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san-fics · 2 years

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Slowly but Surely

Felinette, Felix/Marinette, Felix/Ladybug

Ao3

Part 14/14. Once is enough

It came with ease, as if it was natural for everyone around them and for them as well.

Felix and Marinette spent all their free time together. They did their homework together, walked together in the park, sometimes had dinner together – sometimes with her family, sometimes with his.

Their classmates would ask Felix in surprise “Where's Marinette?” on the rare occasions when the girl wasn't around him. The service workers never doubted that they were dating, and Felix got very tired of correcting them.

One day, they were sitting in a cafe, waiting for the waiter to bring an elaborate dessert for Marinette. Felix chose a chocolate cake with cream, which he didn’t have to wait and Marinette insisted that he start eating without her.

“Looks very appetizing,” The girl said when there were only a couple of small pieces left on his plate.

“Wanna try?” Felix chuckled.

“Weeeell, I don’t knooooow, if you don’t miiiiind…” Marinette drawled playfully. “Of course I want it! Can't you see that the local chef has decided to leave me to die of hunger?!”

Felix smiled and carefully took one piece between two fingers and brought it to her mouth. Marinette carefully took the piece with her lips, but when Felix was about to remove his hand, something unexpected happened.

"Hey! The cream is the best part!” She exclaimed, and before Felix could see the last of the cream on his fingers, Marinette caught his hand and pulled it to her mouth.

Felix caught his breath and a wave of hot trembling swept down through his body. He watched in equal measure of delight and horror as Marinette cupped his index finger with her lips and sucked lightly between her tongue and gum, licking off the cream.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Probably Felix’s dumbfounded face told Marinette that she was doing something wrong, because the girl froze with wide eyes. She looked down at his finger in her mouth, then back at Felix's face, abruptly let go of his hand and jumped up from the table.

“I uhh… need to go home!” She said, looking at him frightened. “Momming help… uhh… helping mom… see-you-tomorrow-buy!” She said in a tongue twister and flew out of the cafe like a bullet.

Felix sat in shock for a while, staring after her, slowly coming to his senses and trying to cope with his feelings.

A waiter approached him.

“Your girlfriend won't have the dessert she ordered, will she?” He asked softly.

“She’s not my… she uh… had to leave urgently.” Felix sighed. “Wrap it up to go.”

The waiter nodded in understanding and left.

A few days passed and everything went back to normal.

Felix had slightly stopped worrying that Marinette would completely run away from him because of that incident in the cafe. Of course, he wanted to discuss everything like an adult, but Marinette pretended so hard that nothing happened and avoided this topic, each time diligently switching the conversation to something else, that Felix decided not to put pressure on her and give her time to process it within herself.

Time.

The time spent with her in recent weeks was the happiest for Felix, and the most painful. The more painful, the more everyone considered him Marinette’s boyfriend.

Everyone, except for Marinette herself.

One day they were walking in the park and saw a horse that a young flyman led by the reins around to ride the children.

“When I was a child, my mother and I went out of town to ride horses every weekend.” Felix remembered aloud, looking dreamily at the beautiful animal.

“Really?” Marinette perked up. “I have never sat on horseback in my life!”

Felix raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"This is an unacceptable mistake that we will correct right away." He said firmly and waved to the guy with a horse, calling him to come.

Marinette grabbed Felix's arm, trying to stop him.

“Feli! What are you doing?!” She protested.

“Calling that boy, obviously.” He chuckled.

“But I can't do that! I'm scared!" The girl didn’t give up.

“You're a superhero, Marinette.” Felix said skeptically. “You've defeated the Parisian supervillain. Don't tell me this beautiful animal scares you more than Shadow Moth.”

“What if it dumps me?!” Marinette scowled, wrapping her free arm around herself defensively.

“Okay.” Felix sighed. “If I lead the horse myself and make sure you don’t fall, will you ride it then?”

Marinette looked at him, still slightly scared, as if searching for something in his eyes. Then her face softened and she relaxed her hand on his.

“I will.” She confirmed.

“Then wait here.” Felix said and went to meet the guy.

“May I myself lead the horse for this young lady?” Felix asked the flyman, who smiled at him kindly.

“We don’t allow that usually…” The boy replied, losing his smile.

“What about double the price?” Felix asked with a bored expression.

“Well, I don't know…” The guy drawled uncertainty.

Felix took out a bundle of banknotes from his wallet and placed it in the boy's hand.

“There's enough here to keep your horse busy for the rest of the day.” He said and confidently took the reins from the hands of the confused boy.

“You are a serious man.” The guy said. “Your girlfriend is lucky!”

“She’s not my…” Felix started and stopped, not quite sure which of the two he was going to convince – the young man or himself…

He led the horse to Marinette and helped her onto the animal.

At first, the girl was still a little afraid and looked at Felix with a save-me expression, but gradually she was drawn in and relaxed, and then she even tried to start the horse galloping.

“Easy, dear!” Felix held the horse. “We're not at the range.”

For some time they walked around the park in the same composition, then Marinette shyly turned to her guide.

“Feli, don't get me wrong, I like it so much…” The girl said. “But I think I’ve started losing… a lower grip on the horse.” She confessed, blushing slightly.

“It happens out of habit,” Felix chuckled. “The fact is that the muscles that…” He trailed off as he saw the poor girl, who had just confessed that her butt was going numb, began to blush even more. “Right.” The boy said. “Better let me help you get down.”

Felix reached up and grabbed her by the waist, supporting her as Marinette awkwardly dismounted from the horse. She slipped abruptly and the boy wrapped his arms tightly around her to prevent her from falling. So Marinette ended up in the ring of his arms, pressed tightly against his chest.

She raised her face to Felix, still breathing heavily in fright, and froze, so close were their flushed faces from one another.

Felix felt his whole body ache, and as if cramped from the desire to kiss her right now, and stop this absurd misunderstanding that everyone around them had long considered them a couple, and his lips had never touched hers...

But fear suddenly flashed across Marinette's face, and Felix’s hands let go of her by themselves.

Maybe he was reading her signals wrong? Maybe Marinette will never change her mind about him and Felix is really dear to her only as a friend?..

“I’d better go…” Marinette said in a slightly shaky voice. “I’m a little reeling from...” She looked around and her eyes flashed with relief, as if a drowning person saw a lifebuoy. “From this horse!”

There was an evening event at school with a buffet and dancing, and of course in some mysterious way, Felix and Marinette came to it together.

“There is something mesmerizing about it.” Marinette said as she watched the couples slowly twirl on the dance floor in a slow dance as Felix and her chatted at the buffet table. “Some kind of inexplicable dance magic, like the music takes you to another world.” She added dreamily.

“I don't know.” Felix shrugged. “I do not dance.”

Marinette looked at him as if he had just said that he had never seen the Eiffel Tower.

“Come on Feli!” She playfully nudged him with her elbow. “You can't be that bad.”

“I didn’t say I can’t dance.” Felix smirked. “I simply said I don’t.” He clarified.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at him slyly, devilish sparks flared in them.

“Why don’t we break that rule of yours?” She suggested.

“Absolutely not.” Felix protested, unable to keep himself from smiling back at her though.

“Absolutely yes! Absolutely yes!” Marinette jumped up and down next to him, lightly pulling his sleeve like a little child that was trying to convince a parent to buy a forbidden toy. “Please, Feli, for me!” She begged, depicting innocence and obedience on her face.

Felix rolled his eyes dramatically, but he already gave up internally, – there was no way he could actually say ‘no’ to this girl, – whatever she would ask.

He closed his eyes for a moment in agreement and slightly nodded, and Marinette almost squealed, drugging him to the dance floor. One slow melody just changed to another and they took a free place among the moving couples.

Felix took one of Marinette’s hands in his and carefully placed the other on her waist, but Marinette looked at him skeptically.

“It's not like we just met.” She smirked, tilting her head on the side.

Then she freed her hand from his and put both arms around his neck.

Felix's breath caught a little at her closeness, and he was glad that Marinette couldn't see his face anymore as she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly and wrapped his arms around her back.

Marinette snuggled closer to him, settling into his arms and Felix's eyes closed instinctively as he breathed in the fresh scent of her hair.

Waves of hot trembling ran through his body, and he felt as if even his head was slightly spinning from a strong influx of feelings for this fragile, but incredible creature that he held in his arms, and which, for all her seeming vulnerability, had such a power over him.

They were slowly spinning to the music without talking, and Felix thought about how to make this moment endless. How to let Marinette know that he wanted more from their relationship without scaring her away or losing her.

As if sensing his thoughts, Marinette pulled away slightly and looked up into his face.

It seemed that time had frozen, and Felix no longer distinguished either the hall around, or the swirling couples, or the sounds of music, because her eyes looked deep into his soul, making it impossible to think clearly, or maybe think at all.

As if mesmerized by this moment just as he was, Marinette rose on her toes and reached for his face, closing her eyes, and Felix’s body responded instinctively as he leaned in to meet her.

Their lips touched, intertwined in a soft touch, clasping each other, as if nothing more natural in the world existed than this gentle contact. Felix no longer controlled his body, but only felt his hands press her closer to his chest, in which endless peals of sweet bliss exploded all at the same time.

He couldn't tell exactly how long that moment lasted, but when Marinette pulled away from Felix slightly and sat down on her full foot, her eyes seemed to be cloudy for a while. Then they slowly cleared, as if she was coming to her senses. And in the next moment, horror was reflected on her face.

Felix mirrored her expression, only now realizing their kiss and inwardly scolding himself for his intemperance.

“I… I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry!” Marinette said in a frightened voice and took a step back, then she turned around and ran out of the hall.

Felix stood for another minute, taken aback, looking after her, then he finally woke from his stupor and ran to look for her.

He found Marinette in the semi-darkness of the schoolyard, sitting on a bench, pulling her legs up to her. The girl pulled her stretchy dress over her knees and dropped her head on them, sitting silently, clasping her knees in her arms.

Felix walked over and sat down next to her without saying anything.

Marinette tensed her shoulders as she realized his presence, and Felix felt like she knew it was him without even looking.

“I didn’t mean to do it. I’m sorry." She repeated quietly, without raising her head.

“What didn't you mean to do, Marinette?” Felix asked cautiously.

“Destroy our relationship.” She admitted, and finally raised her head, looking into his eyes. “I'm so afraid of losing you,” She confessed. “I am horrified at the mere thought that I will ruin everything...”

Felix gently took her hand and Marinette turned her body slightly towards him, lowering her feet on the ground.

“And how can you ruin everything by making me happy?” He asked softly, looking tenderly into her eyes.

“I… wasn’t sure you liked me in that way.” Marinette said quietly as if she was sharing a secret. “I was afraid to spoil our friendship.”

“I think I was there from our first meeting.” Felix confessed.

“Really?” Marinette's eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise with her cheeks beautifully flushed.

“Well,” Felix smiled, feeling his joyful heartbeat rising at the sight of this beautiful girl looking at him like that. “It's hard to resist such a clear shot.” He smirked. “You literally knocked me off my feet.”

“I’m... uhh... sorry?” Marinette blinked at him a few times.

“I'm not.” Felix said. “I guess somehow I was smitten by you that first day and just was waiting for you to be ready to spend your life in my arms.”

“You…did?” Marinette was looking at him with fascinated eyes.

“We only live once,” Felix said, pulling her closer. “But if we do it right, once is enough.”

He leaned down to kiss her forehead and felt her arms wrap around his torso as Marinette pressed her body against his. Felix sighed, enjoying this endless moment of intimacy with the girl he loved.

“And for me the ‘right’ is with you.” He said.

[master-list]

[Part 13. Stolen life]

Chapter 1 of my new multi-chapter Felinette 'In My Dreams' is available on my Patreon

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kim-monsterlings · 3 years

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Lars - M Dullahan x M Human (Reader) // NSFW

The pictures do not belong to me. I only created the mood board. Do not repost my work anywhere.

Content: NSFW/Lemon; descriptions of being ill (like having a mild cough, blocked nose, headache, etc.), dullahan caring for reader, sexual teasing, handjob in the bath, kissing and throat kisses

Wordcount: 1855

“Tropemas” Summary: unable to hide the sudden cold from the dullahan, your boyfriend came home to take care of you

Masterlist // “Tropemas” Masterlist

In the furthest corner of the room, cushioned in a dark chest, rested your boyfriend’s head. Blanketed and warmed in darkness, the home you shared when he was away became more than that; a haven for him – better than a chest buried under damp earth, and a comfort to you. No matter where Lars went, no matter how far, he was here with you. Albeit without his body, but better this than wait for brief letters scrawled on horseback, with conversations passed over weeks.

Only a fortnight ago, leather gloves tipped your face to dark flames, the faint touch of lips meeting yours. This time, Lars left for a month, though a month was nothing out of the time he was so often gone. Days would pass without a word or the smallest letter would arrive but when you missed him, really missed him, you could open that chest.

The unusual thing about this past fortnight was how little you had spoken.

Some afternoons were spent with his head on your lap, your fingers running through thick curls missing on the headless flames. Bright eyes mimicked the faefolk fire – glowing, soft as he looked up at you. Tales of his travels riding from town to town passed time, careful kisses a remedy to the ache in your chest.

But if he saw the state you were in now, he would rush home on his dark fae horse without finishing his job.

Really, you were fine. The colouring to your cheeks wasn’t too much, nothing more than the flush rising when Lars would kiss down your chest, beneath your trousers. The tickling cough wasn’t any worse than the unfamiliar itch in your throat after tasting fae food, foreign gifts returned from his travels. Exhaustion now deep in your bones could hardly amount to the lethargy Lars’ return would bring, from nights on tousled bedsheets, his touch everywhere for hours.

So really, beyond your pallor and hair slick with sweat, throat tight, you were fine.

Doubting the fatigue was your undoing. White light of the moon roused you. Curtains left open from falling onto the bed for the promise of a nap, one intended to be short, the dim light led you to a small letter posted that afternoon from Lars. The hardly veiled threat of his return if you ignored him further found its weight in your empty stomach.

Returning to the sleep so deep you hadn’t his calls happened not even a minute later. The dullahan would already be on his way home to you.

Heavy thudding dragging along the wooden floor woke you. Familiar swishes neared your bedroom and through the fog clouding your thoughts, the memory of a vertebrae whip always at your boyfriend’s side forced you to sit the rest of the way. The whip swinging and crashing low preceded a figure of bright flames, glowing in the late afternoon – had you slept all day? – before the flames flared higher, and a broken whisper of your name followed.

Bone clattered as it fell to the floor before Lars was at your side. One firm hand pressed hard on your chest until you fell back to the pillows, the other, glove removed, brushing back your damp hair. Always so cold, the touch felt like a blessing now, running down your hot cheeks to angle your face up.

“I thought something happened to you. Look at me,” Lars whispered, but the softness in his tone fell away when you struggled to look at the flaming tendrils rising from his collar as he leaned over you. “You should have told me you were sick.”

Nothing came to mind for excusing your isolation. Even had you tried to apologise, your lips were too dry, throat too hoarse for a sound to pass. With the tension fought from his words, it was no surprise that a small growl came from the dullahan’s chest. In the silence, a silence at your hand, you leaned into the cool palm on your hot cheek.

“When did you last eat? Have you…” Lars sighed and before your eyes closed, he kissed your forehead.

Different bedsheets – clean, fresh ones, were tucked around you when you woke to an empty room. The dullahan hardly needed sleep but this early, sunlight creeping through the drawn curtains, there ought to have been a dip beside you, a wrinkle in blankets thrown back from your fevering body.

The smell of hot food caught your attention, which must have woken you. Lars had changed you into clean clothes, too, your chest bare and hot. The instant your toes touched the floor, a throat cleared in warning. The sight of him would never fail to send your pulse racing, soaring at the press of his skin to your bare chest. Lars pressed you back against the headboard, sitting between your legs when you kept one out of the sheets. Though you were near feverish, the warmth of having him close eased you, and he leaned close to press a lingering kiss to your forehead.

"You're worrying me."

"It's nothing," you whispered, forcing a smile to cover the roughness of your voice. "Won't you-"

"I cannot get sick. Not like this. Open your mouth."

Spoon feeding was difficult – for him, when you protested. Beneath the vice tight at your ribs, the laboured breaths, you really were fine. Bed rest would only worsen your predicament but he wouldn’t give. When you couldn’t stomach anymore broth, Lars lifted the glass of water to your lips until you drank it all. As much as you hated tearing him from his work, leaning close enough to touch him properly made it worth it. Lars stroked down your back and sighed, shifting closer.

Quiet stories whispered against your temple lulled you. He scowled when he told you of his plans to return early in a week and a half with gifts for you – as he always did, but when the letter was unanswered, calls shouted into an responding room, he rode back without delay.

Finding any sympathy was a chore when his touch fell to stroke your thigh. Lars tucking close filled the ache wide in your chest, the very same you attempted to appease by cradling the head in the dark corner when he was away; it never did much, so his knuckles dragging over the thin shorts awoke a different heat in your stomach, one too long gone without.

“Somebody missed me,” he chuckled, fingers tightening against the restricting shorts, laughing softer at your sharp gasp. “Best not to push yourself, handsome.”

Clutching his hand did little to stop the will of a dullahan. Lars only sighed, long fingers rubbing slowly against your worsening erection. Even in taunting you, the resolve he held against you never crumbled.

Not even when you bucked up, desperately seeking some friction, whispering, "please. Please."

“No. Sleep it off,” he said, a kiss deliberately hot tearing another plea from you, but Lars only laughed and closed the bedroom door behind him.

Waking without daylight left you in the dark as to how long you slept again, and how long now that you found yourself in the full bathtub. Warm water washed the remnants of fever away, guided by a gentle hand cupping water and tangling through your hair. Always careful with his strength, the care when he unwound tangles fluttered in your pulse, but he taunted you like he had hours ago. One hand tentative and caring washed your hair, the other gliding down your inner thigh where your legs fell open against his, drawn back against his chest in the large bathtub.

"Lars," you managed to whisper, and the touch on your thigh fell lower, until you grunted and tensed.

His palm cupped your sac. The dullahan brought your head back and through bleary eyes, you found his pale face, and a shudder ran through you at meeting his still flaming eyes. A kiss from his lips - from his head now attached, and you groaned into him, reaching to hold his knee when he rolled your sac in his fingers, kissing your jaw.

"Look who's finally up," he murmured. "How are you feeling, handsome?"

Every thought was foggy, but that wasn't your cold. The tightness in your throat came from his lips hot on your jaw and his fingers running the underside of your cock, thumbing the vein beginning to throb as you stiffened. This fever making you squirm was all him, but he knew that.

And Lars only smiled, a thin scar on his lips twisting them. "Tell me."

“I’m fine,” you lied. “Better, if you wouldn’t tease me.”

“Me, tease?”

Warmed by hot water, his hand finally came around your length. Lars’ smile nudged against your temple with each steady stroke, up and tightening, running against your thin slit and pumping harder, before loosening. Torn between crying and growling, you covered his hand with yours and let out a rough moan when he let you control the pace, hips bucking into the fist.

“Maybe you aren’t as ill as I thought,” he hummed. The frailty of your voice and bags of your eyes weren't all that convincing, but you tipped your head back and guided his hand tighter. Lars needed no coaxing to run his lips down to your collarbones and stroke his touch down your chest, pausing to run around your nipple. “Promise you will rest after this.”

"Lars," you croaked, and his palm stroked lower, taking your heavy sac in his fingers. Your eyelids fell with the pleasure overcoming you. He was well-versed in how you liked to be touched, and he was doing everything possible to torture you. "I promise."

"I can hear your heart racing."

You didn't care. Maybe it was in part because of the flu still dizzying you, but with Lars running his fingers back through your hair and tugging your head back, bowing to press searing, open-mouthed kisses to your throat, you were losing yourself.

Thickening against your back, Lars rasped as his cock ran up against you. All you wanted was him and you were close, every second losing yourself to the hastening strokes, the blunt nails scraping down your scalp. Wide thighs tightened around yours as he ground himself against you, following each thrust of your hips.

Closer now, close to coming undone in his palm, and you groaned, dragging him up from your throat to meet his lips. Lars chuckled and pressed himself flush, his hips grinding lower and when he dragged himself against you, you stiffened and cried into his kiss.

Still, Lars dragged it out. His thumb slicked against your swollen head as you came, thick and trembling, your stomach clenched at the haze dizzying you. You were met with a softer glow of flames when you blinked into focus. The water remained hot but far from your thoughts, preoccupied with his cock thick and heavy to your back. Before you could turn, the dullahan groaned into your throat, littered with dark marks.

Lars grunted your name and his fingertips brushed against your cock again, still sensitive. "Maybe sleep can wait."

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sinner-as-saint · 5 years

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Back For You (Mob! Seb AU)

The Completed Series.

Mob Boss! Sebastian Stan x Reader.

Run-through: You fell for the charms of a beautiful stranger, but then you fell down the rabbit hole.

Themes: mob boss! Seb, language, SMUT, slight fluff, Daddy kink

A/N: I will forever be a hoe for this shoot!!

“See you tomorrow, y/n. And don’t forget the back door,” your co-worker yelled as she walked out of the door. Her shift ended early today, while you still had an hour left and it was your turn to close down today.

You worked at the local pub. It was a quiet, cozy space and given it was quite a small town – not that many people visited. And those who did, were all just overworked, tired people who just needed a pint of beer or Guinness before going home to their boring lives.

You quickly glanced at the clock and it read 10:05 p.m.

Just one more hour until you could go home.

You weren’t desperate to go home, you lived alone and you liked it. Your parents were separated and lived in different cities, and you had no siblings. And neither did you have a boyfriend.

After you graduated from college recently, all your days were spent dropping CVs basically anywhere; without getting any calls back and in the evening you worked at the pub so you could pay your bills. Your dad was loaded, so he did send you money every month but you didn’t want to be living off his money so you only touched it when you desperately needed to.

You were re-arranging the glasses on the counter top when the bell dinged, signaling that someone had walked in. The clock read 10:45 p.m.

Weird, you thought, usually no one comes by at this time. The only customer who stayed till late was Johnny, the divorced dad of three and he left at 9.30 every night, and usually after him there was no other customer. But today was different.

“Hello? Are you closing?” a voice husky voice asked, as gradual footsteps echoed off the walls of the empty pub.

You turned your head towards the door and noticed the man at the entrance.

An unfamiliar man, you had never seen him before so you assumed he was passing by.

He was tall, well dressed and looked to be very… expensive.

You studied his appearance further and noticed how blue his eyes were, and how his appearance screamed power and dominance.

As soon as he walked in, his cologne lingered in the air. He looked intimidating, and he looked good. Like really, really good.

The kind of good that would make someone wanna get close but run away at the same time.

“No, sir. It’s open. What can I get you?” you asked in your professional voice and he smiled, taking a seat right in front of you at the counter, smiling.

You noticed the crinkles by his tired, yet breathtaking blue eyes and somehow got lost in them temporarily.

He looked like he was in his late thirties, and he looked way more handsome than half the boys in the magazines.

“Oh thank God! I’ve been wandering for a good 30 minutes looking for a beer. It’s been a rough day,” he said, licking his pink lips. You smiled faintly and you grabbed the closest pint glass and immediately started filling it up by lifting the valve of the beer tap.

While you were at it, you noticed that the beautiful stranger hadn’t lifted his eyes off you. You shook it off because you were pretty sure he was probably lost in his thoughts, because he was way out of your league to stare at you.

Once you finished pumping the beer, you placed it in front of him. He picked it up almost immediately and took a long sip, all while maintaining eye contact with you.

You cleared your throat and looked away once he swallowed the sip and went back to pretending to be busy arranging the other glasses on the counter.

“What’s your name?” he asked, placing his elbows on the counter and leaning on it.

You don’t know what it was, but something about him made you nervous. And you barely knew him.

“Y/n.” you simply replied, scared that you would make a fool of yourself by stuttering if you said anything else.

He smiled, genuinely.

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Sebastian by the way,” he smirked and you decided to have a little talk with the gorgeous stranger. After all, you wouldn’t see him ever again.

“Well what brings you to our little town, Sebastian?” you asked and he took another sip of beer. He sighed once he finished swallowing the beverage.

“Ah, work stuff. Just, really boring work stuff, doll. You from around here?” he further asked.

You nodded, placing one last pint glasses where it belonged and moved to stand right in front of him, placing the palms of your hand on either side of your frame.

He was barely two feet away from you and you weren’t complaining. His voice, his smile, his ocean eyes…they all drew you in like a trance.

“Born and raised. My parents lived here all their lives too before they- I, I’m sorry I shouldn’t be piling on you like that, I apologize sir,” you rambled but he placed one of his warm hand on top of yours, causing you to look him in the eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay. We all need someone to confide in, be it strangers. Talk to me, c’mon. I don’t really have people who tell me stuff, most of them just listen,” he spoke, avoiding your eyes often during his speech.

“I know, it’s just weird that- I mean, I don’t usually tell people stuff. My friends, they all left town to settle in big cities and I’m left here, alone,” you spoke and a hand lifted your chin up.

“Hey, it’s okay. You know, you won’t be alone forever,” he said, smiling and his words made you chuckle.

He placed his hands back on the counter too quickly, almost as if he was scared you might misunderstand his touch.

“Yeah, like anytime now my prince charming will come by in his shining golden armor and on white horse and he’ll sweep me off my feet and we’ll ride to his kingdom,” you joked and he smiled, shaking his head.

“Or, maybe he’ll come by in a black car, wearing a dark suit and instead of taking you away to his kingdom on a horseback, he’ll simply ask you if he can drop you home,” Sebastian spoke smoothly, a grin on his face while his eyes had a hint of mischief in them.

You found yourself at a loss of words. Needless to say, you sucked at flirting. And with a man this good looking offering to drive you home, you didn’t know how to respond.

“Well, I’ll tell him I can walk back, there’s no need for him to bother,” you did your best and it made him smile. And something told you he wasn’t giving up just yet.

He kept his eyes on you as you shifted under his gaze. It was a chilly night but he was making you feel warm and tingly, in certain places more than others.

“It’s getting late and dark outside, doll. You shouldn’t walk alone, let me drop you.” His tone gave you the indication that he wasn’t one to negotiate with. He had an authoritative way of talking. His words were laced with superiority.

Everyone warns their kids, at some point, that they shouldn’t talk to strangers. Or take rides from them. Your parents did too, but here you were, breaking all the rules.

He sensed your hesitation and was quick to speak again.

“Don’t be scared doll, I won’t hurt you,” he said, and somehow, your heart convinced your brain and you agreed to let him drive you back home.

Was that a wrong move? You didn’t care, surprisingly.

He finished his drink, and you locked the back door, turned off all the lights, set the alarm and finally locked the front door – Sebastian watching all of your moves the whole time.

Normally, having a guy you barely knew staring at you would make you extremely uncomfortable but this was different, he was not making any weird comments or making you feel unsafe in anyway.

“Okay, I’m done. Again, you don’t have to drop me, I live nearby I-,”

“Oh I know I don’t have to, I want to though. Get in, y/n,” he opened the door to his sleek, shiny black car.

“I hope you won’t kidnap me, Sebastian. I’ll bore you to death so much that you’ll end up dropping me back here,” you joked, your words laced with sass and he threw his head back laughing.

“I would never, doll. Trust me,” he said, again and you stepped inside the expensive car, one which you could never afford anytime soon.

The pure leather interior felt cold under your touch. And the car smelt like Sebastian’s cologne, and something else. A faint, salty, smoky smell. Charcoal? You couldn’t place a finger on it.

Sebastian got in the driver’s seat and smiled at you again.

“I never thanked you, for the beer. I’ll be sure to drop by your pub again,” he said, his voice low and something about it make you shiver.

You didn’t even know this man that well, but he was doing things to you that no one ever did before. He was making you nervous just by talking.

“Sure, just know that late customers are annoying,” you sassed, and he laughed again.

His laugh was… hot.

He started the car with the push of a button and the engine purred.

“Where to, ma’am?” he asked, smirking.

You giggled.

“Drive down the main road, and then take a right once we pass the library, and my apartment building’s right there,” you gave him the directions and he listened with an occasional nod.

“Seat belt, doll,” he said, looking at your with his gorgeous eyes which lowkey made you breathless and once the belt clicked, the car took off.

The pub was at 15 minutes walking distance from your apartment, so the journey back to your apartment was much shorter. But with the sudden appearance of the thick tension in the air, each moment felt like a millennium.

The car ride was comfortably silent, with you stealing quick glances of Sebastian’s face.

“Hey, I never asked. What do you do? I mean, you said you were here for work, right? Where do you work?” you asked, casually.

And you couldn’t help but notice the slight reluctance in his voice as he answered your question.

“I, uh, deal with money. I make deals, with big shots you know CEOs and businessmen and people like that. It, uh, pays well. Which is why I’m always moving, a new city almost every day,” he explained, vaguely and you decided to leave it be because you didn’t want to come off as nosy.

A different city almost every day…

Your heart sank as those words rolled out of his kissable mouth. So he was a wanderer, meaning you definitely wouldn’t see him again.

Right?

In a couple of agonizing minutes, the car came to a halt.

It was time for you to part ways with the stranger. But something inside you stirred and suddenly all you wanted to do was to figure out the mysterious stranger. What was his deal? Why was someone so successful like him in your little town?

“Can I walk you to your apartment, doll?” he asked, politely. His eyes searched yours.

Doll… you mentally repeated the word a couple of times.

No one had ever called you ‘doll’ before. Did he think you were pretty? Did he find you cute in your dark green polo shirt, your black skinny jeans and your ankle boots? Did your way too messy, messy bun draw him in just like his perfect face did to you? Did your ordinary e/c eyes capture his attention like his dreamy blue ones did to you, so much so that he now wanted to walk you to your 2 bedroom apartment?

Men like him, you thought, aren’t usually seen with girls like you.

“Hello? Hey, doll, you okay?” he asked again, smiling.

He was just being nice but then your head went to the gutter.

Would he call you ‘doll’ in bed? Would he be the broody type who were silent in bed, or would he be more vocal? Would he groan or moan out your name, or would he just bite your shoulder to muffle the filthy sounds which would escape his mouth?

Would he be into foreplay? Would he be surprisingly gentle in bed and hold your hand while you’d ride him or would he pull your hair and spit in your mouth as he pounded into you from behind?

Would he…

“Yeah, I’m okay. Uh, I- I should go. There’s no need to walk me back, Sebastian, I’ll be fine. Thank you for the ride, have a good night. Oh and, safe travels to, um, wherever you’re going next. Goodbye,” you bade him goodbye with a smile. A smile which you faked to hide all the unholy thoughts you were having about this man you barely knew.

Normally, you weren’t the type to have one night stands, well you did have your fun while you were in college but now, you were much more careful.

He simply nodded as you stepped out of his expensive looking car, and rushed inside the boring, brown building.

You sighed when you saw the red on white sign still stuck to the elevator. The elevator had not been working for 2 weeks now, and each day, you had to take the many flights of stairs up and down. Ugh, you mentally groaned, there were so many stairs till you got to the fifth floor; your floor.

Reluctantly, you walked up the stairs, dragging your feet as you desperately wanted to feel the comfort of your bed. Perhaps the bed would feel nicer with a certain blue eyed someone in it – ugh! Brain, stop it!

You wanted to get into your home as soon as possible because your body needed food as well. Well, Sebastian is a full course meal, just say- fuck! Enough already, y/n!

He’s not thinking about you, he’s not thinking about you, he’s not thinking about you. He’s long gone okay, he’s probably about to catch a flight to another, lavish, grand city which you’ll never be lucky enough to visit.

Minutes later, you finally made it to your apartment. You threw the keys to the pub on the counter of your small kitchen and made your way to your bedroom, passing through your living room. Your apartment wasn’t that spacious but it was good enough. Of course, if someone like Sebastian were to- shit! There you go, thinking about him again.

“I think I’m going crazy,” you thought out loud as you stood in the middle of your living room, throwing your head back; facing the off white ceiling.

“Clearly, I mean first you forget your phone in my car, then you leave your front door unlocked and now you’re talking to yourself,” came a voice from behind you and you almost dropped on the floor in embarrassment.

Shit! Fuck! Fucking shit!

You turned around sheepishly and there he was, the man himself. Sebastian stood in the door way of your kitchen, facing you with your phone in his large hand.

His other hand was stuffed in his pocket and he had a mischievous smirk on. Oh well…

“Oh, I’m sorry- I, uh, I’m usually very careful but today, I don’t- God! Thank you, for bringing back my phone, Sebastian. And I’m sorry, I know how tiring the stairs can be and t-,”

Your words came to a complete stop as he walked towards you and stopped merely inches away from you.

At this point, within this close proximity, you could detect the faint smell of nicotine, beer and mint in his breath, mixed with the cologne he wore. His scent was enough to get any girl weak in her knees, and you were still standing so, you were kind of proud of that.

His azure eyes bore into yours and he seemed like he was looking for something in the depth of your eyes.

Slowly, cautiously, he extended his hand towards you until his knuckled ever so lightly caressed your cheek. You closed your eyes for a brief moment, thinking that when you’ll open them he’ll be gone. You thought it was all your imagination until you opened your eyes again and saw that he was still there. In your living room, in your apartment, inches away from you. And you had trouble understanding what was going on.

Despite the confusion, you found yourself relishing his touch.

His hand stroked your cheek, then your jaw and finally settled back on your cheek.

“I would say you’re just tired, doll. Or maybe someone is troubling your thoughts. Care to share?” he whispered, holding your face gently, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip gently.

Your thoughts were racing at a thousand miles an hour and your heart was beating insanely fast. You could hear your heartbeats ringing in your ears, yet all you could focus on was the sound of his voice. Weirdly, it calmed you down and made you feel all warm and tingly again.

“Wh-,”

The sound of a ringtone cut you off. And it wasn’t your own.

Sebastian sighed loudly and fished his pocket until he found his phone, he tapped on the screen and placed the device over his ear and had a serious look on his face.

“Qu’est qu’il y a maintenant?” he barked on the phone, anger lacing his words. You noticed how quickly his mood changed.

(What is it now?)

One moment he was being all caring, cocky and gentle with you and now, all of a sudden he’s mad at some poor someone on the phone.

Although, hearing him speak French fluently did do, um, things to you.

You stood in front of him as he kept arguing over the phone. The vein on his neck was now prominent and his eyebrows knitted and he pinched the bridge of his nose. You noticed that he was trying his best to not lose his calm in front of you.

As he spoke the foreign language, you found yourself getting more and more lost in the sound of his voice.

“Mais non, bandes de conards! Je vais tous vous tuer si ça ne se déroule pas comme je le veux!” he spat at the unknown caller again.

(No, sons of bitches! I will kill all of you if this doesn’t go my way!)

You understood nothing, not even a word, but it seemed like he swore once or twice. Either way, hearing his talk was… intriguing.

“Bein ouais, naturellement je le veux! Non, ne m’appelle pas sur ce numéro j- eh bein, je m’enfiche, je suis avec ma meuf. Oui, crétin j’ai une meuf. Maintenant fiche le camp, ne m’appelle plus,” with that, he ended the call and turned to your with his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

(Well yeah, obviously I want it! No, don’t call on the number again I- well I don’t care, I’m with my girl. Yes, dickhead I have a girl. Now get lost, don’t call me again)

He gave you one of those looks which made you feel naked under his gaze.

“That was...,” you started but then your voice trailed off because you didn’t know what to say.

Tonight just keeps on getting weirder and weirder.

“That was someone who I work with. He’s being, uh, annoying to say the least,” Sebastian answered and smiled towards you again.

How can someone switch moods so fast?

“Where were we, doll?” he asked, taking a step forward once again. He stood right in front of you and you didn’t know if it was your imagination or was it really his body heat which wrapped itself around you.

Either way, you were glad about it.

“We were, uh, I mean you came to give me my phone and…,” your voice trailed off again as he dragged his finger down your arm, leaving behind a trail of goose bumps on your skin.

His touch was electric, cold fingers sliding across your warm skin; in that moment, you were completely under his spell. And the fact that you barely knew him, added its own magnetism to whatever it is that you were feeling.

Suddenly, you no longer wanted the charming prince anymore. You wanted him. You wanted Sebastian.

Sebastian leaned forward just the slightest bit and placed a light kiss on your cheek. He was being very gentle, so much so that he surprised himself.

Usually, women throw themselves at him, and he’d play hard to get for a while then eventually give in. But with you, it was different.

You didn’t try to touch him within the first few minutes of meeting him. You didn’t suggest that he should bring you home so you could ‘give him a good time’. You were barely even ready to accept his offer when he asked to drive you home.

He liked you.

“Can I kiss you, doll?” he asked, out of the blue, and his eyes never left yours.

His need for your consent surprised you. And you couldn’t talk, scared that your words would make no sense even if you tried.

You nodded in response to his question, and not even a second later, a pair of lips met yours in a needy kiss.

His arm wrapped around your waist while the other one held your head, his fingers tangled in your hair and his lips moved along with yours.

His kiss was steamy. His tongue occasionally stroked yours and his teeth often tugged on your bottom lip, dragging a breathy moan out of you.

Soon, both his hands traveled to your ass and he pressed you further into his built body. At that point, you lost all sense of proper judgment, you didn’t care about anything in that moment; all you knew was that you wanted him. Bad.

“Sebastian…,” you moaned mindlessly as his lips roamed around the skin of your neck, kissing and biting the sensitive skin at the base of your throat.

You could almost physically feel the sparks flying between you and him, firing up the lust in both your heads. And you weren’t complaining.

You let out a loud moan when he finally found your sweet spot, right above your collar bones right at the base of your neck. You felt him smirk against your skin as his pride amplified.

His lips found yours again, and he mercilessly bruised your lips with his own and you could feel your desire pooling in your underwear as your downstairs area throbbed in need for his attention.

“Where’s your bed, baby?” he simply asked and resumed assaulting your lips, while his hands settled under your shirt, right beneath your breasts. His thumb slowly caressed your clothed swells and his touch drove you insane.

Unable to talk, you simply pointed to the other side of the room – a door way which led to your bedroom.

Sebastian began walking the two of you in that direction when you suddenly stopped, halting him along with you.

You weren’t quite sure why you did that and clearly he was confused as well.

You broke the kiss briefly, placed your hands on the back of his neck while one gently held his face and you looked him in the eyes.

You noticed that his eyes were darker. Filled with passion, a fiery desire and a strong craving. His lips were much plumper than they were before, they were even a darker shade of pink – caused by you biting and tugging on them earlier.

His breathing was quicker, and as you were pressed up against his torso, you could feel his racing heartbeat; matching your own.

“Fuck…,” you thought out loud and he smirked again, placing his forehead against yours.

“You know, I’ll leave whenever you ask me to. Do you want me to go, and leave you all frustrated here? You want me to go and leave you to get yourself off using your pretty fingers, all while thinking about me? That, or do you want me to touch you everywhere you want me to and leave you begging for more?” he asked.

His words caused your core to throb even more. Your felt the dampness accumulate down there and the thought of him in your bed didn’t help at all.

His teeth nibbled along your jaw right when you were about to answer him, and your words turned into an involuntary moan.

“Answer me when I talk to you, doll,” he spoke again, tracing your bottom lip with his tongue; forcing all sorts of unholy thoughts in your head about all the ways in which he could use that skilled tongue better.

“I want you,” you simply said and he smirked again.

“Come on then, let me take care of you,” he spoke and resumed kissing you as his hands lightly tickled your skin under your shirt, causing you to giggle into the kiss.

The next thing you knew is being lightly pushed down into the satin sheets of your bed, his body blocking your view of anything else but him.

It was a huge contrast, him in your room. Your walls were highly decorated with a bunch of stuff you bought off Etsy and eBay. It was a very ‘Tumblr’ type of bedroom, with tones of burgundy, grey, white and certain shades of red. And then there he was, Sebastian in his pricey, black suit. The first few buttons of his now crinkly shirt messily open, courtesy of you.

He smiled warmly down at you and tugged on your shirt, searching your eyes again for any negative signs. You thought it was adorable how he would wait for your consent each time.

You took matters into your own hands and peeled your polo shirt off, mentally thanking yourself for randomly deciding to wear a matching set of underwear on that day.

It would be borderline embarrassing if you found yourself in bed with a gorgeous man while you wore your Captain America panties.

While you took your shirt off, he slowly got rid of your pants. And in no time, you were laid down in front of him in your set of mint colored underwear. And the mischief in his eyes let you know that he was liking what he saw.

“So beautiful…,” his voice trailed off as he placed his lips back on yours again.

His hands moved to your boobs and he toyed with your swells while occasionally twisting your clothed, erected nipples.

You moaned into his mouth and he lifted off of you for just a moment. He quickly got rid of his clothes, including his shirt and pants and kissed his way up to your lips again.

Each feathery touch of his mouth drove you further and further into oblivion, and the only thing you could focus on was his hands on your body.

He kissed his way down your body yet again and you were losing count of how many times he made you moan since he first touched you.

You felt him dragging his lips across your skin and down till he reached your belly button. He kissed his way around it until he reached the seam of your pale green underwear.

You supported yourself up using your elbows in order to get a better view of his actions and you noticed the very prominent hard on in his black briefs. You smirked, knowing perfectly well that he wouldn’t be able to tease you for long.

Out of nowhere, he placed a kiss on top of your clothed, dripping core and earned a loud out of you. You figured that he noticed how wet you were.

“Barely touched you and you’re dripping already, huh doll? God, such a good girl,” he whispered along your inner thighs as he slowly took off your underwear. Once he got rid of it, his mouth hovered over your glistening heat.

He placed a kiss on each of your hip bones and stalled, knowing how desperately you wanted him.

“Fuck! Sebastian… please,” you begged for his touch and he had a smug look on his face.

“Please what? Ask nicely, doll,” his husky voice spoke up again, driving to you the edge.

You shivered as he placed innocent kisses along your inner thighs in the meantime.

“Your mouth, I want your mouth, please,” you whined, looking at him with your pleading eyes until he finally gave in.

He wasted no time as he slipped his tongue past your wet folds, teasing your entrance relentlessly. Occasionally, he’d bite and tease the skin around your heat but he’d eventually get back to where you wanted him the most.

His lips worked wonders on your dripping heat as his hands wrapped themselves around your thighs, locking you in his tight grip, leaving you no other choice but to endure his sweet assault.

The wet sounds his mouth made against your soaking core was downright filthy, and so was the moans coming out of you.

Your hands held his head as he ate you out like his life depended on it.

His tongue lapped up any drop of desire which flowed out of you and his fingers slowly pumped in and out of you as his tongue flicked your sensitive bundle of nerves.

You soon felt the familiar pressure forming and you knew you wouldn’t last much longer, so you bucked your hips against his face and he got the memo. He flicked his tongue over your entrance rapidly and soon, you came undone with a loud moan.

His name, along with a series of cuss words left your lips like a chant as your back arched off the bed for a couple of seconds.

You squirmed under his touch and he watched in awe how your pretty face frowned in pleasure.

You cradled his face in your hands as he kissed his way upwards across your skin again. You noticed the dampness form your heat on his face and how it coated his chin and his lips. The sight of it was filthy enough to make you come again.

As he moved his body on top of yours, his clothed hard on rubbed against your sensitive core and another involuntary moan escaped your mouth.

He moved his mouth over the shell of your ear and left a bunch of kisses there before whispering into your ear.

“Very needy, aren’t you, doll? Want me to make you come again? You wanna come again around my cock, huh? Will you be a good and take my cock like a good girl?” he asked, his hand discretely slipping the straps of your bra down your shoulders as his words put you back under his spell.

“Yes, Sebastian please,” you whined, dragging your nails lazily down his back until you reached his briefs.

You pulled his underwear down and his length sprang free, hitting you in your inner thigh in the process. You smiled and Sebastian caught it.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, babygirl,” he whispered, aligning his length to your already dripping core.

His leaking tip brushed against your wet folds and you both, simultaneously, let out a soft moan.

Your legs wrapped around his waist and kept him there, he supported himself above you using his elbow as his other hand held his erected length pressed up against your wet folds; teasing you and testing your patience.

You whined in annoyance and he smirked down at you.

“Tell me how much you want me,” he whispered against your lips as he slowly rubbed his tip up and down your soaked core; driving you crazy in the need for his touch and attention, in some very specific areas.

“Fuck, I want you so bad Sebastian. Please, it hurts, daddy make it better I promise I’ll be a good girl,” a series of mindless words left your lips and his eyes searched yours as soon as you called him ‘daddy’.

It intrigued him.

You looked up at him and bit your lip shyly. You had never told anyone, or any of your past lovers about your secret kink, but somehow, you managed to let it all out in front of a stranger you met like an hour ago. That’s the kind of hypnotic effect he had on you.

“Fuck! Don’t worry babygirl, daddy will make the pain go away,” he whispered against your lips before capturing them in a deep kiss and slipping his length inside of you at the same time.

You hissed when he fully penetrated you, the thickness of his length stretched you to your maximum and you were panting as he filled you to the brim.

He gave you a quick moment to get used to his size and when you kissed him back, slipping your tongue in his mouth, he took it as a sign which meant it was okay for him to move.

Your tongue stroked the top of his mouth as his length slipped in and out of your entrance gently, taking his time with you and allowing you to feel all of him. And you did.

You felt the prominent vein along his cock, and his throbbing red tip and it brushed against your walls each time he rocked into your wet heat.

He was being careful, cautious; watching your face intently as your eyes rolled back in pleasure. He didn’t want to hurt you, which is why he was taking it slow. Normally, he didn’t spend this much time and effort around a woman’s body. Usually, he’d fuck and leave in like 20 minutes, but here with you, this felt right. And he wanted to stay for as long as he could.

You liked that he respected you enough to be careful with you. But you wanted more, and he was taking his sweet time so you decided to act upon what you wanted.

While he was distracted with the amount of pleasure that your body brought him, you managed to flip the two of you so you straddled him, with his length still rims deep into your core.

He groaned as you bucked your hips against him, placing your hands on his chest and leaning down to kiss his perfect face.

“Baby, that’s not fair,” he moaned as you moved up and down his cock, your walls pumping him like he desperately wanted them to.

You could only moan in response as you moved up and down his length faster, your clit occasionally rubbing against the hairy base of his abdomen and adding to the pleasurable sensation.

“Fuck! Sebastian I-,” before you could finish your sentence, he flipped you both back over again; him being on top like he initially was.

“What did you just call me? It’s daddy to you, babygirl,” he said, stopping any movement which was bringing you closer to your release and you whined.

“Daddy, please! I’m sorry, just fuck me, please!” you moaned, trying to buck your hips against him, but he stopped your actions by pulling out of you.

You noticed a thin layer of sweat covering his body and the scent of his raw skin turned you on even more.

You whined again, at the loss of contact from his God-crafted body and he clicked his tongue.

“No, bad girls don’t get to come just like that. Apologize and ask politely, babygirl,” he looked you dead in the eyes with his stormy blue ones and you shuddered under his gaze.

Your core throbbed and kept dripping as his didn’t move a muscle above you.

“I’m sorry daddy, please I need you, please it hurts,” you pleaded and he smiled down at you.

“Now that’s a good girl,” he spoke, kissing the sin under your ear, causing your back to lift off the bed and your chest pressed against his.

He slipped his length into you completely without any warning, and you moaned against his cheek. He tapped your thighs, letting you know that he wanted them around his waist because that gave him a better angle.

Once you locked your legs behind him, he pounded into you without any mercy.

“Oh my- fuck! Daddy…” you moaned as he rocked into your core at an insane speed.

“Fuck! You are so tight baby,” he whispered in your ear as he moved his hips rapidly against yours, causing the all too familiar pressure to form in between your hips once again.

“Daddy! I-,” your words were muffled by his mouth being placed in yours. He drank in every moan, every groan and every cuss word which left your mouth.

The kiss was messy, tongues battling one another while your lips made it their mission to bruise each other. Your hands held both his biceps as he filled you up more and more each time.

Your mind stopped functioning at one point and all you could make out was that his body was moving against yours wonderfully. And his cock touched every single nerve which it needed to inside of you.

His toned abs rubbed against your skin and he placed his forehead on top of yours. The simple gesture was so sweet and so intimate that suddenly, you didn’t want to let him go. You wanted him, here, with you every single day. But even your mind which was clouded with lust and desire knew that that was impossible.

He groan as his thrust got more and more relentless, both your bodies rocked together as he set the pace.

You moaned out his name shamelessly, and soon, the pressure was too much to handle.

“Daddy, can I come please?” you asked, your eyes rolling back again because the pleasure was way to intense.

He moaned at what you called him.

“Yeah babygirl, come for me. Come for daddy like the good girl you are. Taking my cock so well, come for me baby,” he whispered against the side of your mouth.

You let yourself go, and noticed that his thrust started losing their rhythm as well.

You rode through the waves of euphoria as it washed over you violently, and you knew he felt the same because despite being fucked into oblivion, you could still hear him whisper your name under his breath as he came, equally as hard as you.

You felt his warm load shooting inside of you and you smiled in satisfaction. His body soon went limp and he fell on top of you, still being slightly careful as to not crush you with his body weight.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulder and you heard him chuckle into your ear.

“Babygirl, you were so good,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

“You too, daddy,” you whispered in his ear and soon, you drifted off to sleep.

You were too tired to open your eyes but you felt as though somebody cleaned you, put you under the covers and wrapped their strong arms around you, nuzzling their face into your neck as you fell into a dreamless sleep.

-NEXT MORNING-

You woke up feeling sore, which was not surprising given last night’s activities. You woke up in a black shirt, with the buttons undone and carefully wrapped in your baby blue blanket.

You sat up in your bed and immediately check the other side of the bed. It was empty, just like you thought it’d be. But you couldn’t ignore the little hope you had that he’d still be right there when you would wake up.

But oh well.

You noticed that his scent still lingered in the air. Could be the bed, the ruffled sheets which were slowly getting colder and colder, or it could be his shirt which covered your bare body. You looked down and noticed the loving marks he left on your skin. Along tour inner thighs, your stomach, around your breasts and although you couldn’t see it, you knew your neck would be covered with love bites as well. You still felt his presence on your skin, and you liked it.

As you rubbed your eyes and started standing up, despite hissing at the soreness in between your legs; you noticed a carefully folded piece of paper placed upon your bedside table.

You picked it up and unfolded it and smiled at the messy handwriting.

-Hey babygirl, I had fun last night and I know you did too. I had to get away for work but believe me, I’ll be back soon.

Stay safe for daddy, and stay away from men who come to the pub late at night – you’re mine and mine only.

Love, S. Stan.

You smiled at his note, your stomach filling up with butterflies as you read that one line over and over again.

‘You’re mine and mine only’

However, your smile instantly faded as you read the signature.

‘S. Stan’

You almost choked on your own spit as realization hit you like a brutal hurricane.

S. Stan… Sebastian Stan…

You had just slept with the most notorious and dangerous mob boss the entire country had ever witnessed. Shit!

And then it all made sense; that smoky smell in his car was probably gunpowder, he was yelling in French because the mob boss was said to be mainly affiliated with French gangs.

Holy fuck, did you just call such a man daddy while he pounded into you in your own bed? And is it wrong that you liked it?

Your hands trembled slightly as you held the note a bit too tight in your hands as you started pacing around in your room due to the stress.

‘I’ll be back soon’

‘You’re mine…’

He was known to be a man of his words. Running away from him would be both futile and dangerous. If he said he would, then he would definitely come back for you.

6K notes · View notes

kinkykawaiian · 4 years

Photo

Name: Lilith Hat

Alias: Death Dealer, ,Mistress of Betrayal, The Red Queen, Queen of the damned, Maiden of Desolation, Scarlet woman, Night Hag, Screeching owl,Mistress of deception, Little delicate owl(Pet name given by Black Hat), Goat girl(Again, another 'pet' name given to her by Black Hat), Delicate disaster( Yet another pet name given to her by Black Hat)

Occupation: Weapon's dealer, Leader of the Red Macabre Corporation, Black Hat's Emissary, Also ringleader of an underground circus for villains where she torments her victims.

Age: VERY VERY VERY OLD(First woman to roam Earth old.)

Race: Succubus

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual but leans towards men more

<b>Biography:</b>

DAWN OF CREATION:

When God first created Earth; he made Adam and Lilith from the same clay. Lilith did not want to lay beneath Adam and demanded to be his equal; to which Adam denied her and tried to have his way with her anyways. She fled from the Garden and found herself naked and lost in the jungle during a stormy night. While wondering through the wilderness, cold and shivering from the rain; she tripped and landed in the mud; only to be met face to face with a dark ominous being who dragged her by the hair to a secluded cave that oversaw the red sea. The tophatted stranger was fascinated by her; examining every inch of her as if he had never seen a human before. Of course he was met with a sharp slap to the face when his hands got to more personal areas of her body. He did not speak in human dialect, but with time she taught him and he protected her from the wilderness when she ventured out to hunt. The land at the time was filled with all different kinds of wildlife; even prehistoric creatures roamed the earth. The being eventually named himself Black Hat and he was very powerful indeed. He could light a fire pit with just a snap of his fingers.

Eventually, the three Angels God had sent to search for her had caught up and gave her the choice to come back to Eden or stay with evil incarnate and have the first 100 children born from her womb die when they take in their first breath of life. She refused their offer and stayed with Black Hat. Lilith adopted two orphaned Siberian tiger cubs when their mother was mauled by a T-rex. She named them Anzu and Khaan. Eventually, on one of her hunts she followed a doe into the Garden; where she witnessed Adam with another woman, Eve. This caused Lilith to feel something she had never felt before. Jealousy. She gave up on the hunt and when she got back to the cave she told Black Hat everything. He could sense she was distressed and relished the fact she was feeling a deadly sin. He grinned and saw the opportunity to finally cause the demise of humanity. He himself couldn't enter the Garden; only God's creations could. He granted Lilith immortality, where she went through a grueling and painful transformation; but of course it came with a price. He had her take the form of a serpent to sneak into the Garden and lure Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of Knowledge. She eventually takes refuge in hell with her beloved tigers(who were turned into gruesome hell beasts.) and was separated from Black Hat. 4th century B.C. Egypt: Lilith eventually resurfaced again. She was disguised as a belly dancer for Queen Cleopatra and offered advice on how she could conquer and rule. The temptress always caused death or manipulated others into doing the evil deed for her. She eventually crosses paths with Black Hat again who she spotted front row in one of her performances. She was especially flirty with him, taunting him with her silky scarf and led him away to have her fun with him. Shortly after their romping, Egypt was plagued with a severe drought,locust and famine. The following morning Black Hat offers for her to join him, she of course refused and remained a free spirit. Angered by her rejection he leaves; leaving behind a massive sand storm in his wake. Nine months later she gave birth to a little girl who died seconds after being born. Lilith mourned the loss of her child and even gave her a name; Jezebel. As time went on she had intercourse with several other men, human or other demons; each offspring from those relations did not survive outside the womb. Europe 1347 - 1558: Lilith was disguised as a beautiful human woman who seduced men and drained them dry of their life force. Eventually on one of her hunts, she crosses paths with Black Hat. He was still sore about being rebuffed but made an attempt in conversing with her. They talked about their conquest and what they have been up to for the last couple of centuries. He invites her for a night full of booze and murder that eventually leads into some evil coitus. Soon after, Europe was introduced to the Black Plague. Lilith took on the disguise of a Plague nurse while Black Hat took on the disguise of a Plague doctor and together they helped further spread the deadly disease. After successfully spreading the plague, Lilith parted ways with Black Hat due to her being summoned by Mary the first. The queen sought power and prosperity. Lilith was her right hand and gave her advice that would lead to the queen's ruthless war path and the killings of innocent women just for the sole purpose of bathing in it. At her death bed, Lilith collected her soul and entrapped her into a mirror where she has the mediocre job of scaring children dumb enough to invoke her. The demoness then wandered into the wilderness of Europe, wanting to explore it's wildlife. During her stay in the wild, Lilith ventured into a cave where she encountered an enormous golden serpent with glowing red eyes. She eventually tamed the savage beast and named her "Big Jill". After obtaining her new pet she retreated back into hell. The year 1860-1950: She was summoned on earth by a mortal looking to get his rocks off with the infamous succubus and it backfired on him when she drained his life energy for sustenance; leaving nothing but a hollowed out corpse. Now, free to roam Earth, she disguised herself as a normal woman; killing several men in her wake. She was nomadic; never staying in one place and always traveling state to state; town to town and eventually she happened upon a small town in Mexico. She saw a discrete ad around the town for a masquerade. She attended the ball expecting to find her new victim. She wore a crimson red and black Victorian dress; it's silk straps draping off her shoulder; along with black gloves and a crow mask, her hair tied back in a bun adorned with roses and black feathers. During the festivities; she saw a familiar dark figure. His face was concealed by a mask. He had noticed her and watched her from the corner of his eye until she disappeared in the crowed only to reappear behind him and ask him for a dance. As they waltzed they chatted about the festivities and eventually Lilith dropped the bomb of how he looked like someone she knew many years ago. He grins at her as he already knew who she was. After their brief introduction to one another, Black Hat began to siphon the life force out of the other party goers to sustain them both. They danced through the ballroom long after the rest of the attendies were dead at their feet. After their dinner and dance; they road off on his horse and he laid her down by a lakeside. After their fun, He laid next to her and brought up his offer again. As much as Lilith cared for him, she loved her freedom to much to be chained down to one being. He cursed her name and rode off into the night on horseback. She sighed and went about her night. A week later she attempted to seduce the famous monster hunter Van Helsing; only to be maimed severely and have her wings ripped from her body. He was about to slice her throat with a blessed blade but was interrupted by the leering shadow of a monstrous Black Hat who engulfed the room in darkness. Lilith had loss consciousness from the blood loss at this point and she came to when she felt a sterling silver red hot branding iron between her shoulder blades. It was Black Hat who was marking her with the Hat Pentagram. He looked pleased at the fact she was hindered, distress and dependent. He informed her that he saved her life and tended to her wounds therefore she is in debt to him and that she will forever serve under the Black Hat Organization as payment. This of course this lead to an argument between the two but she receded back to laying on her side in pain. He gently stroked her hair before exiting the room calling her a"Beautiful imbecile". Black Hat enjoyed her wild and wicked nature; trying to contain it would be foolish but he thrived on the conflict that came from him attempting. Her spirit was unbreakable no matter what he through her way, she rose above it stronger each time. Any man she tried to seduce or have relations with faced imminent death due to Black Hat's envious reaction. Eventually, Lilith wanted to own her own company, to which Black Hat was intrigued to hear. He gave her a branch of his Organization to rule and set her up in the catacombs of Paris. There, she let her hellish creatures roam the labyrinth of death. She named the branch The Red Macabre and specialized in torture entertainment, murder for hire, evil marriage consoling and taming monsters. Once a year she would host an underground circus where villains from all over the cosmos can come and bare witness to her and her crew tormenting a hero until his last breath before being fed to Lilith's demonic saber tooth tigers. 1950-Present day: Despite her boss's constant attempt in trying to lock her down, Lilith still attempted to date other supernatural beings casually. One day, Lilith was in her office sharing a drink with her boyfriend at the time Nergal(https://grimadventures.fandom.com/wiki/Nergal ). Black Hat heard about them through the grapevine and interrupted their date by grabbing Nergal by the throat and tossing him into the deepest pit of hell. He then turned his anger at Lilith and demanded for her to only belong to him. She informs him that what they had is casual and if she ever was to be tied down to anyone they had to be equals. Black Hat laughs at this and pulls out a ring to force onto her. She reacted by biting her finger off and spiting it at him; to which he ate it and made her finger regenerate with the ring on it. She said she was not going to acknowledge their matrimonial status unless it was a two-way contract with no catch. He reluctantly agreed. After they signed the binding contract(They both wrote it up together.) they were to only save each other for themselves and no one else. Despite being married, they did not live together, nor does Black Hat speak about her to others unless they ask. Eventually she gives birth to her first healthy child, a baby boy named Damien and two more followed after; one girl named Alice and the other named Melody.

LIKES:

-Drinking in general

-The suffering of men who thought they were superior to women

-Musicals

-Old detective shows

-Singing and dancing

-She likes spicy things(perfume,foods,gum,sex)

-Guns; her favorite being her golden Berretta 92; a semi automatic pistol

-animals

-being the center of attention

-cherries

-Most music

-the rare sweet moments between her and Black Hat that happen in private

-Red spider lilies

-living in the lap of luxury

-the color red

-Carnage

-Bathing in virgin blood

-the taste of human flesh

-When Black Hat sings to her or plays an instrument for her.

-Belly dancing(mostly to Heavy metal),waltzing or tango.

DISLIKES:

-Frogs

-Other people's children

-Being referred to as the Night hag

-Being asked what her age is

-Being called a sinner

-Being annoyed

-anything cold

-Glitter

-Being disrespected

-Most men

-Outdated views

-pranks

-when Black Hat melts puppies

-Being told what to wear

FUN FACTS:

-Her legs are furry but she waxes them.

-It took her centuries to get the hang of her powers, even furthering their capabilities with the help of another Lovecraftian deity named Edmund Uvhash.

-After spending so many years in France, Lilith picked up an accent.

-Lilith can speak several different languages; including English,Spanish,French and pig Latin.

- She has an affinity for animals

-Lilith is an excellent cook(She mostly cooks human flesh with herbs and spices)

-Lilith covers her chipped horn with a band at all times

-Black Hat has indulged in her sinful nature a few times and it usually leaves her bitten up,bruised and bleeding. And it is their dirty little secret to keep.

-If Black Hat were to ever disappear Lilith would take his spot and rule ruthlessly and mercilessly and do away with the mortals he hired and summon a legion to take their place.

-Lilith views Black Hat as an equal; despite him viewing her beneath him but he keeps that to himself.

-Black Hat and Lilith have private meetings every so often where he complains about his employees or talks about his new devices he wants to sell or they drink and reminisce about their past

-Lilith does care deeply for Black Hat, she just hates the concept of monogamy.

- Lilith never visits the Manor; Black Hat however has come out to visit her and the children.

-Eventually when the kids are older the end up visiting their father one summer and that is when Black Hat dropped the bomb on his crew that he was a married man. Demencia didn't take the news too well.

-Lilith has an irrational fear of frogs.

-Lilith was the one who pissed off Black Hat enough for him to destroy Pompeii

-Big Jill is Lil Jack's mate and they are both Basilisks.

-Lilith's catacombs are crawling with gigantic demonic Black Widow spiders, hell hounds, her demonic saber tooths and a pit filled with Big Jill and Lil Jack's offspring.

-Big Jill is the most feared creature that lurks in the catacombs who's looks can kill alone.

-Every time Black Hat and her bump uglies a catastrophe happens. It's a bad omen.

-Black Hat doesn't really love her but he feels intense lust and is envious if any other man touched her. He is very possessive over her and feels an enormous sense of pride once he was able to lock her down.

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

Personality: She is ambiguous and charismatic by nature. However, she is will let it be known if she doesn't like someone and would make it a goal of hers to make them suffer an ill fate. She can act posh but deep down she is a wild and feral spirit. She is very lewd and makes a lot of suggestive jokes. She has a really sick and twisted sense of humor. She is very manipulative. She is highly flirtatious if she finds you remotely attractive.

Fighting Style: she is very flexible, quick and agile so she will use that to her advantage. She fights like an animal,using her horns to ram into her enemy, her clawed nails, fanged teeth and tail. Also may use her hooves to step on her enemies. Or she'll just simply unload led into you.

Powers: intense charisma and seductive power to match her good looks she uses to her advantage to manipulate unsuspecting victims,can disguise herself to look human, Manipulates dreams, Can see in the dark, Pyrotechnic, is able to make items manifest themselves in a snap of a finger, she can also walk up right walls and ceilings. She can teleport(even through dimensions), sucking her victim's life dry to leave behind a hollowed corpse, Immortality. She also can charm her victims(Only works with mortals) to get what she wants. Despite having these supernatural powers she is not as strong as Black Hat. She doesn't even come close to what he is capable of. She can turn into a snake.

Weaknesses: Sterling silver, holy weapons(blessed blades, holy water), frogs.

Quotes:

"Don't mistaken my respect for fear or you will loose it”-Lilith to BH

"If you can sell a lie you can sell anything."-Lilith to BH and Flug after helping them with a sale's pitch.

"Your mind is an insane one,darling."Black Hat to Lilith

"Thank you. I'd like to think it complements your wicked thoughts."Lilith replying to BH

"The further I pull away the worse his actions get, It's like he wants me to pay attention to him in this fucked up game of cat and mouse."Lilith to Nikiri (Her social media manager.)

Voice claim: Chloé Hollings ((

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO8TRGaqM9I&t=401s

))

Singing voice claim: Vanessa Paradis ((

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z-NbQvhzKM

))

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

Lilith's themes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAOx_6jfek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNhy3K94z8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1VqKLgq4bA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4mD-DRU1k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqdYHnulCms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t7SclAXoQw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4cKIxhcTT8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJwwIDCeqoU

Lilith and Black Hat's Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x83P5LjpWpA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5yMcIxdnPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I6Y9bv7Js4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQgUfkYhic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kQ-0bBkMIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGbe-lEDCc4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwCdShFGjwI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PptZQQ1O70A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJwt9qJb6Sw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccY25Cb3im0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olp10zk3h-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPlIDu5rmo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDboeQfAsww

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcSL5Vdeu6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39V3sOe3-2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkBEnIoRqWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m5SXO8qK78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYuhnVSOzwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8wP_4vp4Vs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teuGzBoN8hE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBi_1efiPwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66l1S0E70I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9PF09URHdQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE4bW3SJ6YE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMK0prafzw0

Villainous,Black Hat belong to Alan Ituriel

Art and this interpretation of Lilith belong to me.

#VillainousOC #villainous oc #villainous Lilith #Villainouslilith #villainous #villainous blackhat #Villainous BH #VH Villainous #Villainous fandom #villainous rp #villainos #My art #art #villainous fanart #character sheet

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deanothecheynosaur · 4 years

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The Bear and the Nightingale (2017)

Yay first one! (Whether you read the long synopsis or not, the ranking is at the bottom)

Funny story before I get into it: so my boyfriend's brother bought me this book in paperback for Christmas. I had not started reading it yet, but I was checking my Kindle to see how many books I read in 2019 and saw that I had purchased this a while back, never got around to reading it, and forgot I had it. So I'm taking back the paperback as soon as his blizzard is over (which oddly fits the book) and bought the second and third on Kindle. I have another gift card, but I need all three books to be in the same format.

Short synopsis:

Vasya is a young girl in a small village northern Rus' who can see things others can't. Everyone thinks she's a witch. The frost demon Morozko watches and protects her to keep himself strong enough to contain the Bear. An epic story about the clash between the old religions & the domineering Christianity & about the sexism of the time.

Long synopsis:

Moving on. Our story opens in Northern Rus' in the remote village of Lesnaya Zemlya bordering a large forest with the family of Pyotr Vladimirovich, his wife Marina Ivanovna, and their children Kolya (Nikolai Petrovich), Sasha (Aleksandr Petrovich), Olya (Olga Petrovna), Alyosha (Aleksei Petrovich), a bun in the oven, and their nurse, Dunya (Darya Nikolaevna). There's some important backstory though. Marina is the daughter of Ivan I Grand Prince in Moscow and his third wife, a mysterious woman who wandered out of the woods with no family, no history, and many suspected she was a witch. Marina knew it would be her last child and it would be a girl like her mother. This is set during the late 13th century, after Genghis Kahn died while the Tatars were still dominating the area. But Marina was right. She died in childbirth delivering Vasya (Vasilisa Petrovna). Throughout the book, there are hints that everyone but Sasha blames Vasya a little for Marina dying.

Vasya grows up naughty and ugly, with huge green eyes, black hair with a hint of red, a mouth too big for her face, long limbs, and too skinny. Olya calls her "little frog." Vasya does whatever she wants: Dunya is old, Pyotr is a busy man between being the Lord of the area and a farmer, and she has no stepmother. One evening, Vasya gets lost in the forest and sees a one-eyed man sitting against a gnarled black oak tree she had never seen before. He was uber creepy. But then another man shows up on his horse, refers to the one-eyed man as Medved, and tries to talk to Vasya. She gets scared and runs, but neither man pursues her. After she gets home (still freaking out), Pyotr decides it's time to remarry before Vasya gets unmanageable. He takes Kolya and Sasha with him to Moscow to find himself a wife and Olya a husband. It's mentioned several times throughout how a character cleans the ice out of their horse's hooves or mane, which I think is a great addition because it really solidifies the time period by how important horses were to everybody. Once they are settled in Moscow, Sasha spends time with other devout Christians (he prays a lot) and discovers that there is a renowned holy man (Sergei Radoneshsky) at a monastery three days north of Moscow. Pyotr lets him go alone to meet the man. Once Sasha gets there, he decides he wants to be a monk at this monastery and goes back to Moscow to ask his father. Pyotr agrees on two conditions: 1. Sasha cannot join the order or speak to Father Sergei until after the next harvest; 2. Sasha will be disinherited. Which honestly I think is fair.

A minor character that sets a lot of major things in motion is the Metropolitan of Moscow, Aleksei. Took me a minute to figure out that that means he's a bishop. Anyway, basically his job is really to deal with problems that might hurt the future of the current family ruling. Initially, he lines up marriages: Olya to a lesser prince that could have a claim to the throne of he married higher, and Pyotr to the Grand Prince's mad daughter, Anna Ivanovna. She saw demons everywhere except the church, so she wanted to be a nun. Of the two arranged marriages, the latter was less necessary in the initial context but crucial to rest of the plot. On their way back home, they run into a strange man, slight in stature but moves too quickly to see with pale skin, curly black hair, and icy blue eyes. He admires Pyotr's horse and Kolya is a dick to him about it, so the man has a knife to his throat. To save Kolya, Pyotr must give a necklace with a bright sapphire stone in it to Vasya to keep with her always. Kolya forgets the encounter altogether and wonders about the white scars on his neck... Pyotr is nervous about he necklace, so he gives it to Dunya. Dunya doesn't want to spoil her, so she decides to keep it for a while. Then she starts having one of several dreams in which she is confronted about keeping what is not hers.

After Sasha and Olya leave to be a monk and marry, respectively, Vasya spends less time with people. We soon learn that she can see creatures, the spirits from the old fairy tales Dunya told. Except they're real. Vasya is not crazy, and neither is Anna, but Anna is too Christian to be cool about it. Plus, Anna is a mean stepmother, strongly preferring her own daughter, Irina Petrovna. Vasya soon befriends the domovoi who lives in the oven and protects the house. Vasya doesn't realize her family can't see these creatures, so she talks to the vazila, the spirit of the horses who guards the stables. He says that she and Anna are the only people who can see them. Vasya thinks the stables are safer, so she visits the vazila often. He teaches her to speak to horses and understand them.

Then our friend Aleksei the Metropolitan does his last bit of manipulation. There is a priest in Moscow who is very good looking and gifted at painting icons. Aleksei is concerned that this will cause too many disruptions, so when the priest up in Lesnaya Zemlya dies, he sends the pretty priest, Father Konstantin Nikonovich, up there to take his place. I've never hated a fictional character so much in my life. Vasya is talking to the rusalka, a river demon who lives off of consuming the fears and desires of various animals and humans, killing them in the process. She goes for men a lot. Vasya unfortunately stops her from killing Father Konstantin. He immediately dislikes Vasya, thinking her too bold and not pious enough. Anna is obsessed with Konstantin because priests are her favorite and this is a hot one.

As time goes on, Vasya gets less and less like a lady should be, which infuriates Konstantin, but he's also having impure thoughts about her, which infuriates him in other ways. Anna and Konstantin try to convince everyone that if they continue to leave offerings for the old spirits, they will go to Hell. But shortly after, the village faces all the hardships. Freezing cold. Food shortage. People dying from the temperature. Wolves eating livestock. And then the crops flood. What survives the flood in the spring burns in the summer. Konstantin tells everyone that God is testing their faith, meanwhile Vasya is trying to sneak offerings and keep people alive. She also learns how to ride horses. Pyotr betrothes her to a Lord/horse breeder from a few towns over, Kyril Artamonovich. He's an oblivious ass. When he finds out she can ride, he calls off the wedding and leaves. Konstantin convinces Anna that Vasya somehow will get Irina killed, so when Pyotr leaves town, Anna tries to get rid of Vasya, either by death or by hog-tying her and taking her to a convent. Anna tells Vasya that she can stay if she finds snowdrops (the flower) in the forest (it's midwinter). Vasya takes off to find some, deciding worst case scenario, she would rather die in the forest than in a convent. She ends up at the gnarled black oak from her childhood, and the one-eyed man is still there. He tries to grab her, but the same man on horseback swoops in and saves her. He takes her back to his "house" to rest. She shortly finds out that he is Morozko, the god of winter and death. The one-eyed man is his brother, Medved, the Bear, the god of fear and suffering. Morozko has had him bound for a few hundred years, but with the offerings decreasing, Medved's strength is increasing. Morozko is known to be a trickster and a lavish gift-giver. Among other things, he gives Vasya a horse called Solovey (Russian for Nightingale), a young bay colored stallion who is not quite as mortal as your average horse. He also gives Vasya some snowdrops so that she may go home, but when she arrives, things are not how she left them. This is where we hit the climax, and I'm not giving away the ending. 😉

I'm very into folklore and old religions, I love forests, and Russian history is so long and colorful that it's been a fascination of mine for a while. Plus, ice stories interest me, maybe because my birthday is frequently cold and icy. So this was a great book for me to read. It's also clear how well-researched it is, as well as spelling things so that an English speaker would still be saying it with the Russian pronunciation.

On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 4.5. It would be higher but so many characters were unlikeable.

#books #book addict #book review #the bear and the nightingale #2017 #katherine arden #the winternight trilogy #russia #russian folklore #review #pagan witch #pagan #witch #christianity

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cthayers · 5 years

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hiya it is sam back at it with another muse already ... so as you will soon find out i have little to no will power ... and i had no idea we’d be able to take up second muses so soon but i literally was already working on this beotch because i knew i wanted to bring her in eventually ! camila is a v old muse of mine that i have never had the opportunity of playing in a group but i figured this was the perfect opportunity and so here we are .

did you hear how CAMILA THAYER is applying to columbia university as an ENGLISH major ?! the TWENTY year old is living in the WATT HALL. i heard that they got in because they are + CREATIVE and + PASSIONATE, but honestly i think SHE can be - RESERVED and -ARROGANT. they’re a real ACADEMIC. oh well, only time will tell if the SOPHOMORE will make it til the end.

full name : camila allen thayer

nickname : cam , cami

birthday : june 15, 1999

zodiac : gemini sun, cancer moon, aquarius rising

nationality : american

ethnicity : 1/2 ashkenazi jewish, 1/2 english

religion : atheist

sexual & romantic orientation : bisexual , biromantic

hometown : hampton , new hampshire & cheraw , south carolina

accent : twinge of a southern accent , but mostly a posh new england accent

languages spoken : english , conversational french

major : english

minor(s) : latin & french

hobbies : reading , horseback riding , tennis , piano playing

aesthetics : plaid skirts and knee socks , clawfoot bathtubs , sylvia plath poetry books , thin framed glasses , pink highlight , wandering through the met , film cameras , hand written letters + PINTEREST

character parallels : astrid sloan ( the politician ) , camille preaker ( sharp objects ) , amma crellin ( sharp objects ) , camilla macaulay ( the secret history ) , serena vanderwoodson ( gossip girl ) , donna sheridan ( mamma mia here we go again )

personality & headcanons

camila has always been a quiet individual , especially around those she doesn’t know . calm , cool , collected , many people’s initial impression of her is that she hates them due to her resting bitch face and the lack of acknowledgment she gives before she’s truly comfortable around a person

she does not open up easily , and doesn’t really know how to handle being loved . so she typically doesn’t let anybody get that close .

major abandonment issues and daddy issues . so she seeks validation from men and also if she lets you in be prepared to fucking stay

doesn’t party much because she prefers to stay in and study or be with her closest friends , she drinks but prefers small social gatherings with those she’s close to

has a nasty cigarette habit and shows no signs of stopping

her favorite season is the fall , and her favorite holiday is halloween

i think she’s v mysterious sort of ? like , this really pretty girl that keeps to herself mostly , and her small group of friends , but she’s got this alluring aspect of her that draws some near .. v greek mythology siren esque

very soft , but also not at all ? like wears skirts and knee socks and berets and flow-y white dresses and sits in coffee shops while it rains reading poetry BUT , she can be dangerous . seductive , arrogant , selfish , and quite emotionless at times . v ice maiden type , will use beauty to get what she wants in the most subtle of ways

so basically she comes off as this sweet , elegant woman with a soft smile who spends her weekends at museums , but when you get closer to her ( if you get closer to her ) you might see a much darker side to her

kind of into that witchy shit , so

background

camila was the second child born to marianne allen, though her older brother has a different father. her brother was born when marianne was just seventeen, running away from her perfect new hampshire home and her perfect new hampshire family to raise the child with his father in a small town in south carolina

they had planned to run away and meet in south carolina , though the father never showed . so it was just marianne and this baby boy , but it wasn’t long before marianne found herself pregnant again , another local farmer boy , thomas thayer

so camila was born , and it was the four of them in this tiny home that barely fit all of them , and marianne was just shy of twenty and didn’t even want to be a mother , so life wasn’t all that great for the thayers .

camila’s mother was never very maternal , and her father was a drunk . he didn’t truly love marianne , nor did he love camila very much . he especially didn’t love her brother , who wasn’t even his child .

camila and her brother stuck together , a dynamic duo of sorts . they were best friends and had each other’s backs through anything . at night , when they could hear their parents fighting , they would cuddle up in bed together and talk about their happiest thoughts , the lives they wished they had , so on .

at seven , thomas thayer decided to call it quits . he left in the night without so much as a goodbye , and though he had never felt particularly close to camila , camila felt close to him . it was her father after all , and she craved his attention , his validation .

at nine , her grandparents in new hampshire were finally able to locate them . getting cps involved , they were granted full custody of the kids , and camila and her brother were taken away from their mother and put into a new , grandeur home with these old people they’d never even heard about before . it was not a welcomed change , though it would soon be .

the first thing she discovered at her grandparent’s home was her grandfather’s library . he was a retired professor at dartmouth , and had an entire room full of literary classics , academic journals , and other first edition books . as a child , camila was not allowed in without his supervision , though she often snuck in without permission .

she was put into private school where she was expected to achieve excellent marks and commit to extracurriculars , though she was so behind in her schooling due to the underprivileged education system she’d faced in south carolina , that it took her a while to get back on track . though once she did , she excelled . they found that camila was incredibly gifted in creative and liberal subjects , such as art , english , and history . still , she excelled in math and science , though had to put forth a little more effort .

she took up horseback riding and tennis , but nothing could replace the comfort she felt in cuddling up with a good book from her grandfather’s library , in front of their grand fire place with a mug of her grandmother’s hot cocoa , or playing the piano in her grand parents’ grand hall

though she lived a life of luxury , her and her brother spent two - four weeks every summer going down to visit their mother . each year , as she got older , she began to realize just how broken her mother was , and truly began to understand why her grandparents felt the need to take her children from her .

camila , though not necessarily a tomboy , had always surrounded herself with boys . all her best friends were boys , and she hardly ever got along with her girl classmates . perhaps it had something to do with growing up so close to her brother , and often befriending his friends .

when she was sixteen , though , her guy friends started seeing her differently . boys , in general , began to really notice her . this was the first time she realized she was closed off to love . she had a boyfriend during her junior year of high school , and on the night he told her he loved her , she simply responded “ no , you don’t . ”

anyway ! getting accepted into columbia was a dream come true , though no one was all that surprised . she’d also been accepted to dartmouth ( her grandparents’ alma mater and where he taught , and where he’d urged her to go ) and brown , but something about new york city was enticing . she’d always lived in small towns , under twenty thousand people , and moving to a big city with millions seemed like a nice change of pace

she has made one close knit group of friends during her freshman year , though she’s still only a sophomore and we know how those things change . nonetheless , if you weren’t one of those people , you probably wouldn’t know who she was , because she didn’t get out much ( mayhaps she was seen around campus though )

wanted connections !

alright enough about camila if you got through all that i’m so sorry KJAHKSJGH but ! i have quite a few connections i’d love

the close friends she made freshman year . these would be pretty much the only people camila hung out with last year , and though things can change , the only people she’ll hang out with at the start of this year . i imagine this group to be mostly guys ( though not necessarily exclusively ) , because she tends to befriends boys as opposed to girls ? i’d say about 5 people ! ( 1 / 5 )

her number one best friend . this would have to be a male or male presenting muse , as camila has never found herself that close to a girl , reasons unknown tbh , she just gets along with boys better IDK inspo : ( x , x ) ( 0 / 1 )

close girl friend . that being said , every girl still needs her girlies . so she’d be fairly close to this girl , even if she doesn’t open up that much , perhaps the girl feels like she can open up to camila ? this can all be plotted out ! i feel like camila is a v good secret keeper , she doesn’t talk all that much so you can expect her to keep anything safe lmao ( 0 / 1 )

toxic relationship . sooo tbh this gotta be with a muse who is not a good guy , because camila is not that good of a gal ? . i see this being sort of on again , off again ? i’m not sure if either of them truly feel anything for one another , but they must feel something that keeps them going back to one another . though camila doesn’t really open herself up to love , she’s not necessarily closed off from relationships . ya girl needs to be satisfied and she ain’t the type to sleep around ok ? anyway i see them being really possessive of one another and having p explosive fights , definitely not right for each other and yet !!! also just to be clear , i see them as mutually bad for one another it’s not one sided ! just give me this angst pls . inspo : ( x , x , x , x ) ( 1 / 1 ) lukas tozer

unrequited crush . this would be unrequited on the other muse’s behalf . open to m/f/nb and whether or not camila knows there is a crush there can be plotted out ! basically this just goes along with the hc that camila is very mysterious and allurring from afar , and that those who don’t know her all that well tend to be drawn to her and a lot of times will romanticize her ? but also for extra angst i am possibly thinking that the two are v close and camila does know and won’t let them like her buT we can figure it all out . lmao . anyway ya inspo : ( x , x , x , x ) ( 0 / 1 )

also just general plots i’d love to see : someone she tutors in english or journalism or literature anything regarding that sort of subject , bad influence / someone determined to get her out of her shell , enemy plots !! gimme girls who think she’s a snob or boys who think she’s a bitch or everything in between , study buddies , girl crushes because camila is bi and thinks every girl is pretty , give me anything under the sun tbh i’m open to so much

#columbia.intro #this ended up getting so long i M so sorry #just give this a lil like and ill come hit u up on discord or ims !

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cosmicsonglines · 7 years

Text

Pssst, Taxi? … Boyfriend? …Wifi?

My Cuban Chronicles

It’s been 56 years since the Cuban Revolution, and the spray-painted signs all over crumbling, yet vibrant Havana won’t let you forget. Yes, stepping out of the airport and into Havana is like entering a time capsule, but there’s something more complex going on. My friends & I immediately sensed that Havana housed parallel worlds. There’s the world of the ordinary Cubans struggling daily, and that of the yuma, or foreigner, in town on a vacation. They exist simultaneously, yet rarely collide.

Cubans don’t even use the same currency as tourists, they use moneda nacional (MN). It’s worth about 24 cents to 1 CUC. MN isn’t even accepted at any of the places tourists go. All Cubans who are not in tourism have a side hustle because even doctors and engineers make 25 CUC a month (what it costs to get from the airport to the city). Taxi drivers make more than professionals. As such, you’ll find a lot of ex-engineer cabbies. Almost everyone uses the black market to get by, to get things that Americans would consider basic necessities. Many Cubans receive weekly (illegal) USB “packets” with all the new movies and more, to compensate for the lack of internet access.

As part of the emerging private sector (20% of the economy), I found that airbnb hosts were at this odd intersection, straddling the parallel worlds described above. I recommend staying with an airbnb Superhost — they can help arrange taxis for you, get you additional services like a cook, bartender, or masseuse (often the same person), and they can also call in reservations for you, which brings me to a few tips I wish I’d known beforehand.

Top Tips:

Make reservations in advance if there’s somewhere special you want to eat, especially at the following restaurants:

El Cocinero

Los Naranjos

Doña Euitmia

San Cristobal (where Jay-Z & Beyonce & Obama went)

La Guarida

I found this a bit shocking but you really do need reservations even on weeknights. Old Havana is small and there are only a handful of raved about dinner spots - this makes sense considering that regular Cubans cannot afford to go to any of these tourist spots.

Exchange your USD to EUR at the airport in the states and then exchange EUR for CUC (1 EUR = 1 CUC) at the airport in Havana - once you leave the airport, there are very few places to exchange in the city (maybe 2) and they are very slow.

Bring more than enough cash. American money is ok, but you can’t exchange USD there without a 10% fee. You won’t be able to use your credit card or withdraw money from the ATM. Budget about $100 USD a day and that should be more than enough, not including accommodation. Most meals cost about $10 and cocktails cost $3-4, and beer $2.

Off the beaten path are really cheap local bakeries selling bread to locals for $.04 a loaf and street vendors hawking fresh fruit for $.50. Street food consists of sandwiches.

As always, confirm the amount with your taxi river before getting in. There are no metered taxis. A cab from the airport to Old Havana should be about $25. It cost us $25 to get to Santa Fe from the airport as well. Both trips take about 30 min.

Before you leave, download the Cuba App from iTunes - it will work offline & the map will combine clutch. The GPS will work while your phone is on airplane mode.

Be prepared to have absolutely no wifi. There is wifi in select spots but it's usually a pain to connect.

Take the time to learn a few key Spanish phrases like:

“Necesito ir a…” means “I need to go to…”

“¿Dónde está…” when you’re asking about where something is.

“¿Cuánto cuesta?” = “How much does it cost?”

“¿Puedo ver un menú, por favor? ” which means “Can I see a menu please?” You could also say “Necesito una mesa para dos, por favor” which means “I need a table for two, please.”

To order a drink at the bar, say “Me gustaria un/a … por favor.” So if you want a beer, it would be “Me gustaria una cerveza por favor.”

My shitty Spanish was enough to get us by, but it wasn't enough to ensure things didn't go wrong when trying to iron out the details. This trip solidified my resolve to become fluent in Spanish.

The Trip

Day 1: We arrived in Havana and had dinner at the house in Santa Fe, which is a suburb (consejo popular) about 15 min. west of Havana. I was there for one of my best friend’s bachelorette party & we wanted an escape from the city and not to have to split up the group. So our house was perfect for those purposes. It was right on the water and had a small pool. They are installing an infinity pool soon, which will be amazing.

After dinner at the house, we took a taxi into Old Havana and wandered by one of many bars that was playing music, dancers spilling outside onto the cobblestone street. That was the spot where we got inadvertently hustled by a guy named Lando who told us that, “today is the salsa festival” nah, dude…everyday is a salsa festival here.

He then took us to get the “best mojitos” at an Irish pub. We took one sip and it was apparent that we were being hustled. Soon his friend joined us and we noticed them getting some kind of commission for bringing us to this bar. Then there was the whole Buena Vista Social Club fiasco - we told them we were planning to see the band and they told us they knew where we could get tickets.

They took us to Legendarios del Guajirito. It was some bogus place, overpriced and full of older, cruise ship type folk. AVOID at all costs.

Lando was charming & polite, but definitely a hustler.

Day 2: The one good thing Lando told us about was Santa Maria, a local beach about 20 min. by taxi - free chairs and umbrellas. 2 CUC for a chaise lounge.

We drank plenty of coco locos (coconuts filled with rum, $4) and jammed out with our floatable speaker. Our driver Luis chilled with us the entire day and watched our stuff in exchange for a beer or two (but I think he would've done it anyway).

That night we showed up at El Cocinero for dinner, without a reservation, and it was impossible to get a table. So, we walked to the closest restaurant, which was 1830. That place had terrible “second wedding vibes” as my friend aptly put it. The interior had a retro colonial look. The service was poor and the food was lacking, especially considering the price. I hear 1830 is known for good outdoor salsa after 10pm, however.

Afterwards, we headed to the outdoor club Don Cangrejo, on the water. The band went on at midnight. The singer was so suave and grinded his way into my heart. Regrettably, I can’t remember his name but his selfies (flashing on screen behind him) are etched into my memory.

It was weird that there were all these tables instead of a clear dance floor- people just stood up and danced at their table, or right below the stage.

They say NYC is the city that never sleeps, but I don’t think the originator of that saying has visited Havana. In Havana, the party doesn’t get started until after midnight. The clubs are dead before then so plan accordingly.

Day 3: We explored Old Havana, had drinks and a tasty bite at 304. Then toured the city in an old hot pink convertible, wandered round markets, and stumbled upon a free art gallery with some interesting pieces composed of repurposed trash and used objects.

La Bodeguita Del Medio: where the Mojito was invented and a Hemingway hangout. They play good live music (so do most places) and the Mojitos are the best. People gather outside on the street.

La Floridita: Another Hemingway hangout, equipped with Hemmingway statue at the bar. This is the home of the Daiquiri. A lot of older people, but the tasty drink was worth it.

That night, we had an amazing dinner at Doña Eutimia,a traditional restaurant in Old Havana. It’s at the end of Callejón Del Chorro, an alley full of restaurants, to the right. The food is amazing and cheap and the frozen mojito is the specialty of the house.

We had all heard about Fabrica de Arte (FAC) which is a relatively new art space right next to El Cocinero. It’s a gallery plus music venue/experiential art space. Some dudes said it was 10 CUC to cut the line - I was with 5 girls & couldn’t cut the line without paying, which we opted not to do.

We consoled ourselves by agreeing it was pretty much like a Bushwick warehouse party.

Instead, we had drinks at El Cocinero’s rooftop - so many people from Brooklyn!!

El Cocinero is an old cooking oil factory in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana.

Day 4: Viñales day trip - countryside about 2 1/2 hours away.

Taxi there and back: 100 CUC

We went horseback riding through limestone hills and tobacco fields. Our tour included tasting honey made by bees underground, rum with a special type of guava only found in that region of Cuba, a coffee farm, a lake, and a cave.

(A 4-hour tour for 20 CUC per person; cave entry 2 CUC.)

We had a true farm-to-table lunch & the best piña colada i have ever had in my life.

When we got back, we had dinner across from 304, at FRENTE. Unfortunately, they had rude service. The food was good, but they’d run out of all the seafood on the menu (we got there around 10pm).

Although I wasn’t able to perforate the tourist parallel world and experience life like a local and I came away with more questions than answers, I still have a fondness for the self-reliance I saw and tremendous kindness I experienced.

#havana #cuba #guide #vinales #travel #cubans #bachelorette party #americans in cuba #habana #old havana #habana vieja

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bob-sheldon · 7 years

Text

A Temporary Condition.

Plot: Steve is sleep deprived, hurt and having a rough time of it. Will his boyfriend exboyfriend rise to the occasion? Fluffy romantic H/C.

Content warnings: Child abuse, cheating, drinking, language and other canon-typical shit.

A/N: Thank yall for the 400 followers! Also this story started out really good but I got my wisdom teeth removed and I feel like Steve got progressively more OOC? Anyway it’s still good work for someone on painkillers lmfao.

Slam.

The cold Tulsa night hit me like a smack. The screen door hit my drunk father in the face, he stepped back rubbing his nose, giving me enough time to get out of grabbing reach. My old man was bad enough when he wasn’t boozing up. He was always irritable and mean but alcohol added a level of unpredictability I particularly despised.

“You little bastard. You’re in for it this time, you no good bastard! This is the last time you pour vinegar in my Jack Daniels bottle! Come here and take it like a man!”

‘Bastard’ was one of those words my father pioneered and used uncontrollably, especially towards me. It was supposed to cast doubt he was my real father and let me tell you I couldn’t care either way. I hope my real dad is still out there, boozing it up in Gatlinburg and missing his only son. This man who gave me a bruise once a week for 17 years was no father of mine. Mr. Curtis was the closest thing to a dad I really had and he got hit by a train. That wasn’t too surprising. I have shit luck.

“Catch me first, asshole.” I spat on the ground at his feet and leapt off the porch, landing awkwardly on one of my ankles. To hell with it. Escape first. Worry later.

I patted around for my keys in the pocket of my black leather jacket. Nothing. Empty. They were on my desk. And the Thunderbird remained parked, gleaming under the streetlight. A promise of safety. There was no way in hell I was going back in the house for my keys. I’d never get out with my dad in a mood like this. My ankle smarted but I had no choice but to hotfoot it. Where? The Curtis’ were on the other side of the slums, it was drunk-thirty for Two-Bit and Johnny was probably in the same sort of situation. That’s the problem with having friends in the same socioeconomic situation as you, they can’t really help out.

Buck’s. My only hope. Maybe Dal wasn’t around. We hadn’t talked in a week, which wouldn’t have been much before but he was my boyfriend or something like that. We’d been taking it slow since we were 15 and by slow I mean real fucking slow. Old lady on her way to church slow. We’d kiss once or twice, cuddle in jail and pretend we didn’t know each other later. But after he broke up with Sylvia we really became a pair. I’d hang around Buck’s and beat his ass at pool, I’d sleep in his bed most nights. That was until I saw him chatting up a greasy girl at the Dingo. Then we had a blow out. But that was Friday, this was Thursday.

Dad stumbled off the porch and I booked it the best I could, Cuban heels slamming the asphalt with rhythm. A stabbing searing pain radiating up my leg like fire. I turned around at the end of the block just to see my old man slip and fall, hitting the ground with a thud and a grunt. Drunks, am I right?

I slowed down a little after that, limping past the stoops and derelict cars towards the edge of town. No one was out. An eerie fog always seemed to come over Tulsa at midnight on a work night. Several lights were still on in places where mother’s nursed their babies or working folk got off their shifts. One or two houses oozed loud jazz and one or two more radiated drunk yelling. I shuffled past those particularly quickly.

By the time I got to Buck’s my ankle could hardly hold my weight. I limped up the stairs and threw myself through the door. It was empty. It was the middle night on a work day with nothing to celebrate. The hardwood as waxed, the chairs were up, Buck stood at the bar with a half-empty glass of beer. He looked up, half-drunk honey colored eyes scanning me. Buck was the kinda guy I trusted, a good old boy who had no agenda and liked drinking and horses. And he liked Hank Williams. The mark of a pure soul.

“Hey, if it isn’t my favorite redneck. Lasso any bad guys lately?” I mumbled, leaning against the wall. It had been a running joke that Buck was Oklahoma’s No. 1 crime-fighting cowboy since he got drunk and tracked a car jacket down on horseback. He was larger than life.

“Nah, nah. None of that. Whatcha doin’ out after curfew? If you’re going up for a late night hook up, your loverboy went to sleep an hour ago.” He scratched the golden beard forming in his chin and pending over to peel the label off a bootle of Ancient Age.

“Bed? Before one? He’s gotta be sick or something.” I reached down to rub my ankle, secretly hoping he was. The only time Dal wasn’t mean was when he was sick. Then he was just quiet. It was an eerie change but at least he wouldn’t have the energy to yell at me if he was sick.

“Nah. He’s just depressed,” The cowboy slid the empty bottle in the trash and continued to pick at the label. “Sylvia came back and promptly cheated on him with Tim.”

A smile curled across my lips at the thought of that dirty broad teaching him a lesson. Karma was a bitch. Not quite as much of a bitch as Sylvia. That girl was trouble. She’d been my enemy since second grade when I pulled her pigtail and she kicked me in the crotch. We’d gotten off on the wrong foot and never tried to patch things over. After the incident with Johnny I had nothing but contempt for her. She got her kicks taking advantage of boys and beating me in drag races. Despite her many negotiable attributes, she was never predictable and and always exciting. That’s why she earned the nickname Jenny Dean. A greaser girl of the highest degree.

I limped to the bottom of the stairs and did the most obnoxious thing I could thing to do.

“HEY STELLA!”

Silence.

“HEY STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLA!”

I heard footsteps and then a door slam. Dal loved that movie but hated that scene. God knows why. Said it reminded him of his childhood.

“There are people trying tah sleep, yah shithead.” He complained in his thick Bronx accent, face popping from behind the wall, sky blue eyes staring at me in the low-light. God he was gorgeous. Dal was the strangest looking human being on earth but in a good way. He looked like a cat. And he had platinum hair that stuck out every which way. People were split 50/50 on if he was the hot or hideous.

“What? People like you? You probably weren’t sleeping anyway. Too busy stewing about your girl. Or were you stewing about me, baby? Your man?” I grinned up at him as big as I could grin.

“Nah, nah.” He took a steep closer down me, taking his damn time. “Just thinking about you, baby. Always you.”

“Get down here and carry me up the damn stairs and maybe I’ll forgive you, maybe.” I took a step closer, landing awkwardly on my ankle and crumpling to the ground, catching myself on the stair case. My eyes stung but I clung to my dignity, smacking my hand against the stairs angrily. It throbbed. It stabbed. Dal rushed to me, bare feet pitter-pattering against the pine.

For all his cold toughness Dal couldn’t help giving a shit about everyone. He was there every time Johnny got jumped, he was always dragging Two-Bit out of ditches when he was drunk. One time I saw him nursing one of Ponyboy’s bloody noses, ringed finger holding a rag under his nose just as throughly as Darry. And me, if someone so much as looked at me funny he’d pound them. There was something so nice about Dal caring since he made a life off not caring about anything, it was like it really meant something.

“You ain’t looking so hot, baby.” He mumbled as sweet as I ever heard him, pulling my arm around his shoulder and his arm around my waist. My head lulled and dark spots appeared in my eyesight like mold.

“It’s a-it’s a temporary condition,” I mumbled, quoting some Paul Newman movie I’d seen with Ponyboy and Sodapop. I set my head against his shoulder. God, how I miss that shoulder. “ain’t slept in two days. ‘N I think I broke my ankle trying to get away from my old man. Just need some sleep is all. Sure you and Buck’d love to play nurse.”

Buck chortled and put away the bottle of booze. He’d been quiet during our little reunion. He kept out of Dal’s business but was always there when you needed him. And he liked me.

“Nah. I’ll dress it and let you sleep but don’t expect me to bring you breakfast in bed. If you’re looking for a housewife go hang around Soda.” He started up the stairs and I hobbled with him, leaning heavily on him.

“I ain’t trying to make no one my wife, neither are you Dal. Neither is Sylvia or Tim or Buck.” I whispered, barely clinging to consciousness. Walking there had been the worst idea of my life, the pain was so bad I thought I was going to pass out.

Dal sighed and drug me up the stairs and down the hall without much issue, depositing me on the bed. I flopped back onto the dirty quilt, feeling the familiar threadbare blankets under my tired body. The smell of smoke and Dal’s sweat. Comforting. I would have fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for Dal loudly rummaging through the cabinet in the adjoining bathroom.

Next thing I knew he pulled off my shoes and then my one-size-too-small jeans.

“I’m not in the mood you randy bastard.” I slurred, forcing my eyes open.

“Shattup.” He light a Kool and went to wrapping my severely swollen ankle with an ace bandage, making sure to get the right angle with doctor’s precision. Dal had been hurt everywhere so he knew about every injury a person could have. He even caught tuberculosis hiding out in a warehouse in New York once.

“No gymnastics or leaping out of a moving car or any of that shit you do, you dig?” He looked at me and I nodded with a bleary smile, lifting one eyebrow.

He crawled into bed next to me, pushing his muscular frame against my side and puffing away on his cigarette in the dim lamp light. The rooms at Buck’s always seemed to be dark no matter what time it was. I figured it was the nicotine stain on the windows and the ugly drapes. Dally’s room wasn’t like the others. I can see it now, yellowed walls and posters of the Alamo and Jimmy Dean. Books that Dally didn’t read on the dresser, ceiling fan clicking away. And the bed. A full sized bed so there was barely room for two muscular boys. I think Dal liked having to huddle but he never said it.

I must have blacked out for a couple seconds because I felt him tuck the blankets around my neck and his fingers run through my greasy hair. Was this what he did when I was asleep?

“I love ya, you little shit.” He murmured quietly.

A smile spread across my sore bruised face.

“Love you too, Dal.”

#steve randle #dallas winston #dally winston #the outsiders #my writing

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