Memories (1)

Chapter 1

 “You excited?” Taehyung asks excitedly as he jumps out of the car, grabbing his bag and starts walking towards the entrance of the building.

“A little nervous but yeah I am” Riley follows closely behind Taehyung, looking around her surroundings.

The studio was made from an old home which, funnily enough, was located right across the road from her work. She loved the area as it was a few hundred metres away from the river that was brimming with life, both people and animals. Everyone loved to go to the river to wind surf, paddle board, go fishing, walk their dogs or ride alongside the river and enjoy the peaceful serenity. There were also plenty of bird species that littered alongside and in the river but the most prominent of them all were the black swans that lived there, hence the name the ‘Swan River’. Riley loved to go for walks along the river after work and enjoy the sun setting as she listening to her music encapsulating herself in her own little world.

Riley had seen the art studio from across the road but never imagined she would actually be going inside. Art had always been something that Riley was good at but she was always a perfectionist and constantly put herself down for her work. It was more a hobby and one that she enjoyed playing with from time to time but the idea of going to a class scared her a little as she was always paranoid of people judging her lack of skills.

Taehyung was always the artsy type, constantly drawing, going to art museums, taking photographs and editing them every chance he could. It’s what he lived and breathed, so when the chance came along that he could go to a professional art class made him as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

“You never told me how your meeting went with the photographer the other day” Riley says as they walk through the front door and was greeted by a small elderly woman sitting behind a desk taking a call but smiled brightly at both of them when they entered.

“Oh man it went reeeeaaaally well. The dude has an amazing portfolio and an incredible reputation, not to mention he is hot to boot. Oh I should totally hook you two up, you need a good dicking” Taehyung says casually making Riley choke on her own spit as she flails her hands about quickly looking back and forth between the sweet old lady and her stupid brainless friend just blurting out whatever came to his mind.

“Tae, shut up” Riley smiles through clenched teeth at the old lady and kicks Taehyung’s heel making him yelp.

“Seriously though he is candy for the eyes. I would totally bang him however I have eyes only for the one and only Park Jimin” Taehyung sighs as he flutters his eyes lovingly. Riley gags but fixes herself as the lady ends her phone call and looks at the pair happily.

“Are you two lovelies here for a class today?” the elderly woman spoke with a wobbly voice but they were able to make out what she was saying.

“Yes, my friend Robbie said he was taking the class today” Taehyung said as he bowed to the lady in respect. Despite living in Australia for half his life Taehyung was always one to follow his Korean heritage. He respected anyone and treated everyone kindly, except for Riley that was.

“Oh yes Robbie told me some friends were coming along for a class today, come in come in!” the lady stands up and waves them over to follow her through one of the doors leading to an area where there were large artbooks spread around the room and a table set up at the front where Riley suspects where the teacher will take the class from.

“Take a seat anywhere you like, Robbie won’t be too long. All the materials you need are on this side of the room so help yourself to whatever you need,” the lady pointed to one side of the room where supplies littered the entire length of the room. “If you have your own utensils, you’re welcome to use them as well” the lady gives them a little wave as she made her way back to her station.

Riley and Taehyung started squabbling over where they should sit. Riley wanting to be further away from the front as she didn’t want to grab anyone’s unnecessary attention but Taehyung was so excited he wanted to be front and centre. So with much reluctance Riley sat down next to Taehyung a few metres away from the front of the room and watched as other people started entering the room.

It didn’t take long until the room was almost full making Riley squirm in her seat as she wasn’t particularly fond of big crowds but she managed. Soon after a man in his early thirties walks into the room greeting a few people along the way. He was tall and gangly but held himself well, his shirt and pants were covered in splashes of old dried up paint. Riley smiles at the man as he makes his way over to them, raising a hand as he greets Taehyung who stands up and brings him in for a hug.

“Tae, you made it” the man calls out cheerily as he claps Taehyung on the back.

“Of course, I told you I would come. Robbie this is Riley, Riley Robbie” Taehyung gestures between the two and Riley stands up to shake the man’s hand.

“Thank you for letting us come to your studio, it’s lovely” Riley says as she takes her hand back.

“Why thank you you’re very kind. Now today we are going to be doing some anatomy sketches, our model should be here soon, are you guys ok with nudity?”

“Absolutely!”

“A-ah umm”

Taehyung smiles widely but Riley stutters with her words as she didn’t know what today was going to bring.

“Apologies if it makes you uncomfortable, if it makes you feel better I’ll ask our model to take his shirt off only, is that ok?” Robbie looks at Riley with a sweet smile. Riley can feel her face heating up but shakes her head.

“I’m fine really, I just wasn’t expecting this” Riley rubs the back of her neck nervously.

“Just take it step by step, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Anyway, I better get set up, give me a shout if you need any help with anything” Robbie gives the pair a nod before walking off.

“Tae sweetie, why didn’t you tell me it was this type of class?” Riley slowly looks over to Taehyung who was nonchalantly taking selfies and photos of the room.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t come if I had” Taehyung gives Riley a peace sign and jumps out of the way just in time to miss Riley’s fist connecting with his arm.

“Why you piece of—”

“Good morning everyone, I hope you’ve had a good start to the weekend” Robbie stands up in front of the class silencing everyone in the room making Riley sit up straight in her seat.

“We have one of our favourite model’s come back to grace us with his presence, Jungkook please come in” Robbie calls out to the back of the room where a figure had been leaning casually against the brick wall with his arms crossed. Riley had to stop herself from gaping, the man was absolutely breathtaking.

Riley raked her eyes up and down Jungkook’s form taking in every detail. Jungkook was tall and lean, his shirt clung to his form almost too tight to the point where you could easily see the rise and fall of his chest. He was wearing a pair of ripped jeans that hugged his thighs sinfully where you could see his muscles shift with every movement. His face was almost too pretty, large eyes that held an innocence about them but his dark onyx pupils that had an ominous feel about them. His eyebrows were immaculate and well-shaped for his face and his lips were full and sharp.

Riley watched as Jungkook pushed himself off the wall and started making his way to the front of the room, greeting everyone with a slight nod of his head making everyone swoon.

“Hyung, good to see you again” Jungkook’s voice was lighter than Riley had expected with the way he carried himself but she found that she liked it better than what she had imagined in her head.

“Likewise,” was all Taehyung could choke out as he continued to gape at the man. Riley leaned over to shut his mouth as she didn’t want to be rude to anyone. Riley’s movement caught Jungkook’s attention as she brought her hand to cover Taehyung’s lips who still hung his mouth wide open.

Jungkook locked eyes with Riley making her breath stop, the deep intensity of his gaze made her slightly dizzy but she didn’t dare to look away, almost challenging him to see who would break first. No words were spoken between them but it was almost as if Jungkook was trying to decipher Riley. With a little smirk on his lips he exhales through his nose and nods his head her way before continuing his way to the centre where he turns and leans his backside against the table, leaning back and placing his palms flat on the surface to keep himself propped up.

“That’s the photographer I was telling you about” Taehyung leans over and whispers in Riley’s ear.

“Seriously?” Riley whispers back in surprise to which Taehyung nods his head. Taehyung wasn’t wrong when he said that the man was a sight to behold.

“Perth” Taehyung and Riley say in unison, rolling their eyes in amusement as they sit up in their seats. Perth was one of the most isolated cities in the world and there was a running joke for those who lived here where everyone knew each other from one connection to another.

“Thank you for taking time out of your day to be here with us Jungkook, I know you’re a busy man” Robbie greets Jungkook with a hand shake to which Jungkook happily complies.

“More than happy to help” Jungkook smiles brightly completely changing his demeanour.  

“I’ll go through a few things first before we begin as we have a few new people today” Robbie starts and goes through all the rules and regulations with his classes. Riley can tell that he takes his job seriously and that he loves it with all his heart and soul with the way he talks about art and what it means to him. He asks a few people in the class why they are here and where they want to go with their journey. A few people give simple answers to just have fun while others tell about their dreams of becoming a true artist, all of which Robbie gives his undivided attention to.  

Riley makes sure to turn towards whomever is speaking and gives them her attention however she feels a chill down her spine as if someone is watching her closely. She peeks to the side to find Jungkook looking at her with a tilt to his head, his eyes hovering over her form making Riley lick her lips nervously and swallow deeply. Jungkook keeps his eyes planted firmly but flicks his eyes between her and Taehyung whom is listening to the woman who is currently speaking. Riley clears her now dry throat as she brings her attention back to focus but by then everyone was turning towards the front.

“Alright let’s get started” Robbie makes his way back to his station and gets his pencil ready.

“We are going to start off by just drawing in our own way, I just want to be able to see what your style and skills are like, then I will guide you through ways that can help you improve”

Jungkook looks over to Robbie and nods as he reaches his hands to the bottom of his shirt and lifts it up and over his head. The room was quiet to the point where you could hear a pin drop, everyone’s eyes were drawn towards the man in front of them. Riley didn’t blink once, too afraid to even move as more and more skin became exposed to her, but what she hadn’t noticed earlier were the tattoos that littered Jungkook’s arms and shoulder. The patterns that adorned his skin were skilfully crafted and well executed, the black ink complimenting his pale skin. His left arm was covered top to bottom while his right forearm only had a couple bands that wrapped around his wrist. Some of the ink on his left arm creeped along his collarbone while there was some Japanese symbols on the right side of his ribs.

Jungkook went to unbuckle his belt but Robbie told Jungkook that it wouldn’t be necessary today. Jungkook just shrugged his shoulders as he buckled his belt back up, tugging at his jeans to get more comfortable as he jumped onto the table raking his fingers through his jet-black hair.

“Make yourself comfortable Jungkook, as for everyone else start whenever you’re ready. I’m going to walk around in a few minutes to see how everyone is going.” everyone nods their head enthusiastically as they pick up various utensils, some using charcoal while others used pencils and paints.

Riley looked down and realised that she had yet to get herself anything to work with but she was too petrified to move. Riley looked around as everyone started their work and then back to Jungkook who had shuffled back onto the table. He had his left leg dangling off the edge while the other was bent up with his foot planted firmly on the desk. He leaned his right elbow across his bent knee while the other rested on his thigh casually sitting comfortably. Riley started sweating nervously not knowing what to do but thankfully Taehyung came to her rescue.

“You kind of need something to draw with you know” Taehyung whispers as he reaches over and places a pencil and eraser in her hand giving her cheek a poke.

“Thank you” Riley whispers back, cheeks flushing from embarrassment.

Riley shuffles herself in her seat to get more comfortable. Riley looked intensely at the paper in front of her trying to decide how to start. Riley flicked her eyes towards Jungkook who was looking directly at her. Riley was sitting right in front of him so it was only natural that he would be looking in her direction but the intensity of his gaze made Riley’s face heat up even more. Jungkook raised an eyebrow knowingly which ticked Riley off a little. She takes a deep breath to compose herself as she raised her pencil onto the paper and starts her work.

She kept it simple, starting off with a few circles and lines to give herself somewhat of a guide to fill in the proper proportions of the man laying in front of her. Once in a flow Riley was in her own little bubble, eyes darting back and forth between Jungkook and her work as the drawing started to come to life. Taehyung tried to make little jabs at her here and there but soon gave up knowing that when Riley was in her zone it was hard to break her concentration. Once Riley finished the basic outline of the man she leaned back in her seat and stared at it for a while figuring out the next move.

Riley hummed to herself as she stared at the man sitting on the table whom had started gazing into nothingness, his mind elsewhere. Riley took the chance where she could look at the man easily without his unnerving glare looking directly at her. Riley raked her eyes over the man’s torso taking in the details of his muscular build. He was strong, there was no denying it. Riley has had her fair share of seeing men topless due to her housemates constantly walking around half naked all the time but Riley could tell the difference in their different builds.

Jimin had a smaller frame, his skeletal build more petite compared to Taehyung’s, however his muscular build was more well defined in comparison. Taehyung was tall and had longer limbs which accentuated his features, but his muscular build was not as strong or well defined as Jimin’s.

Jungkook was in a completely different ballpark. He was the same height as Taehyung but he was just as well defined as Jimin, possibly more so. His shoulders were broad and his waist was tiny making Riley silently curse him as she was slightly jealous about it. Riley took her time and started drawing the finer details of Jungkook’s body, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the paper. It was at this point where Riley really started to look closer, taking notice of the ink that painted his skin. Riley squinted her eyes as she tried to picture out exactly what each tattoo was. Rather than drawing the tattoos in she started drawing off to the side, writing notes of which tattoos were located where.

First to note were the Japanese symbols on the right side of his ribs. Riley tried her best to get the symbols correct as she was curious to search up the meaning behind them. The second tattoo was a camera but its style was quite unique and drew you in the more you looked. There were a few splashes that made it look like the ink had been thrown on and was starting to drip from corners of the lens. Riley tried her best to replicate it, writing notes here and there of specific details just in case she forgets later.

Next were the roman numerals that were below Jungkook’s left clavicle and went onto the front of his shoulder; V.XXVI.LXII, Riley was able to figure out the date of them but she didn’t know what it represented, another mystery that she wishes she knew the answer to. Continuing on were the letters G.C.F scribed just below the crook of his elbow. Another mystery and one that had Riley making guesses left right and centre as to what they meant.

Riley could see two other tattoo’s peaking on the back of his left forearm and shoulder, one looked like a pair of horns and the head of an ox and the other looked to be a white tiger however she couldn’t get a clear picture so she left them out. Looking back at her work she looked through her list of notes to see if there was anything missing but after triple checking it was time to fill in the missing pieces to her work.

“You take very good notes” Robbie says behind Riley making her jump in her chair grasping at her chest from surprise. Robbie apologises, chuckling at Riley’s sudden surprise.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, sorry” Robbie says as he squats beside Riley, eyes drawn towards her work.

“It’s ok, I was in my own world” Riley quickly waves him off, face aflame from how embarrassed she felt.

“You’ve got a great eye for detail, this is fantastic” Robbie says hovers a finger over the lines that Riley had created.

“You’re using quite strong strokes too, how bold” Robbie states as looks over to Riley with a smile on his face.

“Should I not be doing that?” Riley furrows her brows together already scolding herself for making a mistake that she didn’t know about.

“Everyone creates art differently and I can see from this that when you commit to something you put everything into it, I admire that” Robbie says as he grabs the pencil behind his ear and flips Riley’s paper over carefully to a new page as to not damage what she has done so far.

“I’m not an artist by any means” Riley mumbles as she watches Robbie scribble out Jungkook’s form with quick, precise lines that were lighter compared to Riley’s but looked cleaner.

“I beg to differ” Robbie says as he continues his little sketch.

“But I—”

“You draw yes?” Robbie buts in, side eyeing Riley with a raised eyebrow.

“Well…yes” Riley fiddles with the pencil in her grip.

“Then you are an artist” Robbie states simply. Riley looks at Robbie and then back at the piece in front of her that had already taken form.

“This is my style, sure I have the skills and experience of a professional but the only difference between you and me is the amount of time I’ve practicing” Robbie puts the pencil away and looks over at Riley with a sweet smile.

“I can adapt to other styles of art but this is the type of drawing I like to do. It’s not perfect but it’s me, that’s all there is to it.” Riley looks at Robbie’s piece and sighs in amazement. He had managed to do all of what Riley had done plus add the details of the tattoos but in a way that seemed just perfect.

“As for you,” Robbie looks at Riley knowingly. “this is you” Robbie flips the paper back over to Riley’s own work and for the first time Riley was looking at it from a new perspective. She had been staring at her work for the past half an hour and was beginning to hate it, but looking at the differences between Robbie’s work and her own made her start to appreciate her skills. There were area’s that needed more work and of course the details of the tattoo’s had yet to be put in place but Riley actually liked what she was looking at.

“Just because we have different styles doesn’t mean you can’t draw, everyone has their own styles and you should embrace yours. Don’t put yourself down Riley you’re doing great” Robbie smiles as he talks but his eyes were on the work in front of them which made Riley’s heart beat hard and strong. For the first time she was genuinely proud of her work.

“Thank you” Riley mouths out to Robbie who smiles once more and pats her on the shoulder.

“Go on, I’m itching to see what the end product will look like” Robbie then stands up and moves on.

Riley couldn’t help the grin on her face grow. No one had ever spoken to her about any of her creations in a way like that. It made Riley determined to keep going, to push herself to learn and grow. Riley looked back to the model who was flicking his eyes back and forth around the room trying to stay as still as possible but every few seconds his eyes would flick back to Riley.

 Jungkook had been watching Riley for a while, there was something about her that just drew him in wanting to know more about the girl. Jungkook let his eyes wonder over Riley’s figure for a while but he couldn’t stop staring at her face. Riley was pretty to say in the least, she had light skin with freckles that littered her arms and speckled her rosy cheeks. Her hair was dark auburn that changed colour in the light. She was small but looked fit which was something that Jungkook truly liked in a girl. What caught his attention the most were the colour of her eyes. Jungkook could look at them for hours and not tire of them. At first glance they looked blue but the longer Jungkook observed he noticed there were hints of green as well.

Jungkook took pride in his looks, he knew the effect he had on people and he enjoyed the attention, most of the time, but today felt different. He is used it, however the way that Riley was looking at him felt different. Instead of the feeling of lust and want that he feels whenever someone looks at him, he feels something else, something that he can’t put his finger on. It makes him want to get inside her head, poke and prod to see what she is thinking.

Jungkook flicked his eyes over to Taehyung whom he had met only a few days ago. There meeting went really well as they clicked right away and there was no awkward conversation and no straight forward flirting either which was new since almost every model Jungkook came across would try to pull some sort of move on him. Jungkook looked at their pair and wondered if they were an item which made Jungkook feel off. He watched on as they interacted with each other constantly bicker and argued over small things, continuously poking one another, more so Taehyung than Riley, but Jungkook could see that they were really close.

 Riley bit her lip unconsciously as she filled in the finishing touches, eyes flicking about the page over and over to see what she could fix. She had to physically stop herself from continuing to touch up anything by forcing her pencil down and holding her hands behind her back to not feel tempted to continue. Riley looked around the room and could see that everyone was finished or just finalising the finishing touches, some showing others their art.

Riley looked over to Taehyung where he was still scribbling away happily. Riley was happy to see her friend having as much fun as he was, she felt warmth spread through her body.

“You know you’re meant to be looking at the man at the front, not me” Taehyung looks over to Riley cheekily wiggling his eyebrows. He loves to make fun of Riley and always makes silly remarks about how Riley secretly loves him and wants to keep him all to herself all of which Riley denies and punches him in response without fail. Today was no exception.

“Shut up you asshat, are you nearly done?” Riley punches Taehyung’s shoulder lightly as she scoots her chair over to look at her friend’s piece.

“Wow Tae, why the hell didn’t you tell me you were this good?” Riley gapes at Taehyung’s work genuinely surprised with the level of skill that he had managed to pull off. Taehyung waves Riley off bashfully and even blushes a little having not expected Riley’s genuine praise.

“I’ve been practicing” Taehyung rubs the back of his neck and he smiles his boxy grin.

“No kidding, seriously this is great” Riley shuffles her seat back to her spot but Taehyung jumps up and sits in her lap side on, wrapping his arms around Riley’s neck as he looks at her work.

“What the hell this is incredible!” Taehyung nearly falls off Riley’s lap as he leans forward, face barely inches away from Riley’s paper.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were THIS good?!” Taehyung exclaims as he looks over his shoulder with a look of bewilderment.

“I’m not that good Tae stop it” Riley laughs as she slaps Taehyung on the back.

“Jungkook look at this!” Taehyung calls out and picks up Riley’s work turning it to face the male. Riley jumps out of her seat trying desperately to grab the sketchbook back but she wasn’t fast enough to react in time.

Riley stands still as she watches Jungkook over Taehyung’s shoulder. Jungkook shift his attention to the pair, eyes landing on Riley’s artwork. Jungkook doesn’t say anything as he pushes himself up, swinging his legs off the table and lands on his feet making his way over and taking the book into his hands. Jungkook looks over the piece slowly making Riley start to sweat nervously, her heart beating fast in her chest.

“Can I take a photo of this?” Jungkook looks up to Riley through his long eyelashes.

“I…huh?” Riley scrunches her face in confusion not sure if she heard right.

“Only if it’s ok with you, I won’t if you don’t want me to” Jungkook shakes his free hand now unsure as to whether he should have asked in the first place.

“No no, it’s ok” Riley steps around Taehyung who was silently holding his breath from excitement wishing that he could record this moment right now.

“You don’t mind?” Jungkook hands back Riley’s sketchbook.

“Not at all” Riley looks down at her artwork and then back up at Jungkook with a big smile on her face. Jungkook just looks at her face and has to stop himself from sighing heavily from how adorable she looks.

“Great, I’ll just go and get my camera…yeah” Jungkook turns to leave the room but remembers he doesn’t have a shirt on so he quickly jogs over to the table grabbing the item of clothing and throwing on as he walks out the door.

“Well well well, looks like you’ve got a fan” Taehyung hugs Riley from behind, lifting her up and twirling her around.

“Taehyung stop it, put me down!” Riley squeals as she’s being lifted off the ground but it was short lived as she’s put back onto her feet.

“You should sell it, he’s got a crazy fanbase you could make quite a pretty buck off this” Taehyung squeezes Riley tighter but she just shakes her head as she looks at her piece.

“I don’t think I could” Riley says.

“Why not?” Taehyung exclaims.

“Because I want to keep it for myself” Riley pouts as she looks over to Taehyung.

“Because you like Mr. Jeon Jungkook ay?” Taehyung whispers into her ear making her unconsciously shiver.

Jungkook runs back into the room but stops halfway when he sees Taehyung all over Riley, holding her and cuddling into her as they sway from side to side. Jungkook’s tongue pokes the inside of his cheek as he makes his way over to the pair, his bag slung over his shoulder. Jungkook clears his throat making sure to smile even though he wants tell Taehyung to get off Riley.

What is wrong with me?

Jungkook shakes his head at himself as he waves at the pair making Riley squirm out of Taehyung’s grasp and elbowing him in the gut.

“Please ignore him, he was dropped when he was a baby” Riley says making Taehyung pout sadly.

“No surprise there” Jungkook cheekily smiles at Taehyung who just flips him off making Jungkook chuckle.

“What’s with the bag?” Riley looks down puzzled, “I thought you were just getting your phone?”

This makes Jungkook chuckle lightly as he shakes his head. Jungkook gestures his head over to the table and walks over placing his heavy bag down and pulling out his camera equipment.

“I have standards” Jungkook looks over his shoulder to look down at Riley who just swallows.

“May I?” Jungkook looks down at the sketchbook to which Riley just nods and hands it over carefully.

“I won’t break it, I promise”

I promise

A familiar voice calls out in Riley’s head making her furrow her brows angrily. Jungkook notices the change in her demeanour but it leaves her face just as fast as it showed. Jungkook wanted to ask but decided against it, turning back to focus on the task at hand.

There was a small crowd forming, everyone watching what the whole commotion was about. Riley took a step back and turned to head back to Taehyung, burying her face into the man’s chest. Taehyung didn’t need to ask knowing full well what was going through her head.

“It’s ok” Taehyung hushes Riley brushing his long fingers through her hair to calm her down.

Jungkook makes quick work, not wanting to hold up the class even more than he has. Jungkook apologises to Robbie but he waves him off as he’s cleaning up his materials reminding his students to do the same. Everyone sighs in unison as they tread back to their stations and starts cleaning up.

“Common we should clean up” Taehyung rubs Riley’s back slowly letting her go. Riley nods her head and silently starts packing her things, making sure not to leave any mess behind.

Riley watches from the sidelines as Jungkook assembles his camera and goes about trying to figure out the best angle for the shot. He opts to climb up the table onto his knees giving him enough leverage to get an overhead shot. Jungkook brings the camera up to his face, one eye shut closed while the other looks down the lens. After taking a few shots and deeming the photos good Jungkook climbs back down from the table putting his camera away safely making sure the equipment is secure before closing the bag and slinging it over his head. Jungkook looks over find Riley and Taehyung picking up their bags to head out the door.

“Riley, your sketchbook!” Jungkook calls out jogging over to hand it back. Riley turns eyes wide and a gentle smile on her face but it was one that didn’t sit right with Jungkook.

“Oh, silly me I nearly forgot thanks” Riley takes back her sketchbook clutching it close to her chest.

“It was nice to meet you” Riley bows and quickly turns on her heel heading straight for the exit leaving Jungkook behind.

“I’ll see you later Jungkook” Taehyung bows to him as well and rushes off quickly following after Riley.

Jungkook stands there with a million questions wracking through his brain. Robbie cuts off his thoughts as he stands in front of him and goes to shake his hand.

“A pleasure to have you here as always, don’t be afraid to pop in and do some artwork yourself” Jungkook thanks him and heads for the door. As he’s climbing down the creaky wooden steps he spots Taehyung and Riley climbing into a car and talking for a bit before the engine starts up. Jungkook walks over to his car and opens the boot where he keeps all of his filming equipment when he travels and places his bag carefully in place before closing it shut. He walks around and climbs into the driver’s seat and revs up the engine but he doesn’t leave, not just yet.

Jungkook looks over to see Riley and Taehyung still sitting there chatting away but it’s too far to properly see their facial expressions. Soon enough the conversation ends and Taehyung goes to leave the parking area, making a quick turn onto the busy highway.

Jungkook sighs as he grabs his seat belt and secures it in before reversing out of his parked spot and follows but turns in the other direction even though every bone in his body wants to follow them to make sure that Riley was ok.

 --

 “We’re home!” Taehyung sing songs as he opens the door where they find Jimin in the living room doing his routine stretches.

“Welcome back, how was it?” Jimin rolls over and hops to his feet making his way over to the pair.

“It was fine” Riley says casually as she moves straight for the stairs wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed for the rest of the day and play some games on her phone to distract herself from her stupid brain.

“She had another incident” Taehyung presses his lips into a thin line.

“I tried talking to her about it but she kept ignoring me, I don’t know what to do” Taehyung looks up towards Riley’s room worry clear on his features.

“Let me try” Jimin squeezes Taehyung on the arm as he walks past to head up the stairs.

“Good luck” Taehyung says but only loud enough for himself to hear as he watches Jimin’s form climb the stairs two at a time and make his way over to Riley’s room where he gently knocks on the door and patiently waits for an answer.

“Come in” Riley’s muffled call comes through the door. Jimin turns the doorknob and slowly opens the door peaking his head through as he looks around the room to find Riley on her bed with her back facing him.

Jimin slips through the small crack and closes the door behind him as softly as possible. The boy makes his way across the room and takes a seat on the mattress, his weight dipping the bed as he swings his legs up and crosses them beneath himself.

“Hey” Jimin makes sure there’s space between them giving Riley time to open up at her own pace.

“Hey” Riley sighs out heavily before rolling over onto her other side so she could face Jimin.

“There’s something wrong with me” Riley says making Jimin shake his head in disagreement.

“It’s been over a year Jimin and I’m still—” Riley huffs out defeated as she brings her palms up to cover her eyes not wanting to cry.

“There is nothing wrong with you” Jimin says as he scoots closer and starts stroking his index finger over Riley’s hairline.

“You went through something traumatic, and there will be times where things can trigger memories. You can’t blame yourself for something that’s out of your control” Jimin continues to stroke Riley’s hair wishing that he could offer more to stop the pain she was feeling.

“It still hurts” Riley chokes as she tries to stop the cries from spilling but can’t stop herself.

“I know” Jimin moves to lay down, wriggling himself closer and tangling their legs together. Jimin then opens his arms when Riley moves in closer, her fists grabbing at his shirt desperate to hold onto anything.

“Please don’t leave me” Riley hiccups as she tries to slow her breathing down.

“I will always be here for you” Jimin hugs Riley closer as he strokes the back of her head and neck.

  Taehyung was frustrated with himself that he couldn’t talk to Riley the way Jimin could. Taehyung knew that they had been friends since high school and that they were extremely close but he still felt a little jealous that Jimin had that sort of connection with someone else. Taehyung huffs as he jumps off the couch as there was nothing on the tv that caught his attention.

He knew that Jimin was never confident with him being in the kitchen since there had been a few incidences where he nearly burned it down but at least he knew that he couldn’t mess up making some tea for Riley and Jimin. Taehyung grabs the electric kettle and fills it up with fresh water from the tap and sets it back, turning it on and letting it warm up.

“Teateateateatea where is it?” Taehyung mumbles to himself as he rummages through multiple drawers and doors as he wasn’t used to the layout.

“Ahah!” Taehyung finds the tea tucked away in the corner of the kitchen and picks out what he believes is Riley’s favourite.

Just as Taehyung pulls everything out he turns off the kettle just before it boils. Taehyung remembers Riley going on and on about specific temperature to which he used to rolled his eyes at because it’s just boiling water it can’t make that much of a difference, but he didn’t want to ruin something that seemed special to her. After debating with himself for a few minutes over how many tea leaves were acceptable Taehyung finally poured the water into the pot and set it on a tray alongside with three little cups.  Carefully Taehyung slides the tray into his arms and carries it over to the staircase where he stops at the bottom looking up at the second floor.

“Don’t drop it Tae you got this” Taehyung breathes out and takes one step upwards, the tray wobbles in his tight grip. Step by step he makes his way up safely onto the second floor and takes a few steps away from the edge to calm his nerves. Taehyung makes his way over to Riley’s room and presses his ear to the door but couldn’t hear anything on the other side. Putting down the tray on a nearby table Taehyung gently raps his knuckles on the door peeping his head through to see Jimin curled up on bed with Riley. A small pang of jealousy ran through Taehyung seeing the pair like that but he quickly scolded himself as this was not the time or place to be getting riled up over this.

“I made some tea” Taehyung gently called out as he picks up the tray and bringst it inside, closing the door slowly with his foot. Riley stirs at Taehyung’s words and raises her head to peek over Jimin’s shoulder.

“What kind?” Riley asks weakly sniffling as she blinks her eyes a few times.

“Silver needle” Taehyung places the tray down letting out a big sigh of relief that he hadn’t spilled a single drop.

“Really?” Riley’s eyes started to sparkle in interest as she pushes herself up into a sitting position with Jimin following suit.

“I’m not sure if I made it right” Taehyung picks up the pot and pours the tea in each cup delicately.

“The fact that you made it already makes it ten times more special” Riley smiles genuinely for the first time since the incident making Taehyung sigh in relief. Taehyung hands Riley a cup first and then one to Jimin who gives him such a tender smile it makes his heart soar. Taehyung and Jimin watch with bated breath as Riley blows on the beverage and takes a tentative sip humming as she swallows.

“This is really good Tae” Riley’s smile grows as she takes a few more sips, gently swaying on the mattress which Taehyung knows it’s a sign of pure delight. Jimin takes a sip of his own and his eyes widen slightly in surprise.

“Looks like you’re the new tea master around here” Jimin gives Taehyung his signature eye smile making Taehyung heart soar even higher.  

“Hey now, don’t forget about me” Riley pouts as she finishes her cup and puts it aside.

“We all know you’re the Tea Queen” Taehyung gets down onto his hands and knees bowing deeply.

“All hail the Tea Queen!” Jimin jumps down and joins Taehyung on the floor.

“Hahaha guys please stop” Riley laughs as she tries to pull the boys by the arms but they wouldn’t budge.

“Long live the Tea Queen” Taehyung raises his arms up and bows down once more.

“Long may she rein” Jimin says but stars laughing as he bows down.

“Oh my god, please arise my loyal subjects” Riley pulls the pair up off the floor and into her bed where she wraps her arms around them.

“Thank you both so much for being here for me, it means more than you know” Riley says through her giggles hugging them close. Jimin and Taehyung reciprocate and wrap their arms around each other. They stay like this for a while before Taehyung’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He wanted to ignore it but whomever it was they were sending text after text and it was starting to annoy him.

“Sorry guys” Taehyung sighs as he pulls the device out of his pocket to shut it off but stops as he looks at the ID sending said messages.

“Who is it?” Jimin lays Riley down letting her head rest in his lap and continues to stroke her hair.

“It’s Jungkook” Taehyung manoeuvres himself so his back is leaning against the wall, bending his legs and keeping the phone close to his chest.

“Ohoh it seems he’s worried about you Riley” Taehyung’s smile continues to grow as he reads the messages to himself. Riley sits up immediately scooting closer to try and read the messages but Taehyung keeps them out of reach.

“Jungkook?” Jimin raises an eyebrow at the mention of his name.

“Yeah, he’s my new photographer I’ll be working with, turns out he does some modelling at the art studio we went to this morning. You should totally see Riley’s work by the way it’s dope, he actually took photos of it because he loved it so much” Taehyung keeps Riley away by shoving his foot into her stomach as she tries to grab at his phone.

“Do you mean Jeon Jungkook? About your height, dark hair, tattoos and piercings all along his ears?” Jimin lists off the man’s features to which both Taehyung and Riley look at him.

“Don’t tell us you know him too” Taehyung says in amazement.

“He’s one of my new students, he’s an incredible dancer” Jimin shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

“See Riley, he’s a multitalented guy who’s super attractive and he’s worried about you. This is a sign!” Taehyung pokes Riley’s side making her squirm.

“I doubt it” Riley mutters to herself as she curls up into a ball.

“He’s a nice guy when you get to know him” Jimin smiles down at Riley and gives her a poke as well.

“He would be perfect for a good hook up! I’ll set everything up” Taehyung jumps up quickly typing away darting left to right as Riley gets up and chases after him.

“No. Tae stop. We didn’t agree to this” Riley grabs onto Taehyung’s arm and pulls but he wouldn’t budge as he types out the last sentence and presses send.

“Tae!” Riley all but cries out slumping to the floor.

“What did you say?” Jimin walks up to Taehyung who flinches and throws his phone towards the man already knowing it would be a losing battle if he tried to keep anything away from Jimin.

“I told him that you were fine, which you are, and that we should meet up for drinks sometime. Jimin you can join us if you’d like” Taehyung says joining Riley on the ground who hadn’t budged.

“Why are you doing this to meeeeeeee? Can’t I enjoy being single?” Riley kicks her legs out and flails about, just the thought of seeing the man again makes her stomach queasy.

“Because you need to move on. In all seriousness I’m not saying you need to suck the guys dick but just spend some time with him, get to know him. Who knows you may make a new friend” Taehyung pats Riley on the back who just glares back at him.

“I kind of have to agree with Tae on this one,” Jimin says whilst reading the messages Jungkook had sent making the others look at him in surprise. “Not the dick sucking part but the part where you could make friends with him. I mean you haven’t really given anyone a chance to become friends with you ever since you and ‘him’ broke up” Jimin knew to tread carefully when bringing up Riley’s ex but he was right, she had been pushing people away.

“I know” Riley deflates.

“We will be with you the entire time and if you really want to call it quits we’ll take you home” Jimin suggests to which Taehyung nods his head sharply. Riley mulls it over in her head thinking of the worst possible outcome but she stops herself knowing how her imagination can blow things way out of proportion.

“Alright fine I’ll do it”

“Yay!” Taehyung calls out in glee and jumps around happily.

“I’m choosing your outfit” Taehyung opens up Riley’s wardrobe and flicks through her clothes.

“Is this really all you have? I gotta take you shopping” Taehyung starts pulling everything off the racks and dumps them onto Riley’s bed.

“Hey!” Riley calls out

“Hush I’m working” Taehyung waves Riley off while he busies himself rummaging through her draws and pulling out pairs of pants and shorts.

“I’ll take care of the makeup” Jimin calls out as he runs out of the room and heads downstairs where he keeps his palettes and highlighters. Taehyung’s phone buzzes once more making him stop in his tracks and picks up the device reading the text.

“Tomorrow is a go people!” Taehyung shouts out happily as he throws Riley a pair of ripped white skinny jeans and a grey top.

“Go put these on, I’ll get other looks together and see which one’s the best” Taehyung picks Riley up and shoves her towards her bathroom. Jimin comes rushing back up the stairs with his makeup kit and starts to unpack.

“This is going to be so much fun” Jimin singsongs as he rummages through the eyeshadows deciding what kind of look he wants to go for.  

“I’m going to kill you guys one day” Riley calls out as she closes the bathroom door behind her.

“We love you too” Taehyung and Jimin call out in unison.

allegiance (kinds of love)

Tony Stark x Reader

Part Five of the Kinds of Love Series

Summary: domestic fluff, submissive tony stark and a phone call from another avenger that forces you to consider just what the relationship is.

Characters/Pairings: tony stark x reader, clint barton

Warnings: the beginnings of sexual situations, sub!tony because damn

Word Count: 4,226

Prequel - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 -

MARVEL MASTERLIST

“Why do you keep buying all of those?”

You shrugged, tucking hair behind your ear. A smile curved your lips as you felt Tony’s hand come to rest on the small of your back. His chest brushed against your shoulder, and he pressed a kiss to your temple by way of greeting before he continued past you. He moved towards your desk, loosening his tie along the way, his jacket already gone. You heard the music you’d had playing change to the first song in a playlist you’d labelled ‘Astro Boy’. You rolled your eyes in amusement.

“I’m thinking about getting them framed.”

Spread out over your comforter was an array of tabloid magazines, each one’s cover emblazoned with a photo of the man currently standing behind you. Most of them had a smaller image superimposed on it as well, and each one of those featured you, either alone or alongside Tony.

A few of them featured shot of the two of you in the aftermath of the battle of New York, screen-grabbed from news reports. It still impressed you how gutsy the journalists who’d stuck around had been. Each shot was slightly blurring from a shaky camera or obscured by broken walls or the back of another Avenger. Regardless, according to the tabloids, the shots apparently painted a picture.

***

You were completely exhausted. You’d still been gaining control over your abilities when Nick Fury had approached you and offered you a role in the Avengers Initiative. You’d been taken aback to hear that SHIELD had been monitoring you since you’d first discovered your psychokinetic powers, but you had signed on all the same. You’d been determined to put your abilities to a use that might actually help someone.

You’d spent the battle on the ground with Steve, Nat and Clint, providing cover for them and for the fleeing civilians. Using your abilities so much had caused a huge power drain; your nose had started bleeding before the portal had been closed and you had one hell of a headache.

You sat sandwiched between Thor and Tony in the shawarma joint the latter had pointed out earlier, one foot planted on your seat. You’d eaten more than you thought you’d be able to and was now picking at your leftovers absently with one hand. The other was tucked against your chest, your wrist bruised and slightly swollen from a bad fall. You could feel blood drying on your forehead, itching your skin, and you wiped at it with the back of your good hand.

Bruce had told you that you needed to see one of the medics treating the wounded, but you’d insisted they needed it more. You could wait. Maybe it was foolish to hold off, but you were the youngest among them by almost ten years, and you didn’t want to seem weak.

Everyone was silent for most of the meal, lost in their own thoughts. You barely looked up from the mess of plates and crumpled napkins in front of you, but you were eventually dragged out of your own fog when Thor asked for the rest of your fries.

You nodded absentmindedly and pushed the plate over to him, wrapping your good arm around your knee. He offered you a smile by way of thanks, and you gave him a tired one in return. Movement to your left dragged your eyes away from the God beside you; Tony had just tossed a balled-up napkin onto the table, leaning back in his seat. His eyes were focused on nothing, but his gaze was weighted, his face drawn.

You’d barely spoken to the billionaire in the few days you’d known him, but despite his jokes and cavalier request for shawarma, you could tell he wasn’t as relaxed about what had just happened as he was pretending. You chewed your bottom lip for a moment uncertainly, before leaning over to speak quietly to him.

“Hey,” you murmured, and Tony jerked slightly, as if you’d pulled him from thoughts of his own. He turned his eyes to you, and there was a hollowness to them that made you clench your good hand, nails biting into your knee. Bruce glanced at the two of you at the sound of your voice briefly, before his eyes returned to his plate. “Are you okay?”

Tony didn’t speak, but he offered you a small, wan smile. His hand reached over to you under the table, giving your thigh a gentle, reassuring squeeze. You smiled back before returning your eyes to the table.

***

The friendly gesture had never been considered as anything else, not by you or any of the other Avengers as far as you knew, but now the tabloids were using it as proof of a secret affair between you and Tony Stark while he was still involved with Pepper.

Other magazines had paparazzi shots of the two of you on the streets of Manhattan as civilians – if you could ever consider Tony one of those. These were often declared secret dates and rendezvouses, even though they were stops at Starbucks for coffee or a deli for sandwiches, rather than the traditional five-star venues Tony typically took his dates to. You’d been seeing Tony for almost two months now, but while the others living in the compound were aware that you spent more nights in Tony’s room than your own, you were both keeping it private.

Still more magazines featured pictures of you on the compound grounds, taken from the front gates with a long-range lens. These articles usually declared you a live-in mistress. Each cover bore salacious headlines in bold print:

A SUPER ROMANCE?

WHILE CAP’S AWAY, STARK WILL PLAY

IS BARRICADE A SUGAR BABY?

Your personal favorite featured a picture of you leaving a doctor’s office after renewing a prescription:

IRON DADDY: ARE THE SUPERHEROES EXPECTING?

You’d been collecting the tabloids each time you’d left the compound over the last couple of weeks, after a few of your classmates had brought them to your attention. Your role as an Avenger, but like Bruce and Clint, you preferred to try and keep your two lives separate. Still, most of your classmates knew about your extra-curricular activities, and no problem addressing it. You’d barely made it into the lecture hall one Tuesday morning before a girl you barely knew had thrust a magazine clipping into your hands, demanding to know if it was true.

The article had claimed that the two of you were secretly married.

“Why exactly would you want to frame them?” Tony asked in amusement, and you felt his body brush against your back, his breath feathering over the side of your throat. The media’s interest in a relationship neither of you had even defined to each other had become a running joke between the two of you.

“Kind of like a Media’s Greatest Misses type deal,” you explained. “There’s leftover pesto in the fridge from lunch if you’re hungry.”

“Mmm…” Tony kissed your cheek again. “You mean you aren’t… ‘Hot for Teacher’?” he asked teasingly, pointing past you at one of the magazines. The inset photo featured the two of you on the N.Y.U. campus, grabbing lunch during one of his visits as a guest lecturer.

“How could I be? You weren’t even my teacher,” you pointed out, rolling your eyes. His hand withdrew, taking a place on your hip. “I don’t even belong to that department. Which they’d know if they did any amount of actual research.”

“Shame.”

“My lack of a lab coat or the teacher thing?” you asked, watching his reflection in the mirror above your bed. “You can’t seriously be into the whole naughty school girl thing, Tone. It’s so… cliché.”

“School girls? Please, give me some credit.” He shook his head, a smirk on his lips. “You in a sinfully tiny skirt, on the other hand…”

You felt his other hand glide over your backside, and you laughed. “Yeah? Well, you’ll just have to deal with the sweats.” Undaunted by that, his hand gave you a teasing squeeze. “You’ve been home for like five minutes, Tony.”

“But I’ve been gone all day,” he said with an exaggerated pout, meeting your eye in the mirror. He held your gaze as he lowered his lips to your neck, brushing his lips against the edge of your jaw. They tickled below your ear, his teeth catching the earlobe briefly before his voice rumbled intimately against your skin. “Didn’t you miss me?”

Your breath caught slightly, and you exhaled shakily as his chest brushed against your back. “Is that all I am to you, Mr. Stark?” you teased playfully, bending down to tap one of the covers with your finger. “An in-house booty call?”

“Course not, that would be wrong.” He assured you, stepping past you with a smirk. He picked up another tabloid and tossed it towards you. You caught it hastily. “Apparently, you’ve moved in because you’re my illegitimate child.”

“Ew, Tony. Ew,” you groaned, tossing it back down onto the bed, nose wrinkled.

Tony laughed, pushing tabloids to the side so he could flop down onto the duvet. You rescued a few that he missed quickly, scooping them into a pile and carrying all of them over to your desk. You turned back to find Tony smirking cockily up at you, ankles crossed and his hands tucked comfortably behind his head.

“What are you doing in here anyway?”

“This is my room, Tone,” you pointed out with a small smirk of your own. You leaned back against the desk, folding your arms over your chest. “Where else would I be?”

“Couldn’t find you when I got home,” Tony said with a pout.

Your smile grew, and you arched a brow. “I’m in my own room. How hard could you have looked?”

“Guess I just got used to you being in mine.”

You couldn’t help the blush that rose in your cheeks, and you bit your lip to quell your smile. “Is that a good thing?”

“Haven’t had a complaint so far,” Tony said affectionately, holding out a hand. “C’mere.”

You closed the distance between you and the bed and took his hand in your own, enjoying the warmth of his slightly calloused skin against your palm. He wrapped his fingers around your own and tugged you closer, so you bent down to press a quick, gentle kiss to his mouth, you other hand tickling his jaw. You pulled away after a moment, butterflies in your belly. “How was work?”

Tony’s expression fell slightly, a tiredness blossoming in his dark eyes. “Complicated. Ross still has a lot of hoops he’s trying to get me to jump through.”

You frowned, brushing your fingertips over his cheek. The Sokovia Accords had been signed by you and Tony both, as well as everyone else who’d fought alongside him at the airport, short of Peter and T’Challa (neither of them were official Avengers after all, and Peter had an identity to protect), and between Stark Industries obligations and his charity work, Tony was spending a lot of his time being harassed by Ross. He’d spent more than a month doing initial damage control to try and lessen the consequences Ross had decided upon for the others; he’d spent a lot of time working to get deals for Clint and Scott in particular so they could see their families.

“You should let me help,” you said softly, rubbing circles into the back of his hand. “I signed the Accords too, Tone.”

He squeezed you hand appreciatively, offering you a small smile. “Always looking out for me.”

“Someone’s got to,” you replied. Tony chuckled lightly, drawing the back of your fingers up to his lips. He kissed them softly. “But seriously, folks. I want to help. They’re my friends too.”

“Noted.”

“Tony…”

“Hey, I promise.” Tony assured you earnestly, kissing your hand again. “Ross might be an asshole, but you’re still one of the founding Avengers, no matter your age. And if he doesn’t listen to you…” Tony smirked mischievously. “…I’ll kick his ass.”

“Aw, baby! You’d do that for me?” You asked, affecting a girlish, teasing tone.

Tony’s smile widened into something more open, more genuine. “Did you just call me baby?”

You paused. “Have I… have I not done that before?”

He shook his head slowly, the curve of his lips warm and almost triumphant. “Not once. The closest I’ve gotten is an exasperated ‘Tone’.” His tongue darted out to wet his lips quickly. “Say it again.”

“It’s not always exasperated.” you blushed, biting your smiling lip.

“Are you really going to hold out on me, sweetheart?”

You pretended to consider that, slowly raising your leg and slinging it over his hips. You lowered yourself onto his lap; Tony’s hands immediately found your thighs, smoothing over the worn fabric of your sweats. “Maybe I’m just waiting to see what happens when you’re not expecting it.”

“Really, now?” Tony’s hands moved to your waist as he looked up at you with those melted-chocolate eyes. You bent over him, bracing yourself with one hand by his shoulder. He arched his neck to meet your lips with his own, but you held back, brushing your nose against his in a teasing eskimo kiss.

“Really. You’re not the only one who gets to call the shots, Iron Man.”

The smallest of groans rumbled in Tony’s throat at the suggestion in your tone. His fingers flexed on your waist. Still, in true Stark fashion, he pulled back until his head rested on the pillow again and fixed you with a mocking smirk despite the curiosity burning in his eyes. “Are you really trying to intimidate me while you’re wearing sweatpants?”

You took your time before answering, straightening up again. Your eyes avoided his idly, watching your fingers as you slowly unfastened the top three buttons of his shirt. You watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, smug to see it shudder slightly as you ghosted your fingers over the skin you’d just revealed. You bent down again to press a teasing kiss to the base of his throat, your teeth grazing his skin before you moved to whisper in his ear.

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what was underneath.”

The adam’s apple in Tony’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, and you felt the length of him twitch beneath you. His hands tightened on your waist possessively, as you traced your fingertips down his chest. You lingered at his sternum, caressing the arc reactor’s scar for a moment before undoing the rest of his shirt and tugging the hem out of his pants.

His hands moved around to take hold of your backside, and you smacked them away. “Did I say you could touch?”

Tony shook his head slowly, eye alight with intrigue. He removed them slowly, holding them up in surrender.

“Then don’t,” you said, voice firm.

You’d seen the suggestion of Tony’s submissive side a few times, but you’d never had the chance to explore it. You didn’t exactly have a lot of experience being dominant, but the newfound lust darkening his gaze and the way you could feel him hardening beneath you made something inside you flutter. And the idea of watching Tony come undone was a heady thought.

You took hold of his wrists and guided them up above his head. You held them there as you leaned in to speak in his ear, teasing the lobe of it with your teeth for a second before you did. “Keep them there, baby, or I’ll have to make you.”

Tony groaned headily, his hips rising into yours. You weren’t sure what had done it for him more – ‘baby’ or the promise of bondage – but you could feel the length of him against your thigh and you nipped playfully at his neck in response, your breath warm on his skin. Pressing a kiss to the corner of his jaw, you sat back again, scraping your nails down his stomach to tease the soft hair below his navel.

You rolled your hips languidly against his, giving him a breathy moan as you watch his eyes roll back. Your fingers came to rest on his belt, and you unbuckled it slowly, eyes on Tony’s face. His teeth were buried in his lip, his expression a mix of anticipation and pleasure that made you tighten.

Tony’s fingers twitched, and his hands clenched as you continued your slow grind against him. You smirked, lowering yourself to bump your nose against his again, denying him the kiss he once again tried to claim. Instead, you peppered kisses down his throat, your teeth teasing the curve of his collarbone. You sucked a bruise into a pectoral, and Tony’s hands flexed again, a groan catching in his throat. His hips bucked up into yours, his eye closing.

“Hey, eyes on me, baby,” you ordered playfully, pulling his belt out of the loops of his pants and tossing it to the other side of the bed. Tony’s eyes opened, his pupils blown, and you rewarded him by finally giving him the kiss he kept reaching for. It was quick, your tongue barely brushing over his lips before you whispered in his ear again. “Good boy.”

“Fuck, sweetheart…” Tony moaned. His fingers were curled in the pillow, gripping it so tightly you could see the muscles cording in his forearms. You smoothed your hands over them feeling the way each one bunched under his skin. “You’re killing me here.”

You grinned, rolling your hips against his in a steady rhythm, your hands braced on his bare chest. “But what a way to go, right, baby?”

“Kiss me? Please, Y/N…” Tony almost whimpered, and the expression on his face made something inside you quiver.

“Oh, anything when you say ‘please’, Tony,” you whispered with a cocky grin, leaning down slowly.

You jumped before your lips met, the loud ring of your phone catching you off-guard. You almost ignored it, but the tone was the one you’d assigned to each of the original Avengers team. Considering you and Tony were the only ones currently still… avenging, you scrabbled to check the Caller I.D. You’d been hunting for some sign of Nat and Steve and the others for months.

You straightened immediately when you saw the name pop up on your screen. “It’s Clint!”

Tony sighed, still trapped underneath you, but nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Tony…” you raised an eyebrow despite being torn about your current situation.

“Y/N,” he said pointedly. How he managed to look exasperated with you while pinned between your thighs, half-undressed and hard. Still, he knew perfectly well that you had FRIDAY monitoring the news and blogs to try and locate the rest of the team, and while Tony was more skeptical about their return, he hadn’t made any move to discourage you from trying. Clint had been your only link to those who’d fought on Cap’s side, but aside from your reports on Rhodey’s recovery, he’d largely ignored your messages. “Just answer it.”

“You’re the best, baby,” you told Tony, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before swiping to answer. It was a video call, and you grinned widely as Clint’s face appeared on your screen. “Clint! Hi!”

Clint looked about as tired as he always did, but the smile he gave you was genuine and warm. He was slouched comfortably on the couch, his hair mussed by the cushions. You felt a small pang seeing his face; Clint’s radio silence was understandable, but it had still stung. He was the most easy-going out of the team, and he’d been the first one you’d actually bonded with, so losing that connection with him had been one of the biggest blows after the fight at the airport.

“Hey, kid. Long time.”

“I noticed,” you said, fighting the urge to roll your eyes as you noticed Tony tucking his hands behind his head. “How are you? Are the family okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, they’re fine.” Clint said, running a hand through his hair. “Laura’s picking the kids up from school.”

“And you?” you asked awkwardly. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, you know,” he shrugged. “House arrest gets boring quick.”

“Clint…” you felt Tony shift underneath you, and you glanced past your phone to see him rubbing his eyes. You reached down to squeeze his thigh sympathetically. And while he didn’t move his hand, he did give you a weak, grateful smile.

“You’re not alone, are you?”

You sighed and shook your head; you’d barely looked away for a second or two but of course the archer had noticed.

“Tony’s here. Want to say hi?” you suggested weakly, and Clint’s expression hardened slightly.

“I’m good.”

“Clint.”

“I was hoping this was going to be a private conversation.”

“By all means, Barton.” Tony spoke up, classic Stark bravado in place. “I’m a little caught up at the moment, but I could cover my ears and hum.”

“I’ll take it in the hall, Tony,” you replied dryly, pressing the phone screen to your chest as you clambered off of his lap. Best not to give Clint a show – you were pretty sure that Rhodey was still coming to terms with the one Tony had given him.

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

Tony swatted your backside as you left, and you made a point to roll your eyes at him and mouth ‘stay’ before closing the door behind you. Once out in the hall, you held your phone up again, leaning against the wall. “That was rude, Clint.”

“You might have told me he was in the room.”

“You might have returned a text or two,” you shot back. You were elated that Clint was finally talking to you again, but you didn’t need to listen to the two of them snipe at each other like fifteen-year-old girls.

“Right.” Clint sighed apologetically. “I’m sorry, kid, I’ve just been…”

“Bitter?”

“That’s a word for it.”

“Clint, I’m sorry about what happened at the airport,” you said. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t agree with Steve. And I’m sorry that you got dragged out of retirement for it. But I’m pretty sure you’re the guy who told me you’re supposed to fight for what you believe in.”

“I do talk a lot of shit, don’t I?” Clint joked weakly, and you smiled.

“I’m pretty sure you were talking about our Super Smash Bros. tournament at the time.”

“I still think playing as Diddy Kong was a cheap move.”

“Well, you said you were sick of me playing as Pikachu.”

“You sided with Stark.”

It took you a moment to register the abrupt change in conversation. You slid down the wall until you were sitting, your knees bent in front of you. “I chose the side I thought was right. Signing the Accords seemed like the right thing to do. To keep us all together.”

“Didn’t really work, did it?”

“Steve’s the one who left, Clint,” you pointed out. “He’s the one who gave up on the team.”

“And Tony?”

“What about him?”

Even through the camera, you could see Clint studying you with those eyes that never missed anything. “I read a lot. Not much else to do once the kids are out and the work is done.”

“Yeah? You finally check out The Hunger Games, Katniss?”

“You and Tony…”

You sighed. “You really listening to the tabloids, Clint?”

“I know what Tony can be like…”

“So do I.”

“Y/N, I’m just trying to—”

“To what?” you asked, irritated. “Look out for me? You’ve been ignoring me for months, Clint. The only time I hear from you is when I let you know how Rhodey’s doing, and even then, its barely a sentence. You can’t suddenly decide to start caring again just because you don’t like what you read in some trashy magazine.”

“So, you know what they’re saying?”

“Of course, I do. I don’t live under a rock.”

“And is any of it…”

“True?”

“Kid—”

“I’m not a kid, Clint. I’m an adult. And what happens between me and Tony is between me and Tony.”

The archer sighed, rubbing his neck. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“And neither does he,” you replied, completely sure. “Besides, I can take care of myself. I learnt from the best.”

Clint gave you a small smile at that. “Cheers, kid.”

“I was talking about Nat.”

“Rude.”

You could hear a door open on his end, followed by shouts and a stampede of footsteps. Clint looked up as one of the kids called out a greeting to him. “You should go.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Look out for yourself, alright?”

“Always do. Say hi to Laura for me, okay?”

“I will.”

“And Clint?” you added. “Don’t be a stranger. Please.”

He gave you a small, affectionate smile at that. “I miss you too, kid.”

The call ended and you sighed, tucking your phone into your pocket. Standing slowly, you pushed hair back from your face. Steadying your breath, you turned and opened your door again.

You were taken by surprise to find Tony standing on the other side of it – undoubtedly he’d heard your conversation with Clint. He didn’t say a word though, no snarky comment. Instead, he closed the distance between you, cupped your face in his hands, and kissed you.

.

.

.

tags: @lovely-dreamer19 @spacesuitsforemergency @wittyforachange @wefracturedmotivation @january-echoes @glossyloner @fandoms-pizza-wifi-ym13 @magnificentmariposa @lol-you-thought @mikariell95 @csigeoblue @abrunettefangirlnerd

Daddy Issues: John Wick/Reader Part 4 - Melting in your vice dreams

I can give you what you want I can make your heart beat, short I can make you ice cream We could be a sweet team - Ice Cream,  New Young Pony Club

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

It’s the weekend, so you have time to yourself, and do not have to visit The Wick household. You are a little sad about it you must admit, having grown used to your routine over the couple of weeks you’ve been working there.

Your day usually starts with a coffee that John makes you from his expensive machine. As you sip it you get to watch him prepare to leave the house, combing his dark hair back in the mirror, straightening his tie. Even searching frantically for keys which you hand to him with a small smile. He thanks you gratefully, kisses Connor on the head then runs out of the house in a cloud of that now familiar blend of wood and flowers that both comforts and flusters you.

You’ve think you must be imagining the longing look in his eyes when he leaves you, or the relieved smile when you tell you and Connor have had a good day. He’s given you his phone number and you’ve started to send him photos throughout the day. Connor smiling as he goes down the slide, the two of you enjoying ice cream floats.

Next time we’ll have vegetables, I promise!  You caption it.

John stares at those photos a little more than he should, noticing your hair, blown by the wind, slightly messy over your eyes, the laughter clear on your face, the smear of ice cream on your lips that he yearns to lick away. He tells himself he’s doing a good job of getting over his attraction to you, ignore it, then it will go away.

You feel at a little loose end with the whole weekend stretching ahead of you, but since the sun is shining, you decide to make the most of it, putting on a bikini and setting yourself up in the yard, an iced tea and a stack of books beside you to keep you amused.

You doze in the sunshine, having a lovely fantasy about your employer. You imagine what would have happened if you’d kissed him that very first day you’d met. If you’d pulled the lollipop from your lips and said;

“Mr Wick? I’m your new lover…”

Then pushed him inside and kissed him with your sweet sticky mouth, licking at the tempting seam of his lips. You feel yourself growing hot, imagining the weight of his tongue in your mouth, his big hands stripping you of your clothes...

“I’m so sorry I know it’s your day off…”

You think the low rumbling voice is in your daydream at first, but then you crack open your eyes and see Mr John Wick standing over you, you yelp and sit up, knocking your iced tea over.

It soaks into the grass and he kneels to right the glass, a futile endeavour. On his knees, John is level with your eyes and you stare at him, still a little dazed and doubting he is really there.

He is wearing what you now fondly call ‘lazy dad get up’. Dark jeans cling to his strong legs, wrinkled shirt, and mussed hair, free of the gel he uses on work days.

“What….are you doing here?” you ask, falteringly.

John pushes himself up off his knees. His eyes run over your body, and you remember you are only wearing a bikini.

Not one to be shy you spread your long legs out and arch up your chest to his eager eyes.

I’ll give him something to stare at.

John’s eyes are huge and he moves away in an effort to stop leering. He sits down on a garden chair and you look at him questioningly.

“Is there a reason you’re at my house, Mr Wick?”

“Yes, forgive me for disturbing you. It’s Connor, he has a cold and was fussy last night, asking for you.”

Your heart softens smile gently at John, your hands itch to touch him, you want to throw your arms around him and let yourselves find comfort in each other. But of course, you don’t.

“Why didn’t you just call me?” you’re curious, rather than accusatory, stunned that he has gone out of his way to come to you, a little embarrassed, and just a tiny, tiny bit hopeful that it means he likes you more than as just his employee.

John looks bashful. “Actually...he’s waiting in the car...wouldn’t settle until you came out for ice cream.”

He looks so imploring, child like himself, that even if you wanted to, you couldn’t possibly resist.

You stand up. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

John clears his throat, looking you up and down. “Maybe...if you don’t want to cause a major accident, you should put a few more clothes on?”

“Oh right...yes…” you giggle, pretending to cover yourself up demurely, but really you are celebrating a victory internally at his discomfort. “I’ll slip into something else…”

You bound inside and pull a white sundress over your bikini. It shows off the freckles on your shoulders and is sinfully short. What the hell, it’s my day off, I need John to remember that.

Once you’re back at the car, you hug Connor, who sniffs into your neck and whines about his cold. You sit holding his hand in the backseat while John drives you to the ice cream parlour, and by the time you’re there he has forgotten his sickness, bounding inside like a rocket.

John watches him go, a little quiet and pensive and you glance to him.

“Are you okay?”

He glances back to you, and you can see his walls, ready to come up at any moment. You lean forward before that can happen, rubbing the top of his arm, his shirt soft under your thumb.

“You can talk to me..”

John sighs a bit, his eyes flicking to check on Connor who is making friends with the staff, tasting every flavour of ice cream.

John sits with you at the table, ordering a coffee and telling you to get whatever you want, on him of course.

“I just...I have to admit, I felt a little upset...that he was asking for you. Usually all he wants when he’s sick is me…”

You reach across the table, patting his hands which are clenched together in a tight grip.

“You’re his Dad. He does want you first. I’m just new...a novelty. You’re the permanent thing in his life and you always have been, always will be.”

John looks down to where your hand lays top of his, then moves his own to keep it there.

“Thank you...I know but still...I felt a little...jealous…” he doesn’t specify of what, so you are left wondering.

The waitress brings John’s coffee and your dish of ice cream.

John snorts with sudden laughter “What the hell is that?”

“A banana split!” You say, in mock outrage. “You never had a banana split John?”

“I never had something so ridiculous looking, no.”

You pick up the cherry from the top and suck it into your mouth and John’s smile fades.

You shove a spoonful of ice cream into your mouth and moan. “Oh my god...it’s so good…”

John shifts a bit in his chair. “Glad you...are enjoying it…”

“Try some…” you offer a full spoon to him and he shakes head, looking suspicious.

“I don’t think so.”

“What are you on a diet?” You tease and he glares a bit.

“I watch what I eat. I’m not as young as I was...things don’t burn off as easily.”

He pats his stomach and you roll your eyes. You love the way he looks, dad tum included, but of course you can’t say that.

“Then you mustn’t be doing the right things to burn them off…”

John gives you a heated look.

“You’ve got cream...on your mouth…”

“Oh?” You stick your tongue out, trying to guess wildly where.

John sighs, sounding long suffering and moves his hand from yours, up to your mouth, wiping the side of your lips with his thumb.

You freeze, the feeling of his thumb on your lips is devastating.

“Did you get it all?” you practically whimper.

“Not...really…” John’s voice in turn has turned unearthly, lower than you’ve ever heard it. It drags along your skin, sending every nerve ending singing in its wake.

He reaches to hold your chin still with his thumb and forefinger, then swipes the entire curve of your lips with a long index finger. You stay stock still, drowning in his dark eyes as they focus on your mouth, like it is an heroic task he has to complete.

You’re trembling, and you don’t like it, so you let the tip of your tongue flick out, touching his finger. John pulls his finger back as if burnt, but keeps his grip on your chin a moment longer.

“There...now you’re clean.”

You feel far from it, when he leans back in his chair you have to cross your legs in an attempt to stop the throbbing between them.

Connor is giggling with the waitress, his runny nose forgotten, and the shop fills with a pleasant ambience of families talking and laughing together. Amongst it all, sits John, sipping his coffee, appearing unaffected by your closeness, glancing to his son every now and again, then back to you, an unreadable expression in his soft brown eyes.

“I should go...leave you to your day…”

John frowns, displeased. “Of course...you must have plans...meeting your..boyfriend, girlfriend?”

You shake your head at his clumsy question, how can he be this age and not know how to ask that?

“I’m not seeing anyone”

“That’s...surprising…” John replies “You’re...I mean...you’re smart...attractive.”

You smirk a bit at him. “Thanks. I just haven’t found anyone...up to my standards yet.”

John raises his eyebrows “It’s good to have high standards, as long as they’re not impossible?”

You tick off your fingers “They should be intelligent, have their shit together, of course hot...and most of all..know how to handle me.”

John looks intrigued “You’re hard to handle?”

You shrug. “A little, people just need to know how to put me in my place.”

“You’re a softy with Connor.”

“Yeah well….fully grown up they’re a different story.”

“That’s because you’ve dated boys...you need a man.”

John answers quickly, before he can think properly, and as soon as the words are out he knows he said too much.

You watch the doubt settle in on his face after such a firm pronouncement, and decide to torture him even more, in revenge for touching you so erotically, for turning you on with nowhere to go.

“Oh yes?” you say in a sultry, teasing voice “And you know what I need, Mr Wick?”

He grunts, feeling he’s placed one step onto a burning path, and the only way out is to keep going.

“Maybe I do….I’m much older than you...I know better…”

You laugh at his teasing tone, loving the banter between you.

“I’m not your child, John, and besides, you’re not old, you’re just...seasoned…”

He barks a laugh, holding a hand to his chest in mock offence “Like...a piece of meat? Is that how you see me?”

You flush, he winds you up like no one else, leads you to say things you don’t mean, things that aren’t carefully controlled and passed through your filter first. He makes you feel raw and open, and you realise you like it and hate it at the same time.

“Actually...far from it…” you attempt to explain and he leans forward with rapt interest.

“You know I...have a lot of respect for you.”

John breathes deeply, nodding “That’s a good thing, thank you. Not sure what I’ve done to deserve it but thank you anyway.”

“It’s the way you are with Connor...if you want to know...the way you quote books at me that I’ve never read and make it sound like poetry...the way you make me a coffee every morning just how I like it….”

John is staring at you, amazed. “I didn’t realise you noticed me that much, if at all.”

“I’d have to be blind not to, Mr Wick.” you say, soft and playful, trying to pull the conversation back from the edge of danger.

“So you like working for me then?”

“I do. Not saying I couldn’t do with a raise but still…”

John lets out a laugh, the tension broken, and taps the side of your bowl.

“Just eat your banana split and be grateful….”

You eat the rest carefully, making sure not to make a mess that John might have to clean up, although you long for him to touch you again, to lick your mouth clean with his tongue.

Connor is high on sugar, bouncing around between the two of you as you walk outside.

John turns to you, shoving his hands in his pockets where they can’t cause any trouble.

“I’ll take you home. I’m sorry we messed up your day like this.”

“I enjoyed it.” you say simply, feeling a dread in your stomach at leaving him, of going back to your house alone.

You sit in the passenger seat this time, and you know it’s all your head, but the air between you and John seems charged, the heat between you almost tangible.

You thank him for the ride and he shakes his head dismissing your words. He lifts the strap on your sundress which has fallen down your arm, pushing it back onto your shoulder gently.

You’re about five seconds away from climbing onto his lap and begging him to fuck you in his car, but then you remember there is a child in the backseat and feel ashamed.

“I’ll see you Monday?” You ask in a rush, opening the car door with haste.

He leans over the seat to watch you go, and you put an extra swing in your hips for his benefit as you walk away.

Early Warning Chapter 5

Riley spent the next morning keeping Ben company while Reed studied Sue and Johnny. First, she put on some music to help her think. Her playlists included things for cleaning (solid AC/DC and metal, cleaning sucked, right?), cooking (always a pleasure so Imagine Dragons and Hozier), and writing (depended on the topic). She clicked up the cooking playlist and began.

First on the agenda was finding a better way for Ben to eat. Already half of Reed’s silverware was mangled. Sadly his massive hands and newly acquired strength weren’t made for regular utensils. She was ignoring the amount of shattered drinkware.

As she cooked him a full breakfast complete with fresh squeezed orange juice, she contemplated the dilemma. Searching the drawers in Reed’s kitchen, she shocked Ben with a happy squeal. She held up a large cooking spoon, a meat fork, and a butcher knife and did a happy dance as Ben chuckled.

“Nearly as ingenious as your brother, lil sis.” His gravelly voice offered as he took his new set of flatware. He smiled as he used them for the first time on her well prepared breakfast. She followed up the first discovery by giving him a plastic pitcher full of orange juice.

Riley felt accomplished and extremely proud. One issue down. Around 1,000 more to go.

They sat and joked about past visits, killing time until Reed’s attention would focus on Ben’s turn in the petri dish. They were leaning over the photo album Riley carried with her everywhere and reminiscing about the past. It was filled with photos of her and Reed throughout the years. Their parents and Ben were also featured prominently. So engrossed with laughter at some of the passing years’ memories brought to the forefront by the pictures, they didn’t notice when the others joined them.

“What are you two so fascinated over?” Reed asked, taking a look over Riley’s shoulder. “Dear God, put that away.” His voice was heavy with embarrassment.

“Come on, Reed,” Ben chuckled, his mood vastly improved by the morning with his adopted little sister’s company. “Not ALL the pictures are embarrassing. The one at Riley’s graduation is pretty decent.”

“It’s at the very end of the book.” Reed protested. Sue and Johnny were looking far too interested for his sanity.

Riley giggled, “Look, big brother, no one picked out those clothes for you.” She rolled her eyes at his silent pleading. “I’ll put it away.” She stashed it in a nearby drawer. “How was whatever it was that you were doing?”

Reed launched into an explanation that she had no hope of understanding. In fact, aside from Sue, she doubted anyone else present in the kitchen could hope to keep up with her brother’s scientific mumbo jumbo. While he kept blathering on, she set about making the others breakfast. Frying eggs, sausage, bacon, toasting bread and squeezing oranges for more fresh juice. She hip checked Ben to reach for the butter. She didn’t realize that she had a captive audience. Johnny watched while Riley flitted around the kitchen, smiling as she practically danced while keeping the breakfast cooking. Her brother kept talking about his findings, but like him, she showed little interest. When she bumped her hip against Ben’s, he wished she was touching him.

Putting plates, glasses, and non-destroyed silverware in front of the three of them, she filled their plates and poured juice. Reed stopped talking when he noticed his full plate. While losing himself in the excitement of his research, he hadn’t noticed his sister fixing breakfast.

“Looks wonderful, Riley.” He offered, taking up his silverware. The first bite made him make an almost inhuman moan. “I forgot how good your cooking is, good God.”

Smirking she leaned against the counter. “Now that he’s quiet,” she glanced at the others. “Dig in!” They did and she felt that at least she’d kept them fed.

Johnny took a bite and had to hold back his own moan. Damn, how did she make regular breakfast food taste so amazing? He wondered what other talents she had and flashed to the night before-the bathroom, her wet- He felt a sharp poke in his side. Sue had pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What?” He glared at his sister. She pointed at his hand, it was steaming, as was the rest of him. “Shit.” He dropped the fork before he could melt it.

“Having some steam thoughts, flame boy?” Ben gave a gravely chuckle.

Riley bit her lip, fairly certain where Johnny’s train of thought had led, but sobered when she reconsidered. She was most definitely NOT the only naked woman he’d ever seen. Hell, she couldn’t be sure she was the only naked woman he’d seen this week. Sighing she sat another, cool fork down in front of him.

“Once you cool off, try this one.” She offered, starting for her rooms on the other side of the building. “I cooked, clean up is up to you!” And she was gone.

Johnny felt confused. He was sure that she knew what caused the embarrassing display. He’d seen her bite her totally kissable lip, saw the look in her eyes, and then it was gone. And so was she. He wanted to rush through the amazing breakfast she’d made and rush after her, but he couldn’t, at least not yet.

On the other side of the building, Riley sat at the desk in her room and faced her computer. She needed to spend at least some time writing, she told herself. Refusing to admit that she just ran away from the kitchen and one of the literally hottest men she’d ever met.

Opening up her saved document, she reread the story so far, it had been awhile since she’d sat down and gave it a go. The story came back to her as she scanned it, fixing the few errors she noticed on this read. Rolling her shoulders and moving her neck so it could release some built up tension, she reached for her phone to put on her writing playlist. Thank God for Pandora, she thought, bringing up the best playlist/channel to go with her current story. Settling in to the music, who could write with regular classical music she wondered as she listened to Ed Sheeran begin the song “Happier”.

At the end of the document she found it easy to keep the flow of the story going as she lost herself in the music and the tempo that she was building. She didn’t notice him watching from the doorway. Didn’t see him smile as he watched her fingers move across the keyboard of her laptop like she was in a trance. She did everything with such passion that he couldn’t help but admire her. And music, he noted played a large part in her life. Here, in the bathroom, in the kitchen. He listened to the music and found it nice and sad. He wondered what she was writing that this was the inspiration?

“Are you going to stand there staring or are you going to come in and say something?” She asked, never taking her eyes off her screen. She’d felt his presence as he listened to the next song on her playlist. She didn’t look at him, deciding that he could have his say while she worked. Multitasking was a skill she was proficient at and she was choosing to utilize it now.

He gave a small sigh and walked in. Standing awkwardly he tried to think of what to say and if he should sit. She looked busy. Finally deciding to sit on the bed, he watched her for a second and then blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Why’d you run out of the kitchen so fast, Riley?”

It was her turn to sigh. Tact, she thought, was clearly not Johnny Storm’s strong suit. Then she considered the little bit she knew about him and wondered why she was surprised. He was open and honest, something she could admire and enjoy. Unfortunately, it made for uncomfortable situations like this one. “I didn’t run. I have work to do.” She lied.

He grunted, not convinced. “Work came up when I nearly set fire to the kitchen?” He asked, his eyebrow arched, even if she couldn’t see him.

She bit her lip, damn him and his observational skills. “Well, you seemed to get it under control, and I haven’t worked on my story for awhile, so-”

“So you ran like I lit your hair on fire.” He said, groaning and lying back on the bed crosswise. “I don’t buy it.” “I don’t really care what you buy, Johnny.” She said, turning her chair to face him. “Not everything is about you.”

He raised up, using his elbows to elevate him to meet her eyes. “Bullshit.” His eyes looked slightly hooded and framed with the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man. And damn, they were so blue she had to bite her lip again. “I don’t mean that everything is about me, Riley, but you ran like a rabbit when I started to steam. I know you know exactly why I was steaming too. So why’d you run?”

Her eyes dilated. So it was about her. “I wasn’t sure.” She started, realizing that writing words for others to say in a situation like this was much easier than saying them herself. She rolled her eyes and looked back at him laying so sinfully on her bed.

“About?” He asked, sitting up and letting her thoughts calm a little.

“What made you steam.” She answered, staring him dead in the eye. “I mean, since I’ve known you, there’ve been a bevy of women, and it’s been two weeks, maybe.”

He blushed, realizing she was right. He was a playboy, for fuck’s sake it was a running joke with everyone from his family to Ben. Of course she wasn’t sure. He was such an ass, and a dick. Shit.

He reached out and took one of her hands. “Riley, it was you. That’s what I was thinking about. You, in the bathroom, in that bathtub, and the bubbles almost gone. My God, do you have any idea how hot you are?” His skin started to steam again, and she pulled him off the bed.

“Calm down,” she whispered, smiling. “You’re going to make my bed catch flames, and I can’t be sure that anything in this room is flame retardant.”

Her touch and voice did it. He didn’t want to accidently set fire to her, or her bed. Sighing he cupped her cheek with a still very warm hand. “This is so hard.” He almost whined. “I didn’t have any issues with control-before.”

She understood. He meant with the nurses, or the other women he’d entertained since coming back from space. With her, however, it seemed to be flare up, no pun intended, without his even noticing. “You didn’t hurt anything, Johnny. It’s fine.”

“Is it?” He asked, pulling his hand away when he noticed her skin getting a little clammy with sweat. “Your skin is sweating because I touched you, Riley. If I can’t even cup your cheek, how can I-”

“Johnny,” he brought his eyes back to hers. “Your control is going to come back.” He snorted with doubt. “Hey, didn’t I figure out Ben’s utensil and drinking issues? My brother might be the scientific genius in the family, but I figure out how to fix things.”

He stared at her, wondering why he felt so strongly for a woman he’d barely kissed. No one had ever held his interest for any longer than it took them to have sex. Then he’d be right on to the next one. Maybe that’s what the steam was, he wanted her and once he had her he’d be back to normal. The thought wasn’t a pleasant one and he was shocked. It’s almost like he wanted to keep her.

“Riley,” he whispered, wondering if he could manage to kiss her again without making the walls burst into flames. As he dipped his head toward hers, he realized the song playing was “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, and thought it was exactly how he felt. Their lips met, her hands came to wrap around his neck and he felt amazing. She was perfect, the way their lips fit, the way her hands felt on his skin. As the kiss deepened, he wondered how he could keep her.

Fic: Butterfly Wings - Chapter 41

Story summary A fashion blog started at University launched Blaine Anderson’s fortune and fame. As Vogue’s new editor-in-chief, he is struggling to find an original angle for an upcoming issue. Kurt Hummel has recently arrived in New York City after finishing high school, and is having no luck building a musical theater career, so he decides to explore another passion of his: fashion. He applies for an internship at Vogue, and Isabelle sees in him the perfect fresh face to liven up the magazine, and convinces him to try out as a model. Kurt meets Blaine, and in spite of their 10-year age difference, sparks fly. Can they overcome misunderstandings and sabotage to find their happily-ever-after? Klaine model AU. Rating for this chapter: General (overall story is mature) Word count for this chapter: 4,262 Can also be read on A03 / FF Masterpost is here. The fantastic artwork produced by Cassie at @cc-graphics can be here.   Thank you to the amazing @lilyvandersteen for the beta work and support. ***** Your wings already exist. All you have to do is fly. - AnonAugust Kurt wakes up to the smell of coffee brewing in the nearby kitchen. While Blaine is an early riser, he much prefers to sleep in. He stretches his arms over his head, then rolls to the side and hugs Blaine’s pillow. Last night’s sex was amazing, with Blaine worshiping every part of his body. It was sinfully slow and luxurious, and made him feel so loved. Kurt mentally goes over his plans for this evening’s surprise for Blaine. He hopes that tonight goes exactly how he wants it to go. He’s taking a chance, but Blaine is totally worth it. Kurt has thought of the grand romantic gestures that Blaine loves to do, but Kurt feels a little uncomfortable doing them himself. Blaine has always enjoyed the little things and moments in their relationship. Hopefully, this will be an extra one to put in the bank of memories to cherish.

“It’s an overcast day – there’s a 60% chance of rain,” Blaine says as he enters the bedroom with two mugs of coffee. He gives Kurt a kiss before climbing back into bed. “How about we explore the little towns nearby. I think everyone will be going to outlet mall and arcades in Lake George on day like this.” “That’s fine by me. I’ve planned a special dinner for tonight, so we have to be back by midafternoon so I can get it ready,” Kurt replies. They head to nearby Chestertown and browse in the small shops before going to the Main Street Ice-cream Parlor for a light lunch of soup and half a sandwich. They giggle at the food on display as they pay for the meal, and Blaine can’t resist buying Adirondack Moose Poo (chocolate covered raisins). They stop at the Crossroads Country Store on the way back, and buy soft ice-cream cones at the next-door kiosk. “Why don’t you head down to the lake, Blaine. Maybe take the boat out? Or do something that will get you out of here for a couple of hours.” “I didn’t think you’d want to get rid of me so quickly,” Blaine pouts. “I’ve got plans for tonight and I need to get ready. When you come back, take a shower downstairs.” “I think I’ll go for a long run and then a swim in the lake. I’ll see you later,” Blaine says as he heads to the bedroom to get changed. Once Blaine has left the log cabin, Kurt pulls out from the freezer the lobster bisque and peach pie that Amy made for him last week. He peels the potatoes and cuts them into fine slices before placing them in the casserole dish. Kurt whips up a salad with ingredients they have bought from the local farmer’s market. Kurt consults his tablet and makes the marinade and sauce for the main course. When all is under control in the kitchen, he pulls out two bags from the spare bedroom’s closet and sets things up. When Kurt is satisfied with the result, he rummages around in the bedroom’s chest of drawers and pulls out smart casual clothes for Blaine to wear. He places these in the downstairs shower room and makes sure Blaine has everything he needs for when he gets back. Kurt heads back upstairs and takes a long, hot shower. He gets dressed in his preselected outfit - shorts, button-up casual shirt and scarf. He spends even more time than usual on his hair. When he heads to the main room, Kurt can hear Blaine’s footsteps down below. Once Kurt hears the shower on, he turns on the heat in the oven and heads toward the main area to wait for Blaine. ***** Blaine slowly climbs up the stairs, wondering what’s in store for the evening. The only light in the room are an endless number of candles, covering most surfaces. However, what captures Blaine’s attention are the tabletop picture frames now on display. Blaine walks around the room slowly, examining each frame. Most display photos of Kurt and himself – at the Brooklyn Flea Market, at the Tony Awards Ceremony, at the Vogue staff party, chatting at the Hamilton photo shoot, at the baseball game with Burt, and in the hammock on Governors Island. Blaine giggles when he sees the selfie Kurt took when they were in the bubble bath in LA. Blaine’s eyes tear up thinking of all the good times they have had together. He can’t wait to for more memories and photos. Blaine sees two additional frames that contain something that aren’t photos, so he moves over and picks the first one up. It contains their bucket list, handwritten in beautiful calligraphy. The last frame contains a water color picture of two butterflies. “Did you paint this, Kurt?” “Yeah, I did. I’ll tell you about it later. The first course is ready.” Blaine moves to the table and notices it has candles as well. Always the gentleman, Blaine pulls out Kurt’s chair for him to sit down. Blaine loves the lobster bisque, and he can tell that this was made by Amy, but he’s not going to let on to Kurt that he knows. Jazz music is softly playing in the background, and they chat about what they’ll do during their last couple of days in the Adirondack mountains. “It’s going to take a little time for the next course, Blaine. Have a seat on the couch and relax.” Kurt takes a platter that contains two New York strip steaks that have been soaked in his special marinade and heads off to the balcony. After a couple of minutes, Blaine can hear Kurt cursing, so he goes outside to see what’s happening. There is Kurt, bent over the BBQ, trying to figure out how the gas cylinder turns on. When Kurt looks up, his cheeks are tinged pink. “You and my dad make this look so easy. I can’t figure out how to turn on the gas grill.” Blaine chuckles and swiftly moves toward the grill. He turns the tap on the top of the gas cylinder, opens the grill hood, and then presses the igniter button. Soon flames can be seen underneath the cooking grate, and Blaine closes the hood whilst it’s heating up. “Why don’t I cook the steaks, while you get everything else ready?” Blaine offers. “I wanted to do everything by myself, to make it a special night for you.” “We’re a team. It’s always a special night when we work together.” “That cheesy line just earned you the title of chief BBQ griller. I’ll head back into the kitchen.” Blaine hums to himself as he cooks the steaks, stringing musical notes into a new tune. He feels so inspired to compose new music when he’s with Kurt like this. When the steaks are ready, he cuts them into strips and returns to inside, and places the platter onto the table. “Mmm. Gratin potatoes. They’re my favorite,” Blaine exclaims, licking his lips. They eat the steaks with the béarnaise sauce Kurt prepared earlier, and the conversation is light and easy. When they’ve finished, Kurt takes their plates to the kitchen. Blaine quickly follows and helps him stack the dishwasher and tidy things up. “I’m stuffed. I thought we could wait a while for dessert,” Kurt suggests. “Good idea. I couldn’t eat another thing right now. Why don’t we head to the balcony and watch the last of the sunset?” Blaine replies. “I’ll meet you there in a minute.” Blaine refills their glasses and sits out on the deck, enjoying the cool gentle breeze that is coming off the lake. “I have a present for you,” Kurt says when he walks onto the balcony. Kurt moves a chair so that he is sitting directly in front of Blaine. Blaine lights up when he hears those magic words, and Kurt deposits a small box wrapped in paper decorated with hand-painted butterflies in his lap. He carefully unwraps the present, being careful not to rip the paper. Inside, there’s a box that is the perfect size to hold a ring. Blaine’s heart starts to race - could it be? When he opens the box, he sees a small blob of molten silver with a gem stone half sticking out. “This is my promise ring to you. I came up with a beautiful design, I found the perfect piece of amber that matches the color of your eyes, I spent hours creating the setting, and then when I was soldering the amber onto a ring band, I used too much heat, and the whole thing melted into the blob that you see.” “It’s the thought that counts, Kurt,” Blaine reassures. “I’m glad you said that, Blaine. At the time, I was beside myself when the promise ring became a huge disaster. When I was in the subway on the way to Tiffany’s to buy a proper ring, I had this blob in my hand and was rolling it around in my palm and it became deliciously warm. When I got out of the subway, I went to the nearby park to think. The more than I thought about it, the more I realized that this ring symbolizes my promise to you. The blob is smooth in most places, like our relationship is most of the time. But it’s a little sharp where the amber peeks out. There will always be bumpy times in the future, and I promise you that I will make the time to really listen to you and work things out. The blob heats up if you give it attention. I promise to love you and do both big and little things to keep you feeling warm inside. If we’re going to make it in the long haul, we’ll need to be brave enough to take chances and experience new things. This blob is a reminder that things don’t always work out, but I promise you that I will always be there to catch you if you fall. I promise to do silly simple things with you and keep our bucket list fresh and interesting. You’re my best friend, and I love spending time with you. Lastly, I promise that I love you and that I’m committed to the same long-term vision as you – marriage, family, and doing what matters to us. We’ll go at the pace that feels right for both of us, but we’ll get there in the end.” Blaine cups Kurt’s face in his hands and leans in to give him a kiss. Blaine pours every ounce of his love into the kiss. Blaine didn’t believe it was possible, but now he loves Kurt even more. “I’m going to lose it right now – that was so beautiful. I need one of your hugs.” Kurt stands up and holds out his arms. Blaine quickly rushes into them. With Kurt’s warm body against his, Kurt’s strong arms wrapped around him, Blaine feels like he can do anything. Eventually, Blaine pulls away from Kurt and they head back inside. Blaine looks at Kurt’s watercolor painting of the two butterflies in the frame. “I love this painting, Kurt. I’m going to keep it on the night table on my side of our bed. God, I love thinking that it’s our bed in our place.” “Go have a seat and I’ll make some coffee. There’s a story about the painting.” Kurt heads to the kitchen and brews the coffee while slicing two pieces of peach pie. There’s still one part of his plan that he needs to execute. He returns to the main room and sits down on the couch, barely touching his slice of peach pie. “When I was in Lima in May, on the first warm day, I headed out to the backyard in the afternoon to sketch fashion designs, and I spotted two butterflies. I couldn’t stop watching them. They would flutter close together and then fly away from each other, but never too far apart. Sometimes one would soar high, and at other times, one would dip a little low, but they would always come back to each other. Sometimes they would land on a flower and stay still for a minute, then they would flutter their wings and fly again. It seemed like a dance that they knew so well.” Blaine places his empty dessert plate on the nearby table. “I get what you’re trying to tell me. That I should take the risk with my songwriting. That I should focus on what makes me happy. I want to be like you and really go for it – go for my dreams. But what if I’m not good enough? What if it doesn’t work out? Music is a tough business to get into.” “I know you, and this is a side of you I don’t get to see very often… You’re scared. But, sweetie, I believe in you. You have a musical gift, and it wouldn’t be right to let you hide that away.” “But what if I fail?” Blaine asks in a small voice. “Then you’ll pick yourself up and try again. I can’t predict what will happen in the future, but remember my promise to you earlier. I can’t stop you from failing, but I can promise to make it safe if you do.” “I love how you get me, Kurt. I love how you’re there to support me.” “You don’t know how much you’ve changed my life since the first day I met you, Blaine. You’ve given me courage to try new things. I’m so glad that I found someone who I know will always be 100% behind me, whether I soar or drop to the ground. Blaine… Now it’s your turn to fly.” ***** After they spend time waking up in the most delicious way, they put on their swimming trunks and gather up beach supplies. They cross the small street at the front and fifty yards ahead is the lake. The private lakefront has a picnic table and a small dock with a motorboat. “Let’s take a spin on the boat,” Blaine suggests as he rushes over the deck. “Are you thinking fishing or waterskiing?” Kurt asks, handing over the motor key. “Neither. I want to feel the rush of air on my face one last time before we leave tomorrow.” They climb into the boat and Blaine starts up the engine. They circle the lake a few times and take in its natural beauty. “This is the life,” Blaine sighs when they stop in the center of the lake, spotting the families swimming along the shore and a few fishing boats at the lake’s western end. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to sail, but I never got around to it.” “It’s not too late, Blaine. I’m putting it on our bucket list. Maybe on our next vacation, we can go someplace where we can take sailing lessons together.” “You’d do it with me?” Blaine asks. “Sure, why not? I’ve never thought of sailing before, but I can totally get behind an activity that shows off your naked chest.” “It’s all about the naked chest, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll wear a Speedo while I’m at it,” Blaine jokes. “Don’t say things like that unless you mean them, mister,” Kurt growls as his eyes darken. “It’s more about the smile, you know. You have this special smile when you’re really happy,” “I don’t want to go back to New York City tomorrow,” Blaine says wistfully. “It’s a concrete jungle full of busy self-important people, noisy streets and dirt. I’ve really enjoyed the nature and being close to the water this week.” “If you pursue music, there’s nothing to say that we have to live in New York City.” “We’ll have to be in New York City for at least four more years until you graduate FIT.” “FIT does have a two-year program in jewelry design. I’ve looked into it and with my high school AP credits, the courses in Paris, and working at Bellerose Boutique… If I take a full load during the summer, I could graduate with an associate degree by December next year.” “Kurt, you told me that when you were growing up in Lima, your dream was always to live in New York City. I can’t take that away from you. Besides, what would Tiffany’s do without Kurt Hummel as their lead designer?” Blaine says as he nudges Kurt. “Dreams change, or at least they evolve. The reason I wanted to move to New York City was to live in a place that was accepting of me. But there’s lots of places in this world that are accepting of gay couples. And for the record, I don’t want to be Tiffany’s lead designer. That would be a job with long hours, stress, and high-profile events. Just think of it, Blaine. We would have PAs coordinating our schedules to fit in a date night every once in a while. Our children would be taken care of by a nanny and Bentley would drive them to and from an exclusive private school each day. When they’d get home, they would be greeted by Amy, and a tutor would arrive to help them with their homework. There wouldn’t even be time for regular Friday night dinners! On vacations, we would go to openings of new Monarch Houses, all smartly dressed for photo opportunities.” Kurt wrinkles his nose. “Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t like that vision of the future.” “Neither do I,” Blaine agrees. “So maybe we should talk about how we envision our lives in ten years’ time.” “You’re right, Kurt. I can see that if we stay in New York City, our lives could get out of control and we wouldn’t focus on the things that are important to us. With so many changes in our dreams, can we call it a ‘work in progress’ and figure out where it would be best for us to live and raise a family the way we want to?” “I like the ‘work in progress’ idea, Blaine. We don’t have to figure out everything in a week. I think we both have a lot of things to think about and discuss for our future.” ***** Blaine is awake at 6 a.m. and quietly climbs out of bed to use the bathroom. He closes the bedroom door to let Kurt sleep in before their drive back to New York City. He heads to the kitchen and brews a pot of coffee, and slices a slither of leftover peach pie. Hopefully, Kurt won’t notice. Once Blaine has poured himself a mug of coffee, he heads to the balcony to watch the sunrise over the lake. This vacation has been more than Blaine could ever dream of. He’s had so much fun with Kurt at Schroon Lake, whether it’s been boating, swimming or exploring the area. And the sex has been freaking fantastic as well. However, the times Blaine liked best was when they spoke honestly with each other…about their future. Blaine knows that Kurt is right – something big has to change in his life. Kurt’s version of the future without making any changes in their lifestyle is quite frankly frightening. Blaine already resents the events he attends with Isabelle – they cut into his personal time, which he would rather spend with Kurt. And while he enjoys being Vogue’s editor-in-chief, it’s starting to get samey. He needs a new challenge and new dreams. He’s been offered the unique opportunity to write songs for Marley Rose’s debut album with SONY Records. He recently received the first royalty check for ‘Butterfly Wings’ and the sales are still steady. He’s got money saved up in case something happens, and maybe he should use it to take a chance. Blaine mulls over the interview he gave for Vogue’s June issue. He was very clear about what mattered to him – music, staying healthy, helping others, challenges, and dreams. But the most important item was love – love for a man and love for his family. Even though Kurt is ten years younger than him, Blaine feels that Kurt is the wiser one in their relationship. Kurt was brave enough this week to lay everything on the table. The commitment to live together and share a long-term future. To accept new challenges in pursuing jewelry design. To be willing to leave New York City if that’s what it takes to make their version of family life come true. When Blaine feels a gentle hand on his shoulder, he looks up and sees an adorable Kurt with messy sleep hair. This is the man that he wants to spend his life with. This is the man he wants to have a future with. Blaine puts down his coffee mug and says, “I’m ready to fly.” ***** Two months later “I feel great, Dad. It feels right,” Blaine says into his phone. “Are you sure you and Kurt don’t want to come to Ohio this weekend? Get away from New York City?” “No, we’ll be okay. Kurt and I are still planning to come to Ohio for Thanksgiving. Has Burt accepted your invitation yet?” “Burt and I have got it all planned. Burt is picking you two up from the Dayton airport. Cooper arrives half an hour later and then everyone’s coming here. Burt will stay for Thanksgiving and we’ll all go to Lima the next day, after Kurt has done his Black Friday shopping, of course. On Saturday, we’ll head to the Monarch House in Lima for the opening.” Blaine looks up and sees Unique with her make-up bag. “I gotta go, Dad. I’ll call you over the weekend.” When the phone call ends, someone unexpected enters the room. “Blaine, I’m really proud of what you’re about to do. Good luck,” Unique says. Blaine is in a small room outside the ballroom at the Carlyle Hotel, waiting to for someone to tell him that everything’s ready. “I didn’t expect to see you today, Unique.” “Did you think I would send you out there without Unique’s special brand of magic?” she retorts. “Well… Can you help me with my hair? Kurt is pretty good at it but I’m sure you can make it look even better.” Unique fusses over his hair, muttering about how she’ll have to spend time with Kurt to perfect his efforts with enhancing Blaine’s curls. She takes out make-up powder and starts brushing it on Blaine’s face… sniffling. “Don’t you dare cry, Unique. If I see one tear, I’m going to lose it.” “Unique doesn’t get over-emotional about her fantastic boss and close friend. The powder must have landed in my eyes.” Blaine pulls up his arm and gives her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. Blaine goes through his speech in his head, making sure he remembers all the points he wants to cover. Blaine looks up and smiles when he sees Kurt walk into the room. Kurt is wearing the exact same suit that he wore for the Tony Award Ceremony – the black Dsquared2 jacquard camouflage blazer that Blaine loves so much. “Nervous?” Kurt asks. “Not at all. I feel surprisingly calm. I know this is right for me – right for us.” “I’m going to head into the ballroom then. I’ll meet you after the press conference.” Kurt pulls Blaine into a searing passionate kiss before leaving the room. After a few minutes, Blaine hears the call that everything’s ready. He takes a deep breath and looks into the mirror. Blaine is wearing the exact same Armani suit that he wore when he met Kurt eighteen months ago. I’m ready too. Blaine walks onto the small stage set up and finds his place on the podium. There are board members sitting on both sides, as well as Anna Wintour and Isabelle Wright. It takes a few minutes for Blaine’s eyes to adjust to the bright lights and the flashing cameras. When he feels ready, Blaine starts to speak. “Thank you for coming today. Earlier this week, I tendered my resignation as Vogue’s editor-in-chief to the Board of Directors. I’ve enjoyed working at Vogue, and the challenges and opportunities it has given me. However, I have new goals, new dreams, and new opportunities I wish to pursue. These are not related to the fashion industry, but are more personal in nature. My resignation will be effective at the end of this month, but I’ll be working at Vogue on a part-time basis for the next twelve months. This will give me sufficient time to hand over the Vogue reigns to Isabelle Wright.” As Blaine continues on about Isabelle’s achievements, press kits available and the like, he glances around to seek out Kurt in the audience and finds him in the last row. They’ve spent the last two months talking about their plans. The penthouse has been put up for sale and they’ll rent a more modest apartment until Kurt graduates FIT. In the meantime, Blaine will work part-time at Vogue in order to keep some income flowing in. They’ll regularly reassess their plans as Kurt decides what to do in jewelry design and Marley Rose’s debut album is released. At the end of his speech, Blaine’s eyes lock with Kurt’s – they are full of love, warmth, hope, and promises. When Kurt jumps up to be the first to applaud him, Blaine notices the butterfly brooch attached to his lapel. Blaine thinks that he’s like a butterfly - growing and changing and finding his true colors in life. Author notes Although there’s still the epilogue to go, I want to take a moment to thank @lilyvandersteen from the bottom of my heart for being my beta. Without her, this story would simply not be. Some authors just need a beta to correct typos and grammar, but I needed SO much more. It’s really hard to draft a 200k+ word story before posting the first chapter, particularly for a novice writer like me. She contributed fantastic ideas as I was plotting the story. She read the draft chapters as I was writing, giving me her feedback with flaws in the story’s logic and characters’ behaviors, and cheering me on when it was going well. She helped me figure out the best way to solve problems when the plot didn’t work as I expected. She then reread every single chapter after I polished them up and corrected my grammatical flaws. She did a second beta review for certain chapters that I fine-tuned based upon your feedback. You cannot begin to imagine the amount of time she has spent on this story. On top of all this, she has a full-time job, young children and writes her own Klaine fic. Her time management skills are impressive. Most importantly, she was my personal cheerleader when I thought I couldn’t do it. Writing a multi-chapter creative story was a personal goal for me, and I could never have done it without her help. Along the way, I made a friend who I admire so very much. I don’t think that I’ve ever had a friend who has supported me quite like she has. She’s simply amazing. I thank you Lilyvanadersteen <3 <3 <3. Next up:  the Epilogue.