagu put this? That he’d kinda gotten attached to Arcane now, and if anything happened to the kid he would probably kill everyone in his own ‘verse, find a way to kill everyone over there, and then possibly himself? Nah.

Or that hey, I’ve just got a shit ton of trauma and I don’t think you wanna go through that, buddy. Hm. No. not that either.

Maybe he’d just settle with: I don’t really want anything bad to happen to you, and this hits a little close to home.

Yeah, that worked. He sighed, looking at the empty plates and cups in front of both of them. ‘Huh… I actually ate all that?’ He frowned. That… never usually happened.

“Well… I guess I just don’t want you to deal with some of the things I have.” He wonders if this is the right thing to say. Was it? “Gossip can lead to some pretty awful things… and I guess this subject strikes a bit of a nerve, I do apologise.”

He pushed his tinted glasses back up his nose and rolled his shoulder around a bit - damn, it was hurting more than usual… probably the sleepless nights over the computer doing paperwork. “My point still stands, though. If anyone causes you trouble, I’d gladly sort them out for you… even if we may be from different ‘verses- I’m sure there’s a way somehow.”

Leaning back, he contemplated telling Arcane a little bit more about his school life, his scars… but no, maybe another time. It was Tsunagu’s turn to ask, after all.

“So, Arc.” He reminded himself aloud, that they were using different names. “You plan on being a hero? Moving on from… vigilantism, and going to a hero school? Maybe UA- or Yuuei, as you call it?”

Hm. Well… “Yep,” Tsunagu says. “I’m planning on Yuuei, yeah. I’m not sure if I’m going to give up the vigilantism, though.”

He doesn’t really want to, honestly. He takes one last big sip of his boba, and it empties out. “…Thanks,” Tsunagu says, startling even himself. “About- um, caring? And saying that you’d, uh, straighten them out.”

It’s very sweet. Sort of unneeded, but… it’s nice. Brings up a syrupy-warm feeling in his chest. However: some of the things Jean had gone though? Hm. Tsunagu’s not stupid. The gossip was sexual -had some elements of it-, and people who had to that type circulating around them usually got… harassed more than the average person. Catcalls, flirting, people getting touchy when they had no right to do so. Assault. Rape, sometimes.

Hm. Well, it looks like Tsunagu will have to do some digging. Online. He’s not that uncaring about Jean anymore. “My turn for a question?”

Tsunagu nodded with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. But hey, wishing you luck on getting into UA! I hope you have some good times there, and meet some people!” He knows he did- though some bullies found their way in, he had a much better time there. Especially in his third year.

He sighed, leaning back a little. “But yes- it is your turn!”

And that'll do it for this part! Let's hope I don't forget to post the next bits as much as I did this time /lh :]

#bnha #tw caps #best jeanist #hakamada tsunagu #interdimensional therapy au #hee hee hoo hoo #its been a while whoopsie that is my fault for forgetting #anyway heres tis part!!#hope you enjoy :D

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zensations35 · 2 years

Text

Together (Part 3)

More cute sneeze tease scenes with a side of wholesomeness. Thanks to this post for the ending idea of this scene. ;) See part 1 here and part 2 here! We’re wrapping things up!

Skye

I’m dressed as well as I can be. I have a few flowy dresses that make me feel sexy. Ren seems to like this one: a cherry colored bell dress with short flared sleeves.

When I see Ren outside the restaurant, my breath catches. He’s wearing a green suit. Shamrock green. A solid black tie, with a white undershirt. Wow. He rarely wears color. But damn he looks good in it.

We’re supposed to be having a ‘first date’. We’re pretending we don’t know each other. My idea. I found it on google when searching for ‘fresh start’ romance ideas.

Ren gives our names to the hostess and we are led to a booth, quite a distance away from any other patrons. Lucky us. I slide in and listen to the specials. I also order wine.

“Glass or bottle?”

“Bottle,” Ren answers for me. “I will be indulging as well.”

I try not to stare at him as he browses the menus. Gods, he looks good. My heart skips when he meets my eyes.

Act like you’re just on a date.

“I have heard good things about the…” he sniffles softly, “the mashed potatoes.”

Oh yeah, I heard that sniffle. In fact, my brain shut off after it happened, instead filling my head with what if scenarios.

Ugh, Skye, don’t be a horny bitch. Not on your ‘first date’.

But I can’t stop thinking about it. And as if summoned from my desires, I hear him inhale.

“Hhh…htt….” His fingers have crept up to his face, one hand patting his pocket for his handkerchief.

He doesn’t get to it in time. “HRRZZZ’ieu!” His teeth chit together, head tilting mid-sneeze as if he were tearing off a bite of food.

I blush deeply and hide my face with my menu. I try to focus on the words printed across a picture of a steak.

Porterhouse. Port…er…house.

Ren puts his menu down. “I think I shall order the filet.”

I shake it off and smile. “That’s my usual. I’ll probably have the same.”

Our wine arrives and we fill our glasses with a dark cabernet. Then we place our orders. Ren does get the mashed potatoes.

Once the waiter leaves, Ren peers at me. “So, Skye Hawthorne, what are your interests?”

“Board and video games. I’m actually running a small gaming channel at the moment.”

Ren blinks and I see a flitter of surprise in his gaze. Something he didn’t know.

“Is that so?”

I nod. I started playing games on YouTube and Twitch recently. It’s not really taking off as fast as I’d hoped but Leo has mentioned a desire to join in.

“Yep. I can send you a link to the channel if you like.”

He tilts his head, a quarter smile playing across his lips. “I would enjoy that quite a lot.”

I tap on my phone a few times. “Sent.”

“My thanks.”

“So what about you?” I ask, propping my cheeks on my fists.

“I also enjoy games, both video and board. But as of late my free time is few and far between. I am watching my niece half of each week. Not forever, just long enough to work through some legal hiccups.”

My eyebrows lift. He’s got custody of Maka? I want to push but it would ruin the vibe. I can ask him later, when we’re not roleplaying.

The thought flies from my head when I see him rub his nose. Now, he doesn’t just casually rub it. He massages it with a thumb, enough to make it crinkle.

“E-excuse me,” he turns to the side and draws out the handkerchief from his breast pocket. “Hnk-CHZZieu!”

I swallow and jerk my gaze away.

This is a first date! He wouldn’t know about my fetish!

Ren sniffles and faces me again. “Apologies. My allergies have been acting up all day.”

Uhhh…what??

“Uhh…what?”

“Yes, they become quite unruly in the fall.”

“Hmm-mhm,” I’m pretending to peruse the drink menu. I sip my wine. I’m vanilla. Hello, fellow vanilla!

He takes a drink himself and then looks at me. “What games do you like to play, Skye?”

I accidentally slap my menu on the table. “Wha-oh, uhm,” I suck my teeth, “World of Warcraft, Cuphead, Fallout. Lots of kinds.”

“Do you play with a partner?”

Is he asking because he knows Leo is going to join me?

“Not yet,” I say as casually as I can.

“You would like to branch out then? Perhaps have a team?”

I think about that for a moment. We all four love games. Sasha wants to stream her artwork, too. This might be a really good idea.

I twist my pinkie ring. “Maybe.”

“I would like to see that.”

I try to interpret what that means. Does he want to be part of the channel? Me and Ren…playing games together. Like we used to.

“I wish I could be a streamer.”

Ren looked at me. “You could be.”

I laughed. “Nah. I’m too much of a depressed mess.”

“You have the personality for it. You can post what you want, when you want. It would be good for you--a less structured environment.”

I brushed my hair out of my face. “But what if I spiral and don’t post for like, months?”

“Your fans will understand.”

I tucked my head over my knees. “Maybe…”

He still supports me after all this time.

I gulp some more wine. Ren has barely touched his.

Our salads arrive and I use that as an excuse to not speak. I’m nervous. I don’t know why. I feel like I need to make a good impression, even if this isn’t a real ‘first date’.

Ren makes a few comments about the salad and I nod along, lost in thought.

I’m fighting a losing battle with a stubborn crouton that will not get on my fork.

Finally!

“Hh--RSSZHEIU!”

I jerk with a start, the crouton doing a victory flip back into my bowl.

“Uhhh,” I fix my gaze on his pinking nose. “Are you…okay?”

He holds up a finger and my thighs flex.

Fuck. He knows how hot that is.

The finger bobs a few times as he drags in breaths. “HNk’RZST! HET-ZZHH!” Another ragged inhale as he dips into his handkerchief, “HMPSHZZZ-UUU!”

I glug my wine, eyes downcast as if I’m so interested in the rich color.

“My apologies,” he says with a sniff. “I do believe I will be doing that quite a bit.”

My hand tightens around the glass. Asshole! He’s doing this on purpose!

Anger flickers in my gut. Why is he doing this? Is he not taking this first date thing seriously?

“I need to use the restroom,” I say. I get up and hurry away but I can still feel his gaze on me as I flee.

There are three restrooms: men, women, and family. I consider using the family restroom but all I need is the sink. I walk into the women’s restroom. There are two stalls and two sinks. I splash my face with water. Refreshing as fuck. It cools me down after the heat of the previous moment.

I stand, bracing myself on the sink and exhale.

Can I do this? Can he do this? What if things don’t go well? What if we just keep pissing each other off and it ruins the whole polycule.

Fuck. I need to get ahold of myself. I need to just roll with it.

When I return, our steaks have arrived. I settle in and cut into mine. The knife they gave me is particularly sharp.

Ren ordered his steak rare. It’s red and juicy. He tucks the red meat between his lips, eyes on me, a half smile making his blue eyes dance.

“Is it to your liking?” he asks.

“Perfect.” I eat my piece and it is a symphony in my mouth. Gods, I love this place.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. I’m not sure how to fill it. Which is weird. I’ve never had a problem talking to Ren.

My baked potato hasn’t been cut open. Weird. I take my knife and use my free hand to smush the sides.

“KH-ERRRSZZZHHH!”

My eyes fly up to Ren as he folds his napkin over his face. “HSSShhhRRR! EK’TssZZRRuuuuu!”

He wipes his nose, eyes glassy and wet. He drinks in a sniff and looks at me. His eyes go wide. “Skye--” He reaches over to grasp my hand. My hand that’s covered in blood.

Fuck. I wasn’t watching where I was cutting and sliced it open.

Ren is standing now, grabbing all of the napkins to stem the flow.

“Bathroom,” he says as he helps me stand and guides me along. I'm still stunned as we wind around the bar where a few patrons give us strange looks. Ren pauses to speak with a server. She nods and hurries off.

Ren takes me into the family restroom. There’s a changing table with supplies, a large chair, a bowl sink, and a stall.

Ren sits me on the chair and grabs some brown paper towels.

“Ren, I’m fine,” I say as he presses them to my wound. It’s still bleeding.

Ren sniffles and absentmindedly rubs his nose with his wrist.

“Fuck,” he rasps, drawing back from me. He keeps his hands around my bleeding wound and jerks to the side. “H’REzhu! Hn’ketZZZH!! AK’Tszzzhhh-ieu!!”

My heart swells. I feel something stirring in my chest. Sure, it was hot, but it was more than that. I’m just not sure what.

“Ren, are you okay? Really?”

“Mmm…yes. I, ahm, sprayed cologne on my wrists. Cologne I am allergic to.”

I gasp and smack him. “You cheating ass!”

“I was not cheating. I used resources available to me.”

I roll my eyes. There’s a knock on the door. Ren moves to open it with clean paper towels. He mutters a thanks to whoever it is and closes the door again, now holding a small first aid kit. He sets it on the changing table and starts picking through it.

“Ren, this is really unnecessary.”

“Have you stopped bleeding?”

“No.”

He lets that answer speak for itself. When he comes back to me, he has a packet of bleedstop.

“How does that stuff work?” I ask.

Ren shrugs. “I am certain Leo could tell us the intricacies of it. It seems a simple application.”

The stuff does manage to stop the bleeding but now there’s a powdery mess all over us. Ren is wrapping my hand now, his fingers drifting up to rub his nose every so often. Okay, pretty damn often.

He’s also getting the powder all over his face.

I grab a tissue from nearby and use my free hand to wipe the powder off his cheek. His eyes flick to mine and we stare at each other, still and silent. There’s something unspoken in our eyes. Something broiling on the edge, ready to spill over. Crash down.

His lips move. “Thank you, Skye.”

“No problem.”

The tension is thick enough to make a rope out of. Gods…what am I doing? I love him. I know I do. Why is this so hard? I’m supposed to be pretending I don’t know him. Don’t feel like I could spend every waking moment with him. And I can’t remember why that was a good idea.

His nostrils twitch. And the memory comes back. This is what’s making the date so hard.

He draws in a small sniff, then a short exhale. It’s his softest buildup. The one he does when he’s trying not to make a fuss--trying to fight off the sneeze.

Sniff. Exhale.

Sniff…longer exhale.

Ugh, I can only stand it so long.

I fold up two more tissues and press them to his nose.

Ren looks alarmed but not for long. Tears leak out of his eyes. I feel his nostrils widen under my fingers. The rush of air from his lips in my palm. He tries to pull away, but I jerk him back by the nose and he dissolves into a fit in my palm.

“Hxngsh! H’SHH! Hgnk-EK’tzzzieu!!”

In the back of my mind, my fet brain is freaking out. This is the shit, it says. But feeling him like this, doing something so intimate--that I wouldn’t think twice about doing a year ago…

Pressure hardens in my stomach, and I feel the sting of tears.

I let him grab the tissues to clean up and turn away from him. He finishes wrapping my hand and cleaning us both up.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

I shake my head. I don’t know why I feel so melancholy. Like this date was our last chance. And it’s ruined. We can’t be a normal couple.

Ren finishes cleaning and tossing the trash.

“Ren,” I circle a lock of hair with my finger. “Why did you use the cologne?”

He pauses. Considers. “I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable. I…” he stares down at the medical kit. “I wanted you to want me.”

“We were supposed to be strangers. Have a normal date.”

“I don’t want a normal date.”

I slip off the chair and wobble to my feet, “W-what?” He’s getting emotional. Very emotional. I can see his pained expression in the mirror.

“Skye,” he says, composing himself, “I wish to be with you. I agreed to this date because it is what you wanted. But I would rather be with Skye.” He licks his lips and turns to face me, his eyes a piercing blue. “I cannot pretend I am not in love with her.”

My tears fall and fuck…Ren! Fuck! All I want is to be with him. And he says this? I want to scream. I want to rage. I want to throw the damn medical kit at him and shout Why aren’t we just making out, then??

But instead, I find myself in his arms, kissing him. Kissing him hard--Oh gods his lips taste so good! His hands move up my back and I don’t know how we are suddenly entwined but his lips crush mine, I nip at his lip, I am drinking him in and gods…YES! I love him I love him I love him.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” my voice is barely a whisper but each time I say it, he drives his kisses harder against my neck, my jaw, my lips.

Then, he lifts me up against the wall and shows me how much he loves me too.

#LSSR ship #Ren and Skye #allergies #snz fic #snz #snz tease #whump #caretaking #falling in love #fluff #drama #I love these two and I'm glad they're finally back together #It's going to be fun going on in the future #ZenOcs #mywriting #LSSR

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