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#maybe it's just an occupational hazard)
andorianimpostor · 3 months
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1.25
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gingerbreadmonsters · 5 months
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friendly warning: weird fucked up demons incoming at some point
no like seriously, they're pretty fucked up
^series link
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pathologicalreid · 1 month
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could you write fem!BAU!reader x spencer, where reader finds out she’s pregnant while they’re on a case, like maybe she takes a test when she’s at the hotel and spencer hasn’t come back yet
(lack of) convenience | S.R.
who? spencer reid x fem!BAU!reader category: fluff content warnings: pregnancy, nausea, vomiting, spencer reid is unfortunately perfect. vertigo. fun pregnancy symptoms. word count: 2.04k a/n: and so, the spencer reid dilf agenda continues. this is my legacy.
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It came over you just after Spencer and Rossi had left to investigate a lead. This case was going nowhere fast, and the morale in the FBI field office clearly displayed it. “Are you alright?” JJ asked from right next to you, blonde hair curtaining around her face.
You nodded tightly, enough to show the newly minted profiler that you were, in fact, not alright. Nonetheless, you were motivated to push through. People were being murdered, you could brave a little vertigo to bring their killer to justice, right?
“Hey, you look a little pale,” Emily said, walking into the conference room with Hotch trailing close behind her. “Are you feeling okay?”
Rolling your eyes dramatically, you huffed at both of your coworkers. “I’m fine,” you insisted while your head was spinning. You lowered yourself down into an office chair, hoping that being sedentary would prevent your dinner from coming up.
Emily looked over at Hotch before saying, “Maybe you should head back to the hotel, it’s been a long day for all of us.”
Furrowing your brow, you frowned at your colleague. “I’ll make it through, we have work to do,” you insisted, flipping open a file as your stomach churned.
“You’re no help to anyone if you’re sick,” Hotch told you authoritatively, and you knew from his tone that he was going to send you back to the hotel. “Get some rest, we’ll start taking breaks in shifts,” he instructed, turning back to the evidence board.
It didn’t feel like shifts, especially considering you were the only one being cast off. You mumbled an acknowledgment while you stuffed your things in your bag. JJ offered to drive you, so the two of you exited the field office.
The two of you spent most of the ride in silence, just the fuzz of the SUV’s radio as background noise while you tried not to hurl in the government vehicle.
Once you were in the hotel parking lot, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get your bearings before heading inside. “You know, I used to get sick in the evening when I was pregnant with Henry,” she said offhandedly.
It felt like a pointed comment, even if she didn’t mean it like that. You started fishing in your pocket for your room card, “But I’m not pregnant.”
“Are things good with you and Spencer?” She asked, looking for details on your relationship like an older sister. JJ killed the engine before turning to face you.
Sighing, you looked at her, “Things are great with Spencer.” You wanted to scold her for prying, but you knew it was an occupational hazard. It had been seven months, and all you had been telling anyone was “great” or “nice.”
The both of you knew that the more details you gave them, the more they’d want to pry. Penelope especially. “You know he wants kids, right?” She pushed.
You frowned at her, “Jennifer.” She put her hands up in surrender as you hauled yourself out of the SUV, “I just want to go to sleep, I feel awful.” That much was true, as you stood up outside the car, your stomach started to roil again.
“I’ll check in on you later,” she said, recognizing that she had begun to pry. “Let me know if you need anything,” she urged you, the mom in her coming into play.
Nodding, you shut the door before poking your head in the open window, “Thanks, JJ.” You said, turning around and walking to your hotel room.
Luckily, the team was already checked in, so you didn’t need to waste time trying to explain the whole ‘I’m an FBI agent’ thing to the front desk. Once you got into your room, you immediately dropped to your knees in front of the toilet, eyes burning as you upchucked into the toilet.
While you were digging through your go-bag for your toothbrush, you found yourself thinking about what JJ had said to you in the car. You couldn’t be pregnant. Well, you supposed you very well could be pregnant.
Sighing, you returned to the bathroom and started brushing your teeth, having needed to take the toothpaste out of Spencer’s bag. You made a mental note to buy more for your bag – you had been using his for the last four cases.
You silently cursed JJ for planting the thought of a baby in your head as you stared out the hotel window to a convenience store on the corner. At the very least, you could get some saltines and a Gatorade. At the very most, you could get a test.
Begrudgingly, you changed into more comfortable clothes and walked across the street to the convenience store. Grabbing a sleeve of crackers and a drink before stopping in the family planning section.
Why were there so many options?
Not wanting to draw any attention to yourself, you grabbed a digital test off of the shelf and tossed it into your basket. Your shoes squeaked on the linoleum floors as you elected to use the self-checkout, not needing to provide anyone with a front seat to your misery.
Other than the nausea, your trip back to the hotel was uneventful, and thankfully it didn’t look like anyone else on the team had made the trip to your lodging.
After you took the test, you set a timer on your phone, tossing it onto the bed before you sat on the edge of the mattress, sitting on your freshly washed hands. The timer scared you when it went off, not expecting the two minutes to go by so quickly before you returned to the bathroom.
Flipping the test over, the wind was knocked out of you as you read the results.
Yes +
You didn’t know how long you had stared at the test, but the sound of the lock on your door engaging pulled you out of your stupor. Thankfully, you had done the latch on the door, so you had a few extra minutes to toss the test in your go-bag before you went up to the door and let Spencer in.
“Hey, love,” he greeted you, dropping a kiss on your forehead. “How are you feeling?” He asked caringly, someone must’ve told him you weren’t well. You hoped that was all they had told him.
Humming, you leaned into his touch for a moment before he herded you to the bed. “A bit better, but not much,” you were slightly less nauseous now, possibly because there was nothing left in your stomach. There was a dull ache in your chest though, likely a result of the information you were now aware of.
He hooked a finger under your chin and studied your features for a moment, “Were you crying?” He whispered with concern-filled eyes.
You shook your head, “I threw up.” You informed him, the lack of oxygen had caused your eyes to water – similar to a yawn. Meanwhile, your head was spinning as the words balanced precariously on your tongue, I’m pregnant.
Spencer pouted sympathetically, smoothing your hair away from your face before he felt your forehead, checking for a fever. “I’m going to take a shower,” he announced softly, “do you need anything?”
Pathetically, you gestured over to your Gatorade and saltines, silently letting him know that you were all good for the night. It was only about eight in the evening, but you were exhausted. Letting your head flop onto the pillows, you sighed before shutting your eyes.
“Hey, Y/N,” Spencer spoke up in an unfamiliar tone. “What is this?”
Crinkling your nose in frustration, you propped yourself up on your elbows, looking over at Spencer as he held up your test. Your positive pregnancy test. “Would you believe me if I told you it wasn’t mine?” Clearly, in your panic to hide the test, you had tossed the blue stick in Spencer’s bag. Your subconscious must’ve recalled that you had gotten the toothpaste out of that bag, so you thought it was yours.
Any confusion fell from his face, and in that instant, he knew exactly what was going on. “You’re pregnant?”
You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, you couldn’t tell how he was feeling. “I-“ you swallowed thickly, the roiling in your stomach picking back up again. “Yes,” you answered in a small voice.
“When were you going to tell me?” He asked, there was no accusation in his voice, just pure curiosity and wonder. When you stayed silent, his eyes narrowed, “You were going to tell me, weren’t you?” He said, his volume raising from a whisper to a normal speaking level.
Pulling yourself up into a sitting position, you protectively crossed your arms in front of your stomach. “Oh my god, yes, I was going to tell you,” you clarified quickly. He didn’t seriously think you were going to hide this from him, did he?
He shook his head in confusion, “Then why hide it, angel?”
Shrugging, you thumbed the soft fabric of your sweatshirt, “I wanted time to think about it.” The admission hung in the thick tension of the hotel room.
“Okay,” he said slowly, walking over and sitting across from you on the mattress. It was clear to you that he was dealing with this situation delicately. “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about this, but I excel in thinking,” he told you.
His implications were clear to you, he wanted you to talk it out with him. “I want kids, you know I want kids. I know you want kids,” you blurted. It was something you had talked about early on in your relationship. Spencer had been very upfront with you about wanting children, he told you he needed to be with someone who also wanted that.
Spencer tilted his head to the side, “but?” He said gently, taking both of your hands in his, holding on to you.
“It’s too soon,” you whispered, feeling vulnerable on the bed with him.
He smiled at you softly, “Have I ever told you about the first time I knew that I was in love with you?”
The question left you understandably confused, “What?” You breathed, silently pleading for clarification.
Spencer nodded, “We were on a case in North Dakota, and there was this little girl who had just lost both of her parents.” The case did sound familiar, the more brutal ones involving children tended to stick with you. “We were waiting for a social worker to come stay with her, but they were stuck in a snowbank across town. Instead of working on the case, you sat down with her and taught her how to play cat’s cradle.” His voice was soft, almost placating you.
You hadn’t even realized you were crying until tears fell onto your intertwined hands, “Spence, that was years ago.”
“Two years, nine months, and thirteen days ago. I fell in love with you while watching you put a smile on her face despite the fact that it was the worst day of her life,” he said, skimming the pads of his thumbs over the backs of your hands. “I fell in love with your ability to make people feel good when the world is against them,” he murmured.
Taking a shaky breath, you looked up at him through bleary eyes, “What if we can’t protect them?”
Gathering you in his arms, Spencer let you tuck your face in the crook of his neck, “I’ll do whatever you want, Y/N. We can leave, I could be a professor and you could be a stay-at-home mom. If you want, I could stay with the BAU and you could stay home, or you can stay with the team, and I’ll stay home. Whatever you want, Y/N.”
Silently, you absorbed his words as you caught your breath, “I’m scared” you whispered.
“I know,” he murmured, “that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared.” He tightened his arms around you and rocked back and forth.
Allowing yourself to lean into him, you breathed him in, “You’re going to be such a good dad.”
He dropped a soft kiss on the crown of your head, “You’re already such a good mom.”
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vampireimiko · 8 months
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Hello
Can I request headcanons for a fem Healer! Reader with the Mortal Kombat boys (Specifically Bi-Han, Liu Kang, Reptile, Kuai Liang, Shang Tsung, Fujin, Raiden and Johnny? If that’s too much you can skip it!)
Like, reader is gentle and kind, but also kinda blunt and will speak her mind when it calls for it?💀
Thanks!
Multiple MK Men with a Blunt!Fem!Healer S/O
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warnings, none !!
note, i was gonna do all of them but i ended up falling asleep so this is all I got done😭
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Bi-Han
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જ⁀➴ "I swear, you have fresh injuries each day."
જ⁀➴ Bi-Han grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Occupational hazards, my dear healer. Keeps life interesting."
જ⁀➴ "Tuh, whatever. If you keep getting into these 'occupational hazards', you won't have a life to keep interesting, no?" you retorted, shaking your head in mock disapproval while attending to his injuries.
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Liu Kang
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જ⁀➴ "For someone that's supposed to be a demi-god, you sure do get injured quite a lot." You sassed while patching up his arm.
જ⁀➴ Liu Kang chuckled, the sound a mixture of amusement and pain. "Well, even gods need a little tender loving care sometimes."
જ⁀➴ "Don't mistake my bluntness for lack of care," you retorted with a raised eyebrow. "I just call it as I see it. Now hold still, or I might decide to leave you with that bruise."
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Syzoth
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જ⁀➴ "You know... I'm not so sure you're qualified for this. Don't you think I need a veterinarian?" Syzoth joked around with you.
જ⁀➴ "Very funny." You said, turning to look at Syzoth with a blank stare.
જ⁀➴ "Ah...!" He hissed as you poured alcohol over his wound to ensure it wouldn't get infected before you started working on it.
જ⁀➴ "Maybe next time, I'll find a vet to tend to my lizard boyfriend," you remarked, not missing a beat, as you continued your work.
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Kuai Liang
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જ⁀➴"How in the elder gods name did you manage to burn yourself with your own power? I thought I chose the responsible brother." You jokingly nagged.
જ⁀➴ "Well, you see, when you're as talented as me, even fire obeys my command... most of the time," he grinned, trying to recover some dignity after your playful scolding.
જ⁀➴ "Hmm, guess you weren't so talented this time, my love." You said, pressing a kiss on his cheek and continuing to wrap his hand.
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Fujin
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જ⁀➴ "Where does it hurt, Fujin? Just because I have these gifts doesn't mean I know exactly where each injury is."
જ⁀➴ Fujin chuckled softly, the wind seeming to carry the sound. "The injury is right here, my sweet," Fujin said, placing his hand on the left side of his ribcage.
જ⁀➴ "Thank you... and you said you earned this by someone deflecting your own wind shot back at you? How embarrassing..." you remarked, finishing the healing process with a gentle touch and a small smile on your face.
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Johnny
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જ⁀➴ "For one of the biggest martial artists in the world, you sure are pretty dumb."
જ⁀➴ "Babe, don't be like that! I wouldn't say dumb... I'd say I'm just very adventurous!" He said, reclining to prop his head up on his arms.
જ⁀➴ "Shit...shit! Still sore," he muttered hurriedly, carefully putting them down.
જ⁀➴ "And danger-prone," you deadpanned, shaking your head while tending to yet another injury earned from his 'adventures.'
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𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞; 𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 🫶🏾 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬, 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 (𝐢𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥) 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 !!
𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
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fayes-fics · 2 months
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Vignette
Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader
Summary: An artist meet-cute in the park.
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Warnings: none... this is the fluffiest of fluff
Word Count: 1.2k
Authors Note: Anon request fill (see HERE) about Benedict and an artist having a meet-cute in the park. Unbetaed. I hope you enjoy this, Nonny, and sorry it has taken so many months! <3
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A wooden toy hoop whooshing inches from your knee interrupts your quiet refuge amid the flower gardens of Regents Park, breaking your intense concentration on your drawing and almost dropping your charcoal.
Seconds later, a pretty young girl of maybe eleven years old comes running after the errant object, her plaited hair bouncing, her blush pink dress swishing around her knees as she calls out an apology to you and retrieves the hoop from the nearby bush.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her face a picture of impish inquisition as she wanders back to your bench.
“I am drawing,” you smile benevolently; something about her mischievous spirit reminds you of your nieces.
“What are you drawing?” her grin somehow infectious.
“You see those roses there?” you point with your charcoal to a nearby white alba maxima rose bush, stems almost bowing under the weight of the heavily ruffled peach-tipped petals. “Those are in peak bloom, and I am attempting to capture them, their ephemeral beauty...”
“Are you any good?” 
You chuckle at her youthful bluntness, but just as you are tilting your work towards her, you are interrupted by a man rounding into this same quiet corner. 
“Hyacinth! Please refrain from injuring and bother…” his refined voice begins to chastise but suddenly grinds to a halt mid-sentence as soon as he catches sight of you.
But he is not the only one who has lost the power of speech. 
Something vaults hard in your stomach like you are plunging down an invisible chasm. He is handsome in a way you have never seen before in your twenty years on this earth: tall, with a strong jaw and a dandyish colourful outfit that fits him very well. 
There are a few moments where all you do is stare at each other, lips parted, before he appears to shake himself a fraction and bows his head in polite greeting.
“Where are my manners? I would like to apologise for my little sister almost causing you injury, Miss. The fault is entirely mine; I should not have let her play quite so spiritedly in a public park. I-I hope you are not injured?”
“N-Not at all; the hoop merely brushed my skirt. I am more than fine,” you assure hurriedly. “Mr….?”
“Bridgerton,” he offers, nodding to you in a more formal greeting.
You would know that name anywhere—one of the most esteemed families of the Ton. You instantly know he is not the Viscount, having seen him at society events, so you surmise this must be one of his younger brothers. Before you can offer your name, however, he speaks again. 
“You draw?” 
“Oh.. yes, yes… I-I do,” you stumble, a little taken aback by his question, even as you feel his sister’s gaze volleying between the two of you with a bemused expression.
“I draw too,” he explains, placing a hand over his sternum, the sunlight catching upon a signet ring on his little finger. 
“Oh…” you seem inordinately pleased to share such a hobby with this virtual stranger.
“I also know well that charcoal fingers are an occupational hazard..” he adds cordially as he catches you attempting to wipe the dark smears upon your hands with a rag. “May I see your work? If it is not too impudent of me to ask,” he adds modestly.
“I-I am not very good…” you fret, looking down at the partial image you see on your sketch pad. “Tis merely a pastime I use to escape…”
“Believe me, Miss…?”
“Y/l/n.”
“Believe me, Miss y/l/n, it is very much the case for me too - being that I am one of eight. Including such trouble-makers as this one,” he rolls his eyes affectionately as he signals to Hyacinth, who seems to be rapidly losing interest, distractedly spinning the hoop she holds. “Escaping is almost a full-time hobby for me…” 
You cannot help but giggle at his droll humour, and he seems delighted, his face lighting up as you hide a mild blush behind the back of your hand.
“May I?” his ask is so soft you cannot do anything but acquiesce.
“‘Tis just a small vignette…” you excuse meekly as you hand over your sketchpad, suddenly so nervous to hear his opinion. You have never shared your drawings with anyone before, but something about his affable demeanour makes you bold enough to do so.
He is quiet for some time. It feels like an age, even though it is likely only a matter of seconds, but still long enough that butterflies start to roil in your stomach.
“I did say it is just a hobby…” you titter nervously, looking away.
“It is beautiful…” he exhales quietly, tone filled with admiration as your eyes ping back to him.
Your heart flutters as he extols the virtues of your work, effusively admiring your use of shading to capture shadows and the lines you have used to denote the multitudinous layers of petals, his gracious hand gesturing over the picture as he speaks.
“You flatter me entirely too much, Mr Bridgerton…” you demure, even as you feel yourself blooming under his praise, just like the flower you have painstakingly attempted to capture. A warmth in your chest that seems to radiate out to glow all over.
“I assure you I do not,” he smiles, handing you back your sketch pad.
“Benedict,” Hyacinth whines, stamping her little boot on the grass, “you said we would play…”
“I do not wish to interrupt your family time,” you placate, pleased you have learned his first name.
“Hyacinth, I am sure Eloise said something about sandwiches; you want lunch, do you not?” Benedict responds, raising a pointed brow.
“Well, yes, but…”
“Run along then,” he pulls an exasperated face at her that again has you giggling, making a shooing gesture with his hands.
She sighs but departs with a dramatic flounce.
“Sadly, I must also depart; a family picnic indeed awaits. But if I may be so bold, I would very much like for us to meet again. If you would be amendable? With a chaperone, of course,” he adds hurriedly, keen to be gentlemanly. “I think perhaps we would have much to speak of… around art. And perhaps we could… draw together? Here?”
His proposal, so sweet and straightforward, has you rendered speechless again, heart leaping at the very thought.
“I…I would like that very much,” your honest confession out of your mouth before you can swallow it.
“As would I,” his response instant, his face beaming. “Would you be here, perchance, Thursday afternoon around this same time?”
“I would…” The hitch of excitement in your own voice unmistakable.
“Excellent!” his hazy blue eyes seem to dance in the sunlight as he respectfully tilts his head again. “I am so looking forward to it, Miss y/l/n…” are his parting words before he takes his leave.
“As am I, Mr Bridgerton…” you murmur belatedly, the words shared only with the fragrant roses surrounding you, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.
Your stare lingers where he stood long after he has left, an excited buzz over your skin at the thought you have met a kindred, artistic spirit. And one so very handsome, too.
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techmomma · 11 months
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look. they're dead if they're not on the surface. if they're not, they and everyone else will wish they were. an implosion is the kindest death they could have down there.
here are some things to keep in mind:
the deepest operational depths, meaning the safest depth that a manned crew could, potentially, rescue a submersible, is 300 meters. 980 feet. just under a 1000 feet. classified subs may be able to go deeper but that limit is like maybe 100 feet more. submarines cannot go trawling around sea floors unless they're relatively close to the coast
the titanic is 2.4 miles deep. 3840 meters. 12,600 feet. 12 times the operational depth of even the best naval submarines.
this tourist submersible's greatest operating depth? 13,000 feet. they're already at 96% of their operating depth. there's about a 4% margin before shit goes sideways, in normal circumstances
96 hours of oxygen is what OceanGate has told everyone this submersible has. this unregulated, untested sub. that they made. 96 hours of oxygen is probably being very, very generous.
there's only like a handful of submersibles, in the entire world, that can reach those depths. there's more ROVs that can reach deeper, but what percentage could help pull an entire submersible that can fit five people? their best bet is going to be getting some kind of remotely-operated flotation device attached to the submersible.
descending and ascending in a submersible is an incredibly delicate process that takes careful monitoring and delicate instruments. if they attach the flotation device then they're going to need something to monitor the internal and external pressure of the submersible. expanding gas could create a leak, which would instantly implode the submersible on the way up. not to mention gases and ballast must be monitored to prevent the occupants from getting the Bends, which can be fatal of itself.
all of this going to be made infinitely harder if the submersible is, as some suspect, tangled in the wreckage itself, which presents a hundred more problems such as zero visibility, structural collapse of several thousand tonnes of rusting iron and steel, punctures, etc..
all of this is assuming they are still conscious inside, and even have power. no power? even more difficult.
none of this is including the numerous defects the submersible is suspected of having, such as a CO2 filter. this is all assuming this submersible had zero defects--unlikely, considering their own words on why they didn't wait for inspection.
There is a goddamn reason they send ROVs down to the Titanic. There is a reason it should only be done by non-profit groups. There is a reason there should be oversight from the Navy and Coastguard. There is a reason that any human visitation is a carefully coordinated and monitored effort, where the majority are trained technicians inside the submersible and out. There is a reason that submarine crew and research crews also go through psychological evaluations, go through training to understand what to do in life-threatening situations. All of them, not just one dude at the controls.
Because they understand that, like Mt. Everest, when things go wrong down there, it is so hazardous to even any would-be rescuers that you will be on your own, and you will, almost certainly, die. And they may not even be able to retrieve your body, because that too is life-threatening to rescuers. Frankly, emergencies at the top of Mt. Everest are less dangerous than emergencies at the bottom of the ocean.
The ocean is actively trying to kill you down there. It's safer to visit space right now than it is to visit the bottom of the ocean. People haven't gone down there just to get a looky-loo. People are sent down there because there's certain things that only human eyes and senses can do, when it comes to research.
The deep ocean is not a place for fucking rich tourists to live out their James Cameron fantasies of seeing the prow come out of the darkness like in the movie. Whether you believe it's a gravesite that shouldn't be disturbed at all or not, tourists should not be goddamn down there.
Money won't save you at 12,000 feet at the bottom of the sea, motherfuckers. A divine miracle won't save them. But a miracle of human ingenuity, if there's some merciful force out there, just might.
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dduane · 7 months
Text
The Young Wizards series turns 40!
...And yes, we're having a sale to celebrate. But that can wait. :)
I'm sitting here looking at the date and considering how amazing it is that, despite the changes in the publishing world, anything can stay in print nonstop for forty years.
But this book has. Here's how it started:
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...Well, not how it started. It started with three things:
A newbie YA writer being deeply annoyed with a non-newbie one for (as she thought) stripping their teenage characters of their agency without good reason.
A suddenly-appearing joke involving two terms or concepts that wouldn't normally appear together: the 1950s young-readers' series of careers books with titles that always began So You Want To Be A..., and the word "wizard."
And the idea immediately springing from that juxtaposition. What if there was such a book? Not a careers book, but a book that told you how to be a wizard—maybe some kind of manual? One that would tell you the truth about the magic underlying the universe, and how to get your hands on it... assuming you felt you could promise the things that power would demand of you, and survive the Ordeal that would follow?
Six or seven months after that confluence of events, there was a novel with that joke-line as its title. A month or so after that, the novel was bought. So You Want To Be A Wizard came out as a Fall 1983 book, as you can see from the Locus Magazine ad above (from back when Locus was only a paper zine). The first reviews were encouraging.
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And by the middle of 1984, the publishers were asking, "So, what's next?" A question I'm still busy answering.
There's been a lot of water under the wizardly bridge since. In SYWTBAW's case, this involved a couple/few publishers, a surprising number of covers, a fair number of awards here and there; and lots more books. (I always knew there'd be more, but how many more continues to surprise me. Which is a bit funny, considering how much stuff that universe has going on in it.)
So here we are at forty, and looking ahead to The Big Five-Oh with some interest. More books? Absolutely. Young Wizards #11 is in progress at the moment, and YW #12 is in the late concept stages. More covers for So You Want To Be A Wizard? Seems inevitable. A TV series, perhaps? (shrug) Stranger things have happened: we'll keep our fingers (or other manipulatory instrumentalities) crossed. The New Millennium Editions in translation? and in international paperback? Working on that right now. The sky's the limit.*
And meanwhile, to celebrate, just for today we'll have a sale. (Except in the UK. To our British friends, the usual sad apology: the expensive bureaucracy of Brexit has made it impossible for us to sell directly to you any more. Details here, with our apologies.)
As has been mentioned before, changes are afoot at Ebooks Direct, so this kind of sale won't be happening again for the foreseeable future. (In fact I thought we were all done with them already. But the number 40 suggested one last opportunity that wouldn't be recurring, so I thought, "Aah, what the heck? Let's.")
New things first! Today, to mark this occasion, we're introducing the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. This is Ebook Direct's entire inventory of Young Wizards works; the contents of the bundle are listed on its product page. The $29.99 price listed there is for today only, to celebrate SYWTBAW's birthday, and will go up as of 23:59 Hawai'ian time tonight. As always, should you ever lose your ebooks or need to change reading platforms, we'll change your formats as necessary, or replace the books, for free.
Just click here, or on the image below, for the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. (Please ignore the category listings under the "Pay Using..." icons on the product page: they plainly think they're in a different universe. Kind of an occupational hazard around here...)
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The other, older kind of sale folks will have seen here is on the "I Want Everything You've Got" Bundle, which is the whole Ebooks Direct store—obviously including all the Young Wizards books as well: more than 2.5 million words in 36 DRM-free ebooks. Just for today, in honor of the birthday book, we're dropping the whole-store price to USD $40.00. This, too, will go away just before midnight Hawai'ian time tonight... and it will never be lower. So if you want everything we've got at that price, don't wait around.
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Make sure you use this link or the one associated with the image to get the baked-in discount at checkout. (If it fails to display correctly, use the discount code "40FOR40" in the checkout's "discount code or gift code" field.)
Meanwhile? Onward into the next decade. The new A Day at the Crossings novel unfortunately won't make it out before the end of 2023; other work in-house currently has taken priority. But as for early 2024... stay tuned.
And for those of you who're Young Wizards readers, and have kept this book, and its sequels, alive for pushing half a century?
Thank you, again and always!
*Though actually, it's not, is it? As the proverb has it, "Wizardry doesn't stop at atmosphere's edge..."
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dreamwritesimagines · 10 months
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Garden of Secrets [33] - Stinging Nettle
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and support my loves, it made my whole week, you’re amazing!❤ I hope you’ll like this chapter as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think, thank you! ❤
Thanks so much to @theskytraveler​ for helping me with the chapter!
Summary: The hours before an important ball can be very tense.
Warnings: Regency era society and social rules, some gender specific language and terms, mentions of trauma and violence.
Word Count: 3400
Series Masterlist
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Though attending parties hadn’t been a habit of yours up until you got married, you’d grown quite fond of them fast. Maybe it was the entertaining conversations, the company of your friends, drinks, or perhaps the overall free atmosphere that one could not have at a ball but now that you were here, you were now beginning to realize how much you had missed it.
“You seem to be in deep thought.”
Your head shot up and you turned around to see Lord Easton at the entrance of the balcony you were standing in. You smiled at him, then lifted the glass in your hand a bit, the chatter and the music coming from inside reaching the balcony as well.
“I may have drunk a bit too much,” you admitted. “Wanted to get some fresh air.”
“May I join you?”
“Of course,” you said and he closed the balcony door behind him, then approached you as you turned again to watch the beautiful view under the night sky. He placed his glass on the marble railing of the balcony and you stole a look at him.
“They’re having some sort of a sketching competition back in there.”
“Oh I saw it,” he said. “I think I will sit that one out.”
“You don’t want to practice?” you joked and he chuckled.
“I probably should, now that you mention it.”
“Mm hm,” you said. “I mean who else should practice if not the famed artist with thousands of admirers and many credits to his name?”
“No one is ever too good to practice,” he told you. “Especially an artist.”
You thought for a moment, then turned to him.
“Lord Easton—”
“Gordon,” he corrected you. “Your husband is a good friend of mine, and I consider you and I friends as well.”
You smiled slightly.
“Very well,” you said. “May I ask a favor of you, Gordon?”
“Of course.”
“My aunt is throwing a ball tomorrow,” you said. “And if you dropped by even for a short time, it would make her very happy. Not to mention the ton admires you so much and…you know how it goes.”
He smiled and bowed his head slightly.
“It would be my honor and privilege,” he said, making you beam.
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
A giggle escaped from your lips.
“Oh thank you!” you said. “She will be so happy. I’ll um— I’ll send you the invitation tomorrow?”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “And there’s no need to thank me, I assure you.”
You sipped your drink, then stole a look at him.
“Does it ever tire you?”
“Attending balls?”
“No, the…” you motioned with your hands. “The attention from the ton, all the time.”
He hummed, reaching out to grab his glass to swirl the drink in it.
“Occupational hazard,” he said with a smile, making you laugh. “I mean it has its moments. I don’t mind it most of the time, balls are a way of socializing for example so that’s expected, but sometimes when I’m by myself on the street, I simply want to observe the crowd in quiet.”
“I could never be an artist,” you said, shaking your head and he raised his brows.
“You don’t enjoy attention?”
“I hate it,” you admitted. “I experienced it when I first debuted, with the suitors and such and I’m just…It’s not for me.”
“You might have to get used to some attention though,” he said, making you frown.
“How so?”
“Have you seen your husband’s works?” he joked. “Once he gets into the Academy and people start seeing how talented he is…”
“Benedict is good with all that,” you said. “No issues there, people already pay lots of attention to him, he’s used to that.”
“You’re his ultimate inspiration,” he reminded you. “People will be curious about you as well.”
You paused for a second, then shrugged your shoulders.
“That’s different than being an artist,” you said, trying to ignore the way your cheeks were burning and turned your head to check out what was happening inside. They seemed to have finished with their competition judging by the familiar faces in the room, so you nodded in the direction of the room.
“I’ll go back inside,” you said. “Are you coming?”
“In a moment,” he said and you clinked your glass with his, then made your way back inside. Your gaze fell on Benedict and Margery who were having a conversation at the corner of the room and your stomach did an unpleasant flip, but you shook your head at yourself and made your way to them. Margery cleared her throat when she saw you out of the corner of her eye and gave Benedict a warning look but it was gone so fast that you couldn’t even decide whether you had actually seen it before Benedict turned his head.
“Hello darling,” he said, but his soft tone did nothing to soothe the insecurity shooting through you.
“Am I interrupting something?” you asked, making Benedict shake his head. “Because I can just—”
“Oh you’re not interrupting anything,” Margery said with a laugh. “I was just giving Benedict a hard time because he had the audacity to badmouth Byron’s poetry in front of me.”  
Benedict made a face. “I cannot believe you actually like his poetry.”
Margery heaved a sigh and turned to you.
“I give up,” she announced, making the corners of your lips twitch. “I’m going to need more drinks, excuse me.”  
She walked away from you both and you pursed your lips together, then looked up at Benedict.
“Are you sure I didn’t interrupt?”
“Not at all,” he assured you with a small grin and entwined his fingers with yours, making your heart skip a beat. “Are you having fun?”
“I am, and I kind of missed it actually,” you admitted. “Coming to parties and such.”
“Did you?”
You nodded. “One would think you’re a bad influence, you hedonist artist.”
He gave you that lopsided grin. “Me, a bad influence?” he asked. “You’re the one with the knife.”
You shrugged your shoulders. “Yes but you’re the one with the debauchery.”
“Fair point,” he said and you repressed a laugh.
“Who won the sketching competition by the way?”
“Felix,” he said. “Lucy gave him full points.”
“Of course she did,” you said, stealing a look at Lucy who was now talking to Margery. “So Byron hm?”
“Huh?” Benedict asked before frowned. “Oh yeah! Margery admires his lines a lot for some reason.”
“Right,” you said, that uncomfortable feeling twisting at your stomach again but before you could say anything else, Benedict pulled at your hand gently.
“Come on,” he said, “I’ll show you the winning sketch, Felix is very proud of it.”
                                           *
You and Benedict had returned home around dawn and Benedict had an appointment with Gordon in the morning and Anthony in the afternoon, so by the time you woke up, he had already left home to meet Gordon. You had asked to take your breakfast in the drawing room as you tried to decide what the best time would be to drop by your uncle’s home before tonight’s ball to see if they needed any help.
Perhaps afternoon?
You sipped your tea while reading your book and as you bit into your toast, Paula entered the drawing room.
“Ma’am, Miss Harlowe is here.”
“Oh?” you said, putting down your toast and dusted the crumbs off your hands before standing up. Lottie stepped into the drawing room and made her way to you to pull you into a hug.
“Good morning!”
“Hello there,” you said with a smile and pulled back to look at her. “You look happy.”
“I am happy!” she said. “I have news for you.”
“That’s wonderful!” you said “Paula, can you bring Lottie some biscuits and tea?”
“Of course ma’am,” she said and walked out of the room, and you and Lottie sat down on the sofa.
“What’s the good news?” you asked and she squealed, shifting her weight.
“I wanted to tell you before the ball tonight,” she said. “And Tony will tell Benny and Colin this afternoon but I couldn’t wait until then.”
“Couldn’t wait for what?”
“We’re getting married!” she exclaimed and your eyes widened, a gasp getting caught in your throat.
“What?!”
“Yes and we will tell the rest of the family tonight—”
“Wh-how?!” you asked as a happy laugh escaped from your lips and you hugged her. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you!”
“You must tell me everything from the beginning,” you said as you pulled back. “How did he ask? When did he ask?”
An abashed look crossed her face and she cleared her throat.
“Well, um…” she said, nibbling on her lip. “It’s sort of—you must first promise me you will never tell anyone.”
“Of course I will not,” you assured her as a maid walked in with a tray of biscuits and tea. You thanked her, and watched her walk away before turning to Lottie. “Tell me.”
“A week ago.”
“A week ago?!” you asked. “And you didn’t tell me? Wait, is this payback for—”
“No no, it isn’t!” she cut you off. “Of course not.”
“Then?”
She took a deep breath, then sipped her tea.
“Do you remember how Tony and I left Bess’s ball early?”
You tilted your head. “Yes.”
“Well we wanted to talk more you see, and I’m very familiar with sneaking into Bridgerton House because I used to do that a lot when I was little, and everyone was either asleep or at the ball,” she said, making you raise your brows. “And we…we did talk.”
A small smirk pulled at your lips.
“Oh?” you asked. “You sneaked into his house just to talk?”
She repressed a smile. “At first yes.”
“Then?”
“You and I had a conversation earlier that day,” she said, shyness apparent in her tone. “And you said that it felt divine, and I already knew Anthony and I are in love, and…”
Your jaw dropped and you let out a laugh.
“Oh wow.”
“And then he asked me to marry him.”
Alright, this was official; you were the only one who wasn’t consummating her marriage.
“But a week ago?” you asked, trying to focus. “You’ve been engaged for a week and neither of you told—”
“It was my idea,” she said. “I asked him to wait for a week.”
“Why?”
“Well…” she heaved a sigh. “I wanted to tell all of you yes, but Colin was still very heartbroken over what happened with Miss Marina and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings accidentally. You know, first Benny, then Daphne, now Tony finding love and not Colin, at least yet.”  
You stared at her, warmth filling your chest. “You waited for a week so that Colin wouldn’t feel bad?”
She nodded.
“He’s like a brother to me,” she said. “We all grew up together.”
You reached out to squeeze her hand. “Oh Lottie…”
“But we will tell our families tonight!” she said. “And Tony will tell them beforehand, and I’m telling you now.”
“I’m glad you are,” you said with a laugh. “Well I’m so happy for you! I told you he would propose within the season.”
“I still cannot believe it,” she said. “I’m the happiest person in the world.”
You grinned at her.
“And I take it your night was divine?”
She gasped, a giggle escaping from her lips. “Y/N!”
“What?” you asked, feigning innocence. “I mean you’re marrying him so—”
“It was more than divine,” she said, biting on her lip in embarrassment. “It was perfect.”
Oh well, you were going to take her word for it.
Hers and Daphne’s and your aunt’s and Benedict’s, to be more specific. Considering everyone else had experienced it but you, you could only believe them instead of seeing it for yourself.
“I’m glad to hear it,” you said, a smile warming your face and she shifted on the sofa.
“The ton will not be very nice, I think,” she said. “They weren’t nice when they thought Benny and I were in courtship, or when I was in actual courtship with Tony, and now that we’re engaged, I can’t help but think—”
“Lottie,” you interrupted her. “What the ton thinks does not matter at all. Let them speak, they do little else anyway.”
She nodded slowly.
“I just…” she trailed off. “I just wish they knew how in love we are.”
You waved a hand in the air.
“They will,” you said. “Never mind them. Now, tell me what you’re planning for the wedding.”
                                          *
By the time Benedict got back home from his meeting with Gordon, it was nearly noon and Lottie had already left. You had promised her you would be her maid of honor and help her with everything concerning the wedding, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t excited for it. Lottie had asked for your help with her wedding bouquet and the flowers for the wedding breakfast, and you were trying to come up with different combinations when you heard a knock on the door and lifted your head to see Benedict.
“Oh hello,” you said, closing your notebook before he could see the flower arrangement ideas you were writing down. He gave you a happy smile.
“Hey,” he said and stepped inside. “Working on something?”
“Maybe,” you said with a smirk. “Scared I will become your artistic rival?”
“Mm, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you,” he teased, making you giggle. He walked towards you to fling himself on the sofa next to you, then reached out to grab a biscuit from the plate on the small coffee table.
“How is Gordon?”
“He’s fine,” he said. “I think he’s working on a painting. The gala should be fun.”
“The gala?” you asked. “They hold galas for only one painting?”
“When it’s the painting of that big of an artist, yes.”
“Are you looking forward to your own galas?” you asked, making him grin.
“Let me get one painting into the Academy first, and we’ll build from there,” he replied and you shot him a look.
“I’ll remind this to you on your gala,” you mused and tilted your head. “I’m assuming I will be invited?”
“You’ll be the guest of honor,” he told you and you let out a laugh.
“I like the sound of that.”
“How about you?” he asked. “How was your day?”
“Rather interesting,” you said. “Are you meeting Anthony and Colin after this?”
He nodded, biting into his biscuit.
“Apparently Anthony has something he wants to say to us.”
“Wonder what that might be,” you muttered, trying to keep a straight face. Benedict shrugged his shoulders.
“Who knows?” he said. “And you? Any plans before the ball tonight?”
“I’ll visit auntie to see if she needs any help before people arrive,” you said. “I’ll get back around the evening, get dressed here and then we can go together.”
“Do you need any help before that?”
You bit back a smirk. “I can handle auntie,” you said. “Besides, I think today will be hectic enough for you.”
“Why?”
“Just a feeling,” you said and he narrowed his eyes, his whole attention on you.
“Wait, what do you know?”
“Nothing at all,” you said, feigning innocence. “It’s merely a hunch. Speaking of, shouldn’t you be on your way anyway?        “
A chuckle climbed up his throat. “Are you trying to get rid of me, dear wife?”
Your jaw dropped.
“No!” you exclaimed. “I’m just saying, Anthony isn’t exactly known for his endless patience.”
He popped the rest of the biscuit into his mouth. “He should learn, I heard people say it’s a virtue.”
“Oh is that so?” you said with a huff of laughter spilling from your lips. “You know a lot about patience then?”
“Is this the part you call me the ton’s horizontal refreshment again?”
“If you’re going to claim to be a patient person, yes,” you pointed out, making him clutch at his chest as if he was heartbroken.
“Ouch,” he said. “I am a patient person.”
“You are the perfect picture of hedonism, that’s what you are.”
“Well hedonism is a bit of a—”
“Drinking, partying,” you said, counting with your fingers. “Being very intimate with a lot of ladies…”
The tips of his ears went pink and he cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck.
“You know what, you’re probably right,” he said after a pause. “I shouldn’t keep Anthony waiting.”
“You’re going to avoid this conversation just like that?”
“Judging by how our earlier conversations on this went, I’m taking my leave before you ask me—”
“Before I ask you how exactly it was like during those parties?”
“That yes,” he pointed out and pushed himself off of the sofa as you repressed a laugh. He leaned in to kiss the top of your head, making your heart skip a beat.
“See you in the evening,” he murmured and walked out of the room. You were painfully aware of the smile on your face, and you dragged the tip of your tongue over your bottom lip before you heaved a sigh and slipped a little on the sofa, leaning your head back.
                                       *
You knew that Teddy had stayed at Josie and Andrew’s house last night because your uncle’s house was absolute chaos because of the upcoming ball, people working day and night. Not only that, the last you heard Andrew was letting him ride his pony inside the house so you were quite certain Teddy had no issues with the preparations of the ball.  
You wouldn’t have been surprised if he began insisting on staying there half of the week to be honest.
With the way your aunt had been working to make this ball perfect, you could only hope that everything would go well tonight. Almost everyone you knew was going to be there, so you were sure that it was going to be fun.
Now all you had to do was to convince your aunt of that.
The carriage stopped in front of the house and you made your way past the gate, but instead of going into the house you figured you could check on your garden first. So you passed by the house to reach the backyard, then tilted your head when you saw your aunt there, talking to the gardener.
“Auntie?” you called out and she turned around, a look of surprise flashing over her face.
“Y/N my dear!” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to see if you needed any help before tonight,” you answered. “And to see the garden while I’m at it.”
“Oh that’s sweet of you,” she said and came to hug you, then pulled back to look at you better. “No need for that, almost all the preparations are finished.”
“In that case, can I see the ballroom?” you asked with a laugh. “I’m curious, you’ve been working on it for so long.”
She hesitated for a moment, then waved a hand in the air. “What would be the surprise then?”
You huhed.
“That’s fair,” you said. “Anyways, I have a surprise guest for the ball, you will lose your mind when you see him and so will the ton—”
“Y/N, perhaps you should go home and get some rest,” your aunt cut you off almost in a distracted manner. “It’ll be a long night tonight, you know?”
You tilted your head in confusion.
“Are you sure you’re alright auntie?”
“…Of course,” she said after a pause. “Just—you know, preparing a ball is rather stressful.”
“I can imagine,” you said. “One of the many reasons why I will never throw a ball I think.”
She smiled at you, but it faded when her eyes found something over your shoulder. You pulled your brows into a frown and turned around to follow her line of sight, but as soon as you did, you froze. You could feel your whole body stiffening, your heart leaping to your throat as you stared at the familiar face who had the audacity to smile at you, that throbbing pain in your wrist coming back in full force.
“I hear congratulations are in order?”
You weren’t sure how you found your voice, but somehow you managed to speak through frozen lips.
“Hello father.”
Chapter 34
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reallybigproblem · 11 months
Text
pairing: mark lee x afab!reader
warnings: established relationship, massage, heavy petting, grinding, nipple play, slight roleplay
wc: 0.7k
mdni banner by @cafekitsune
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You started out with good intentions, honest!
When your boyfriend’s constantly working nonstop it’s normal to think of things to do to keep him going.
Encouraging little notes around the house, cute desserts, a full body massage.
Nice, normal things.
Ok, maybe you just want an excuse to feel him up but it’s not like Mark isn’t getting anything out of the deal.
He gets to relieve the tension that’s been building up in his muscles for weeks and you get to feel those muscles all oiled up under your fingertips.
This is just supposed to be a nice, normal massage.
But it’s Mark, he’s very vocal with his appreciation. Letting out a saccharine moan when you hands reach just the right spot on his defined back.
Once you’re satisfied with that area you pat his lower thigh, prompting him to roll over.
Thighs next, starting with the one closest to you near the edge of your bed. The extra baby oil probably isn’t necessary but you add it anyway before getting to work.
Rubbing upward with both hands, it’s almost like kneading a very muscular dough. Maybe your knuckles brush against Mark’s crotch a few times, but that’s not your fault, call it an occupational hazard.
“Your hands are getting a little low there, don’t you think?” Your boyfriend plays with you.
“Want me to stop?” Maybe when your hand makes contact this time it’s a little bit on purpose, palming him fully through his basketball shorts.
“No.” He grunts. “Keep going.”
So you do just that, straddling Mark slowly to get the best angle to do his chest of course. Very professional.
The leftover bits of oil drip down from your fingertips to those chiselled abs of his. Your hands follow suit, feeling from his toned stomach up to his chest.
And maybe you move your lower half as well. It’s only fair to help Mark release the tension down there, since he’s getting harder by the second.
Trying his best to not let another moan slip, he grits his teeth.
“If you keep on moving like that I’m gonna cum.”
“Good.” You bring your face down to his, lips almost touching before you decide to go for the sweet spot between his jaw and neck instead.
Your kisses get lower, all the way down his neck, through his pecs. Maybe your lips and a little bit of tongue brush past his nipples a few times, but from the way he twitches against your clothed pussy, he clearly likes it.
“Hope you don’t do this for all your customers.” He jokes.
“Nope, just you.” Sealing your promise with another kiss on Mark’s chest.
You lift away from him to remove your tank top, thankful to not be wearing anything underneath. Making sure to not take too much weight off your boyfriend, you grab the oil to pour maybe a bit too much on your chest.
“Fuck.” Mark’s eyes are trained on you as the liquid flows through the valley between your breasts. Lacing your fingers through his, you bring his hands up and rub them around the area, to make sure the oil’s been properly applied of course.
Pushing his hands back down on the bed you follow shortly after, looking him deep in the eyes as you move your chest up from his to drag down near his belly button.
“New technique I just thought of.” You whisper when close to his face after repeating the action a few times.
“You’re so creative.” He pants before moving up to kiss you properly, finally getting the chance to taste your lips.
Your legs are starting to feel more like jelly between the movement of his mouth and the way Mark ruts against you. He takes full advantage, wrapping an arm around your waist to flip you over so he can hover above.
“Thanks for the service.” Hooking both index fingers around your shorts and panties, he pulls them lower whilst placing small pecks on the now exposed skin. “I think it’s time you got your tip.”
“Just the tip?” You smirk, taking in the view.
Of course you were going to get a lot more than that, cause now it’s Mark’s turn to feel you inside and out.
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sailing-ever-west · 5 months
Text
When I first watched the episode where Zeff and Sanji meet, I remember being surprised that Sanji just ran up on deck with a knife convinced that he of all people was gonna fight off the pirates. I was like wow this kid is just feral and stupid I guess. Which he was.
But now looking back, it suddenly hit me: Sanji is trained to view himself as a combatant. It didn't matter that he was a literal child and there were adults on the ship who should've been protecting him instead; from his perspective they were all civilians and he was a weapon. Maybe a weak one with incomplete training, but enough to know it was his role to hold the knife and take the beating if there was one. Zeff tried to quickly remove him from the fight by knocking him down and being scary so he'd give up and run away, because geez dude he's just here to steal loot he's not tryna murder a child, but Sanji just took that as an occupational hazard and got back up. From everyone else's POV this kid just had a case of terminal stupid, but from Sanji's perspective he was built for this, and it was his only chance to be in control of his own survival.
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ken-dom · 3 months
Text
Everything Looks Better When The Sun Goes Down
Driver x afab!reader
3k words
∘₊✧ Summary: Getaways usually come with a strong dose of adrenaline. He can usually deal with it himself, but this time a far more thrilling prospect presents itself.
∘₊✧ Authors notes: I wrote this well over a month ago, and finally decided to dust it off and post, with encouragement from K, with whom the Driver conversation is never-ending and delicious! I would advise caution because he's kinda creepy in this one (compared to how I’ve written him before). Title from Make Me Wanna Die by The Pretty Reckless.
∘₊✧ Warnings/content: NSFW, dubious consent, masturbation, fingering, sex, glove kink, kissing kink, just a dash of sneaky, creepy, stalker-y Driver
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Driver’s leather-covered fingers tightened with a creak of resistance against the steering wheel. He might know the roads like the back of his hand, but being the getaway driver comes with the occupational hazard of not actually being able to control what your chasers will do, no matter how clever and thorough your plan.
Even if you’ve seen every trick in the book. Even if you have something of a sixth sense for predicting their movements.
Surprises can’t always be avoided, and tonight he was doing his best to get out of a surprise.
This had been just a touch more complicated to plot than his usual getaway routine. Locations hadn’t been quite as simple to pin down so timings would be off and he couldn’t have that. The only alternative was to alter his default plan of action only very slightly, yet the risks, apparently, tripled.
Or maybe Driver had just been unlucky.
He had kicked out the two masked men he had been hired to drive, easily getting rid of them en route as part of the plan, sticking to time down to the second, and then embarking on the more unusual part two, which simply required Driver to get himself away and hide the car somewhere different to where he’d hidden them. The route was meticulously added to his map, the hiding spots checked, double and triple checked, ahead of time.
Yet, despite the police radio suggesting they’d lost sight of tonight’s unassuming car of choice, the cops had picked back up, hot on Driver’s trail the moment he pulled back out onto the main streets.
He didn’t bat an eyelid at first. He knew what he was doing, after all; this wasn’t his first car chase by a long stretch. If he wanted to ‘wing it,’ he could. Easily. But he would never. He would simply go about the bulletproof backup plan designed for the event that this unlikely situation would come to fruition. All was fine.
Except that he really couldn’t seem to shake them. Every move he made, it was as though they’d read his mind and were one step ahead. It wouldn’t have been possible, but it was as if they somehow seen his detailed maps. They were only for his eyes though, and if anyone ever did see them… well. He would have to make it so that they remained only for his eyes.
Whatever was going on here, it seemed almost like someone was out to get him personally. His jaw clenched at the thought and his heart began to slam against his chest, breathing fast and ragged.
He tried to refocus. On the road, on the soft interior of his jacket against his arms. On the toothpick almost chewed in two between his teeth.
There were limited options at this point, and he was running out of ideas, running out of streets to slip down before they could predict his next action.
Driver firmly reminded himself to stick to the facts and ignore his physical response. He was still ahead. Just. 
Actually, he was nearing your house. Oh…
No.
He shouldn’t distract himself, but it was hard not to notice that he’d pulled onto your street almost by muscle memory alone and he wondered if you’d see him, followed by that one police car that he was sure would soon be two, then three, sirens blazing.
It was darker down here. Residential, with parked cars dotted up and down the road, canopied with large leafy trees that blocked out the moonlight, too. So he killed his headlights and slowed down to avoid attracting any additional unwanted attention.
His ears pricked up as the discussion on the radio started up again in place of relaying the names of the streets they were chasing him down; they’d lost him again.
Just like last time they lost him. But they had found him as soon as he resurfaced, and he couldn’t sit out here on your street all night in plain view, no matter how unsuspecting the car may look to your neighbours.
A little blue Honda rattled by and he flinched.
Come on. Get a grip, he scolded himself.
His head began to pound.
He needed to find somewhere new to hide the car properly, and hide himself while he was at it. Fast. Somewhere he could stay for long enough that they’d really give up this time.
Another thought struck him and he blinked hard. He had to regain some self control. But your house was approaching on the right.
He couldn’t. Could he? 
His eyes scanned the street. There were no other Hondas. No other moving vehicles. He couldn’t see anyone peering out of their windows into the dark street. 
Then he found the end of your driveway, visible in the near distance. Your garage door was up. No car. You were out. Perfect.
No. He couldn’t.
Fuck. He was going to have to. 
Besides, if anything did come of this, he could keep you safe. He was sure of that. No harm would ever come to you on his watch. Ever.
He slowly pulled onto your driveway and rolled the car to a gentle stop inside the garage, winding down the driver side window to punch the button on the wall that controlled the garage door. With a low hum and a light clicking, it swung down and locked into place with a soft clunk.
Complete darkness. The purr of the engine. And then, the crackle of the police radio.
Driver tensed, every bit of focus honed in on the voices coming through the small device.
With a note of three identifiable items: the car colour, model and number plate (two of which could easily be altered), and a reminder of where it was last seen (the next street along from this one), they’d officially given up the chase.
He relaxed into his seat, slumping down and stretching his long legs as far as they could lengthen in the confinement of the footwell, spreading his knees and dropping his head back against the headrest.
He would need to stay here for now, but that was manageable.
He killed the engine, trying to force his breath even and steady himself before he got out. 
Although it had been tough, now it was over, he couldn’t deny that it had been exciting. There was rarely a time it wasn��t.
He felt a stirring in his core, the familiar thrill that ran through his trembling body every time he got away, high on adrenaline and filled with self satisfaction.
And he did get away. Every time. But this time? It had been a closer call than any he could remember and he was shaking, excitement coursing through his veins, sending all his blood south to throb between his spread thighs.
He chuckled, smirking and dropping his hands to his lap from where they were still bracing, tight storing the steering wheel. His breath caught in his throat as one palm slowly teased higher up his thigh.
It was becoming painful to sit here in these too-tight jeans, the denim rough against his leaking cock, and he hissed as he dragged his palm over the thrumming bulge that had formed inside them the moment he knew he was safe.
He felt a particularly thick drop of precum leak from his tip, gasping at the short lived relief his wandering hand had provided, gloved fingers now flying to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his jeans and free his aching length, all patience out the window. It didn’t matter how long it took. He just needed the release.
But as the first button popped undone, his ears pricked up at the unmistakable sound of tires rolling onto your driveway behind that garage door. He froze, heart racing, cock twitching, every sense heightened almost painfully.
He relaxed when he heard your car door slam shut, the sound of your shoes on the gravel. He’d know those sounds anywhere. He knew all the sounds you made – he’d studied you enough – and had an entire catalogue of them stored away safely in the back of his mind.
Hastily, he reached for the radio and flipped the switch back on. Nothing. Nothing about him, anyway. Nothing about you. You were safe even with him locked away inside your garage.
He heard your keys jingling against the lock of your front door, knowing you were inside once it had clicked shut and the jingle was muffled.
He breathed a long, shaky sigh of relief.
Seconds later, his personal cell buzzed from inside his jacket pocket.
One hand resting still against the denim covering his aching hard on, he fished his phone out and unlocked it, absentmindedly rubbing his fingertips over his length and whimpering when he saw your name on the screen above the message you’d sent.
‘Hey, babe… you up?’
Another thick pearl of precum.
Fuck. He could hide in here all night, sexting with you from just the next room, or…
He didn’t bother fastening up his belt or that one button he’d opened when he swung the car door open and jumped out, biting back a moan at the friction of his jeans settling, slightly looser and more comfortable, against his cock as he stood.
He knew where you kept your spare key, and the combination on the safety box that kept it hidden, so he retrieved it and let himself in through the internal garage door that led to your kitchen.
Driver was silent. Barely a sound as he crept through the house, knowing every floorboard and the placement of every piece of furniture down to the millimetre.
The house was dark, which made it easy for him. You’d only switched on one lamp since you returned; the one in the hallway where you still stood, hanging up your jacket and waiting for him to reply.
Your phone laid unlocked on the sideboard, opened to the message you’d sent him as you slipped off your shoes, eagerly awaiting his reply. 
‘Come on,’ you breathed needily at your screen, ‘start typing!’ — and Driver swallowed hard.
He stuck to the shadows as he watched you, from the kitchen doorway, careful not to let his breathing turn too heavy, and certainly not above stroking himself over his jeans a couple of times just for the thrill of it.
You threw your shoes in the cupboard and picked up your phone again, checking to see if he was typing yet, and upon seeing that he wasn’t even online right now, you heaved a disappointed breath.
He might not have typed a reply, but he was ready to answer you.
‘I’m up,’ he breathed, hot against the back of your neck and you jumped, but his arms wrapped tight around yours, keeping you from fighting back, and he pulled you close as he breathed you in.
The still-gloved fingers of one of his hands hand toyed with the neckline of your shirt, ghosting around your throat as the other thrust unceremoniously into your jeans and dragged through your folds.
Even with his gloves on, he could tell you were already soaked.
It took you a terrifying moment, but your instinctual fear subsided, quickly replaced with burning arousal when you felt his cock pressing into your back, smelled his familiar scent, felt his glove teasing at your throat.
‘You are up,’ you sighed, reaching behind yourself to snake a hand between your flush bodies and drag your palm over his length in time with the fingers so precisely massaging your clit, and you moaned. Loud.
Driver’s knees felt like they might give out.
‘Mmmh-’ he hummed into your ear, ‘s-stop- fuck-’
You grinned, smug as ever about how easy he was to unravel, and at the wet patch you’d felt seeping through his thick jeans.
Despite the heat rapidly pooling at your core, you didn’t think on it for long, because any coherent thought was immediately pushed out of your mind when his hands left your core and throat, instead gripping your shoulders and spinning you to face him, slamming you back against the wall, his lips crashing onto yours with bruising force.
He pushed a thigh between your legs, pressing firmly against your heat and you moaned, muffled by his mouth as his tongue dragged hungrily against yours. Driver was always such a needy kisser, so passionate and intense and it made your head spin. But this was something else. 
You gripped him hard, moaning and writhing against him, and he shuddered at your reaction, whining against your lips before fully pulling away to focus on freeing his cock.
Slightly dizzy, you removed your own trousers as fast as you could, hooking a leg around his waist as he shoved his wet jeans down and pushed forward, lifting you in his strong arms to help you clamp your other leg around his waist.
His eyes slid closed as he felt your slick against his cock, trying with all his might not to spill his release before he’d fucked you. The adrenaline was still so fresh, spurred on by breaking in and sneaking up on you, that he could hear his blood pumping in his ears. He felt almost invincible; but he knew that with just one eager and misguided move he would cum, ending it all too soon.
No. He needed to feel you around him. Feel you clench with need. Hear you scream. Fill you up.
He closed his eyes to refocus.
Now you were pinned between him and the wall, he slipped a hand down to guide himself to your entrance, a simultaneous relieved groan from both of you echoing around your entrance hall as he slid himself inside.
He stilled for a moment, composing himself, forehead pressed to yours because he knew that a kiss, even a soft and tender exchange, would break him.
He also knew that right now, one thrust and it would be over for him, so he moved his fingers up, massaging your clit in slow, precise circles, as though this was all designed purely to give you time to adjust.
Your head dropped back and you squirmed, trying to fuck yourself on him as his fingers sent wave after wave of shuddering bliss through your body. The angle was delicious, but balanced around his waist you couldn’t move enough to get what you needed.
‘Please,’ you begged, ‘fuck me- please-’
Driver growled, low and dark, against your throat. He could never resist giving you exactly what you wanted, and he could feel your walls tightening around him already. A low groan tore from his throat. You were close too. 
Sicko, he thought. Like it when I break in and sneak up behind you? Shove a hand in your pants to try and get you off before you even realise it’s me?
Keeping his fingers against your throbbing bundle of nerves, he fucked you alright. Hard and fast and unrelenting, hips snapping frantically as he whimpered and gasped weakly into the thick air filling the inch between your mouths.
It was too late to stop his orgasm approaching. He’d been simmering for too long, and the way you’d kissed him, the way you’d begged him, the way you got wet just from him acting like a creep… his head was spinning.
The way he was fucking you, unceasing and intense, had you clawing at his jacket, wishing he’d taken it off so you could feel more of him, but there was no time. You pushed your fingers up to slide through his soft, neat hair instead, and he shuddered against you, biting down on his bottom lip. His blood boiled.
Fuck it. He smashed his lips back onto yours, tears pricking his eyes.
He finally spilled inside you, cock pulsing through his release. He squeezed his eyes shut, painfully aware you hadn’t cum yet, but his fingers on your clit hadn’t ceased, and as his cock began to soften, sensitive with aftershocks, he felt you clench tight around him. Your fingertips scraped against his scalp and your legs tightened around his waist and you cried out, loud and strangled, bucking your hips wildly as you chased your release.
Driver’s eyes welled with the tears he couldn’t bite back, dropping onto your shirt.
As you came down from your high, you stroked his hair back into place and slipped down from your position, standing on wobbly legs, head spinning, and Driver propped himself up with an arm against the wall, caging you in.
Your palm grazed his cheek, a tender thumb wiping his tears away.
He leant into your touch, eyes closed and breath slowing all the while.
‘So it was you who closed my garage door?’ you whispered, and he nodded against your palm. ‘Naughty boy,’ you added, teasing.
He looked up at you through the most stunning, sparkling, wet eyes and you knew you’d never stay mad for long – especially not when he fucked you so good and unravelled for you so easily.
‘Been on a job, baby?’ you cooed.
He nodded against your palm again.
‘Gonna jerk off in my garage until I arrived home and ruined the moment?’
Driver stiffened, eyes wide as he considered you, awed at the way you understood how his mind worked. Against his better judgement, he nodded, slowly.
‘Filthy boy,’ you added with a playful smirk. ‘Glad you found me instead, though.’
‘Yeah?’ he managed, weak and quiet, voice cracking.
‘Yeah. I fucking love it when you try so hard not to cum right away.’
His brow furrowed, but you hooked your fingers under his chin and lifted his gaze back to you, softly pressing your lips to his once again.
He whimpered, feeling weak, but he needed this more than anything after the rush. He was crashing, fast and needed comfort. Safety.
‘Wanna get into bed and make out until we fall asleep?’
Driver’s heart skipped, and he nodded again. It wasn’t always a bad thing to feel like someone was reading his mind.
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yuecrown · 7 months
Text
I LOVE YOU — ron kamonohashi
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pairings: ron kamonohashi x gn!reader. warnings: fluff. established relationship. 0.9k wc. notes: this is my first fic for rkdd but i had to write for ron bc hello ?! he's such a menace (affectionate) <3
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when you wake up, the first thought on your mind is that you haven’t slept this well in ages. usually you’re a light sleeper, roused from sleep by even the smallest disturbances.
this morning however, your eyes don’t open until past 10 am— extremely late by your standards. maybe it’s because this is your first time sleeping over at your boyfriend ron’s place. it’s also the first time in a long while that you’ve felt so loved, so safe.
his bed is as comfy as you’d expect it to be, covered with soft blankets, tons of pillows and platypus plushies. it’s huge too, easily big enough to fit both ron and you— but he’s not here.
you blink sleepily and sit up in bed, rubbing your eyes. the space beside you is empty, but the sheets are messy, meaning that ron did sleep here, at least for a while.
you frown. did he find sharing his bed with another person uncomfortable? or did he just have to get up early because toto brought him a case to solve?
you’re snapped out of your thoughts by the sound of something shattering. it seems to be coming from the kitchen. you throw the covers back, about to go find the source of the sound, when ron appears in the doorway.
he looks messier than usual, and it’s cute. his long dark hair is damp, and obscuring his eyes, slightly more tousled than what you’re used to. a towel is slung around his shoulders, and he’s already dressed in his usual t-shirt, jacket and jeans.
“good morning, y/n.” his voice is warm and tinged with excitement as he beams proudly and holds out a tray. “i made you breakfast!”
“good morning,” you mumble back sleepily, stifling a yawn. “i heard something break, are you okay?”
he waves a hand dismissively. “it was just a plate. an occupational hazard.”
“of being a detective?”
“of being a prodigal chef,” he corrects, gesturing towards the tray.
there’s a cute mug with a cat face on it, filled with coffee, alongside a plate stacked with fluffy-looking pancakes.
you sip at the coffee, and almost spit it right out when you taste just how much brown sugar he’s put in it.
“i didn’t know how you took your coffee,” ron says apologetically.
you gingerly sip at the drink again and grimace. “so you decided to add ungodly amounts of brown sugar syrup to it?”
ron blinks. “you don’t like it?”
his head is tilted to one side and he’s watching you keenly, waiting for an answer. the embarrassing truth is that you’d do anything to see him smile, so you steel your nerves and say, “no, um, it’s great! really.”
you can’t tell if he buys the lie or not, but he seems happy enough either way. “good.”
he hugs you from behind, arms wrapping around you as he rests his chin on your shoulder. his warm breath tickles your neck. “you should sleep over more often.”
“yeah?”
“yeah. i… i liked it. you’re cute when you’re asleep.”
the unexpected comment has you flustered, but ron seems oblivious as he stabs a pancake with a fork and feeds it to you.
you take a bite and prepare yourself for the brown sugar taste to flood your senses, but instead it’s actually balanced out by the other ingredients. “wait, ron— this is really good!”
“i knew it.” his tone is smug as he eats the rest of the pancake you just took a bite out of. “and now we’ve shared an indirect kiss.”
you try not to laugh at how proud of himself he looks. “we can share a real one too if you want.”
the tips of his ears grown pink. he murmurs, “okay,” and leans in to kiss you, eyes closed.
he tugs you closer onto his lap, one hand resting against your back, keeping you steady. despite his inexperience, he’s a good kisser. it makes sense, you think to yourself— he’s an incredibly quick learner, and even more so when it’s something he enjoys— and the eagerness with which he presses his warm lips to yours proves that he definitely enjoys kissing you.
when you finally pull away, he grins. “if you stay over more often, we can do more of this.”
“you don’t have to try and convince me,” you reply. “i’d love to spend more nights with you.”
“you would?”
“of course, i love you.” the words slip out easier than you’d thought. truth be told, you hadn’t even meant to say them, but now that you had, you weren’t going to take them back.
there’s silence for a few seconds. ron’s eyes bore into you, and both of you hold your breath. then he drapes himself over you like a koala, clutching you tightly, and says, “i love you too.”
you try and fail to hide your giddy smile, burying your face into his neck. “oh.”
he pulls himself off you and observes your flustered expression, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “i’d assumed it was a given, but you seem to like it when i say the words out loud. hmm. cute. i love you, y/n.”
you hit him on the arm and huff, “you’re insufferable.”
“but you love me, right?”
you stick your tongue out at him. “actually, i love your cat more, so there.”
he sulkily replies, “well, i love brown sugar more, so there.”
“oh, okay.” you get up, pretending to leave. ron grabs your wrist and tugs you back into his embrace, murmuring, “i was kidding.”
you smile and take his hand. “i know.”
he links his fingers with yours tightly and says, “i’ll always love you most.”
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pathologicalreid · 4 months
Text
occupational hazard | S.R.
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You and Spencer have a discussion about the dangers of his job.
who? spencer reid x fem!reader category: fluff content warnings: plot discussions from 9x23 (angels) and 9x24 (demons), canon compliant injuries, crying, established relationship word count: 1.23k a/n: thought of this while i couldn't sleep after watching the season 9 finale. also its me. I'm the crier.
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Your mother always said you had a problem with staring. In the grocery store as a kid, she would pull you to the side and tell you that you were being rude. It always confused you because you didn’t think it was possible to be rude without speaking.
Spencer never seemed to mind your staring, he’d ask if everything was alright, but he never really asked you to stop or told you off.
So, while he was over at your apartment, sitting on the couch grading papers, you just stared at him. You studied how his hair fell in front of his face as he scrawled on the printed paper, and how he set his jaw when he noticed a mistake. Your brows furrowed when you noticed a small scar on the side of his neck, a confused noise escaped your throat.
That got his attention, “What’s wrong?” He asked, matching your furrowed brows before setting his pen down.
Cocking your head curiously, you leaned forward to try to look at his neck, “What is that?” You whispered. It was an old scar, so you could only really notice it when the light hit it just right.
“What is what?” He asked, looking behind him and on his shirt like he was looking for a spill.
Gently, you reached out your hand and touched the scar with your fingertips. “Where did you get this scar?” You couldn’t believe you had never noticed it before – the two of you had been dating for more than half a year.
He reached up his hand and met yours, intertwining your hands together, “On a case in Texas.”
Your lips parted slightly as you looked at the scar again. “How did you get that scar on a case in Texas?” You asked, even though you were fairly certain you knew the answer.
Turning, Spencer set all of the papers on the side table before he turned back to face you. “I was shot in the neck,” he answered almost a little too calmly. As if it was just another day in the office, and maybe it was to him.
It certainly wasn’t to you. “What do you mean you got shot in the neck?” You asked, your voice was high and reedy with panic. Fear settled in your chest on behalf of a version of your boyfriend you didn’t even know.
“Hey, hey,” he said in an attempt to calm you down. “I’m okay, this happened almost five years ago, love. I’m fine,” he said, cupping your cheeks with both of his hands.
Your eyes were still wide, like deer in the headlights wide, and you nodded despite yourself. “That’s so scary, Spence,” you whispered as emotion burned in your throat. You knew he worked for the FBI and had for a long time. You knew he had been in love with a girl who was killed in front of him – that’s why he was so protective sometimes. You knew he had been in prison for three months for a crime he didn’t commit – that’s why he taught classes for thirty days. This was the first thing you had figured out – you had told him to tell you everything in his own time.
For a moment, he watched you like he had something he wanted to say but wasn’t sure where to start.
You sat on your heels and retracted your hands from his neck, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry I just… I saw the scar.” Awkwardly settling your hands in your lap, you sighed. “You’re right, it was a long time ago.”
“Wait, what just happened?” He asked dumbfoundedly.
Shrugging, you settled into the couch cushions. “I just saw the scar and I was curious,” you whispered as your eyes burned. “I didn’t… I just mean you don’t owe me an explanation.”
Reaching into your lap, Spencer took one of your hands in his, gently skimming the pad of his thumb over your knuckles. “You can always ask, it’s a fact that my job is dangerous,” he told you softly. “Getting hurt is an occupational hazard. It was never my intention to make you feel like you can’t ask me questions about… Why are you crying?”
You wiped furiously under your eyes at the tears that had flooded your eyes, “because you got shot.”
“You’re crying because I was shot five years ago?” He asked in bewilderment, his tone wasn’t belittling, he was genuinely surprised at your reasoning.
Nodding, you pressed the heels of your hands into your eyes in an attempt to stop your tears. “I am a crier; I cry at everything. Please don’t read into this,” you pleaded, embarrassment flooding your cheeks.
Gently, Spencer pried your hands away from your face, “Please don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry, and I don’t know what to do.”
You shook your head, and your bleary eyes met his, “Really, Spence, I’m fine. I’m just a crier, okay? Sad, happy, mad, I cry.” You looked up at the ceiling light and sniffled, fanning your face in an attempt to dry it off.
He was staring at you, “You are quite possibly the sweetest human being I have ever met.” Spencer reached out and pulled you to him, “Look at me.”
Begrudgingly, you looked at him. “How many times have you been shot?”
“I’m not answering that until you stop crying,” he said, sweeping your hair behind your ears.
That answer did absolutely nothing to comfort you. Huffing, you pressed your lips into a thin white line, “I’m fine,” you whispered, “I’m just crying.”
Spencer smiled at you, “That is an oxymoron, and you know it.” His smile faded, “I’ve been shot three times.”
“Oh my god, Spencer,” you said, dropping your head to his shoulder.
He hummed softly, turning his head to press a kiss to your temple, “Once in the knee, once in the arm, and once in the neck. Please don’t cry.”
You nodded into him, “Yeah, you’re… you’re okay now, right?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?” He asked softly, running his hands along your back.
You bury your face in the crook of his neck, “I love you,” you whispered.
His movements falter for just a moment, “I love you too.”
Pulling away and wiping your eyes, “You should finish grading those papers,” you whispered to him, moving away.
Instead of letting you go, Spencer pulled you closer, “I’ll finish tomorrow. I want to be here with you now,” he responded softly. “Are we okay?”
“Your job scares me,” you answered candidly, “but we’re good. We’re great.”
He nodded self-assuredly, “I can’t change the job, but you could meet my team if you wanted to. Maybe meeting them would make you more comfortable with me going out into the field,” he offered. “And maybe I could…” his voice trailed off as he mumbled something else.
Tilting your head curiously, you hummed in an attempt to prod at him, “Maybe you could what?”
“I could make you my emergency contact. If that’s something you’re comfortable with,” he said. “I’ve never really had anyone to add, but I’m sure Emily wouldn’t mind.”
You smiled softly at him, grateful for every bit he let you in, “I would be honored. Just don’t have any emergencies.”
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please like, comment, and/or reblog if you enjoyed!
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sonorousabyss · 1 year
Note
Can i maybe get a xiao or tsukasa male reader x hashiras if your doing requests or dont mind T_T
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Hashiras x Male! Xiao Reader
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AN: Thank you for the request Swivy! I'm not sure what format you wanted the post in or who Tsukasa is so I settled for the Xiao reader concept and some of the Hashira that I'm more familiar with!
Request: Yes Summary: Rengoku, Tengen, Sanemi, and Shinobu's thoughts on a male reader with Xiao's general attitude/Personality. Reader uses some derivative of wind breathing because Xiao and Anemo go hand-in-hand. Warnings: N/A
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Kyojuro Rengoku
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Does not understand M/N at all, but doesn't let it phase him either.
What do you mean you want to stay away from the other demon slayers? Karmic Dept? Such nonsense! Just come with him and you'll make friends in no time at all! Kyojuro knows just how to help!
He met M/N by pure happenstance, passing through a village shortly after nightfall. The H/C-haired man was dueling with a demon not too far from the outskirts- and doing just fine by the Hashira's standards.
M/N ripped through the sick creature with clear and concise strikes, showcasing great skill in his breathing form as he jumped around the demon he was fighting, dodging attacks and almost seeming to dance in the air as he counterattacked, leaving gashes quicker than the beast could regenerate. Then, with one swipe? It was over. The head was sent toppling to the ground, and the body along with it.
Rengoku could only beam at him and clap as he approached, congratulating M/N on a job well done. He didn't notice the apprehension in his body language at all as he set his hand on the smaller man's shoulder, a giant grin on his face.
He'd already been impressed at the show of strength from such a young-looking member of the force, but to learn that this was the 5th demon he'd had to deal with in the past few days? The sheer dedication was astounding.
M/N did not appreciate this in the slightest and was blunt in stating so. Rengoku might've toned down on the physical contact that made him uncomfortable but didn't do the same for his volume or enthusiasm, much to his subordinate's chagrin.
This kept up well into the future as M/N climbed the ranks, with the Hashira asking about his exploits and how his missions had been going.
More than a few times he ended up comparing his breathing style to Sanemi's thanks to the wind aspect, which M/N could quite frankly do without. Couldn't the kind and energetic blond just leave him alone? He didn't want his karma to rub off on him. For demon slayers, dying was an occupational hazard. He'd hate to see such a skilled swordsman perish because he got too close.
Their relationship appeared to get better once the blond discovered M/N's love for almond tofu, which he proceeded to use to bribe him into coming out to eat with him. Things slowly progressed from there, and M/N became fairly comfortable with hanging out with Rengoku. He even stopped protesting! How shocking!
Missions with him were even more interesting, considering their respective fighting styles. By the time their bond of trust had developed, Kyojuro needed only to say his name and M/N would be at his side, hand on the hilt of his blade and ready to shed some blood.
Loyalty and consistency, as it appears, seem to go a long way. Even if his loud voice does tend to hurt his ears.
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Tengen Uzui
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Tengen... well let's just say he also had a favorable impression of M/N thanks to his fighting techniques.
Leaping into the air and plunging down, striking his enemy with such determination and impeccable form? Dodging quickly and dashing about like he weighed nothing at all? He had to say that his fighting style wasn't half bad. Even a tad flashy.
Of course, there's no way he could ever hope to rival a god such as himself, though... if he were to become his tsugoku...
Not in a million years. Or at least, that's the attitude M/N is rolling with. If Rengoku seemed pushy before, Tengen was going to be an entirely different story.
Rengoku... well... He means well, even if things don't register immediately. The Sound Hashira though? You could tell him to put you down when he's got you over his shoulder and he wouldn't hesitate to not follow that request. He's a whole different level of deliberate stubbornness.
Of course, it's not like he doesn't have his sweet side. He can be downright delightful if you get to know him in the right circumstances. It's just that M/N was never particularly interested in getting to know said sweet side.
Every moment spent in close contact with that man he either witnessed or experienced something disturbing against his will... not that his sense of disturbing was particularly normal, anyway.
For that reason (among several others) the man, though good at killing demons, tends to get on M/N's nerves.
M/N prefers to keep things more on the business side with Tengen. He has an immense respect for the technique and skill he harnesses with his blades in the war against demons. He's an impeccable Hashira, and a reliable comrade to fight alongside. In fact, it's not just him that's impressive. His wives are as well. And- his...mice?
Don't get M/N started on the mice.
They certainly have personality, but they're just one thing on the list of things he didn't know he didn't want to see until he saw them.
How did he even get them that buff?
What is he feeding them?
Is it edible?
Is it almond tofu?
He was hesitant about the wives (and their more affectionate and kind nature) until he tasted their cooking. M/N didn't know something could rival his favorite dish until he had it. Food is also how Tengen bribes him into staying around.
M/N tries to avoid these occasions as much as physically possible, despite how much the food tempts him. Uzui's wives were good people, and he didn't want to risk tainting them with his karma.
Uzui was debatable. He wouldn't mind seeing the man get knocked around by a demon just a little bit in combat to make up for the times he tried to get M/N to embrace a flashier lifestyle. But his wives? Nah.
Sure, they're perfectly capable of self-defense and would put up a good fight against him... but still. Too precious.
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Sanemi Shinazugawa
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No.
Absolutely not.
Don't get me wrong, Sanemi is strong as hell and good at killing demons, and they might have similar mindsets on things in a certain respect- *cough cough* demons being horrendous creatures that must be dealt with *cough cough*- but the firey ball of anger is just too unpleasant to be around.
Quite frankly Sanemi returns the sentiment.
As cold, distant, and aloof as M/N is, Sanemi isn't looking to befriend him in the slightest, and the same goes in the other direction.
Just because they're wind users and operate in the same corps doesn't mean they need to be buddy-buddy, and they are cool keeping their distance.
M/N is more or less neutral in Sanemi's respect. He'd take almost any other Hashira over him if they were in it for the long haul in terms of missions. In public it's always going to be strictly professional. Very much a "respect is there, but no feelings are attached" type of scenario.
Until M/N climbs the ranks and get's Hashira status, Sanemi is just a capable superior and a benchmark to surpass.
I wouldn't say the respect is returned, but eh. Does it really matter?
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Kocho Shinobu
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She's by far one of the only Hashira he's comfortable around.
While the others on this list are generally too physically or emotionally present or looking for connection, it's just so easy to be around Kocho and keep things how he's comfortable with them being.
She's level-headed, quiet, clear, and concise, impeccable in the medical field, is well accomplished in a fairly unique style of combat in comparison to the other Hashira, and so much more.
She doesn't need size or brute force to earn others' respect, fear, or admiration. She's just uniquely her... and disturbingly intimidating, in an uncanny valley sort of way.
M/N is of the opinion that if he had to work under any of the Hashira, or at least work with any of the Hashira, she'd be the one he'd want to work under. He trusts her judgment.
Given his occupation, he's likely gotten injured and had to deal with her and those working under her plenty of times as he perfected his combat style, so he knows better than to disobey the doctor's orders.
He doesn't need to look at her face to understand her intent and genuine feelings. He just knows.
Shinobu, I feel, doesn't exactly dislike him either. She's dealt with enough "interesting" types that I get the feeling she can read him fairly well too.
Streamlined. Respect. Loyalty. And Communication.
That is their bond in a nutshell.
They both also have an amusing habit of just.. popping up out of nowhere and startling people, so I think she's gotten a laugh out of that.
Patients have now become aware of the fact that if you're at her place, you now have to watch out for more than just the doc.
I like to think of this place as M/N's Wangshu Inn equivalent. Just a place he chills out playing distant from other people, waiting for the next orders from the top.
M/N also has impeccable hearing, which makes it much easier for him to appear when called.
He's more than likely been ordered to help with rehabilitation training for patients during the times he stays around too long. He doesn't offer up many objections.
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AN: If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it! Apologies if I didn't get all the Hashira you might have wanted. I hope I did this somewhat justice?
May your day be as pleasant as the ocean's abyss is deep.
For those who are new here, I take requests. You can find my rules here.
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vamqyr3 · 1 year
Note
Hey can I request any jealous ghost or yandere ghost headcanons with smut. Please?
↳ SIMON “GHOST” RILEY // COMING DOWN. ❀
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CW// OBSESSION, STALKING, VIOLENCE, ORAL, ECT.
NOTES// obsessive!anything has to be my fav to write. Anyways.
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He’s got a staring problem, it’s chronic. He knows all too well, he’s too tentative, far too particular. Ghost knows better than to stare, he knows your feet shift before you turn to look around your shoulder. He knows your attention is pointed where your torso is, you have a blind spot to your left and the right eye is worse than the other. He knows better than to look while you look back. It’s rude. It’s obvious.
He’s often thought of your face upon meeting him. Most think him monstrous, horrible, evil. He’d hoped you’d be scared too, see what evils had been protecting you thus far. Know the power and capacity of that man, the weight of his shadow on your brow bone, his bulking figure on the eye. To know someone’s getting the job done.
It wouldn't be too hard to notice him in every corner of a room. You’d just purposely moved from the bar to the rooftop, he’s still sat in a chair farthest left of you. You’d twitch under the attention, stress under his eyes and grow anxious. But he’d love it, knowing your finally aware of him.
Already in a relationship? No issue. He’d hate to have to kill, he’d hate to see you cry, get all messy just cause of him. Me might not, he might enjoy cheering you up, understanding what no one else cloud. Maybe he’d get angry, chastise you for ever having used your mouth to talk to anyone else. He just might choke you on him, use it, finally, for some good. Train you good and well to only use two words, ‘Please’ and ‘Yes’
It would come easily, first. Texts from unsaved numbers on your lovers phone, disappearances on the hour. Then, to arguments, to fighting and rumors. A photo of your ex and another.
Your marital relationship with Si was art. He aged like fine wine, soon becoming nothing more than a doting husband. He’d drool at the sight of you, never let you do any bit of work. The house is in his name, only one car for him to drive, a house in the woods, food provided by him. He’d let you do damn near anything to him.
He has a few scattered trust issues. Spiraling into control and commitment. He’d always kiss your hands and eyes, kneel and beg mercy during any argument. But he’s began monitoring your nutritional intake, jutting motion detectors in the four corners of the room. But you get it, occupational hazard.
More often than not he’s gone into lengths upon lengths of detail whilst rutting into you. Describing his strength, power, might over the ones around you. How easily the hands ringing your hips have broken a man. How beautiful you look, how he’d wanted to ruin your pretty little eyes every moment they weren’t on him. What horrible things he had thought in a hooded black jacket staring you down at the bar.
Corruption, Ghost would enjoy ruining you. Using you an earshot away from your peers. Affirming your safety, how he would never let any other see you how he did. How he had needed you so badly, he couldn’t even wait a moments rest, and while there is still breath in his breast, he would kill any other man before they saw you bare before him.
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guyfieriii · 1 year
Text
Turn Me To Ashes
This one's an angsty little piece written for this ask. Its a self-indulgent little piece that's got a bit of everything: Price before he was a Captain, some angst, Price on a motorbike, some more angst, and finally that last bit of angst to cap things off nicely.
The biggest thank you to @mvtthewmurdvck who read this thing piecemeal and gave me the support to post it as well as @soapskneebrace and @yeyinde for indulging my crazed Price thoughts.
Pairing: John Price x f!Reader Warnings: PAIN
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You will your eyes to deceive you like they have in the past. At moments most inconvenient they fashion a mirage so cogent you’d think it’s all they’ve ever done. 
And now—
“J—” 
They don’t. 
It’s your heart that betrays you instead. “John.”
There’s an unmistakable flinch in his bearing at the sound of your voice, but he turns around, nevertheless. 
He looks different but also the same. 
There are tufts of grey where there used to be pure chestnut. A weathered face carved of grit, chiseled down by years of bellicose. 
He looks tired, you think.
Or maybe it’s you that brings it out in him. 
Had the years not passed in his absence, you’d have made a dig at him. Something along the lines of ‘People know we’re the same fuckin’ age, John, and you’re makin’ me seem older than I am’. Or maybe ‘At least you committed to the beard — spent a good couple years wondering if y’were gonna grow one’.
Instead, you stand there awkward and silent, imagining a conversation that isn’t really happening.  
He watches you, wistful. Like he’s doing the same.
After a moment, he’s entirely expressionless and you’re not sure whether you’re more disappointed or surprised. Foreseeably the prior, more like. He’s a captain now. SAS. The ever-dependable island of a man surrounded by oceans of unpredictability. 
“We draw the line where we need to.”
“Not we, John. You.”
It’s been over a decade since and the memory of it still blisters. 
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Bluebird. Blue. 
That’s what he called you. You suppose it was fitting. You were protective, bordering on territorial — especially when it came to him. 
“Is that an insult, Price?”
“It’s a compliment, dove.”
It was hard not to be. You came up together, joining the army within months of each other. Through sheer contingency, your paths crossed enough times for bonds to be made and friendships to be forged. Nothing more. 
Nothing either of you would openly concede to. 
It started the night of your birthday, a few years in. A party in the mess hall took a turn and so did the line that stood firm between the two of you. In a flurry of hasty fingers, impassioned moans, and your breath tinged with the burn of scotch, you allowed the levee to break and out poured months of hidden impulses that burst at your seams. Now they flowed freely across your tongue, gliding onto his against the beaten brick wall of the outer barracks. 
“Just this once, hmm?” He promised. 
“Just this once.” You quickly agreed under a high miasma of his lips and molten touch. Writhing and panting beneath him, you’d have committed to any oath at that moment. Part of you knew you didn’t mean it, but you said it anyway. 
You later realized he didn’t much mean it either. 
So, yes — you felt entitled to him in some way. Especially when the paramedics made eyes at him, and the rookies fought reason to have him indulge them in conversation. He’d grant them one, of course. Of course. You’d watch them, coquettish and wide-eyes and it was hard not to wonder if this was what he wanted. 
You, inversely, snapped back. While there was an immense amount of mutual respect and understanding between the two of you, you had to make it noticeable that you weren’t beholden to him. It wasn’t for the benefit of your fellow soldiers or the watchful eyes of your superiors. 
It was for you and him. 
There was the silent yet ever present threat of impermanence. An occupational hazard you had come to terms with, or so you thought. But then the thought of his ephemerality burned a hole in your chest. 
You could die. You had no qualms with that, you had planned for it. You even wrote him a letter. 
You hoped he hadn’t done the same. 
The other women — they were easier, straightforward. You weren’t. You were an exposed live wire of harsh candor and even harsher pain. An irritant holding up a mirror, a challenge with no end. It made sense at times to think that you were better left aside than with him. 
What’s that story about the man pushing a boulder up a hill? 
But then once the sun withdrew from the skies and the stars took its place, he’d only ever go searching for you. 
You brought it up once in a canopy of post-coital bliss. The sound of his heart beating in a steady metronome, his fingers dancing up and down your spine, the way you just lay there in comfortable silence was all too perfect. It made your walls descend and your insecurities awaken. 
So, you asked. “Why me?”
“We match, Blue.” He simply said and you believed him. 
Until you didn’t. 
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He asked you home with him, once. 
He looked just as surprised as you at his invitation, but your hasty ‘Yes, okay. Yes, I’ll come home with you’ didn’t give him a chance to backtrack. 
His answering smile was one you etched into your myocardium. Always hoping for the best and expecting the worst, you knew you might need it. 
You try your best to mimic it and give him something in return. 
You match. 
It was painfully awkward — that first flight back. You sat side by side in an aircraft with other home bound soldiers, chatty and eager. 
Not the two of you, though. 
He slept for most of it, or he pretended to; the lip of his beanie pulled over his eyes, head resting against the window, arms crossed at his chest. His shoulders would shake in sync with the aircraft’s rumble through some mild turbulence, but the man didn’t so much as shuffle out of his REM. 
Not pretend, then. 
You finally let out the breath you weren’t aware you were holding and make the snap decision to use this time to your advantage. There were people around, much to your relief they were entirely unaware. You allowed yourself some indulgences, letting your eyes dance over his sleeping form and zeroing in on all those details you hadn’t had the luxury to appreciate. 
The scar hidden in the five o’clock shadow now forms across his jaw. You remember how he got it — narrowly avoiding some shrapnel a few months back in Astana. All he walked away with was a bit of metal half a centimetre deep. 
Your fingers embarked on an expedition of their own as you absentmindedly traced the back of his hand that peeked through the crest of his elbow. They followed a patterned dance of up and over around each finger, through the valley between each knuckle, and down the risen veins and back. 
Ad nauseam.
You pretended not to notice the irregularity in his breathing, the slight twitch in his lips as you continued on. 
Eventually, his arms uncrossed, and you bit back your disappointment as he hooked a thumb over the flap covering his eyes to meet yours. 
“Glad to be able to entertain ya, Blue”
You wished he’d go back to his feigned sleep, and you’d go back to your little game. 
“It’s not the worst thing I could have done, John.” You kept your voice steady. Lighthearted. There was a hint of embarrassment trickling at the back of your throat, but you wouldn’t dare reveal it. 
“Oh?” He shifted in his seat, leaning towards you. Your eyes quickly veered to gauge your peripherals for any possible interruptions. 
This was a clandestine moment. One you weren’t keen to share. 
He seemed all too unbothered, his eyes downcast glancing upon your hands fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. 
“Simmons— he, uh, wanted to draw a cock across your face. Good thing I stopped him.” 
“How’d you do that?” Without a moment’s pause, he took your hand in his, large palm eclipsing yours entirely as his fingers wove their way through yours. 
“Shot his bollocks off.” 
It was so painfully tender. You’d have captured it in a globe for your mantle if you could. It bled such intimacy for which you felt entirely undeserving. 
You were harsh people. You and John. Forged and brutalized to the point wherein moments like this feel like a vain, almost opulent purchase of your time. Frugality in all matters of heart was an imperative choice to be made. 
Sink or swim. 
Perish or survive. 
And the two of you. Well—
“And you let me sleep through it?” 
He invited you home and you schooled yourself to let it all be about a good time. A bit of R&R and some sex. 
Wasn’t it?
He promised to show you around.
“I’ll show you where I had my first kiss, love.”
“Careful, John. A girl might get jealous.”
A glance into his past made the possibility of a future bloom. 
The bait. It was too enticing. It had too much potential, the thought of you and him. Having a life outside of iron, lead, and dirt. 
You couldn’t just—
You pulled away from him with about a tenth of the delicacy you were hoping for.  His expression shifted five times over in the span of a second. Hurt. Confusion. Anger. Resignation. Apathy. 
“You looked like you needed your solid eight.”
It was better that way. 
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It was a vintage Honda. John’s motorbike. It suited him to a T. 
There is always something to be said for a reliable classic. 
“Wanted this exact model as a lad, but my dad—“
He paused, swallowing down like he’d just tasted something bitter before continuing. 
“Bought it as a beaten down clunker an’ I built it up.” 
He looked at you, a bit self-effaced, in hopes of earning your admiration. 
You couldn’t dare to disappoint him. 
You recognized it as a point of pride within him. To him, it epitomized his freedom. His steadfast nature. To you, it was a death machine with a chassis built around it. But it wasn’t a fear that lingered. 
The moment you were seated pillion, your body molded to the back of his. Every turn along the road, you were counterpoised by him. It was more graceful than you would have imagined. A delicate kind of waltz wherein he led you so intuitively, you felt as though you’ve been his passenger for a lot longer than you have. 
It was the subliminal trust you had in him. What was usually conveyed with a look, if that, was now a tête-à-tête of his parity and your belief. 
He did make good on his promise.
For the time you spent with him, morning rides were routine. You raced daybreak, cruising against asphalt, feeling the thrum of the engine behind the settling in your sternum. The amorous backcloth of the gliding mist at your feet, the ever-present chill of morning air curtaining the warmth of his body. At every stoplight, his hands would stroke the length of your calves, palm tightening around the exposed skin of your ankle. 
The roads lay bare at that early of an hour, your only companions were the even-spaced streetlights along your way. 
“That one there. Right under the hood of it. I was fourteen. Her same was Iris”. He said. 
“Was it a good first kiss?”
“Oh, the best.” 
You mapped it out like the route to a treasure. All this trivia, the stories. You harmonized every likened memory of his with one of your own. 
The fantasy of the path untraveled remained your consolation prize for when your time with him came to an end. 
It was near perfection. 
All good things, however—
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Betrayal is an ugly word, you think, and often misrepresented in its severity. 
What might be a disappointment is deemed as grievous as betrayal just because it’s coupled with heartbreak. 
Death in its unfortunate certainty is commonplace in a world like yours. The fact that it comes before it’s due is a bitter pill you’ve managed to swallow. 
You grieve. You reminisce. You move on to the next. 
But there are some that stick. It’s not the ones you don’t see coming. It’s the ones you do and fail to stop. They are the ones that linger well past the descent of ironed cloth on a closed casket. 
What do you do when reliable foundation crumbles and you’ve lost all footing?  You change. 
John changed. 
Something in the blood of his fallen comrade stained more than skin and cloth.
His perception turned — uprooting philosophies of adherence to something more uncontrolled. 
There were lines he began to cross. Ones he expected you to cross with him. 
John wasn’t a man you made a habit of denying. The very thought of it lit a match of unease within you. He asked and asked, and your resolve nearly collapsed, but you remained planted across the underscore of his reasoning while his hand remained outreached. 
You just didn’t take it. 
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I’m sorry, okay?
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