#my oc has black hair and gold eyes and it took me MONTHS to come up with that one?
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Good day everyone!
Recently I have come across a beautiful character Time from Tim Burton's "Alice through the Looking glass" and decided to write a small fanfic about him and my OC for this universe. Hope you'll like it!
A deeper meaning
Time was listening. Chronometers were ticking gently above him, counting seconds of each life in Wonderland. Every day it was a day of someone's death and birth, new grief and new happiness. Tears and laughter, dancing and agonizing, love and loath - so many things, so many emotions contained in a simple monotonous sound: "Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock..." But Time could read it through like an open book. He knew everything - and didn't judge, but watched. Time cherished all living beings lying at will of his hand.
Suddenly his attentive ears caught something different.
Fast little steps. Shallow breath. Harsh heartbeat.
Time turned around. He saw Hannah a few meters away, her cheeks rosy due to running; she was panting, her plump lips opened just slightly. Grey wings were wrapped around her tiny figure not being higher than a quarter of his leg. The girl studied him nervously, as if asking if he was mad at her coming here. Though, it still was a glimpse of hope in her eyes. Time couldn't get angry even if he wanted to; she was small and weak, just a fly comparing to him. Now, when she was that tiny, it was brutally clear that even an originally six feet tall girl was yet nothing but a girl: young, awkward and fragile. A girl who was hard not to fall in love with.
- What is it, Hun? - He lowered down and made a welcoming gesture. - Why did you leave your apartments?
She rushed closer, but stopped right beside his hand, throwing shy glances at it.
- I just came to ask if you need anything. You overworked. - She murmured, opening her wing "shield" a little bit, but didn't come any closer.
Witnessing her hesitation, Time smirked kind-heartedly and leisurely picked the girl up from the ground. Fluffy, tiklish feathers touched his cheek and the man’s smile grew wider.
- I guess you are right, dear. - Time sat her on his shoulder and took his hat off revealing his beautiful brown hair - the same color Hannah had. – And… don't be afraid of me so much. It has been much of me already!
- M... Hm... - She nodded, moving closer to his face and settling in her favorite spot beside his neck. Young valkyrie dared to look in his shiny, sky-hue eyes and saw nothing but kindness and warmth.
- I guess it's a right time for dinner, since the Time is rather hungry!
The man turned on his heels and headed straight to the exit. His passenger giggled at the joke and hid in her thick feathers from the wind. She wasn't always that shy, actually. It was just... Him. They had been living together for two months, however, that uneasy feeling was too stubborn to set her free. Sometimes, he would scare her: with his loud voice, soldier pace, piercing gaze, hot temper – his breathtaking largeness, at the end. Besides, he was a lover of a mad woman who once wanted to force Hanna kill innocent people only because she was a valkyrie. A monster, as they say... She was kind of glad she drank that mixture and became small - at least, she wouldn't be that easy to find...
And, despite all that, Time accepted her. He knew who she was, what plans Red Queen was making about her, but he didn't tell a soul she was here. Why? It was hard to say for sure. Hanna wanted to believe he liked her, though it would be too good to be true...
The pair went through the Time-shaped corridor and took their course to the private quarters of the castle. The huge building was a unique piece of art: high ceilings painted by the best masters of Underland, the walls decorated with gold and black wood, specular floors so clean that, if you looked beneath your feet, you would think you were floating in the air like a balloon... It would be difficult to describe the whole glory of that wonderful place. Hanna never got tired of gracious, harmonious lines, of endless columns and pilasters, complicated patterns and pictures fascinating viewers with their colors and stories. There was a tale of the whole Wonderland written by hundreds of generations and carefully kept by Time itself, remembering each day, each life, each destiny.
At such moments, Hannah always thought about connection between a person who gave her shelter and a huge dial in the main hall. Behind a facade it was an immortal, the most powerful creature in the world, not just a cute man with funny German accent.
Maybe, that was the reason why every time she talked to him her knees shook, despite everything she had gone through.
Finally, they found the right door and Time laid a hand on a door knob, but suddenly a low metallic grumble thundered in the halls. The echo roared:
- Where is this clock head!? Find him immediately you fools! I know she is here, and he won't get away with this now! Oh, how angry I am! And he was telling me he loved me! Liar! Liar! Pathetic, disgusting liar!
Hannah would recognise that crispy, deafing scream from the thousands. She tensed and her eyes got poured with horror.
If they had come for her - and they definitely had - she was dead. She turned to Time – his face darkened. Gears on his neck were moving with abnormal activity.
- Don't worry, she won't hurt you. – He whispered gently, concern and anxiety in his artificially blue eyes. – I'll make sure of that.
Something about his tone wasn’t right, though Hannah didn’t pay much attention to that - and instantly regretted it. She couldn’t possibly imagine what was about to happen. Hanna let him reach her, hold her in his hands, bring her close to his lips and...
To say that she was terrified was to say nothing. She tried to struggle in his grasp, but his grip on her torso and wings was firm - it was impossible to make a move, and if she did, she would hurt herself, cutting her skin with various rings on his fingers. Her legs were squeezed by his throat, and no matter how hard she tried to kick them out of there, they only slid further downwards with each gulp. Very soon she saw a row of white teeth over her chest. The girl shut her eyes and waited for him to cut her head off, but... It didn't happen. Instead, very gently, she was guided to the pharynx and swallowed whole.
It was slick, and humid, and dark, and tight; strong contractions of the flesh – or whatever material it was – quickly overwhelmed her. The girl felt dizzy and nauseous – something between terror and disgust occupied her quivering soul. Time promised to protect her, and instead he did... This...
Why? How it supposed to help?
Was it a trap all along?
What… What if she was going to die?
Everything around her was ticking, scratching, whining, rotating - it was like being thrown in a huge old mechanism which the man actually was. Though she couldn't see, the girl could sense every cog doing its job. There were no organic sounds at all, and that startled the valkyrie even more. Still wiggling in poor attempts to at least slow down her glide, she was travelling along a slimy - or rather oily - tube to the core of Time and trembled, predicting what awaited her when she would reach her destination.
Suddenly, the walls squished the girl more intensively than usual - with a pitiful moan, she was expelled in a bigger room. It was soft and a little stiffy like an old laundry; as she crawled forward, her hands dove in a pool of viscous liquid. Like a mouse from a cat, Hanna jerked from it to the side and pressed her little palms against slippery inner surface of the pouch.
- Time! Time, don't leave me here! Please, let me out! What did I do wrong? Please, I'm scared... Time...
The valkyrie hit that elastic flesh and cried. She didn't get an answer, no matter how much she yelled into the pitch black nowhere. It was pointless - it was all pointless. At least... At least it would save her from the fate of becoming a murderer. There he was right - Red Queen wouldn't get to her here. No one would be able to get to her ever again.
Soon she stopped protesting and pleading, and just laid limp on the soft floor, burring herself in her wet feathers. The stomach was warm, and plushie - not the worst way to pass out. But he abandoned her. He... She thought, he was her friend.
Well, she forgot - time is a friend to no man.
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Meanwhile, Time was at a very critical situation himself. Iracebeth came across him at the very second he felt his stomach swell, and that was good - she didn't know where Hanna was. However, the woman was so furious, Time could start worrying about his own well-being. She unceremoniously dragged him to the side and pushed into a living room where two guards stood beside an armchair. He was thrown there, and his "lover" sank him in an ocean of questions which were constantly interrupted by her complaints, threats, lamentations and drizzling of broken items she ran into while restlessly wondering around like a tiger in a cage. Although, it wasn't like Time really listened - his hand was on his middle, and he carefully examined his sensations coming from within.
He had to warn her...
Time heard Hanna's desperate screams, they broke his mechanical heart, but he couldn't reply to them, thought he really wanted to. She must have been very scared in there. She must have thought she was going to die... Poor girl. She suffered so much already, and now, when it seemed he managed to help her, he destroyed everything again. The only good thing was that she would be fine. He really hoped she would - if not mentally, then physically. Though, he couldn't really say he was fine - all that happened left him in pure shock.
Rubbing at the spot where he could feel the valkyrie's little body, Time mutely stared at the pissed off Queen and waited for her hysteria to burn itself out. His long experience with that woman taught him that at such occasions patience was the best tactic.
As he expected, thirty minutes passed and she gave up. After breaking one more vase, Red Queen, breathing heavily, sat on a sofa before him and gave her partner a venomous look. She was exhausted.
- ... And after all of that you don't even try to defend yourself? Fool.
- Why would I need to? - The man replied calmly, his gaze confident and clear. - I'm not in any trouble. You were definitely tricked, your majesty.
- What!? How dare you say such nonsense!
- I do dare because the girl you are talking about is not here and I have never seen her in my life.
- I hardly believe it. - The queen took out a big handkerchief and wiped her teary eyes. – And don’t call her that! She is nothing more than a beast. Ah! Even you deceived me!
Time accumulated all his will not to show sarcasm. He could understand everything - Iracebeth's aggression, her hatred towards sister, her sadness and tears, but sometimes her manipulative habits and cruelty were just too obvious. He would still feel bad about her no matter what since, unlike many others, he could see the whole picture of her bitter fate. But that time he stood on the other side of the barricade.
He had to make her leave. And, which was not less important, to keep their relationships in a safe bay.
- Well, I challenge you to test my devotion, love. Order your guards to look around my castle - I can assure you, you won't find any evidences against me.
- Your assurance doesn't worth anything. - She scoffed, turning away. - But you gave me a good idea. Guards!
The red soldiers immediately straightened up, waiting for her words.
- Search through this palace - look under every stone and on every shelf, shake it from the roof to foundation, but find me that winged freak. Alive! And don't stand like useless statues, go for it, now!
The guards obediently left.
While Red Queen wasn't looking, Time exhaled, relieved – Hannah’s quarters were hid well, only he knew the path. So, the game was already over.
At the meantime, in his stomach, the girl who seemed to settle down, suddenly came to life. Oh, it was pure luck only he could catch her voice out here. She sobbed. Gosh, that pretty tiny bird would give him a heart attack! Time didn't stop secretly stroking his taunt middle through the clothes, feeling how the clock in his chest ached as if someone stabbed it with a knife. He tried to convince himself she would be all right. Just some more minutes. He could afford it.
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Hannah heard him speaking to someone, possibly Red Queen. Nothing bad happened yet, and still she felt very helpless, and hopeless. It was unnerving to be stuck in complete darkness, figuratively and literally. The only "entertainment" she had was something touching her back lightly as if in attempt to soothe her, however, the valkyrie couldn’t know for sure – perhaps, it was just her lively imagination. She felt indescribably lonely. And that unchanging, never-ending ticking - cold, indifferent - it drove her crazy! She wanted, no - she demanded to get a sign, to hear a single word meant for her, anything showing that he remembered...
Hannah got up again and dug her fingers into the silk flesh once more, struggling to reach the source of slight sensation. Her lungs burned of crying. Choking and sniffing, she called:
- Time, please!.. Please, say something. I can't bare this anymore... Answer me!..
No respond. The girl pushed harder, but the wall softly sprang under her hands and Hannah slammed over the bouncy floor. Her wings felt numb and sore – lack of space didn’t allow them to stretch even on a half of their capacity. Moreover, they were soaked in that oily liquid and visibly weighted: the valkyrie couldn’t stay straight for long or it would make her back dangerously creak.
Time didn't hear her, or pretended that he didn't. The girl didn't know what was worse. Her love for him had a violent battle with disappointment and sorrow. It wasn't like she hated him, no. She just couldn't understand why. Now, when she thought it was the end, "why?" was the only question lingering in her tired mind.
It was inevitably the last question, every fucking time...
Old memories waltzed before her gaze, rapidly turning darker and uglier as they did.
It was definitely all her fault... They were right - it was her fault!...
Powerless, she gave up on the attempts to squirm. But, hiding her dirty face in her palms, she continued occasionally calling out for him.
She didn’t believe he would answer anymore.
But it was the only thing she could cling on just to stay conscious. To stay alive.
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Time closed his eyes. It was almost over - they didn't find anything and soon the queen would be out. Regardless, any moment prolonging her stay gifted him with a new wave of agony.
- I'm scared... Don't do this to me... I... I beg you - don't be so cruel... – He heard a new faint shout from within and clenched his teeth.
Why didn't he come up with anything else? What was the reason he thought that swallowing Hannah was the best - and the only - option? Analysing it now, he saw countless possibilities aside that one. But... Back then it was something Time couldn't control. He had to keep her safe, yet close, because only then he could be certain the girl wouldn't get harmed. He rarely felt such strong emotions, and that made it difficult for him to find any proper explanation of what it was. But undoubtedly, it was something primal, subconscious. Something like... Hunger.
Time wasn't a human, though he looked like one; he didn't need to eat like normal people did. When he made a joke about dinner, in his case the man ment consumption of things that would simply keep him going, like oil, for instance. So, average hunger or starvation were unfamiliar to him.
However, that pang which struck him at the moment of danger tore a hole in him - at least, that what he felt. The man couldn't help himself, he knew - that was the right choice: to take her in, to become her alive armour, a tower no one could conquer where his tiny princess wouldn't fear anything. To satisfy that empty feeling. And his opened his mouth, and swallowed her whole despite protests and cries.
The only goal he achieved was that now, she feared him.
- I guess, I was wrong about you after all, my darling… - It was incredibly difficult to focus on Iracebeth, but Time forced himself to stand up as she jumped off her seat.
No one would expect so many controversial emotions to fight beneath the mask of courtesy on his face.
- See? I wouldn’t go against you, love...
- But I’m still mad at you! - She interrupted him. Her foot in a high-heel shoe gave the floor a capricious tap.
- What did I do to cause your displeasure, your majesty?
- You knew I was looking for that creature all along and didn’t do anything! If you really loved me, you would have already brought her to me!
- My seconds are working days and nights on that… It seems she is quite smart. Although, not smarter than my dearest, isn’t she? She will be yours, my sweet queen...
His smarmy grin made Iracebeth visibly soften – she smiled back and let her partner guide herself and her servants to the exit.
" Ok, act casual - a smile, a kiss, a bow. Don't let her know. They almost departed."
- Time... Please...
Wilkins opened the gates and the guests finally crossed the last border of his territory. He watched impatiently as Red Queen crawled into her carriage and two bright red horses with long black plumes on their heads swept her away.
-Time…
Wilkins vanished too. Good.
-Say anything...
- Hannah!
He put all the pain he felt into that word. The man leaned to the locked gates and hugged himself - hugged her inside of him.
- I am here. Please, don't cry - I meant no harm. I... You are safe. Trust me, Hannah - you are safe!
He fought the wish to cough her up right then and there - it would spook the girl even more; she could get hurt. He prayed she would listen. Time have never thought that his own seconds could be that intimidating; the valkyrie in his belly went silent. Deadly silent.
- I'm sorry I didn't say it to you earlier. It would be too dangerous! I... I understand how you feel right now - I will understand if you don't want to speak to me ever again, but I'm not kidding, Hun. I meant no harm.
The last phrase turned into a whisper on his pale lips. He was counting.
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
- T-Time?
Her voice was cracked and high-pitched.
- You didn't leave m-me? Is it really you?
Thank goodness!
- Hannah...
- I thought... I thought you would... - She trembled. - That you would kill me...
- No, no, of course not! I'm very sorry... Forgive me, Hun. If you can...
He slowly sat down on the floor. Strange, but oddly pleasant sensation of another life wiggling around inside him restarted. He could say she still was kinda edgy, though the movement appeared to be rather curious than panicking. Time pressed a hand a bit harder against his waist, tracing the girl’s way. In return the man received a hesitant pat.
-What is that, Time?
- Don’t worry. It’s just my hand.
- Oh… - Hannah flinched. She put two and two together, and late realization came to her. – So… You… You were with me… I… oh, Gosh... I was an idiot... I should have thought!..
Her emotions was so strong that she couldn’t finish – the valkyrie simply buried herself in soft wrinkles of the stomach and rubbed at the spot where she could feel his presence. All her worries disappeared instantly.
- I’m sorry for rumbling – you don’t like that…
Time laughed drily.
-Do whatever you want and don’t even TRY to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong! It was me who scared you. By the way, I want to tell you: you don’t have to watch your step every moment around me just because I’m “the Time itself”! Sounds ridiculous, I know. However…
He paused, trying to find the words.
– I require honesty, Hannah. You should be honest with me and yourself. I’m honest with you – I care about you! I’m on your side! I won’t hurt you just because I can – there are people like that and you met them often – but I’m not them. I call my seconds stupid. But they are my beloved children I would kill for. It’s as true as the fact that you are my… friend.
Hannah noticed the place heated up. Wait… Was he blushing?
-T-thank you… Time. No one ever said that to me after my parents passed away. – She said quietly. – And, frankly… I couldn’t be happier now. I’m shocked – and glad – that you see me in this way. Because you are my friend too. I like you.
He didn't say anything about that. The space suddenly got even more crumped and the clock above started ticking a little bit off the rhythm – but it was just silence. Not frightening, but rather… fluttering that time.
Mechanical noises coming from here and there lost their flat and unbothered tone – they talked. They sang. A trap turned into a temple; Hannah suddenly thought that she was actually inside of his body. Well, it was obvious. But earlier it sent chills of horror down her spine while now they were the chills of extreme adoration. Before he appeared in her head as an invincible god. In fact, he wasn’t invincible – he could feel pain, he could be broken. She could break him like, right at that moment – or any other moment in the past. Time’s abrupt – almost instinctual – decision to put her under his skin, to give her access to the most vulnerable part of him only to defend her instantly obtained a much deeper meaning she was only about to understand - and deeply appreciate…
She snuggled deeper into the warm flesh, listening to the melodic rhythm of his body. He sat there, curled around her possessively.
They stayed like this for long – it could be an eternity.
Although, everything, good or bad, comes to an end.
-I guess, you want out now. – Time’s voice was slightly tremulous.
-I… I do. No offence. - She admitted shyly. - My wings need some space.
-Sure. – She could feel him straighten up. His palm didn’t let go of her even for a second. – And by the way... After you get ready, we still could have that dinner together. If you still want it, of course…
#soft vore#extreme cuddling#safe vore#time vore#unwilling prey#unwilling pred#protective vore#oc#Hanna the Valkyrie#unintentional fearplay#fearplay vore
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'Remember, don't summon that which is bigger than a summoning circle...or can't be destroyed with a flame thrower!'
-someone somewhere for sure
So I drawn my friend's oc! I really wanted to and this is the result! Took me around a month, but what can you do!
There are other characters around, but I yet don't know if those of our friends have Tumblr, when I find out I'm gonna ping them too.
But the pink haired witch person is oc of @teetkmost123
The little clown is an oc of @flowerytombx
The voodoo doll is oc of @leikolemon22
P.s. wanted to add alt text, but it was too long, so here it is. Beware of my overdetailed and in the same time not detailed enough description! Is there some other way to do it though?
Alt text/description of the comic:
The comic comprised of a few pictures. The first smaller ones show a few oddities in the witch's stuff. The golden hourglass with red send inside, with a few books on the left (only one is seen with a name "The art of War", and a black-gold snake slithering down, only part of it is seen, and it has two black feathers with golden highlights.
The next picture shows a yellow frog,that looks very much done with the situation, sitting inside s bottled bottle, with a skull of some creature on the side.
The last close up is on a clown, with yellow-orange clothes and looking straight at the audience. The eye is black with outline of yellow.
The next picture is showing the witch's working place. There is witch at the front, looking at the book in their hands, with their back to us. Most of what can be seen is their pink hair. They wear a big purple hat with a red spider lily and black underside filled with white stars. And purple cloth, under black long finger open glows, long black boots (unseen here), black pants, the corset over their belly, and corset like thing over their throat. There is also black little bag on their left leg.
Behind them is a bookshelf, field of already mentioned stuff, as well as a few potions on the down row (red one, green one, sunrise and night sky coloured), and more books under. The snake is more clear looking at the frogs bottle.
A bit on the left of the bookshelf:
On the wall there is variation of pages, seemingly taken out of books, and connected to the wall by knives, skotch, pinches. One is showing the structure of blue mushroom, a heart, a skull (that somewhat similar to the creature's skull seen before), and a picture of a seemingly a cat (looking smuggly at the watcher, with swimmingly no appendages, and a few question marks around - it's the one pierced by a knife).
Over the picture there is a witch's yellowish brown broom.
Under them - a yellow circled mirror, to which a black cat is slowly coming over. The cat can be seen in reflection of the mirror.
The cat is standing on a box with a small as the cat clown from before. They are looking at the cat, up.
On the right of the clown box, there is table with a few plushies like creatures and stuff (a seemingly voodoo doll of a person with black dress, black hair and eyes, and white highlights in the front. A few pins are put in it. In it's head.
Close by there is a cup with scissors, pencils. And a two plush like ghosts, one of blue colour sitting on the table and pink one off the table. Like two special agents in movies. They hold each other from falling of the with purple string of wool, the ball of which you is on the table.
Under the table a box with different coothes is seen. The most prominent one being a red hat with white stars around.
On the front of the picture another table with an orange pumpkin on a blue clothes is seen. With two golden candle holders standing close by, with not lit candles. And a big black couldron with some green glowing liquid.
The only light is a big black lamp that is on the bookshelf. And lightning mostly the bookshelf and the witch with the book.
The next panel shows close up to the witch, which now moved a right arm, to magic the candles to light. There now seen their back, with purple laces over the corset and some bottle with red leguid, on their hip, holden by a red string over them. Their hand has one ring, with a red skull on it. They are holding a purple crystal knife. And have red eyes.
The next close up is on their hands. How the witch is cutting their finger with the knife. It can be noticed that both arms have the same skull rings, on their pinkies.
The next close up is of the lighten up candles.
After which is once again close up of the witch. They are now in full front view. Their hair is seeming going all around them, they are now holding both the red book and the knife in their right hand. Their left hand is outstretched seemingly to draw something with their blood. Their mouth is open as if they are trying to say something. We can also see a necklace of theirs, of purple white skull on a red string. Their eyes are glowing even more red.
The pre-last close up is on the cat looking into the mirror. But in the mirror is some strange grey skinned creature, with black long hair and whitish cloths over their face. They are smiling with full teeth towards the cat. It seems to have been summoned by the witch on accident.
The last picture is splitting between the yellow eye of the cat and a smile over the creature. The creature it seems may have possessed the cat. Hooray? Summoning was successful...not of what was intended.. but shh, it's a secret.
#oc art#halloween#?kinda#I did start around that time. so it can count#I think????#blood#in like use of blood magic and a little finger cut#but still#art#fanart#it is still fanart when the character not yours#right???#I'm going over board here but why not?#maybe I will add more tags#I like this#not mine oc btw#friend oc#I think it's important for tags#witchcraft#witch#oc#cw blood#black cat#very important for the comic#believe me!!#friend's oc
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{Juno R Reed and the blood red amulet}
(Original story with my OCs😀👍
Drawing of Arthur and Juno)
Chapter 1: “the idiot that believes in things that go bump in the night”
Some people call New York City the city of dreams ,but everyone that lives here can tell you otherwise. Yeah it screams fame and glamor, but if you look past the smoke and mirrors that illusion quickly fades. My job is to look past those exact smoke and mirrors, my name is Juno R Reed, I'm a private eye and there is so much smoke in this city that it can be hard to know where to look for a good case.
It's been a slow couple of months for me to get hired to solve a case and I was starting to get a bit impatient. I was having a smoke as I looked out of my window watching the quiet empty streets below. I glanced at the small clock on the wall and grabbed a small brown bottle from my desk. I take out two small white pills and place them in my mouth. I then took a sip of the now room temperature whisky that was sitting on my desk. All of the sudden my assistant Jessica bursts into my office holding a yellow file folder. I was so caught off guard and I started to choke on that same whisky I was drinking.
“What the hell Jessica?! God I swear if a random lowlife doesn't kill me, you will.”
“I'm sorry Mr Reed, I just have a surprise for you.” she said with a grin. Jessica Gold,...She's probably the only person in the world that can tolerate me, I still haven't figured out if that’s a good thing. She’s tall and has jet black hair that's put up in a neat ponytail. She’s wearing a simple white blouse with a long black skirt.
“What is it? I'm busy” I responded with an annoyed tone.
“Sulking around and being all gloomy isn’t ‘being busy’ just hear me out!”
“Ugh fine, tell me what this ‘surprise’ is. ”
“Well , I know you told me not to make any help wanted flyers ,but I couldn't help myself , so I made a few. Beyond all odds, someone actually responded!” Jessica said with an ecstatic tone as she held the yellow file folder.
“What? Well tell them no we don't need help, we are fine on our own”
“Look I love helping you on cases, you know I do sir ,but unlike you I actually have a sense of self preservation and I don't enjoy getting shot at. So I think it's wise to get someone that is also skilled in this profession like you”I hate it when Jessica is right, unfortunately for me she usually is. I sigh and reach my hand out for the folder. Jessica had a proud smile as she handed it over. I look through it as she continues to talk
“His name is Arthur Steel. He is 29 years old and he has a military background. And he has some…skills that can help us in this interesting case I found. It has a few odd murders in it and I just know how much you enjoy those type of cases”
I look up from the file at her as I raise an eyebrow
“How exactly are these murders odd?”
She gives me a smug grin. She knows exactly how to get my attention.
“Well all the victims had their throats ripped out with two deep holes in their necks. Some people are saying that they were attacked by a vampire”
“Absolutely not, Jessica, you know that I don't believe in that nonsense. We solve real cases, not some rumors that a bunch of people came up with in a panic.”
I threw the folder on my desk, not even bothering to look through the other pages. If this ‘Arthur Steel’ can ‘help’ in any way in this ridiculous excuse for a case, I don't even want to meet the idiot that believes in things that go bump in the night.
“Tell him don't even bother, we don't need his help and we will not be taking this case”
Jessica did a nervous laugh. I saw that look on her face and instantly knew that something was wrong.I rubbed my eyebrows in frustration.
“Jessica…don't tell me you already invited him to the office without telling me’
“well…I may have told him to…come down to the office today”
“What?!?! When will he be here?!”
She looks at the clock on the wall and nervously chuckles “Any second now haha…”
As soon as she said that, a loud car raced down the street and stopped in front of the building’s door. I ran out of my office with Jessica right behind me. I looked at the front door and saw a man with short light brown hair, fern colored eyes and an annoying smug smile. Everything about him screams irresponsible and unprofessional. He hasn't even said a single word and he already irritates me.
“Jessy hello!”
Arthur goes up to Jessica and hugs her. They both act like they've known each other for years.
“Mr Reed this is Arthur Steel, Arthur this is Juno R Reed” Jessica introduces us to each other.
“Juno R Reed, Jass here told me so many things about you. All good things I assure you haha. I hope that we can grow to become close friends,junebug ” Arthur winks as he holds his hand out to me trying to shake my hand. Of course I didn't take his hand and I just glared at him. God I hate that stupid smug smile.
“What did you just call me?”
“Junebug. It sounds like Juno. I give all my friends nicknames haha’”
“oh…Well It's…a pleasure to meet you Mr Steel but unfortunately my assistant made a mistake and we are not looking for help, sorry for the inconvenience and don't call me that.”
I tried to keep up the impression that I wasn't annoyed and waiting for Arthur to go back to whatever slum he crawled out of .
“Come on, I would be a perfect fit for this job. I assume you looked through my resume?”
“...yes. I definitely did” obviously I didn't but he doesn't need to know that. But unfortunately you can tell that I was lying just by looking at my face.
“...you know Mr Reed for a detective you're really bad at lying”
“Yes Jessica thank you for informing me” I said in a sarcastic tone
“And this is why we need Arthur, he is really good at lying. You would know if you actually read his folder instead of throwing a tantrum about the case. Hell if the whole vampire thing isn't real there is still a crazy mad cannibal ripping people's throats out…we need this case Juno.”
She's right. There is still a madman killing mostly innocent people and we know that the police are gonna do jack about it. I sigh as I scratch the back of my neck.
“All right…fine, Arthur you're only going to help us on this one case. got that?” I glared at him with a stern look. I really don't like this man but based on the info I glance at in his folder, he can be of some assistance in this case. Arthur nodded in agreement and said with a cocky tone.
“ Don't worry Junebug, I won't let you down. Matter of fact I already have a leed. There is a recent victim that has been attacked a few days ago and I've gained access to look at the crime scene.”
“How exactly have you gained access?” I asked if he was some desperate detective looking for any P.I with half the brain to let him help on a case. I doubt that he has much experience on the field , let alone having any contacts that allows him to waltz in any crime scene as if it's nothing.
“ Don't worry about how I got access. Just focus on the fact that I got access in the first place”
He bribed them. He probably thinks that I have no idea what he did but I've worked with people like him when I worked at the NYPD. I glance at the clock on the wall, it's 12pm. I sighed and grabbed my coat, “alright, if you have a leed lets get this case over with. Jessica, can you find information on the other victims?”
“You know I can Mr. Reed” She had a determined look on her face
“That's settled, come on let's go Junebug we have a vampire to catch ” Arthur excitedly walked out of the office leaving Jessica and me alone. Jessica looks at me with a little smile
“So what do you think”
“...I really don't like him…”
She chuckles as she patted my back.
“Oh I'm sure you’ll warm up to him.” I rolled my eyes, I highly doubt that me and that man would ever be close enough to be considered friends. I walked out of the office and saw Arthur leaning against this beat up 1945 black Ford coupe that obviously had had work done. He looks like he's ready to fight the world with some blind confidence. He says with a bit of a teasing tone.
“Hurry up, the crime scene isn't gonna stay fresh for long”
I took a deep breath, I just knew this was going to be hell.
Chapter 2: “You're glowing!”
The Blood moon hotel, it's a hot spot for stuck up rich people that use daddy’s money to get what they want and where very powerful people go to hide from the public to show their true nasty colors behind closed doors. So I'm not surprised that someone got killed here , it's quite fitting considering the name of this fancy hellhole.
When Arthur and I arrived, we stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs. I wasn't surprised that the hotel was still taking in customers. As we headed to the doors of the hotel I could see customers scoff at Arthur’s sloppy outfit and scuffed shoes, my worn out coat and unkempt hair that obviously hasn't seen a barber in a few months. I tried to keep a low profile and sneaked past the other cops in an effort to not get recognized. A customer mistook Arthur for a poor lobby boy. Arthur was about to accept a cheap tip ,but I had to drag him away by the shirt collar. When we walked in,we were almost blinded by the big glowing chandelier in the middle of the room.
“Wow, have you been to a place like this before, Junebug?”
“Arthur, I'm a P.I. that rarely gets cases and I need my assistant to pay for my bail everytime I get arrested for trespassing. What do you think?” I hiss back.
We headed to the elevator, the receptionist tried to stop us but I just pulled out my old NYPD badge and continued to walk without answering any further questions. We entered the elevator to go up to the floor where the victim resides.
“I didn't know that you have a fake badge” Arthur had a pleasantly surprised grin on his face.
“It's not fake, I used to work in the NYPD before… I was let go. I just took the badge out of spite” I shouldn't have told him that. Now he's looking at me with an interested look.
“Why were you let go?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Come on Junebug, if we're gonna be partners we can't keep secrets from each other, it can affect our field performance” Arthur said as he playfully shoved my shoulder.
“We aren't partners, I'm just using you to catch a madman. That is all.” I said with a stern tone. I don't have to explain myself to him. After a few more seconds of awkward silence we made it to the 9th floor. There were two cops blocking the room that we needed to go into, room 217. I sighed in annoyance, unfortunately for me I knew both of those cops, they were just rookies when I left but now they have turned into bribe taking douchebags, great.
Of course Arthur walked in front of me and greeted them with open arms. I tried to stay hidden behind him,but it didn't work because I towered over Arthur.
“Hello gentlemen, how are you two doing on this fine evening?”
Both of the cops turned to Arthur, their expressions didn't sour when they talked to Arthur. I’ll give it to him. He is really good at talking to people, he knows the right tone to use while talking to a specific person. The right mannerisms to use, He has it down to a science. It's impressive .As I was analyzing Arthur a voice snapped me back to reality.
“Hey Keppler, is that Juno?”
One of the cops says as he crosses his arms. The other one says with a cocky tone.
“Yeah it is, wow Reed by the look of you, life has been nothing but cruel after you got fired” Keppler said as Jacobi chuckled. Arthur looked at me with a bit of a sympathetic glance. I didn’t blame him, he didn't know my history with them but I could tell that he was still curious about what happened.
“I would say it was a pleasure to see you two but I would be lying, We don't have time to deal with you two, now get out of our we have a job to do.” I said trying to keep my cool.
“Sure whatever you say Reed…Hey Arthur, Jacobi and I are going to lunch. Don't mess up the crime scene or else” Keppler said. I knew that was an empty thought so I paid no mind to it. As I headed in the room, Kelppler shouldered me as I entered. I tried to ignore it. Arthur followed suit and then closed the door behind him.
“Im sorry Juno, I didn't know that you had a bad past with them, if you want to talk about it-”
“Drop it, Steel. Let's just look at the crime scene” I knew that Arthur meant well but personal problems and grudges can't interfere with the case.
The room looked neat and perfect, besides the rotting corpse in the middle of the floor in a pool of his own blood, staining the once pure white carpet underneath. The victim's neck looked like a wild animal shredded it and left two deep gouges behind. His face looked completely drained from color, blue veins marking his body. And finally his gouged out eyes. Looks as if they were brutally ripped out of his skull. It was gruesome and gory, enough to make a rookie gag and consider quitting right there on the spot.
“The victim is Nathaniel Goldsmith, he was a popular jazz singer, he was notorious for going to night clubs and to gamble, A lot. Everyone liked him, if he didn't owe them money. What a shame, he had one hell of a voice. I liked a few of his songs, '' Arthur said as I examined the corpse. This was brutal but there weren't any signs of struggle. It looked like he did this willingly. Odd. Nathaniel was wearing a blood stained white button up with a untied tie and the three top buttons are undone, one button has fallen off. His shoes were haphazardly kicked to the other side of the room, near a small antique glass table that had two glasses with Romanée-Conti wine on top of it. One of the glasses was mostly empty compared to the other one, by the smell of alcohol on Nathaniel’s body it was obvious that he was drunk when he died.
As Arthur looked at the body I walked towards the table, inspecting the two glasses, Nathaniel was with someone, even if he was drunk when he was murdered there would still be signs of struggle. Suddenly a shiny blood red amulet that was on the floor next to the leg of the table caught my eye. I assumed that this amulet could belong to the murderer, for some reason there was a strange force pulling me towards this piece of jewelry. Without thinking I was reaching for it, as soon as I touched it I was hit with a sense of vertigo , I fell to the ground as a slight ringing appeared in my ears. I could faintly hear Arthur call my name. I felt calm, as if nothing could hurt me, then I felt a hand on my chest and I suddenly felt like I was free falling back to reality. I quickly sat up, gasping for air then I looked around but everything looked gray. As if the world got drained of its color. As my eyes began to focus and the ringing subsided, I could hear Arthut call out my name in a panicky tone.
“Juno! Are you alright? What the hell happened? Did you pass out?! Juno buddy answer me damn it!” I Looked at Arthur and like the rest of the room he was absent of any color except the fact that there was a glowing orb in his chest.
“You’re glowing!” I exclaimed
“What?... Junebug, i'm flattered but seriously are you ok?
“No No you're actually glowing, you look drained of any color and there’s a glowing orb in your chest!” I tried my best to explain to Arthur what I saw but I could sense that I was just making him more confused.
“Just touch this” I grabbed a handkerchief from my back pocket and picked the amulet then handed it to Arthur, Arthur grabbed it but nothing happened.
“Junebug, what is supposed to happen?..”
“You're supposed to feel dizzy and then you feel this falling sensation and boom, everything looks gray” The more I talk the more I begin to spiral. I had a sudden realization that I might be hallucinating. What if this wasn't real? I started to think what if Arthur wasn’t real, what if I was still in my office slowly losing my mind.
“No-…no I was getting better. No no no not again. I was better” I muttered under my breath as I was starting to panic. I looked through my coat pockets with my trembling hands for my medication to down the whole bottle. Suddenly in the corner of my eye I saw a figure crouched in the corner. It looks like a man. I look in the direction of this stranger and say with a trembling voice.
“Who are you?”
“Juno, who are you talking to?”
“Steel…Please tell me you see that man in the corner of the room?”
Arthur turns to look in the direction that I'm looking at.
“Juno, tell me what you see. Be specific”
He turns back and grabs my shoulders to make me look at him. This is the first time I've seen him this serious. I nodded and looked back at the creature.
“Well…it's hunched over. It looks like it is holding its neck with its hand. Its skin is ghastly white but with a dark red liquid dripping from its neck. Its spine is so defined that it looks like it could break the skin. ” The more I look at the thing in front of me I realize that it looks familiar. I glanced at the body of Nathaniel and then back up at the being.
“Good god it looks like a crude doppelganger of Nathaniel!”
As the words left my mouth the lights began to flicker violently and the room became frigid. The grotesque version of Nathaniel violently snapped its neck to face us. I stared into its empty eye sockets with a deep red blood dripping down its face for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the other to make the first move. The next thing I knew Arthur was dragging me to the corner of the room and quickly pulled out what appeared to be a piece of white chalk. The distorted version of Nathaniel charged at us, screeching as if it was trying to form words, but the more failed attempts it made the more red liquid poured out of its ripped out throat. I didn't know what to do, I was trapped in the corner of the room with Arthur who seemed to be drawing a symbol on the floor.
“Steel, what the hell are you doing!?’ I yelled out
“Just trust me!” Arthur continued to scribble what seemed to be nonsense on the wooden floor
“Trust you?! I barely even know you!”
It kept getting closer, so I reached for my gun, as I grabbed it, the monster
was inches away from us ,but suddenly it ran into an invisible wall that happened to be right in front of the random markings that Arthur made. It kept screaming and black tar splattering on the forcefield from its mouth. I tried to catch my breath as the thing kept banging against the shield that was keeping us from getting torn to shreds.
“There…ha…see I told you to trust me” Arthur said with a proud smirk on his face. I still tried to collect myself.
“...How?”
“I drew a few protection sigils . It's pretty sturdy so it's gonna hold up against our friend here”
“...so you can see that thing?” I looked at him with the small hope that i'm not the only one that can see that monstrosity
“Unfortunately no, but god I wish I could. it would make things much easier haha…but you can see it can you , Junebug?” He had a bit of an excited glint in his eyes that made me nervous.
“ Yes…I can see it…Thank god I'm not crazy…” I said in a bit of a whisper. “What the hell is that thing?!”
“It's a spirit, a vengeful one specifically. Normal ghosts are pretty calm and shy, it makes sense that Nathaniel’s spirit turned vengeful and violent based on the way he died.”
“...You're acting as if this is an average Friday night for you?!”
Arthur responds with a bit of a teasing tone.
“I'm a hunter, I deal with the paranormal and get rid of them. If you actually read my folder-”
“Yeah yeah I know, if I read your damn folder I would know that you can kill Casper the not so friendly ghost” I said with a hint of sarcasm.
“So what are we going to do with this…thing?”
“Don’t worry junebug I got this under control” Arthur pulls out a gun. It was a revolver with sigils carved into the handle. Before I could ask what on earth a bullet is gonna do to a ghost he already shot it right in between its eyes. Nathaniel’s vengeful spirit fell to its knees and then to the ground. It turned into a pile of smoke and ash as soon as it made contact. Arthur looked completely unfazed by everything that just happened. He turned to me and could see the blatant confusion on my face.
“The bullets are filled with gun powder and salt. Anything paranormal hates the stuff, it has the same effect as holy water” Arthur walked out of the sigils and turned to me expecting me to do the same. I started to head out of the corner but I bumped into that same forcefield that was supposed to be protecting me. My heart sank as the realization hit me. I placed my hands on it, a light blue glow appeared under my hand.
“I knew it!”
“Knew what?!?!” I yelled with a shaky tone.
“ you're a medium! Haha i can't believe i did the tracking spell right”
“...Tracking spell?”
Arthur pulled out a small white crystal on a string from his pocket. As soon as it got out it glowed white and it pointed to me. I could barely wrap my mind about the fact that a ghost almost killed us and now I was finding out that I am one of those people that can see the dead.
“I'm like that thing that tried to kill us?”
“Oh no, You aren't exactly like it but you both are paranormal beings. Hmm think about it as if you're just a superhero and one of your powers it to see the undead”
Arthur said it as if it was a good thing and it turned my fear into anger.
“Just get me out of here, Steel…NOW!”
“I will geez no need to yell” Arthur bends down and rubs the chalk off of the floor. I stepped out and shoved Arthur.
“The whole time you knew. THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME!”
“Hey calm down Junebug! In my defense I thought you already knew.” Arthur said. He didn't expect me to push him. Hell he didn't expect me to be mad. Arthur wasn't the one I was mad at. I was mad that my whole life I was completely sane. I never needed those damn pills and all those years of being in and out of psychiatric institutions for hallucinations was for nothing. I knew that Arthur could see that. He got up and gave me an understanding look.
“I have an idea of what you’re going through…” He took a deep breath. “Back in the war when I was overseas, a wraith attacked me. It almost killed me but my lieutenant saved my ass and then he told me that there are beings not like us…you’re taking this pretty well when I found out I was a complete mess, I was balling my eyes out and everything... Just know that you’re not alone.” He rested his hand on my shoulder trying to comfort me. I took a deep breath and a step back trying to calm myself. I didn't know what to say. I was taken aback by the look on Arthur’s face, people have looked at me with pity or down right disgust. But no one has ever gazed at me like that, with such empathy. It scared me when I realized the effect this man had on me, I was tearing up for god sake. I secretly tried to wipe the forming tears away. I suppose he's right. He's the only person I know that has a glimpse of what I'm going through. I pent up all the emotions that were riling up in me and attempted to act just like how I did before I entered this damn hotel.
“I guess I may have overreacted a bit. I'm sorry for pushing you”
“It's ok, Junebug ...If you don't mind me asking why did you take so long to realize that you're a medium? What I hear that most powers develop in childhood”
I should have known that he would ask more questions, I sighed and tried to remember back when I was younger.
“Fine i'll tell you, but you must promise me that you'll never tell anyone. Not even Jessica…”
“Don't worry, Junebug. I won't tell a soul”
“When I was born my mother started to lose it, on my 6th birthday she had a psychotic break. She was screaming about people with disfigured faces, my father had no other choice but to send her to an asylum. It was obvious that it broke his heart ,so when I started to tell him that I could see the monsters in the closet he instantly feared that whatever was wrong with my mother got passed on to me…the next thing I knew I was given pills and talking to doctors. After a while I stopped seeing things. Most of my childhood memories are pretty blurry now because of the medication”
“Jesus…I'm sorry you had to go through that Juno” I hate it when people say that. I wanted to change the topic before I got that same old pitty filled look. “It's not a big deal, now enough being sappy we need to focus on the reason why we're here in the first place. Is there anything else that you know about the victim?”
“umm..Sure Junebug. Nathaniel would regularly perform at a nightclub named The Last Drop nightclub. According to some witnesses they said that was the last time he was seen alive.”
“Well I guess we will be headed there next”
I turned to the door but Arthur called my name. I faced him.
‘What is it, Arthur?”
“Here you have to touch the amulet again”
Arthur said. I was so confused on why I had too.
“There is no way i'm touching that thing again with my bare hand”
“Trust me Junebug. Just touch it. Or do you still want to see the world in black and white?” he beamed. I just rolled my eyes and with a bit of a trembling hand I grabbed the amulet. I was hit with that familiar sense of vertigo and got a bit of a headache. The color quickly returned to my vision.
“Am I still glowing?” He with a teasing tone.
“...You knew what this thing did, didnt you?”
“Maybe haha. I knew that this type of amulet has some supernatural abilities because of the sigil on the back of it.” As Arthur explained it I turned the piece of jewelry over and saw the marking.
“I didn't know that it would have that effect on you. I just had a hunch that if you touched it again you would go back to normal” As I put the amulet in my coat pocket, I felt my pill bottle in there. I took it out and looked at it. I sighed and threw it in the trash can that was in the room. I turned to Arthur.
“Ok, let's go.”
“Yeah lets. You know I'm glad that you're back to normal but it's a bit of a shame, your eyes were a really pretty shade of purple” Arthur said with a smug smile on his face as he walked out of the room.
“What?...My eyes turned purple?!” I asked as I followed him.
Chapter 3: “Who the hell is making a ruckus at my nightclub?”
We had to drive to the other side of the city to get to the nightclub, the sun was starting to set and the city lights lit up the road. We didn’t know when this vampire would strike again so time wasn’t on our side. The Last Drop nightclub was where people forget about the hardship of life and indulge in the supposed ‘finer things’ like insanely strong alcohol that could make you throw up after the second shot and drugs that could convince you that you're about to enter a different dimension. I had a bit of knowledge of that place. It was considered dead for years after the owner named Mr Bouchard stopped appearing in public until recent years it has started to boom in popularity.
We got out of Arthur’s rundown car and headed to the entrance. There was a tall rugged man guarding the main door. Before Arthur and I could enter the building the bouncer blocked the door, I reached for my old badge but before I could show it to the man he said.
“No cops allowed in the nightclub without a permit.”
I quickly put away my badge. “Well…technically I’m not a cop”
Arthur quickly came to the rescue and stepped in in an effort to make up for my horrible lying.
“Hey, we're not cops, we're just here to enjoy ourselves with some good drinks and jazz , that is all” Arthur said with that same charming smile.
“I said you can't enter without a permit” The man was not budging. I could tell that Arthur was trying to think of a way to sweet talk our way in.
“Come on, I know the owner just let us in.”
Arthur took a step forward but the bouncer shoved Arthur back.
“Get lost.” I may not be the best at talking things out but I'm sure as hell good at resolving my problems with violence . I got in between Arthur and the bouncer. “Don't you dare lay your hands on my partner. We just want to ask a few- '' I hissed back but in a flash The bouncer punched me in the gut knocking the wind out of me for a second. Then we started to argue and yell at each other. Tensions were running high. I could tell that he was gonna strake another blow and I wasn't having it.
“That’s fucking it” I pulled out my gun and pointed at the bounser and he proceed to do the same. A few of the people outside waiting to get into the nightclub screamed. Arthur tried to calm me down but there was no way I was going to let this man talk to us like that. A voice broke through the chaos.
“Who the hell is making a ruckus at my nightclub?” Everyone got quiet and I quickly put away my gun. The voice came from a tall person with short curly hair and messy makeup. They were also wearing a slip dress with a big fur coat while holding a theater cigarette holder with smoke coming out of it.
“...your nightclub?...You're Mr bouchard?” I asked then Arthur gently shoved me as if telling me to be quiet.
“Not anymore sweetheart, Now what the hell is happening?" The bouncer whispered to them all about what just happened. They nodded a bit then took a long smoke of their cigar. “So why do you want to talk to my girls?” They asked me as they blew smoke into my face. I noticed all the other people looking at us. “Look can we talk about this somewhere more-”
“Arthur darling is that you?” before I could finish my sentence they cut me off. They rushed over and gave Arthur a hug which Arthur reciprocated with a smile.
“I was waiting for you to notice me, Mercury haha I was starting to think you forgot about me”
“Oh how could I forget someone with such a handsome face like yours” They purred as they gently grabbed Arthur’s face, almost examining it. I rolled my eyes out of annoyance.
“Can we please discuss this inside?” I tried my best to not sound irritated. “Oh of course, let's go boys come inside” They headed inside as Arthur and I followed. The nightclub was dim and dark with the only well lit areas being the bar and the stage with a band playing sweet jazz. There were patrons sitting at tables surrounding the stage enjoying themselves. Waitresses wearing slip dresses and having neat hair serving the customers' drinks. At the corners of the room were large tables where powerful people would usually ‘talk business’. It looked like your standard New York nightclub. Mercury was leading the way through the dark. I whispered to Arthur.
“How the hell do you know the owner of this place?” Arthur chuckled and responded. “They needed help getting rid of the ghost of their mother in law from an old vanity that they took. It was surprisingly really hard, she was a very stubborn woman” I nodded my head a bit but I could still see that same old dumb smirk on Arthur’s face. I just had to give in and ask. “What is it?”
“You called me ‘your partner’ earlier when you were arguing with the bouncer. I thought we weren't partners, Junebug” He teased
“We’re not, it just slipped out of my tongue. Don't dwell on it too much, don't want you to get a bigger ego.” Arthur laughed then gently nudged me. “Are you sure I'm not growing on you? I think we're becoming friends”
“absolutely not keep dreaming Steel”
“Oh Junebug, you have wounded me with your cruel words” Arthur said with a playful dramatic tone. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit and crack a small smile.
“Did you just smile? Wow Junebug i dont think ive ever seen you laugh let alone smile. I didn't know you could even do that. Im probably the first person to make you smile”
“Don't flatter yourself i'm just laughing at how stupid you look right now”
Arthur was about to respond with a witty comment but Mercury chimed in.
“Here, sit boys” They led us to one of those big tables located near the back of the nightclub. Out of everyone's sight, except for Mercury’s bodyguards. I knew that they were just a safety precaution, not because of Arthur of course but me. That was understandable so I didn't make a big deal out of it. Mercury obviously trusted Arthur more so I let him take the reins on this.
“So what do you boys need from me”
“Well Mercury, where here just to ask a few questions that's all”
“Hmm, Questions about what? You know I'm not involved with any “deals” that happen in my establishment” Mercury gave me a wary glance. Arthur looked at me asking if he should tell them everything about the case. I nodded, there was no point in lying to them.
“You know about the recent murders, Juno and I have reason to believe that a vampire is responsible for them, as you are aware there are supernatural beings that live among us so this isn't much of a surprise. The recent victim was Nathaniel Goldsmith, he was last seen alive here, we just need to question some of your staff to see who Nathaniel was last seen with” Mercury sat in silence for a second taking another long smoke. “That's a shame, It really is…All right. You two can go backstage and ask my girls and the performers all the questions you want. If there is a small chance that a vampire is still here I dont want it to hurt them.”
“Yes thank you, I promise that we will handle that monster…can we ask you some questions please” Arthur asked with a sweet smile. They nodded their head.
“You know everyone that works here, what was Nathaniel's relationship with the people here? Is there someone that might have wanted to harm him?”
“Hmm well my girls weren't very fond of him. He always pestered them, practically begging one of them to go out with him. And don't get me started on that man’s drinking problem. Of course the man had talent but his character was god awful. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. Some of the performers tolerated him, I have no idea how they would have handled it with the man’s ego…” So basically anyone was a suspect. An Arrogant alcoholic that would regularly harass the female staff then got murdered in a hotel room with two glasses of alcohol and the man was in the process of getting undressed. Our vampier is most likely a woman that works here or regularly visits. I glanced at all the waitresses, any of them could be the one we’re looking for.
“Can you give us the names of the people that would regularly interact with Nathaniel?” I questioned
“Well he hung out a lot with the band, Simon, Mick and Eiffel. They usually got drinks together after a gig. Catherine Crimson. She's an absolute doll, she has the voice of an angel I tell you. Those two usually do a lot of duets together. And finally Sasha and Melanie, Those two would get him ready for performances, you know like doing his hair and stuff. I would always hear them laughing and cracking jokes with each other ”
“Ok thank you Mercury for this information, where can we enter backstage?”I asked
“Just enter the doors that are next to the stage, Good luck boys”
Arthur and I left Mercury at the table as we headed to interrogate some of the staff members. Arthur asked “So has your detective brain narrowed down the suspects, Junebug?”
“I think so, The suspect is most likely a woman that had close ties to the victim, so the band is out of the question.” We entered backstage. It was a completely different atmosphere compared to the calmness of the outside. There was this controlled chaotic feeling in the air, some people speed walking to places they needed to go, others in costumes looking for the finishing piece for their outfit. If you didn't know where you were supposed to go, you would most definitely get trampled. Arthur and I stood there for what felt like hours just finding the right time to walk through this mess. As I was looking over this sea of people there was a short lady standing on a stool with a clipboard in hand yelling at people to hurry up. She's probably our best bet to find out where our suspects are. I took Arthur’s hand and guided him through the river of performers as we headed toward the woman.
“Hello madam I have a few questions about-”
“What?! What do you want, kid? Can you see I'm busy?! Come on spit it out I don't have all day” She snapped back, Arthur and I were a bit taken aback by this.
“Do you know where Sasha, Melanie and Catherine might be?”
“That’s all?! What do I look like to you? Do you think I know where everyone is every second of the night?!...Well you would be right. Little miss Catherine is in her dressing room getting all dolled up and the other two girls are in the costume room helping our onstage girls to get ready. Take a right and there's Catherine’s dressing room and down the hall is the costume room. Is that all you two bugged me for?”
“Yes madam, we appreciate your help” Arthur beamed. We took the lady’s direction and headed to the closest room that happened to be Catherine's dressing room. We stood in front of her door, I began to knock on it to get her attention. A few seconds passed before a short woman with long flowy dark red hair. She was wearing a nice pretty red dress.
“Can I help you gentleman?” Catherine said with a sweet voice.
“Hello Miss Catherine, we just wanted to ask you a few questions about your duet partner Nathaniel,” Arthur said.
“Oh dear what happened?”She gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Unfortunately he was murdered, we want to find out who was the last person he spoke with”
“That's terrible, just terrible…Alright I’ll try to be of much help”
“Thank you, When was the last time you saw Nathaniel alive?” I stepped into the conversation. She nodded and replied.
“The last time I saw him was last week, We just finished singing a duet like always. He asked me if I wanted to get a drink with him but I nicely declined his advances. I could tell that he didn't take that well and stormed off to the costume room to drink his bottle of wine that was left in there. After that I went into my dressing room. That's all I know” She didn't go with Nathaniel to the hotel, He might have asked Sasha or Melanie to go with him.
“That's okay, we appreciate any information you can give us. Well we’ll be off to question the other staff.” I asked as she nodded a bit.
“I really wish you two luck,” She closed her door. There is only one more place we need to go to get all the pieces to finish this puzzle. As we walked down the hall to head to the costume room I put my hand in my coat pocket feeling the chain of the powerful amulet. I pulled it out and looked at it. What if I could see who the vampire is with its help? In the corner of my eye I could see that Arthur had the same idea. I touched the ruby colored stone with my hand.That same familiar feeling washed over me, I leaned against Arthur a bit trying to push through the feeling. As I opened my eyes the world looked dead like the last time this happened.
“Junebug are you okay?”
“Yeah…don’t worry, Arthur” I looked at the people passing the hall and they all had that similar glowing orb in their chest like Arthur has. Suddenly a waitress quickly passed through the people to head to the exit door at the other side of the hallway. as I glimpsed at her I noticed that her orb was pitch black.
“Her.”
“What?! Who???” Without a second thought I grabbed Arther’s hand once again and tried to push through. She noticed that we spotted her and now she's on the run.
“Her! The girl with the short black bobbed hair that's headed for the fucking exit”
Arthur looked for the target I was referring to. He got on the same page as me and we both started the chase. I pushed the exit door wide open and was met with the crisp cold air on my face. The vampire quickly took a sharp turn into an alleyway.
“Junebug, wait!”
I completely ignored Arthur’s warning and was completely blind sided. All I could think about was that I needed to catch that vampire. I followed her. I made it into the alleyway but she wasn't there, as if she disappeared.
“I know what you are! Come out!!” I yelled, my voice echoing off of the walls. Arthur quickly followed and placed his hand on my shoulder “Juno stop, how do you plan on taking down a vampire in the first place!? We don't even have a stake to kill it with” He was right, I hated that he was right.I walked deeper into the narrow alleyway and stood there for what felt like forever. I sighed then turned to face Arthur, before a word could come out of my mouth I felt something fall on top of me and slammed my head against the cold floor. That same ringing in my ears came back, the already gray world turned hazy and I could feel something dripping on my face. The next thing I knew I was pinned to the floor with the vampire’s hand on the back of my neck. I accidentally dropped the amulet on the floor. The marking on the back of it was showing.
“WHY DO YOU HAVE THE BLOOD STONE?!” She screeched loud enough for it to overcome the ringing sound. She recognized the amulet but she didn't know it was missing? She wasn't the one that killed Nathaniel. She didnt work alone. I tried to think about who could be tied to this stone but the pain in my chest was too much. She was stronger than she looked, I could feel the pressure of her weight on my ribs. I was convinced that one of them was at least bruised. I could feel her sharp claws pirsing my skin, not deep enough to kill but just enough to draw blood. I could feel her squeezing down on my neck out of nowhere, Arthur grabbed a random broom that was on the floor and hit her with it. The broom snapped in half as it made contact with her face. She grabbed the end of the broom that Arthur was holding and hissed at him. I could see the rows of sharp teeth in her mouth, Almost appearing like the inside of a leech’s mouth but with two big prominent fangs sticking out. In a second she swung to the right, throwing Arthur into a brick wall. The vampire knocked the wind out of me as she jumped off of me and lunged at Arthur, quickly pinning him to the wall and stabbing his chest with her claws. Slowly moving her hand down drenching Arthur’s white button up with his own blood. Arthur tried to hold back his screams. He tried to stab her with the piece of the broom he had but she disarmed him easily. She opened her mouth and was getting ready to bite Arthur’s neck. As the world stopped spinning and I managed to catch my breath, with a trembling hand I got up and grabbed the other piece of the broom and while she was distracted I plunged it to her heart. She shrieked in pain as she got off of Arthur. Falling to the ground while holding her chest muttering
“No no no no no, One day you humans will feel the end of days, soon, SOON, the Ancilles of the crimson Hiereiai will rule!” steaming black tar was pouring out the wound and from her mouth. Her skin began to wrinkle and decay, in a matter of seconds she was nothing but a sack of bones. I quickly put pressure on Arthur's injuries to stop the bleeding, I couldn't stop staring at it and felt immense guilt. He told me to wait, to stop but I was just so caught up in my own desires to realize the danger I was putting us in. As I was in my thoughts I felt Arthur hand lightly brush against my bleeding head, I winced at the touch.
“I'm fine Arthur, I need to get you back to the office. I have a aid kit there”
“You most likely have a concussion and not to mention your neck is still bleeding…I'll drive us back don't worry Junebug '' Even now that we're both badly hurt in some dingy alleyway Arthur still managed to give me that dumb smirk. I hesitated for a moment then nodded my head in agreement. I took off my coat and tied it around Arhtur’s gashes to keep pressure on it. Before we left I picked up the amulet and in an instant the color returned. I held Arthur close to help him get to the car. On the drive back all I could think about was two things, who are the Ancilles of the crimson Hiereiai? And that I need to keep Arthur safe.
Chapter 4: “I am not a vessel for your good intent!”
As soon as we entered the office Jessica was there at her desk with piles of papers and news clippings. She glanced up at us as she was talking, she didn't expect us to be this hurt. “Hey guys how was- MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED?!” She quickly got out from behind her desk and headed to the storage room. “I’ll get the first aid kit!” I helped Arthur to the couch that was in the corner of the room. I took off his shirt, he had 5 deep gashes starting at his chest and ending at his stomach. It was still bleeding a bit. His body had a few bad scars here and there, I assume that he got them during his time in the war, it was obvious this isn't Arthur’s first time getting this hurt.
“You think the scar is gonna look cool?” Arthur joked a bit, I know he was just trying to lighten the mood but I couldn't help but feel responsible for all of this. I whispered and said under my breath.
“...I'm sorry..” Arthur couldn't quite hear what I muttered and before he could ask me to repeat myself Jessica came in with the med kit and started to take out all the things we needed.
“Mr Reed what the hell did the two of you even do?!” Jessica interrogated me as I started to clean Arthur’s wounds.
“A vampire attacked us. I guess you were right…”
She gave me a look as if telling me ‘I told you so’. She got a wet rag and started to clean the cuts on my neck. I hissed in pain and moved away.
“I’m fine”
“Bullshit, Stay still Mr’Reed” I huffed and just let her fix me up. I couldn't help but think about who the Ancilles of the crimson Hiereiai were as I started to bandage Arthur up. “The vampire recognized the amulet, She's definitely not working alone. There’s probably more vampires at the nightclub so tomorrow I should head back alone”
“No.” Arthur said with a stern tone which confused me.
“What do you mean no? We’re so close I can feel it. You're too hurt to go with me and there's no chance in hell i'm taking Jessica ”
“We could barely take one vampire, what makes you think that you could manage to kill one by yourself!? Junebug we’re both hurt, I can go with you. The cuts aren't that bad, i've had worse”
“No, you're staying here and that's final, I don't need your help Steel!”
At this point I could tell that Jessica was starting to get enough of us yelling at each other “Shut up! You two aren't gonna do shit, take a break. You two are way too stubborn and reckless for your own good” She said as she finished wrapping my head and neck with bandages, then grabbed the used towels that are soaked in blood and headed to the bathroom to get clean ones, leaving Arthur and I alone.
“I just want to help, I don't want to see my friend get torn to shreds by vampires ”
Why does he care so much? He only has known me for a day, That's it. It was my fault that he almost got killed. I can't let someone die on my watch, not again.
“We aren't friends, How many times ive had to tell you that! I've never needed friends and I sure as hell don't need some now!”
“God why can't you just allow yourself to let others help you!? Juno please. I know we've only known each other for a short period of time but I feel like you're the only person that just gets me, that has to deal with all of this . Just let me fucking help you!”
“ You don't know who the hell I am!” I snapped back but I could tell that Arthur wasn't going to back down.
“I want to know! I want to be there by your side!” Arthur pleaded as he put his hand on my shoulder, I couldn't look him in the eyes. This was for his own good. Everyone that ends up being close to me always gets hurt, so I must push Arthur away no matter how much it pains me to do so. I pushed his hand off of my shoulder and stood up “I know you mean so well…but I am not a vessel for your good intent, Steel!”
“Don't say that, you're a good person deep down, behind that heartless detective facade you always put up. No matter how hard you try to push me away I'll always come back!”
“Then you're a complete and utter idiot with a death wish!!” I turned and headed for the door, Arthur stood up from the couch holding his bandaged chest.
“Juno Stop, you're gonna get yourself killed!”
“That would be better than staying another second here with you!!”
After I said that I slammed the door. It started to drizzle outside…Great. I walked down the dark lonely sidewalk waiting for the opportunity to flag down a cab. A few minutes of walking and I managed to catch one, I opened the car’s yellow door and went in.
“Where are you headed, sir?”
“The Last Drop Nightclub…” When I finally arrived back I just walked in and headed backstage. I'm assuming at this point the other vampire noticed the dead body at the back of the building so most likely will be trying to keep a low profile. I'll start where I left off, on my way to the costume room I bumped in with Catherine.
“My dear what happened” She gasped, I sighed and tried to act as if I was fine. “I'm alright, Miss, trust me” She shook her head no and gently took my hand “Oh no, no come with me, in my dressing room I have something that can sooth the pain” She smiled softly as she led me to her room. I tried to protest but I just didn't have the willpower to do so. As we went in she sat me down on a chair in front of her vintage vanity. “Here darling have a seat…poor thing, you really took a beating” She opened a drawer and searched for the medication. “So where is your partner? Arthur was his name right ? I hope he's ok”
“He's…fine, I decided that it would be better if he stayed behind this time” I kept looking at my reflection, studying all my features, noticing the white streak in my hair and eyebrow how it blended with my black hair. How tired I looked with my deep eyebags. I sat there for what felt like hours,an endless loop of being stuck in my own mind, just spiraling. It all felt so surreal, I could hear Catherine speaking to me but it was all hazy then it hit me…We never told her our names…
“Ah, here they are.” In her hand she had my anti hallucinogenic medication that I threw away back at the hotel. My mind started to race. I tried to reach my hand out to take the bottle but I couldn't move. My breathing quickened and my heartbeat elevated.
“What’s wrong Juno? You look like you've seen a ghost”
“How…how did you get that?...How do you know my name?” I muttered, she gently tapped my forehead with her finger and I felt a rush of fervor overwhelm me. I wanted to scream, yell, do something but my body wasn't my own, at least my mind was still whole. She looked at me with a sense of curiosity, as if she was expecting something else to happen.
“ Juno, What do you desire the most?” Her voice echoed in the walls of my mind, feeling as if a hand was reaching into my subconscious pulling out feelings and thoughts I didn't know I even possessed. I couldn't even speak, She peered into my eyes as if she was reading my thoughts. She chuckled a bit.
“How interesting…not what I expected but I can work with that” she delicately grabbed my chin and smiled. “You're very powerful, you know that? A normal human mind would turn into putty just by looking into my eyes but you, you're still completely aware. Surprisingly I have to actually try to keep you from breaking free…now this new information requires me to add a few…modifications to my plan but that's alright, you're too perfect to let go” She sounded so nice and sweet as he said that. I tried to move but all I could do was to make my hands tremble.
“Oh don't worry darling, I'm not gonna hold you forever…just long enough until it's too late to…well I don't want to ruin the surprise haha” She patted my cheek and then walked to the door.
“See you soon Juno” She winked at me then closed the door behind her. I continued struggling to move any part of my body but I failed miserably. It felt like I was trapped on that chair for hours but looking at the clock on the wall only 20 minutes passed. My arms were feeling sore then I realized I could slowly push out the amulet from my pocket and touch it with my forearm. I moved my arm inch by inch trying to move it upwards,after a long 10 minutes I managed to make it so that half of the red jewel was poking out. I touched it and as predicted I was free, I fell out of the chair landing on my hands and knees gasping for air. I touched it again so that my eyes would stop having a purple hue to them. I had to tell the others. I rushed out of the Nightclub and into the now pouring cold rain. There was too much traffic to call for a cab so my only option was to run back to the office. The ice cold rain felt as if it was tearing my skin but I didn't care, all that was on my mind was to make it to Arthur and Jessica. When I arrived at the door of the office I was completely out of breath, I went to turn the knob of the door but I hesitated. Remembering all the things I said to Arhthur kept rushing through my brain. I took a deep breath and prayed that he wouldn't punch me as soon as I opened the door. My heart dropped at the sight of the office , it looked as if a fight broke out, paper and blood on the floor, a bookshelf broken and Jessica with a blindfold over her eyes as she's tied to a chair.
“Who’s that?! Get away! I don't know where he is!” She cried out. I rushed over to her and took off her blindfold.
“Jessica it's me!” I quickly reassured, My hands were trembling and she could hear the panic in my voice.
“Mr.Reed!?!?”
“Yes, Its me…Jessica what happened, Where is Arthur”
“They took him! The vampires broke in and Arthur and I tried to fight them off…They told us that they kidnapped you and they said that if Arthur came willingly they wouldn't kill you!” Her voice shook as she spoke. Of course he would do something that stupid and reckless to save me.
“Damn it Arthur…Do you know where they are?”
Jessica nodded. “You know that creepy abandoned mansion in the outskirts of town? They took Arthur there, I'm pretty sure it's a trap!”
“Oh it's definitely a trap…It's fine I'll save that idiot…even if it kills me” I grabbed my coat and a silver knife from Jessica's knife collection and headed for the door. “Mr. Reed, where are you going?! aren't you gonna free me!?” Jessica shouted at me. “I'm not gonna risk losing another friend to those damn vampires …I'm sorry Jessica”
“What!? Mr.Reed!! Damnit Juno!!! Come back here and free me!!!” She yelled as I took Arthur’s car keys that he left on the desk and walked out of the office.
Chapter 5: “It's a pleasure for you to join us darling”
I got into Arthur’s god awful car and drove to the vampire's den. When I arrived it was midnight. I tried to plan out how I would handle this, they knew that I was coming so sneaking in would be difficult, not to mention I was playing on their turf. They probably knew the grounds like the back of their hands. Also I don't know how many of them are in there, obviously the chances of me getting out of this alive was slim. Good thing I'm used to those odds. My main goal was to save my partner and get out without dying, Simple enough. The amulet is the only thing that could protect me from the vampire's mind control. I touched it one last time to activate my powers then I left it in a compartment in the car because there's no way I would let them get this amulet back.
I got out and made my way to the ominous building. I found an open window in the side of the mansion, the lights were off so sneaking in there is probably my best bet. The air was colder from the inside, as I walked around I could hear my footsteps echoing, It sounded as if the room was pretty big. I kept walking for what felt like a while.
“It's a pleasure for you to join us darling” That familiar voice scared me to my core. As soon as the words were spoken all the candles in the room set alight revealing that I was standing in the middle of a giant ballroom with a giant table in front of a wall covered with what seemed like hundreds of deer mounts on it with a big one above a lit fireplace. The table had a feast of food on it, the more I looked at it the more I realized that the food was made of human meat. Finally there were vampires sitting at the table looking at me with hungry eyes while Catherine stood in the middle. I quickly pulled out the silver knife and pointed it at her.
“Where the hell is my partner?!” I shouted but all she did was give me this condescending look.
“Aww ain't that sweet, You care so much for a man you just met. unfortunately dear you're a little too late”
“What the hell do you mean?” I tried my best trying to keep my emotions at bay.
“Dont worry dear, he was a lot of help! Without him we wouldn't have had this feast before us tonight” My heart sank as I glanced back at the food…that's Arthur. I felt sick to my stomach as I noticed that my hands began to tremble. “Hmmm do you smell that my loves, the fear and sorrow radiating off of our little sacrifice here”
This heartsick feeling turned into rage.
“YOU SICK MONSTERS!!” I screamed with tears in my eyes as I tried to stab Catherine but two vampires that appeared behind me held my arms making me drop the silver knife. “NO NO NO DAMMIT LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!!!” Catherine just looked amused at the sight of me struggling. “That's no way to treat someone that has opened her home to you, that's not how your mother taught you” She's been in my head. She knows everything, absolutely everything. I started to tremble as I spoke out. “STOP…SHUT YOUR MOUTH, DO NOT MENTION MY MOTHER!!!”
“All the pain and suffering in your soul is absolutely delicious, I’m sure our god would love to devour you…I’m truly sorry..I know you didn't want to lose another partner, who was that bright eyed rookie you got paired up with when you were still with the NYPD? Ah yes Cecil Warren right, such a shame what happened to him. Thank you for being the key to the new world” I wasn't even listening to what she was saying at that point. She was right. All this is my fault, I was the one that got Cecil killed, I got Arthur killed and now I'm gonna bring the end of all days. I knew it was useless but I still tried to get out of the vampire's grasp.
“What? You don't have anything to say? All that fire in your eyes and you can't even utter a single word. What a shame, ladies can you please be a dear and hook him up on the altar ” She ordered, the two vampires nodded their heads and did what she asked. There was this wall of stone with two leather straps to hold my arms down. On the edges of the stone were markings engraved in it. On the floor were 6 bowls and a big sigil drawn with charcoal around the whole thing. The vampires tied me down as Catherine had a pleased smile on her face.
“What the hell are you going to do to me!?” I yelled and that just made her chuckle.
“Well if you must know we’re gonna drain your blood and draw a summoning sigil with it, then cut you open and put all of your organs in those bowls there and finally feed your soul to our god so that they can have enough power to crossover to us and bring the end of all…but we can't do that…not yet” She patted my cheek then grabbed my face digging her claws into it while looking at me with that sweet smile. “Where is the amulet Juno?...I know you have it, your eyes are a dead giveaway”
“I threw it away” I knew that the amulet was important, I couldn't let them know that it's right outside of the mansion. She looked a bit annoyed at my response. “Come on Juno I know you're an idiot but you're not brainless to do something like that. Tell me where it is..Or do I need to ask that cute assistent of yours”
“Don't you dare hurt her!!...I don't know where it is and neither does she I swear!!” She lets go of my face and thinks for a second. Catherine snaps her fingers and one of the vampires that was sitting at the table runs at her side, Catherine whispers something in her ear. The vampire nods her head and takes two other vampires with her then leaves the ballroom.
“Sooner or later the ritual will continue and the end will arrive and we-” unexpectedly a loud explosion sound could be heard in the west side of the mansion. All the vampires went silent and gave nervous glances to each other. They all waited for Catherine to give them orders.
“Don't be alarmed my loves, I assure you it's nothing” She ordered a small group of vampires to go investigate what caused the sound. As soon as the group of vampires left another explosion could be heard this time in the south side of the mansion. The vampires became more fearful. Catherine looked at me and hissed.
“What is this?”
“You think I have something to do with this?!” I snapped back, She ordered two vampires to watch me as she took the rest of the vampires to see what's going on.“Why is this guy so special?” the shorter vampire asked as she got right in my face studying me. “He's like a powerful medium or something” The other vampire responded. The smaller one smirked and said with an excited tone.
“What if we messed with him a bit! Please Jane, it would be fun!” The taller vampire sighed and nodded her head. The other one squealed happily and ran back to the table and picked up what seemed like a heart. My blood went cold as I began to wonder what she was gonna do with that. When she came back, she got close to me and held Arther’s heart closer to my face.
“Open wide! Don't you wanna have a tased of your partner’s heart haha”
Before it got too close a sound could be heard outside of the main entrance of the ballroom. We all froze for a second and waited for something to happen.
“Jane go see what it is…please”
“Abigail…you’re 200 years old and you're still scared of loud sounds…fine i'll go look at it, it's probably just a mouse or something” Jane goes out of the ballroom. Abigail returned her attention to me and giggled “So where were we? Ahh yes you were about to take a bite of this yummy heart haha” I quickly shut my mouth and looked away. She grabbed my face. “Come on, it's not that bad” she teased as she pressed the heart onto my cheek, I kept my eyes and mouth closed, out of the blue I heard a loud gasp and then gagging sounds. I quickly opened my eyes and saw black goo pouring out of Abigail's mouth. She fell on her side with a piece of wood in her back. I quickly looked back up and I couldn't believe who I saw.
“...Arthur?...” I said with a shaky voice
“Hey Junebug” he gave me that familiar dumb smirk I missed so much. I couldn't help but smile as he started to get rid of the restraints on my wrists.
“I thought that they killed you, How are you even alive!?”
“They just kept me in a cage, that's all” Arthur had a bunch of bruises and cuts all over his body, he had a piece of fabric on his bloody neck and arm. Once I got one hand free and gently touched Arthur’s face. “I'm sorry” Arthur smiled a bit then chuckled. “No, you save that sorry for when we get out of here alive, then you say all the sorrys you want over a couple rounds of beer” Arthur joked which made me laugh a bit. He was right, this is no place to start feeling self pity. Arthur was almost done freeing my other hand as a voice thundered through the ballroom.
“YOU, This was YOUR doing!” Catherine dropped her sweet act and was completely infuriated. She started to run towards us. Unexpectedly Someone threw a silver knife at Catherine’s face, hitting her in the eye causing her to screech in pain . I looked up at the balcony and saw Jessica.
“JESSICA?!?!” I yelled as Arthur finally freed me and then took my hand, we ran towards the main entrance. We locked the door behind us and then Jessica came down the stairs to meet Arthir and I. Before I could get a word in, Jessica shoved me.
“How could you just leave me behind like that?! I had to break my favorite chair to free myself, Juno!” Then she pulled me into a hug. Like Arthur she was also pretty beat up. “I'm glad you're ok…” Then a loud banging can be heard from the otherside of the ballroom door.
“I'M GONNA RIP YOUR EYES OUT AND FEED THEM TO YOU!!!!” The three of us jumped back and decided that we should get out. We ran around the mansion to look for the main entrance but the more we ran the more it became harder to breathe. The halls started to get filled up with smoke. We did have to fight one or two vampires on our way, once we arrived the whole area was blocked off by a wall of fire.
“Great who’s idea was to set up two bombs to blow up an OLD mansion mostly made out of WOOD” I looked at Arthur and Jessica but they both looked guilty. I sighed and thought about other ways we could get out of this mess.
“We could get out of a window,” Arthur suggested. Jessica and I agreed but to our surprise most of the windows were completely boarded up or were completely inaccessible due to the structure of the old mansion falling apart. The fire kept spreading and we were running out of places to go. Most of the vampires died in the fire or they just rushed past us in an effort to save themselves. It was getting harder to breathe and too hot to even think straight. “...When I was in the upstairs of the ballroom there was a balcony and right outside was a big lake! We could jump into the lake!” Jessica gasped trying not to inhale the smoke.
“It's risky but it's our only way out…I'm in” Arthur agreed, I nodded my head
“Then it's settled…lets go” We ran back towards the ballroom and headed upstairs. Jessica opened the big glass doors of the balcony taking a deep breath of the cold fresh air. She looked back at us with a bit of nervousness in her eyes. “ok…Here I go…” She stood on the railing as she looked down, She closed her eyes then jumped off. Arthur and I healed our breath hoping that Jessica was alright. A splash echoed, Arthur ran up to the railing and looked down to see if she was ok. Jessica appeared from the water with a gasp. “WOOOO ITS OK!!! COME DOWN!!!” Jessica exclaimed happily. Arthur Laughed then turned to me. “She actually made it! I guess it's my turn” He chuckles. I took a few steps closer to Arthr but in the blink of an eye something tackled me and knocked me off of the second floor and onto the support beams of the ballroom.
“ JUNO!!” Arthur yelled as he ran back into the mansion and leaned against the railing of the second floor. I opened my eyes and saw Catherine pinning me against an old wooden support beam that's right above the table full of human meat. She held me down by my throat, Her left eye was gouged out with black liquid dripping from it. Her hair and dress was a complete mess, ripped and covered in soot and ash. The fire finally touched the ballroom and it was spreading to the second floor. She bared her teeth as she screamed at me.
“YOU'VE RUINED CENTURIES OF PLANNING FOR WHAT?!?! YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS MANAGED TO SLITHER OUT OF MY GRASP MEANS THAT IT'S ALL OVER!? OHH NO I'M NOT GONNA REST UNTIL-” A loud bang cut her off, I looked at Arthur and he had his gun pointed at her. She quickly snapped to face Arthur and growled.
“WHY YOU WORTHLESS WASTE OF SPACE!!” She glared at Arthur in the eyes and said with a calm tone. “Shoot yourself in the head… '' Arthur's expression changed from furious to an uneasy calmness in a matter of seconds. He looked down at his gun then slowly proceeded to point it at his head.
“NOO ARTHUR SNAP OUT OF IT!” I screamed out of fear, I noticed that she was distracted so I kicked her leg making her lose her balance then pushed her off of the piece of wood that we were on. She tried to pull me down with her ,but I grabbed onto the beam at the last second and kicked her off. She landed on the big deer mount above the fireplace, Stabbing her in the heart. She shrieked in pain and fury as that black tar flowed out of all the stab wounds. I was still there hanging on for dear life. Suddenly I felt a hand on mine, I gasped and looked up.
“Let's go, the building is falling apart!” Arthur pulled me up and we ran back to the balcony as the fire surrounded us . As we were standing on the railing I felt Arthur’s hand on mine and looked at me with a reassuring smile. I nodded and took a deep breath.
We jumped. The freezing water stinged as I made contact with it. A few seconds passed as I stayed under the water, there was this pure calmness surrounding me. As I went back to the surface I gasped for air. Arthur was laughing then playfully splashed water on my face.
“We're alive!!! Junebug we made it haha!!!” I Laughed then splashed him back, Arthur stopped and looked a bit nervous as he held his bandaged up neck. “Hey, I need to tell you-” Jessica cut Arthur off and yelled at us from the pond’s shore.
“Hey, what took you two so long? I was getting worried!” Arthur and I swam towards Jessica. “That vampire you stabbed in the eye attacked Junebug…but he took care of it” Arthur patted me on the back. I chuckled a bit.
“Oh my god…Did you just laugh!? Arthur, how did you manage to do that?” Jessica teased as I just rolled my eyes.
“It wasn't that hard, you can still teach old dogs new tricks”
“I'm only 2 years older than you asshole” I said as I playfully shoved Arthur.
“Ok ok calm down boys I've had enough fighting for the day..god I need a drink.” Jessica sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Ok let's get a round of drinks…my treat” I said as Arthur and Jessica celebrated a bit. We headed to Arthur’s absolutely horrific excuse for a car. We drove away as the abandoned mansion burned to the ground with all of the vampires in it. There was this sense of calmness during the drive. As if a weight has been lifted, but I have a feeling that this won't be the last time we'll encounter things not quite of the norm…I'm sure together we’ll be able to handle it.
The End
#my original characters#my story#they are so gay and so stupid#this is my first time writing something like this so sorry if it’s shit#yes most of the characters are named after podcasts characters I like🤩#oc drawing#little meow meow#drawing digital#gay vampires and gayer detectives#all they need is to talk
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Even If You Become a Stranger, I Will Fall in Love with You Again
— CHAPTER FIVE: LAST DANCE
“Qian, what should we wear to the ball?” Nazuna looked up from the textbook to look at me.
“What, the masquerade?” I took a sip of water and rested my head on my hand. He nodded.
“I was thinking red, ‘cause it’s lucky. Red and gold, y’know?” I hadn’t really thought about it at all before, but this sounded good.
“Those have always been your colors.”
“It’s the Chinese beliefs. That’s why you see these colors on all the royalty everywhere.”
“Not because of me?”
“That too.” We both laughed.
“Wanna go shopping for dresses and suits? I don’t have one that fits me anymore. It’s only two anyway, we’ll get back before curfew.”
“But it’s a month away…”
“It’s next week, Astelle.”
“Wait, next week?” I let go of my textbook. “Oh sh-” he put a finger to my lips. Right, swearing wasn’t allowed in the library. Fuckers.
“Let’s go.” I recorded what pages I was at and returned the books to where they were supposed to be, and Nazuna sighed from my hurriedness.
Even though the Academy was a little far from the capital, a cozy town was built around it, thanks to the funding of the current Emperor. The Empress studied there, and they wanted to improve the lives of students. The town turned out to be really nice, so they received a lot of praise.
The central plaza has almost anything a student could need, including the dress shops for the various parties thrown throughout the year. It was amusing to see how everybody in town knew how close we were, and the old ladies who ran the bakery even placed bets on what year we’d be getting married.
“What about this one?” Nazuna pointed at one of the pink dresses in the catalog, and I peeked out of the changing room. I’d gotten into a red and black dress, but Astelle’s bright pink hair matched pastel colors much better. I sat down beside him on the couch. “Oh, that one’s pretty.”
“This one’s pretty on you too.” He thought everything I wear is pretty.
“Well, think about what Astelle looks good in,” I whispered. Strangely, it was so much easier to choose outfits if I went by what Astelle would like. After all, it was her body I was styling.
He got sad every time I said that, but he still obliged. I couldn’t blame him though, who wouldn’t miss their original self in a situation like this? Yes, I was a gorgeous girl with cotton candy pink hair and blue eyes, naturally, because this was a novel, but it was too difficult to feel like me still, even after all these years. Even if I was Astelle to everybody else, I couldn’t truly be “Astelle” to me.
“I’ll try this dress on,” I pointed to the dress Nazuna was looking at. “Is it available in my size?”
“Sure, just a moment. I’ll have to look in the back.” the store employee replied.
“Take your time,” I waved.
After seeing her enter the back room behind the curtains, I sighed. I was glad nobody else was in the store at this time- perks of nobility, I supposed.
“Dress shopping is such a pain in the ass…” I groaned. Naturally, my head landed on his shoulder. “Online shopping come back to me…”
He giggled. “At least they treat us like royalty, though.”
“True that.”
“Plus, if you’re done for the day, we can come back tomorrow. I’ll make a reservation.”
I shook my head. “I want to be done, like done done. Like, the dress is decided and made. I don’t want to think about it until the day I have to wear it.”
“Whatever you want, honey.” He gave me a quick kiss before the lady came out again.
She helped me put on the dress behind the curtains and I took a look at Astelle. So this is what it means to put dresses on your OCs… I never got over it. Of course, I’d imagined all of my OCs in countless outfits, but actually seeing so many dresses on her was so nice, even if it was tiring for me.
“Oh, this is so nice…” I kept looking into the mirror. Astelle was gorgeous, absolutely. This dress fit her so well; way to go, fashion king Nazuna.
“Astelle?” I heard Leveret’s voice from outside the curtain. Oh yeah, I was shopping with him.
“Oh my gosh, yeah, it’s so good!” I opened the curtains and posed. I think we were done for today. I didn’t even know almost 3 hours had passed since we left the library, so we decided we would come back for his suit the next day- and our masks, since it was a masquerade ball.
“It’s so stupid how I have to enter by myself. It feels so awkward.” I grumbled. Nazuna was always there to enter with me, but this time, I was alone. I had to find him; I regret not setting a place to find each other earlier, even though we knew this was a masquerade ball…
Even though everyone was wearing a mask, you could usually tell who was who. With how beautiful Leveret was, it’d be easy to spot him; the only issue is that if we kept looking and managed to miss each other, we wouldn’t be able to find each other. Perhaps it was best to just stay by the snacks. He’d find me munching on the tiramisu- and if he waited for me elsewhere, I knew he’d get hungry and find me here anyways. The strawberry parfaits were right next to the tiramisu; he wanted some.
I saw some of my classmates and caught up with what was happening, just some small talk.
“There ya are,” Nazuna finally arrived, picking up a strawberry parfait.
“You knew I’d be here, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I figured.”
My classmates and I giggled, and they teased me about my “husband” being here, and that they’d leave us to our “date”. The entire town decided we were together, despite not having announced anything- not that I minded or denied anything.
Oh, the Countess’s favorite song was up. Astelle’s father proposed to the Countess at a ball not too different from this, while this song was playing. It was no wonder or secret that this song was her favorite to dance to.
“Let’s dance,” I took his hand and walked to the dance floor.
“Mhm,” he took my other hand for the dance.
I wished we could just sway along to the music, but if we didn’t dance properly, rumors would circulate. Did nobles have nothing better to do? Evidently. Plus, because Leveret was going to be the next Duke of Lambert, all the eyes were on him. Despite most of the town knowing of our closeness, many dared to send marriage proposals for Leveret to the Duchess.
We danced and danced, and we were glad nobody would hear the words between us as we did. We joked around a lot; besides the far-too-fancy environment, it was nice to be together and able to have time to ourselves. It would be rude to disturb those dancing, after all.
As the party ended, we took a stroll out in the garden. I’d become less averse to nature after living so many years in such an “ancient” society. Walking in the garden was nice, and not many others were there. It was a nice place to go on a date, even at night. The moon was bright out. We weren’t allowed to pick flowers, so sometimes Nazuna would bring a flower to put in my hair as we walked, and we’d pretend it was from the garden.
“Young master, the Duchess said it was urgent.” Joshua came up to us with a worried look on his face. He was the Duchess’s messenger boy. “I’m sorry… It looked so serious. The Duchess was crying as she wrote this letter.”
We looked at each other. Joshua didn’t know what was in it, else he’d just tell us. He wouldn’t be resorting to telling us about the Duchess first if he knew.
I looked at what the letter said. My hand went over my mouth to conceal my shock.
The Duchess was powerless against the Duke’s words.
“My son will return.”
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Hogwarts Character Profile for one of my more filled out OCs and favorite. Feel free to leave me your thoughts. He is still a WIP.
I also included some information about him being an NPC. I like the concept better for his character.
Name: Crimsley Jones-Adams
Age: 15-30
Gender: Male (ftm)
Date of birth: August 17.
House: Slytherin
Occupation: Shopkeeper, Beast Rescue, (-main story-) Magical Researcher
Appearance: Pale with messy curled black medium length hair and pale green eyes (used amber before realizing the mistake). He is of taller height and has a lean build. He wears a black cloak with gold trim over a white shirt and black pants, he is often seen without his coat when not in class. He also wears a silver pendant around his neck.
Personality: Crim is open-minded and always willing to try new things. He has a mischievous streak and enjoys bending the rules occasionally for personal needs. He is very kind and polite, often coming off timidly. However when he expresses anger he is expressive with words saying whatever comes to mind.
Strengths: Intelligent and resourceful. He is able to think quickly on his feet and come up with creative solutions to problems.
Weaknesses: His greed often gets him into trouble. He can be impulsive and reckless, which can lead to dangerous situations.
Abilities: Crim is particularly skilled in the use of Charms and Herbology. However, because he is good at Charms he hates taking the class but loves working with plants and animals as it’s more hands-on.
Wand:
Backstory:
(As npc.)
His life before Hogwarts was pretty normal until the death of his older sibling, who was turned into an inferi right before his eyes by dark wizards. His Bogart represents an Inferi as the event was the most horrific thing he had experienced.
He never truly healed or came to face his fear, often refusing or shutting down in those situations. Once in DADA while he was learning the spell Ridiculous, his bogart formed into the Inferi that looked like his sister, causing him to run to the bathroom to vomit.
(Main story)
Follows up with the game. Before Fig took him under his wing, he came from a well off family who instead of his sister being turned into an Inferi, was murdered instead by a mugger.
Quirks: Crim has a habit of twirling his pendant when he's nervous or deep in thought. He also has a tendency to talk to himself when he's working on a particularly difficult spell. He loves being praised. If you give him a little reward, he instantly becomes more friendly.
Favorites: Crim's favorite spell is the Killing curse. He also enjoys reading dark magic tomes and collecting rare magical artifacts. He has a few exotic beasts that he has taken care of that reside in Sweating’s Sanctuary.
Summary: After graduating from Hogwarts School of Wizardry, he joined Poppy Sweating and her grandmother in the aid of Magical Beast before adventuring out to do other things.
Crim currently also has a shop in Hogsmeade that is run by his house elf Penny. Occasionally he comes back once every 6 months to deliver new stock and collect funds.
-Main story line-
He works along with Hogwarts as a keeper of ancient magic in which he had been perfecting Isadora's research. Occasionally lending his shop out for students to gain work experience (which allows him to save money on hiring actual employees).
Occasionally he will make his way back to Hogwarts for a quick visit, catching up with old professors and colleagues. He is currently applying to become the next Magical Theory Professor.
During his time at Hogwarts he had become close to Sebastian and Poppy, his relationship with Ominis was shaken considering everything that had happened in the Catacombs.
They kept in contact until the end of their 7th year, Sebastian and Crimsley both had a heated argument regarding Anne’s curse that resulted in their relationship ending. Since then the three haven’t spoke.
#hogwarts legacy#ominis gaunt#hogwarts legacy sebastian#hogwarts legacy ominis#sebastian sallow#male mc#poppy sweeting#character sheet
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I just feel like posting this chapter of my fanfic here. For some reason, the chapter told with my OC's dad is my favorite.
The temperature continues to rise, fiery red flames had turned into white as it devours the old house. The floor creaks with every step he takes, arms raised above his head to protect himself in case the ceiling falls again. "Hansuke! Where are you?!" he screamed, green eyes scanning the area as he awaits another shout from his daughter. Another loud cry echoed and he turned around, his daughter's cry felt so close yet he couldn't see her.
He groaned in frustration as he remembers his father's disappointed stare at him. He had rushed to the residence the moment he was informed that the ancestral house was burning. He knows that the stare was both for him and his daughter but he couldn't understand why; why is his father disappointed? why is the house burning? why is everyone outside the burning house except for his only child?
"Help me! Somebody?!" another cry and this time, he's certain that his daughter is in the basement. 'You idiot!' he thought as he smashed through the wooden floor with his fire quirk. He jumped down the hole he made, lo and behold, his daughter stood in the middle of the burning basement. Her black hair and her skin burning yet she doesn't look like she's hurting, not at all; her clothes torn because of the fire that came out of her small form. He almost celebrated, almost. Ever since she had manifested quirks a few months ago, all he had wanted was for her to at least manifest a fire quirk but other than the earth manipulation quirk, the powers his daughter manifested came from his wife's family. He was considered a disappointment the moment he placed second in scholarship, the moment he ranked second in all sports festivals at UA, the moment he married into his wife's family, the moment his only child came out to be powerless, and the moment his child couldn't control the fire quirk.
He married into the Ishikawa family to get rid of the 'tradition' that anyone who wouldn't manifest a fire quirk is considered a disappointment. But now, as he stares at his weeping child, disappointment is all he feels. Hansuke is a disappointment and useless, just like what his friend and family had told him.
"Papa!" he snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see that parts of the house are falling into the basement. In a daze, he braced himself for the impact, arms around his head and eyes shut tight. The impact never came and all he could hear are the sounds of burning wood hitting the ground. He opened his eyes and what had greeted him was darkness. Emitting fire from his hand, he started to realize that he's inside a dome made out of rocks; 'like an igloo', his daughter would tell him as she makes small domes.
"Hansuke!" he called and broke out of the small dome. He sighed in relief to see a smaller dome and rushed to break it, his unconscious daughter inside. She was no longer emitting fire and he picked her up with ease, mind and emotion blank as he processes that not only did she manifest his family's fire quirk, it also came along with the chemicals.
Both eventually made it outside the house where doctors and nurses are assisting the many maids that serve the family. He immediately brought his daughter to one of the doctors, Aki, his wife's cousin. Not understanding what to feel or think off, he took a few steps back and let his daughter's family take care of her.
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Ken closely monitors Hansuke's training through the two-way mirror. To say he's proud of what she's become is an understatement. He really did want to congratulate her the moment he found out she tied with his friend's son, he even cried watching her do all those things he never got to see her train for.
A hand on his shoulder jolts him and he turns, his green eyes meeting with silver blue ones. It was no other than the person who beat him and got first place in the scholarship, who beat him and got first place in all sports festivals in UA, the woman he married and gave him a wonderful child. Doi. "Have you talked to her yet?" the woman asked and he responded with a weak shake of his head. "She's still avoiding me. I don't think I know what to say, anyway..." he looked back to watch his daughter, her quick "Okay!" as she talks to her trainer echoing into the small room attached to the training room.
"Give her some time. She asks about you, you know? All of this is your fault for being so damn sensitive so stop moping around." his wife sighed and slapped his back, he knows her hand left a mark.
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"I don't know what happened, promise!" he rubbed his temples, annoyed. His daughter keeps repeating the same phrase again, and again. All he wanted to know was how she could lose control in the first place. How did she end up burning the house down and putting the lives of his parents and the maids' lives in danger. "Hansuke, stop lying. Were you playing with your quirk? I told you that quirks aren't something you play with, right?" He uttered and almost caved in when she stared at him with golden eyes filled with betrayal, she could be called anything but a liar. "I-I wasn't! I was doing some simple training with grandpa and fire came out of my hands!" she's full-on crying at this point and he was about to tell her a few things about lying when his child continued speaking; "And-and I panicked and grandpa got mad and told me to stay in the basement."
Ken looked up to his father; his old man was one of the strongest heroes who possessed a fire quirk and that stirred him to want to become a hero himself. There was no way a retired hero would leave a child inside a burning house. But at the same time, his father couldn't love Hansuke because she manifested a quirk six years late. The old man's obsession with monopolizing the fire quirk and making it stronger is enough reason to leave a poor child to burn.
Later that day, he had filed a case against his own father.
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"What do you mean sensitive?" he asked and watched as Doi rolled her eyes at him. She always called him that and he never understood why.
"Sensitive as in you let things get to you so easily. Your family's whole 'you don't have the fire quirk and can't do simple things so you're useless' ideas had gotten and stuck onto you because you're sensitive. You let people push you around and you eventually cave into their thoughts. That's why you thought our daughter's useless and a disappointment right?" the last bit of her sentence made him touch his left cheek, mind remembering the first and second time she slapped him. He swears his head would've snapped off both times.
Ken, a little hurt because of the reality, was just about to retaliate when the alarm coming from the training room had gone off. He and his wife turned to see their daughter being praised by her trainer, proud smiles making it's way to their faces. Their daughter's drenched in her own sweat and the little fire on the top of her head slowly being extinguished by her own will. Despite barely being present in her life, both know that their child had went from whimpering that she didn't know what happened to now that she can manipulate her quirk at will.
#myfic#mha fanfic#honestly i can't even design characters pls#my oc has black hair and gold eyes and it took me MONTHS to come up with that one?#actually all my OCs have black hair but i wanted gold eyes and made her short for a change#i need an OC generator drawing app because i can't draw yet
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The Years
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader
Warnings: *SMUT* So you embarrass yourself in front of Derek and Spencer, the details of the case are mentioned and are a little intense, and smut. Like, rough, Spencer smut because there is nothing you can say that could convince me that Spencer Reid is a bottom. And swearing.
A/N: AH THE ENDING PROBABLY SUCKS BUT I TRIED REALLY HARD I PROMISE. Also, this is ridiculously long and not all of it is smut. For a hot second this WAS an OC story but I thought you guys would enjoy a self-insert more so I changed it. LOTS AND LOTS OF THANKS TO MY FAV FIC WRITER AND NEW TUMBLR FRIENDS, @reidmorefanfics and @pomsephone Y’all are the best. Also, remember to shower me in reblogs, comments, asks, messages, likes, and anything else you can think of to boost my ego. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING!!!
___
“Actually, that reminds me of a joke that I know.” At the front of the crowded lecture hall, a young Dr. Spencer Reid looks over at his partner eagerly, a smile already splitting his lips apart. Derek Morgan, however, looks over at his partner with a mixture of fear and secondhand embarrassment.
“Reid, I don’t think-” Morgan tries to save him, he really does, but Reid tucks his hair behind his ears and ignores him by starting the joke.
“Einstein, Heisenberg, Newton, and Pascal are playing hide and seek. Einstein covers his eyes and begins counting. While Heisenberg and Pascal run off and hide, Newton takes out some chalk and marks a square on the ground with a side length of exactly 1 meter, then sits down inside the square. When Einstein is finished counting and sees Newton sitting on the ground, he yells, "Ha, I've found you, Newton!". Newton however replies, "No you haven't! You've found Pascal!’”
A short, surprised laugh joins Spencer’s small chuckles, dragging his eyes to the location the sound had come from. Derek looks too, completely taken aback that anyone other than Reid had actually understood the joke. Yet, lo and behold, a young girl sitting in the front row with her cheeks stoplight red and her hand nervously covering her mouth.
Proudly, Spencer nods for Morgan to end the talk, his chest a little puffed out and a smug smile twitching at his lips. They wrap things up quickly, eager to grab some food after leaving campus and before heading back to the BAU.
When Spencer turns to gather his things, grabbing his bag, he notices the soft shuffle of feet against the hardwood flooring of the stage. A pair of black converse peek into his peripheral vision, attached to a pair of long legs that make Spencer blush for noticing at all. Lifting his eyes further, he meets the shy gaze of the only person who had laughed at his joke. It came as no surprise when he sees that your tee shirt had a picture of a cat with the words ‘Wanted: Dead and Alive’ in block lettering.
“Dr. Reid,” Your left hand comes up to push a stray lock of hair away from your face, a single gold band wrapped around your left index finger, “I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N). I just, uhm, I had a couple questions?”
Looping the strap of his bag over his head and letting the familiar weight of it settle against his hip before he responds, Spencer ignores the way Derek looks at him by pretending he isn’t there at all.
“Of course,” Spencer meets your eyes, which are a beautiful shade of (y/e/c). “I like the shirt by the way. I’m not usually much of a t-shirt person, but I might wear one like that.” You laugh, shifting on your feet and twisting the ring on your finger.
“Thank you, I got it as a Christmas present. Along with ten billion other nerdy t-shirts. But uhm, I was curious how old you were when you joined the FBI?” Morgan holds his tongue, pretending to shuffle papers around and not pay attention to the poor girl’s crush.
“I was twenty-two. I finished two of my doctorates the year prior.”
“I thought you had to be twenty-three? I’ve always wanted to join the FBI as soon as I could but I thought I had a little more time. That’s what I read anyways. I could be wrong, you would know more than I do.” You looked down at your shoes, kicking the toe of one converse into the wood, your hair falling forward over your shoulders.
“No, you’re right. I had an age waiver. You’re eighteen? Nineteen? You’ve still got some time to prepare.”
“I’m seventeen, actually.” Your lips skewed to the side, the confession barely above a whisper as you continued to stare at your feet. Spencer blanched, unable to contain his surprise. He was quick to school his features, though, when you finally looked back at him.
“You’re seventeen and you understood his joke?” Morgan couldn’t help but cut in now, stepping away from the table he’d been pushing papers around on and toward the two younger people left in the room.
“A pascal is a unit of measurement equal to one Newton per square meter. By sitting in a square meter, Newton was being one newton per square meter. Which is, again, equal to a pascal. So he was Pascal.” A smile had worked it’s way past the nerves that jumped around your body. You weren’t very used to talking to young, attractive, intelligent doctors who worked for the FBI.
“Although, even if I hadn’t understood the science behind the joke I might have still laughed. You see, there is this thing called the Halo Effect, which is basically a cognitive bias you might develop based on your initial impression of someone that can change how you feel about their specific traits. Essentially, one example would be that someone you find attractive may seem funnier or more intelligent simply because you find them attractive.”
It takes all of a second for your face to turn beat red as you realizes your nervous ramblings have made you reveal the silly crush you had started to develop on the young doctor. Derek’s lips purse in amusement when he sees the similar shade of red that has colored his partner’s cheeks.
“Not that I’m saying I find you attractive,” Your heart stops cold in your chest and you are quick to retract the statement. “Not to say you’re ugly either, because that’s not what I’m trying to say at all. Just that my first impression of you as a nice and attr- I mean, intelligent man could have very well made my amusement slightly biased because I was more willing to like you based solely on my first impression of you. Which was that you are very nice and, and intelligent.”
It takes all the willpower in the world for you not to throw yourself down the stairwell later that day, the embarrassment having barely faded even hours later. The two men had been quick to assure you they knew you weren’t saying you had a crush on Dr. Reid, but they were obviously just trying to protect your feelings. They wouldn’t be FBI Profilers if they couldn’t tell you had a crush on him. The conversation was pretty much over after that, you being suddenly desperate to make an escape and Dr. Reid just as eager to leave the campus grounds.
The whole team teased him about his teenage fan for months after it happened, Derek had been quick to let everyone know when they came back. Reid had tried to hide from them by scrunching down into his seat and covering his face with a book, but it hadn’t helped him at all.
Eventually though, both you and Spencer were able to move on from the embarrassing moment, though neither of you forgot it. Those moments where you’re all alone and the most embarrassing moments of your life come to creep up and embarrass you all over again? The memory always came back during those moments.
The team, however, seemed to forget about it, Gideon and Elle leaving and Rossi and Prentiss replacing them as the years faded the memory for them.
It wasn’t until JJ took her new position at the Pentagon and Ashley left after her brief consultation on the case in New Mexico that the memory came back to truly haunt you both.
The whole team had heard whispers of a ‘probationary agent’ that would be stepping in to assist wherever needed. Hotch was good at keeping quiet and avoiding questions on the matter, somehow keeping Penelope just as much out of the loop as the rest of the team.
No one was even sure when the new agent was supposed to be coming until the glass doors to the BAU opened and in stepped a young woman with (y/h/c) hair and (y/e/c) eyes. Derek squinted his eyes, your face tickling the back of his memory in a way that annoyed him. Spencer tensed, his eidetic memory quick to remind him of the seventeen year old girl that had basically confessed she thought he was cute, and then called him ‘not ugly’ to try and cover her tracks.
“Agent (Y/L/N), nice to finally meet you.” Hotch said, holding the door open as you nodded your thanks and slipped inside his office with a box in your arms.
“That must be the probationary agent.” Prentiss directed the comment at Reid, oblivious to the resurfaced embarrassment that boiled his cheeks to that same shade of red he’d been in that lecture hall seven years ago. He kept his book up in front of his face while he tried to cool his cheeks, looking over the top of the binding and into Hotch’s window.
You’re sitting ram-rod straight in the seat in front of Hotch’s desk that is closest to the door, your box of things clutched tightly in your white-knuckled hands. Your hair is still the same length, swaying at your shoulders. You’ve switched the Schrödinger’s cat shirt for a deep velvet red dress shirt with the sleeves rolled at your elbows.
But even with the obvious nerves displayed in your current body language, it’s easy to see you aren’t the same stuttering seventeen year old Reid remembers. You holds steady eye contact with Hotch, nodding and fluidly responding in such a way that the usually stoic unit chief actually breaks into a grin that dimples his cheeks. When he stretches over his desk for a handshake, your left hand comes up and grips Hotch’s firmly.
“I’m glad it’s a girl, it was starting to feel a little too testosteronie around here with JJ gone.” Garcia had made her way into the bullpen, a cup of tea balanced in her bejeweled fingers as she, and the rest of the team, size up the girl heading for Hotch’s door.
“I don’t think ‘testosteronie’ is a word, baby girl.” Derek teases, trying to ignore the nagging feelings that he knows this girl from somewhere. Maybe they’d met on a case? But no, that doesn’t feel right.
“It is now, Derek. Don’t argue with me or I’ll have to punish you.” She brings the lip of her cup up, sipping at the lukewarm tea still inside and patting Morgan’s cheek with her free hand. Hotch’s door finally opens again and you step out after Aaron.
A hush falls over the room, all eyes trained to the newest and now youngest member of the team.
“We’ll do introductions on the plane, for now I need everyone in the conference room for a case.” Hotch is quick to make eye contact with everyone, his gaze stern and demanding.
Spencer is the last one into the room, practically dragging his feet to one of the chairs around the circle table. Thankfully, you were sitting across the table. Somehow you haven’t seemed to notice him.
“Yesterday Dawes County police found the body of Julia Hastings along a hiking trail in Kladon. This is the second body they have found in the area in two weeks, the first belonging to Heather Greenaway. Both victims are in their early to mid twenties. Hands and feet bound, buried face down. Each victim was struck once in the back of the head, making cause of death blunt force trauma.”
From your spot at the table, you glance up with narrowed eyes as you open the file you’d been given at the beginning of the meeting.
“Where did they disappear from?” Reid asks, a connection forming in his brain as each picture and detail flies up from Garcia’s tablet and onto the projected pictures before them.
“Night clubs around the area, they were working on the night they each went missing. Both girls were bartenders, had been working at their new jobs a week before they were kidnapped.”
“Justin Millers had the same M.O., kidnapping new female bartenders fitting this exact victimology and holding them hostage for a course of five days, beating and raping them before eventually hitting them on the back of the head with a tire iron.” You don’t look up from the file as you speak, flipping through the pictures and quickly noticing the small odd similarities in the victims between this case and Millers’ case.
“Millers has been locked away for a year and a half.” Derek pointed out, using the opportunity to stare at the face of the girl he was sure he knew but still couldn’t place. When you look up at him, your eyebrows furrowed in a way that reminds him of Reid and your head tilted just a little to the side, he can feel his brain grab onto the memory just before it slips back through his fingers.
“I’d guess a copycat. Something seems different, I just can’t put my finger on it.” Your gaze slides over the table, looking at faces to get a gauge of their opinions on you. When you make eye contact with Reid, your eyes widen just a little before you duck your head. You should have known he was still here at the BAU, you’d only hoped he’d went to another unit out of desperation for this job.
“We’ll look into that theory, for now I just want a profile as if this unsub is working from his own killing preferences. We’ll discuss more on the way there. Wheels up in thirty.” Hotch stands, flipping the cover over the top of his iPad before making his way out of the room. Go bags are grabbed, certain persons avoid bumping into other certain persons, and then the eight hour plane ride to Kladon, Nebraska begins.
“(Y/N) (Y/L/N).” Emily tests the name on her lips, having chosen to move by the younger girl after the fourty five minute theory discussion that started the plane ride.
“You can call me (Y/N/N), that’s what my best friend calls me.” You had popped the first two buttons open of your dress shirt and slipped your shoes off to tuck your feet underneath you. Tucked between your thigh and the arm of the seat is a book with a Greek title, in your hands is the open case file.
“Just your best friend?” Rossi asks from across the way, just as curious about the new girl as the rest of them, but a little better at hiding it.
“She’s really my only friend.” You shrug, but not in such a way that you seem bothered by the fact. You reach up to push a strand of hair behind your ear. Reid notices the gold ring that still circles your left index finger, light coming from the window glinting off the metal when you move. It’s the only jewelry you wears.
“A bit of a loner?” Derek joins the conversation, moving up the aisle of the jet with a cup of something hot cradled in his hands. He takes the seat directly in front of you, blowing at the liquid in his cup.
“I was more focused on getting through school than making friends. Emma just happened to be the only person who wouldn’t let me shake her.” There’s a smile on your lips as you talk about your best friend, your eyes soft.
“What did you go to college for?” Derek is fishing, looking for something to tell him where he knows you from. It amuses Reid, who has sequestered himself into a corner a little further away from you than everyone else.
“I have a masters in philosophy, with a focus in Ancient Greek philosophy. I have a bachelor’s in Greek, which is the only other living language I can speak and read outside of English, and I have two doctorates; one in Classic Studies and one in Criminology.” Rossi whistles, shaking his head and leaning back into his seat to express what everyone else is feeling.
“You young people just keep getting smarter and smarter. You know how many doctorates I had at your age? None. You know how many I have now?” You look at him with genuine curiosity, drinking in all the information you can about the people around you like it was a class you were taking to survive.
“None.” The laugh that bubbles from your lips is infectious and carefree, it pulls Reid’s attention away from his book and it drags Hotch from the constant state of worry that he mentally paces in. Emily, Derek, and Rossi all exchange looks before their own laughter fills the air. It’s nice.
The feeling reminds you of that scene in Mary Poppins where Dick Van Dyke and Ed Wynn laugh themselves into the ceiling. So light and carefree that it could lift them into the sky.
“Why all the attention on the Greek?” Prentiss manages when the laughter subsides, reaching down for the book the young doctor has tucked away. Η φόνισσα, it reads with a black and white picture of arms twisted to the side of the bookcover. You make no move to grab for it, letting the other woman flip through the pages.
“My father was a Greek Philosophy professor before he died, I suppose it’s my way of trying to stay close to him.” Prentiss looks up from the pages, a look of sympathy in her eyes.
“And your mother?” The change in your entire demeanor is like cold water on the conversation, freezing the group in their spots. You reach for the book, tucking it back into the space between your thigh and the seat.
“I don’t know.” It’s the only blatant lie you’ve told since they started talking to you, averting your eyes and shifting in your seat. No one presses the topic, giving the new girl the space you need.
You take the case file with you when you go to make a cup of coffee in the small kitchenette situated in the back of the plane. Reid is already back there, pouring a steady stream of sugar into the otherwise black liquid.
“Dr. Reid.” You nod your head in greeting, avoiding his eyes by setting your folder on the counter and pretending to read it. You’ve been going over every detail of the case for so long that you’ve memorized everything there is to know. There are notes and theories scribbled into the margins and little sticky notes with questions scattered around the papers.
“It helps to step away for a little bit, that way when we land you come back to it with fresh eyes.” The utensils drawer clicks shut as Reid grabs a spoon to stir his coffee, risking the chance to finally look at you.
You’re twisting the ring on your finger and chewing the inside of your cheek. Without your shoes on, the top of your head comes to his shoulders.
When you look up at him, (y/e/c) eyes thoughtful and just as curious as the day they met, Reid can’t fight the urge that draws his gaze to your lips. The skin there is so very soft looking, surprising him when the thought of kissing them hits him like a train.
He clears his throat, focusing all of his attention on the coffee cup in front of him. The sugar is completely stirred in at this point, but he kind of wants to stay in the hopes that you’ll strike up a conversation.
“But everyone is different so you don’t have to listen to me, just do whatever helps you.” His shoulders lift in a shrug and he’s glad that nobody is there to see him interact with this girl. They would know how he felt before he could even come to terms with it himself.
As quickly as you are there, you leave. Completely flustered and unsure how to go about navigating a relationship that’s foundation was an unintentional love confession. Maybe, you thought as you leaned into your seat and closed your eyes, if I just ignore him then everything will be fine.
By the time the jet touched down in Nebraska, you had fallen into a dead sleep with your book sitting open in your lap. Emily was the one to reach out and gently shake your shoulder, the smile on her face gentle and motherly. Still blinking away sleep, you quickly scrambled to grab your bag and book before rushing for the exit.
Unfortunately for you, the shoe laces on one of your shoes hadn’t been completely tied. Add that to the speed in which you were trying to separate yourself from Reid, and you managed to trip over your feet and right into the person you were trying to avoid.
Your bag hit the ground, the book following suit as a warm hand grabbed you by your upper arm and pulled. When you collided with someone’s chest, you didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Reid smelled like old books, laundry detergent, and cinnamon.
“Your shoe is untied.” He said, his voice rumbling in his chest. You didn’t look up, afraid the heat in your cheeks would give you away. You looked down instead, noticing the way your feet were inside the breadth of his stance. One shoe’s laces laid precariously around your foot as if mocking you. Quickly, you took a step away and almost tripped again on your bag. You caught yourself on one of the seats, holding a hand out to keep Reid from grabbing you again.
“Thank you, I’m okay. Really.” You didn’t meet his eyes, every lewd thought you’d had during that stupid lecture about his lips and hands and hair came rushing back at you with every glance. You wouldn’t be surprised if he could see each fantasy written on your face like a lusty, ten-cent romance novel.
Morgan, having stopped to watch the two doctors in your clearly flustered states, suddenly felt it click in his brain. Sure, you were older and not as squirrelly as he remembered, but the way you were looking at his partner was nearly the exact same as you had seven years ago.
Feeling smug for finally figuring it out, he walked up to Spencer with his bag thrown over his shoulder, stopping beside him as they both watched you rush for the exit.
“Can you imagine someone having a crush on you for seven years? Oh, wait.” Bending down to grab his bag, Spencer shook his head in such a way that a few loose curls tangled on his eyelashes. A simple sweep of his hand across his face helped to push it away.
“It took you long enough to figure it out.” Spencer took the lead, dreading the car ride with Derek to the medical examiners. He had been hoping his older partner wouldn’t remember who you were, at least, until the case was solved.
“Oh ho ho, don’t think you can avoid this conversation with insults, pretty boy.” Morgan was hot on his tail, and that was exactly where he stayed for the next three days that the team was in Nebraska.
The killer was, in fact, a massive fan of the infamous Justin Millers. It was just a matter of pinpointing which of the crazy fanatics he was, which might have been easier if the local populace was more open to talking to law enforcement.
It was by a brilliant stroke of luck, or rather misfortune, that the team realized sending you undercover would help on many different levels. Not only did you fit the victimology, (all they needed to do was get you a ‘job’ at one of the local bars) but you would also be able to get information from the civilians that were unwilling to talk to the FBI.
Four days into your undercover mission, you found yourself wiping down the counter after closing. The band was packing up their equipment on stage and your boss had already left. Laily, the only other bartender here tonight, was flirting with the drummer while you closed things up behind the counter.
As was customary, the members of your team had taken turns following you around everyday just in case anything happened. Today just so happened to be Spencer’s turn, you’d managed to slip him into the back room before all the customers had left for the night. It was the only reason you gave Laily the okay when she asked if you would be cool closing by yourself tonight.
“I can’t believe after five years of college, I’m back to bartending.” You grumbled, shouldering the backroom door open with a box full of beer in your hands. Spencer jumped up from the crate he’d been leaning against, holding the back of the door open so you could get in a little easier.
“You were a bartender before?” He asked curiously, trying to ignore the way the low-cut black uniform shirt you were wearing fit against your figure and twisted his insides. Factor in the tight jeans that hung on your hips and the sheen of sweat on your skin from the hot summer night and he could barely focus, let alone protect you from any possible threats.
“The years between my college graduation and my joining the FBI, yeah. I could have done something different, I guess, but I wanted to have a normal young adult job before I spent the rest of my life chasing serial killers and such.” You turned to face him, actually meeting his eyes for the first time this week.
Unlike you, he was wearing his FBI Kevlar. The navy blue tie that he wore was tucked into the top of it, the baby blue sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up around his elbows. You, yourself, were having an awful time trying to keep from getting all kinds of flustered just looking at him.
The young profiler you remember was all wiry and clean cut, the man in front of you is more scraggly. His hair curls around his jawline and his forearms are far more attractive than anybody’s forearms ought to be.
His parents were just showing off, casually bringing a child into the world that looks like that.
“I don’t want things to be weird between us.” He blurted, surprising himself. You could tell by the way his brows dipped down and he took a step back immediately after saying it. Even his cheeks were a little pink.
“What happened between us was like seven years ago and all you did was tell me you had a crush on me. And then take it back. I just don’t want it to affect our work relationship because everyone already likes you a lot and I want to get the chance to like you as well.” For someone who always seems so very shy and awkward, his eyes look directly into yours, narrowing just a little. His tongue pokes out from between his lips and turns all of your bones to jelly underneath you.
He just ages like fine wine and you know that, should you be offered a permanent position at the BAU, that you would have to spend the rest of your working days keeping yourself in check while the man in front of you continued to evolve into a more gorgeous version of himself every year. The Spencer you remember had felt like peak Spencer, now this Spencer felt like peak Spencer, but who is to say that five years from now, when he decides to grow a little stubble and style his hair differently, that he wouldn’t somehow get even more attractive?
You open your mouth to come up with some bullshit answer that you didn’t really mean in order to smooth things over, when the door opens again. Spencer, standing directly infront of said door, looks not unlike a deer caught in the headlights of a truck barreling right at him going way too fast on a backroad.
Time crawls at an unusual pace, the door slowly creaking open and Laily’s voice filtering in the opening. Why did he have to wear that stupid vest? Surely the FBI has bullet proof vests you could wear under your clothing. The only idea you could come up with was, honestly, not a very good one. But it was the only one you had.
Practically launching yourself across the room, you catch Spencer’s lips against your own like the world depends on it. Using your own hands, you position Spencer’s arms around you with one hand on the back of your head and the other grabbing underneath your leg that hooks around his waist. The vest uncomfortably digs into your chest with how close your bodies are against one another, your arms now thrown around his neck, but if he keeps kissing you like this then you’ll be inclined to ignore it.
Just seconds ago he had been begging you to have a normal relationship despite your silly ‘past’ crush, now his tongue was fighting for dominance in your mouth. The irony was not lost on you.
“Oh.” Laily gasps a little when she sees you in such a compromising position. The lights from the bar illuminating every detail so that she could see the way Spencer’s fingers desperately tangled in the strands of your hair or how the muscles in his forearm strained as he hungrily pulled your body even closer than before.
The blush on your cheeks and neck are real when you pull your lips away, fire erupting in the pit of your stomach when Spencer catches your bottom lip in between his teeth for just a second. The look in his eyes is devilish when you tilt your head over your shoulder to meet her gaze.
“I’m sorry Laily, this is my boyfriend, Lance. I just- I heard about all those girls that have been going missing and I asked if he would drive me home.” The look in your coworkers eyes is all you need to know that this does not look like just a ride home. Although, it very well could have led to a ride somewhere if she had been just a handful of minutes slower.
“Nice to meet you, Lance. Gwen, I’ll see you tomorrow. Just,” the mischievous twinkle in her eyes does not go unnoticed by the two doctors in the room still tangled around each other, “maybe clock out before things get anymore heated.” She teases, the tone of her voice suggesting that you will be hearing more of this tomorrow.
“Bye, Laily!” The door clicks shut behind her, followed by the chuckles and giggles of Laily and the band as they leave for the night. You relax into Spencer’s arms, moving as if to pull out of them before they tense around you.
“We should be safe now.” You whisper, looking up into his eyes that burn with an intensity you’ve never seen in them before. That damn tongue sweeps across those perfect lips again, drawing your attention and reminding you that you now know what they feel like locked with yours.
“I think I hear somebody coming.” He whispers back, aware that you can both hear the soft bang of the front door closing and locking shut from the outside. Since the killings, the door was always locked if employees were still inside, as a safety precaution. Nobody else was coming in tonight unless they had a key.
Your lips meet his anyways, too tired to pretend that the heat between you wasn’t there. If this was the excuse he needed to kiss you, then you were all the more willing to give it to him. His tongue sweeps across the seam of your lips, causing them to open against his mouth and deepen the kiss.
Both of his wide hands splay against your hips, curling into the soft skin there and pulling you toward him with such force that you nearly trip. The hard edges of his Kevlar vest dig into your ribs and collarbone, the rough material scratching against your exposed skin as you push yourself up on your toes. When he breaks from the kiss, both of you gasping for air not from the length of it by from the passion, it is not to end your tryst.
His lips find the pulse at your neck, sucking a bruise at the soft skin there and pulling a moan from deep within your chest.
“Won’t- Won’t Morgan and Prentiss get worried,” your brain feels like the motherboard of a computer that Spencer has taken into his hands and slammed into a countertop, you can’t think when his teeth nip a love bite to the hickey he’s made on your neck, “if we, uhm, we take too long?”
If you thought the Spencer you met seven years ago was different from the Spencer you knew now, it was only because you’d never seen his bright hazel brown eyes darken with lust from beneath those impossibly long golden lashes. He was a completely different person as he unstrapped himself from the Kevlar, laying it on the floor with a solid thunk before gathering you back into his arms.
“They’ll be okay,” He said in between kisses trailed along your jawline. His movements are confident as he dips a hand down the front of your jeans and into your underwear. Your arms tighten around him, pulling your face into the crook of his neck when his fingers find the already wet entrance to your sex. His answering growl does nothing to keep you from coming undone as he presses the pad of his thumb to the bundle of nerves there. “I’m guessing it won’t be long before I have you in the palm of my hands, anyways.”
You rock your hips into him, your eyes fluttering shut with a gasp when he thrusts two long fingers inside of you. His other arm is wrapped around the center of your back, holding you to him because lord knows you can’t be trusted on your own two feet at a moment like this.
“Is this why you planned on ignoring me? Because you wouldn’t be able to handle it if I didn’t give you this?” You whimper a response, too focused on the relentless pace he has set with his fingers to come up with anything coherent. Everything about the moment is raw and animalistic, every fantasy you’d had about him during the fifty minute lecture did not even begin to touch on the feeling of his hand actually inside of you.
“Spencer, please.” You whined, dropping your arms from his shoulders and gripping onto his biceps like it will keep your soul from leaving your body. Yet, as heavenly as this felt, and as much as it exceeded your fantasies, you wanted more. Every part of you craved the feeling of his skin pressed against yours, sticky with sweat and feverish to the touch.
On a tight time constraint, Spencer doesn’t make you beg anymore than that. Instead, he delights in the way you cry out when he pulls his hand out of your pants and up to his lips. Your own lips part with a tiny popping sound when you watch him put those same fingers into his mouth with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“Strip.” He commands, licking the taste of you off his lips and leisurely working at the knot of his tie. You don’t waste a second in crossing your arms over your body to pull the black material over your head and drop it at your feet. Next to come off is your shoes, clattering across the wooden floor when you kick them to the side.
By the time you make it to your pants, Spencer has only undone a quarter of the navy blue buttons on his shirt.
“I need you now, Spencer.” The buttons slip through your fingers, your hands shaking with excitement more than nerves. Although, the nerves are definitely apart of it. Never in a million years did you think you would be here; in the backroom of a bar in Nebraska, with Spencer Reid doing salacious things to you. While on your first case with the BAU, nontheless.
Doing a complete one-eighty, his hands come up to cover your own just before the last button comes undone. His touch is gentle and prompts you to look up into his coffee colored eyes. The light from the single bulb dangling from the ceiling is no good, and yet somehow he manages to look like a piece of artwork painted by the most skilled hand known to mankind.
“We don’t have to do this here. We don’t have to do this at all, if you don’t want to.” You squint your eyes up at him, using your fingernail to pop the last button through the hole on the other side of the shirt. When you let go, the pieces fall away from his chest like he’s caught in slow motion on a Calvin Klein commercial.
“I said I needed you now, not later.” In response, he scoops you into his arms and wraps your legs around his hips. The electricity that pops and crackles between you is nearly visible in the dimly lit room, the fabric of your bra skimming against his collarbone when you breath.
The little whines and whimpers that fall from your lips are driving Spencer crazy, forcing him to push through the door and lower you to a shorter countertop meant for making drinks. Tonight it would be used for other, more wicked things.
“Someone’s a bit excited.” You breathed. There was no way you could take a full breath in a moment like this. Everything was so heated and yet nothing was really happening.
“Shut the fuck up.” And then he was kissing you, his lips warm against your own. Despite the fact that you didn’t think it was possible, he pulled you closer. You knitted your fingers into his curls and gave them a slight tug. God, you loved these curls.
He began sucking a heated trail down your throat, quite possibly leaving a pathway of hickeys. You would be putting makeup over them for at least thirty minutes before you left your hotel room tomorrow, but for now they were heavenly fire against your skin.
Spencer took away his lips long enough to strip from his remaining clothes and throw them over his shoulder. When he stood in front of you looking like a Roman god, bared to no one but yourself, it made you feel like the luckiest person alive.
“I’m so in love with your body.” He groaned just before his lips found your breast, sucking on your nipple. Your head fell back and your eyes rolled to the back of your head. You fumbled for a moment, patting around the countertop before your brain turned on long enough to get your hand between your legs and down to his naked erection.
He moaned into your breast as you began to move your hand. He let go of your boob and went straight back up to your mouth. His whole body was tensed up but his lips were soft as they parted against against your lips. The whole world felt like it was on fire, and his every touch was another lick of flames.
You move your hand faster, enjoying every groan and grunt and moan that finds it’s way out of his mouth and into yours. He’s already close to orgasm, you can tell by the way he breaks from the kiss, your foreheads pressed together and your breath stirring in the small space between your faces. His grip is tight when he grabs your wrist to make you stop.
“No.” Every nerve and thought and feeling was consumed by you and everything else short-circuited. Spencer couldn’t get the words out of his mouth to properly express what he wanted, it wasn’t often that the young genius was rendered speechless.
But you knew, you knew that he wanted to be inside of you. You knew that because you wanted him inside of you just as much, if not more, than he did. You shift your hips around on the counter, getting closer to the edge as you widen your legs.
“I’m on the pill.” You whisper, watching the sudden realization that he hadn’t come prepared widen his eyes for just a small fraction of a second. Just as quickly, the fear turns into that devlish grin you weren’t aware someone so beautifully shy and awkward could possess.
“Thank you, Pincus, Sanger, and McCormick.” You barely have time to question the comment, although later you’ll realize he’s probably talking about three of the minds behind the invention of the birth control pill. No longer taking his time, Spencer positions himself right at your entrance before running the tip of his cock along your wet folds.
“Fuck!” He slams into you, running his entire length into your body, hitting depths you didn’t even realize had never been touched until he was thrusting against them. It sends a wave of pleasure through every cell in your body as you wrap your arms around his shoulders and kiss him like you’re running out of oxygen.
He holds onto your hips as he repeatedly rams his hips into yours. He has buried his face into the crook of your neck, letting every curse and moan muffle into your skin. The glasses under the counter jangle with every merciless thrust inside you. The sharp bite of his nails digging into your hips makes you hiss, but it’s more from pleasure than pain.
There’s no dirty talking anymore. Every ounce of pretend you both go through while around one another is shed like seconds skins, leaving two people so hungry for each other that it had been too much to bare.
Your fingers are twisted around the short curls at the nape of his neck and your teeth are biting into the solid muscle at his shoulder. The bar always had whiffs of sex and sweat in the air that mixed with the smell of alcohol and perfume, but now it was the strongest scent in the room.
Even as your orgasm starts to build in your belly, you want more. You want to hold him so close that your brain wouldn’t be able to distinguish where you ended and he began. Letting go of his shoulder, your head lolls back and your own nails draw long lines of red down his neck.
“Spencer!” His name leaves your lips in a mix of a sob and a moan, the ecstasy of just his touch alone driving you higher and higher. The sting of his nails leave your hips, one hand reaching to the place where your connected and the other coming up to grip your jaw in his hand.
His thumb rubs against the little button of pleasure that causes your legs to start to tingle like they’ve been asleep for too long. All the while, he ruthless pace doesn’t falter. Sweat sticks a few of his curls to his temples, providing a beautiful glowing effect across the smooth planes and angles of his shoulders and collarbones.
He leans forward to catch your lips in a kiss that ends much too quickly for your taste, but you can feel the rapid exhalation of his breaths as it fans across your cheek.
“Come.” Usually a man of so many words, you had always assumed it would be the same in his sex life. Maybe it was true in most cases, but right now his desire to see you succumb to the pleasure of him inside of you outweighs the need to taunt and tease you with words.
Meeting his eyes, getting off on the smug look that twists his lips as much as you are getting off on his dick actually inside of you, you let yourself fall into the sweet release of your orgasm. Spencer doesn’t stop as you come around him, instead he quickens the pace as his own release works its way to the edge.
Your legs are still shaking when he buries himself into you with one final thrust, capturing your bottom lip between his teeth. He chases the sting of his teeth away with the softness of the kiss that follows, loosing himself in the aftershocks of your own orgasm.
Neither of you move, although he ends the kiss to gasp for air with your foreheads once again pressed against each other. His eyes are closed, the dark pink on his cheeks and neck making him look so much younger than he was. You keep your eyes open, trying to drink in every second and commit it to your memory the way it would forever be in his.
When he steps away, leaving you feeling much more empty than you’d felt in a really long time, the cocktail of your orgasms spill down the inside of your thighs. Suddenly feeling a bit self conscious, you slip off the counter with your arm wrapped around your bared breasts.
The air seems too cold, the bar too quiet, and your mind was too loud with insecurities as you tried to steady yourself on wobbly knees. Nevertheless, you attempt to make a beeline for the backroom door. If you go and put your clothes back on then maybe you could go back to pretending like he doesn’t exist and everything will be fine.
That is until one of those solidly handsome arms come out to stop you in your pursuit of denial.
He’s still naked, standing next to you like a statue carved by the hands of Michaelangelo himself. Although, you aren’t sure the renissance artist would sculpt nail marks into his skin, the signs of your heated escapade only darkening with time. You can only imagine what your own neck looks like, several spots of sensitive skin still overly stimulated from his wandering mouth.
From your vantage point, you can see his swollen lips open to say something, probably that this had been a mistake, when his phone rings from the pair of pants he’d so carelessly thrown to the floor earlier. A small frown mars his angelic features, the side of his mouth twitching with aggravation.
His lips on yours are a surprise you weren’t expecting, despite the sexual encounter you’d just had. This kiss speaks more words than he could ever possibly say, easing all the post-coital dysphoria that comes with the sudden fall from the high you’d been on. It’s gentle and warm, the hand on your arm squeezes reassuredly before he breaks away with one last peck to your forehead. It nearly tears your beating heart out of your chest.
“Come to my hotel room later.” And then he bends down to snag the phone from his pants with an aggravated growl, turning away from you as he lies through his teeth to a worried Prentiss on the other end.
In the backroom, having shimmied back into your pants and going to put your shirt back over your head, you fingers find your lips. They’re just a little swollen, exactly like his, but you wonder if he can still feel that final kiss against them the way that you could.
Oh boy, were you in trouble.
#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid x oc#spencer reid angst#spencer reid smut#spencer reid fanfiction#dr spencer reid#spencer reid#spencer reid imagines#spence reid#dr spence reid#criminal minds self insert#criminal minds#criminal mind imagine#criminal minds smut#smut
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Imaginary Friends
Pairing: Dad!Tom Holland x Reader
Request submitted by @karaannejones
Synopsis: Tom thinks you’re his sons imaginary friend until he meets you or as I like to call it FBI OPEN UP...ur heart lol
Masterlist
“FBI! OPEN UP!” Spencer softly kicked the door to Tom’s room with his little fingers in the shape of a gun.
“I didn’t do it! I’m innocent!” Tom held up his hands as he son pointed his finger gun at him. He got out of his chair and tumbled on the ground to get away from Spencer.
“Pew pew! Pew pew!” Spencer followed him and chased him out of the room. Spencer grabbed an FBI hat that was way too big for him and put it on his head before tackling Tom. Tom pretended to fall to the ground and threw Spencer in the air a few times until he noticed his hat.
“Where did you get that?” Tom asked as he held his son above his face.
“The pretty lady next door.” Spencer answer as his hat fell into his eyes. Tom set him down on the ground and fixed the hat to sit better on his sons head.
“The pretty lady next door?” Tom furrowed his brows. “I’ve never seen anyone in or out of that house.”
“Because she’s a secret agent, duh.” Spencer giggled as his hat fell down again. “No one can see her unless she wants to be seen.”
“What does this lady look like?” Tom played along, thinking Spencer just had an imaginary friend.
“She’s beautiful.” Spencer gushed. “She wears all black like a ninja and has a shiny badge. She lets me hold it sometimes.”
“Wow.” Tom pretended to be impressed. “What’s her name?”
“I can’t tell you. It’ll blow her cover.” Spencer said like it was obvious. He began to roll around and pretend to shoot things with his finger guns
“Right.” Tom chuckled. “She sounds really cool, buddy.”
“She is. She fights bad guys.” Spencer did a karate pose. “And sometimes, it’s bad girls.”
“Like Doc Oc and Venom? Daddy fights those guys too.” Tom humored him.
“Like kidnappers.” Spencer replied to Tom’s surprise.
“Kidnappers?” Tom questioned. “Where did you see that?”
“The pretty lady next door told me.” Spencer said. “She also told me to keep the doors and windows locked at night.”
“How long have you been talking to this lady?” Tom wondered. Spencer’s imaginary friend was pretty detailed for never having been mentioned before.
“A few months. She’s away a lot for cases.” Spencer explained as he began to play with some toys scattered on the carpet.
“Okay, buddy.” Tom laughed in content. “Maybe you can introduce her to me sometime.”
“Okay daddy.” Spencer smiled happily as Tom came over to play with him.
~
A few weeks later, Tom walked past Spencer’s room and heard him talking to his toys.
“You can never talk to strangers. Don’t let them buy you any candy or ice cream, even if it’s a fudge pop. You can only talk to adults that you know.” Spencer explained you his toys. Tom smiled to himself as he listened to his son babbling. He walked into his room and took a seat across from Spencer.
“Who told you all of that, buddy?” He laughed curiously.
“The special agent next door.” Spencer repeated. “She said we need a code word in case a stranger tries to pick me up from school.”
“A code word?”
“If they don’t know the code word, I won’t go with them.” Spencer explained and Tom realized he was right.
“That’s a good idea, buddy. What do you want the word to be?” He asked his son.
“Y/n.” Spencer said immediately.
“Y/n? Why that?” Tom wondered. They didn’t know anyone with that name, to Tom’s knowledge. He had no idea where his son would learn that name.
“That’s the name of the lady next door. She said I could tell you since you also fight bad guys. Can that be our word, daddy?” Spencer asked as he ran a toy car over Toms leg.
“Sure.” Tom agreed. “That can be our word.”
~
“Look daddy! I got a gold star on my report.” Spencer ran into the house, waving a piece of paper around in the air.
Tom greeted his son with a smile and scooped him off the ground, giving him a big kiss on the cheek before taking the paper.
“Who I Want to be when I grow up by Spencer Holland. Aw, buddy. Good job.” Tom praised as he read the title of the paper.
“I’m gonna go play.” Spencer told him and ran to his room.
Tom sat down at the kitchen table to read his sons paper.
“When I grow up, I want to be like the lady next door. She’s a secret agent for the FBI and brings home lost children. Her job is very dangerous because she fights bad guys. I think she is very smart and brave and that is why I want to be like her.” Tom read. He wasn’t disappointed that it wasn’t about him, just concerned. It was one thing for Spencer to have imaginary friends, it was another thing to write about them at school. Spencer could talk about the lady next door all he wanted at home, but that’s where it should stay. Tom was raising him all on his own, and he didn’t know if six year olds should be talking about their imaginary friends to other people. He decided to talk to Spencer about it as he made his way to his room.
“Hey, buddy, can we talk?” Tom asked as he knocked lightly on Spencer’s doorframe.
“Okay daddy.” Spencer smiled at him from his bed.
“I see you wrote your report on the lady next door.” Tom began.
“I did. I’m going to give it to her when she comes home next week.” Spencer bounced your and down in excitement as he brushed the hair on his police Barbie. Tom laid the report on his bed and sighed.
“Spencer, I had imaginary friends at your age too. It’s perfectly normal.” Tom began. “You just can’t write about her at school like she’s real.”
“She is real!” Spencer protested. “She lets me work on cases with her and let’s me hold her briefcase.”
“Do you think maybe you saw her on TV and got confused?” Tom asked gently. “Nobody lives next door, buddy.”
“Yes she does.” Spencer whined. “I’ll prove it to you.”
“You don’t have to prove anything to me.” Tom assured him. “She can be real at home, but it’s different at school.”
Spencer was about to say something when he heard a car door slam outside. He looked out his window and broke into a huge smile.
“She’s home!” Spencer cheered and ran out of the room. He ran all the way outside and tackled you in hug. Tom watched this from the window with a shocked expression. His son was hugging a woman he had never seen before, and he looked completely comfortable with her. Tom was about to go outside when he noticed a gun strapped to your hip.
Could Spencer had been telling the truth?
“Spence!” You hugged Spencer tightly before setting him down. “How are you doing, buddy?”
“I missed you.” He smiled wildly. “Do you have any cuts from the bad guys?”
“Nope.” You said proudly. “We took him down and ended the case a week earlier than we thought. Thanks for helping me work the case.” You cupped his chin fondly and dug in your pocket. “If you’re gonna keep helping me with this, you’re gonna need a badge of your own.”
You handed Spencer a tiny badge that said FBI on it and his eyes lit up with joy.
“Wow!” He beamed. Thank you! Now I can be just like you. I even wrote about you in my report.”
“You did? Can I see?” You asked him and he handed you the paper.
“Here. I was just showing my daddy.”
You took the report from Spencer’s hands and gave him a grateful smile. You read the paper a few times, almost teared up from how much it meant to you. He grinned proudly at you as you rubbed your thumb over the gold star.
“I love this. Can I keep it for when you’re a famous FBI agent?” You asked him as you pinned the badge to his chest.
“Okay.” Spencer nodded eagerly. You took your eyes off him for a moment when you heard his front door open. Tom came running out of the house and bent down next to his son.
“Spencer, what did I say about talking to strangers?” He scolded before looking up at you. You gave him a kind smile and his heart nearly stopped. Spencer really knew what he was talking about when he called you a pretty lady. Tom flushed in embarrassment and gave you a shy smile back.
“She’s not a stranger. She’s a secret agent.” Spencer insisted and you chuckled. You and Tom stood up and you held out your hand.
“Hi, I’m Special Agent L/N.” You introduced yourself and shook his hand. “You can call me Y/n.”
Tom opened his mouth to speak but found himself star struck. You were exactly as Spencer described in your all black outfit and pretty face. He couldn’t believe he had lived next to you for so long and had never seen you.
“See, daddy? She’s not a stranger.” Spencer said as he tugged on Toms hand. “She fights the bad guys like you do.”
“Oh, are you in law enforcement as well?” You asked Tom and he immediately forgot what he did for a living. Spencer tugged on his hand again and Tom snapped out of it.
“My character is.” He answered. “I’m an actor.”
“Have you been in anything I would’ve seen?”
“Depends.” Tom said. “Are you into natural disasters or superhero’s?”
“I can’t say I am.” You laughed the most beautiful laugh Tom had ever heard. “You mean like Marvel?”
“Yeah. I play Spider-man.” He answered, beginning to feel more confident when your eyes widened in amazement.
“No way.” You gasped. “I didn’t know I was living next door to a superhero.”
“Neither did I.” He laughed softly. You looked at each other for a moment and smiled.
“What do people call you when you’re not playing Spiderman?” You realized your never caught his name.
“Sorry, I’m Tom. I’m Spencer’s dad.” He looked down at his son and noticed the badge on his chest. “What’s that?”
“It’s a badge. Y/n said secret gents need a badge.” Spencer said proudly as he tapped on his badge.
“It’s true. Now you’re official.” You nodded at Spencer. Tom looked between the two of you with a pleasantly surprised smile. Seeing you be so kind to his son warmed his heart. Spencer didn’t have the easiest type making friends in school because he was shy, but he seemed extremely comfortable with you.
“Cool.” Spencer wiggled with excitement. “I’m gonna catch an unsub.”
“I bet you are.” You winked at him before he ran off.
“So how do you guys know each other?” Tom wondered once Spencer had run off.
“Oh, Spence is the smartest guy I’ve ever worked with.” You laughed and folded your arms. “He helps me with cases all the time. He’s loves reading the case files.” You shrugged and Tom smiled at you fondly.
“He talks about you all the time. You’ve taught him a lot.” Tom said in appreciation. It was nice to have someone else looking out for his since he was raising him all alone.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped.” You said suddenly. “The badge is something they sell for agents with kids. He always asks to see mine so I thought I’d get him his own.”
“No, it’s fine. I really appreciate it, actually.” Tom assured you. “This whole time, I thought you were his imaginary friend.”
“Really? That’s so funny.” You smiled in delight. “I usually see him in the yard and ask him for help with the case I’m working on. Don’t worry, I’ve never shown him anything graphic or violent. He actually helped me crack a case the other week when he suggested that the unsub could be a woman.”
“Unsub?” Tom questioned.
“Sorry. Work talk.” You laughed shyly. “Unidentified subject.”
“And he helped you find the person?” Tom asked in amazement. He couldn’t imagine how his 6 year old helped the FBI.
“Absolutely.” You insisted. “My team was only looking at male offenders until Spence said it could be a woman. He’s actually really good at this stuff. He told me he wants to be an agent when he grows up. I hope you don’t mind, I gave him one of my hats.”
“I don’t mind at all. He thinks you’re a secret agent, though. Like a spy.” He chuckled and you shook your head with a smile.
“I told him I was a special agent. He must’ve thought I meant secret.” You explained. “It’s okay. He still understands what I do.”
“I know. I hear him teaching his toys about safety all the time.” Tom said and you put a hand over your heart.
“Does he? That’s so cute.” You pouted. “I just taught him a few safety precautions he should always take.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Tom said sincerely. He couldn’t help thinking about how motherly you already acted towards Spencer. Tom didn’t date because of the thought of having to introduce Spencer to random women scared him, but you had already formed a bond with him. Tom couldn’t help the butterflies he was feeling from being around you. Everything about you, from your independence to your bravery, was drawing Tom in.
“Of course. It’s my job to keep people safe.” You nodded. “I also just like talking to him. You have a really great kid.”
“Yeah, I know.” Tom smiled proudly as he looked over his shoulder at Spencer.
“You and your wife did a great job with him.” You said quietly as you looked down at your boots.
“Yeah, uh, no wife.” Tom scratched the back of his head and you tried to hide your smile. “It’s just him and I. And apparently, you.”
“I see a lot of horrible things on the job. Your sons smiling face makes me remember why I do what I do. It’s all for the kids.” You said sincerely.
“What do you do, exactly?” Tom wondered.
“I work for the FBI and I specialize in child abductions.” You told him and he looked impressed as it all made sense.
“Oh. So that’s where he’s getting all his information from.” He realized. “I think you taught my son more than I ever did.”
“He was always happy to learn.” You smiled brightly. “You’re lucky you don’t have a daughter. I would have a lot more safety precautions to teach her.”
“I’m sorry. Your job can’t be easy.” Tom frowned. You had to spend all day looking for missing children, and he was sure you didn’t always find them. That couldn’t be easy, yet you still faced the world with a smile on your face and kindness in your heart.
That only made Tom like you more.
“It’s not.” You agreed. “But every time I get to reunite a child with their parents, I remember that it’s worth it.”
Tom opened his mouth to speak and closed it. He had never been so star struck around a girl before.
“Sorry, I’m just a little speechless right now.” He laughed shyly and scratched his head again. “You’re just kind of the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I, um, wow.” He shook his head to regain focus as you laughed.
“Thank you, Tom.” You smiled. “I’m really glad I got to meet the man who raised my favorite kid.”
“Do you think we could maybe continue this meeting over dinner?” He made a bold move to keep you on the line.
“Are you asking me out, Spiderman?” You cocked your head and squinted your eyes at him.
“I’m trying to. I’m not very good at this.” He said sheepishly. You took a step forward and straightened out the collar of his shirt as he watched you with wide eyes.
“Well I think you’re doing a great job.” You but your bottom lip and looked him in the eyes. “How does 7 work for you?”
“7 is good.” He squeaked and you smirked.
“I’ll leave my gun at home. Unless you’re planning on getting fresh. Then I’ll have to arrest you.” You said seriously.
“I-“
“I’m teasing.” You cut him off with a laugh. “I’ll see you at 7.”
Spencer ran back up to you and Tom and Tom picked him up.
“See, daddy? I told you there was a pretty lady next door.” Spencer insisted. “I wanna be just like her.”
“Aw. You’re gonna be the greatest FBI agent the world has ever seen.” You pinched his cheek. “I hope you’ll invite me to your induction ceremony.”
“Maybe you can come as my date.” Tom shrugged and you shot him a smile.
“Yeah. Maybe I can.”
Tag List 🏷
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Field Trip To Greece
My own take on the Field Trip salt stories that usually are crossovers with Batman and have Damienette. But this is my version with them going to Greece and involves my OCs Lyon and Vallia Garden.
*****
“Mari, Mari, MARI,” Adrien basically yelled into his friend’s ear.
Marinette woke up with a jolt in her bus seat.
“What,” she groaned, never being much of a morning person.
“We’re almost at the sanctuary, so I figured to wake you up,” Adrien smiled at his friend.
“Thanks and curse how fast this bus is,” Marinette said.
“And curse Hawkmoth for late night akumas,” Adrien suggested.
“That to,” Marinette agreed. “Even in Greece, he still finds a way to annoy us in Paris.”
“Well, you brought the horse miraculous for a reason,” Adrien said.
“How are you not tired,” Marinette questioned him.
“I’ve always been a morning person,” Adrien shrugged. “Blame my father for a lot of early morning photoshoots.”
“I’d slap your father if it did not mean risking my future as a fashion designer in the process,” Marinette says.
After revealing themselves to each other after Miracle Queen, the two had developed a more brother-sister relationship. They both thought that it would be better for them to know each other after having all their allies exposed to Hawkmoth and Mayura. They joked around, teased each other, and also always had each others backs.
Having each other’s backs certainly helped them when Lila’s lies got worse. After Chloe had willingly helped Hawkmoth, she had been sent to a private reformatory school in Sweden. Lila took the opportunity to tell more of her lies, saying that she had been telling her “best friend” Ladybug to keep the Bee miraculous away from Chloe for months. And just like everything else Lila ever said, their class ate it up like it was their last meal.
Adrien had joined Marinette almost immediately after he made his “deal with the devil” in order to get her back into school. He threw himself off the “high road” the moment that Marinette told him that Lila threatened her. But even with him backing up Marinette every time she caught inconsistencies in Lila’s tales, there were still few that actually believed them. Some even went as far as scolding Marinette for her “brainwashing Adrien” into thinking that Lila was a liar.
Kim, Juleka, and Nathaniel were the only ones that stayed loyal to their friends. Especially since Marinette had done so much for them in the past. Like curing Juleka of her photo curse, helping Nathaniel get together with Marc, and Kim had been her friend since they were in diapers. With their group was also Kagami, Luka, Marc, Aurore, and Mireille. The rest of Bustier’s class was pretty much made up of Lila’s attack dogs.
What annoyed Adrien the most was how his so-called best friend. Nino may be siding with his girlfriend, Alya being Lila’s biggest supporter/attack dog, but that also meant he was part of the problem. He certainly never helped Adrien when Lila would constantly hold onto his arm no matter how many times he told her to let go. It was driving Adrien crazy and he was very close to taking Plagg up on his offer to Cataclysm the liar.
“I bet the garden is going to be beautiful,” Juleka says, her seat next to the two heroes.
She was sitting next to Nathaniel while Kim was in the seat in front of Adrien and Marinette. They were all in the seats at the back of the bus.
“I heard that the Garden Family Sanctuary is ranked as an unofficial wonder of the world,” Nathaniel said.
“Anyone else find it odd that a nature sanctuary is run by a family with Garden as their last name,” Kim asked.
“I think this is one of those ‘don’t think about it too much’ times,” Marinette shrugged.
“I haven’t been here in years,” Adrien was glad to be back.
“You’ve been here before,” Juleka asked.
“There was a charity fashion show here about a year before my mother disappeared,” Adrien explained. “I was here with my parents for it.”
“Did you meet any of the animals here,” Kim looked excited. “I heard that they let any animals here roam free even when they have events or tours here.”
“The animals do roam around the sanctuary as they wish,” Adrien says. “But the Garden family and all their employees work hard to tame all their animals privately to make sure that even the predators do not harm anyone. They spend months to years taming them before releasing them into the main part of the sanctuary.”
“It really sounds like an amazing place,” Marinette said.
“I can’t wait to draw some of the animals,” Nathaniel already had out his sketchpad. “Marc requested I draw him the most amazing animal that I see. No pressure. Haha.”
Juleka patted his shoulder, but her obviously hiding her laughter made her attempt to comfort him fail.
But, as usual, their good moods had to be ruined by the Italian that never seemed to go five minutes without hearing the sound of her own voice. And, also as usual, she was spouting her nonsense. They were very close to throwing her out the back of the bus if she did not stop talking.
“Of course I know the Garden family,” Lila brags, lying through her teeth. “They are basically family to me.”
“Here we go again,” the five friends groaned.
“The mother and her two daughters mostly handle the plants,” Lila continues. “The father and their son handle the animals. It’s only natural since they are the only ones that can stomach having to put down the more dangerous animals.”
“Tell us more, Lila,” Alya was recording the entire time.
Adrien growled. “There has never been a case of an animal being put down at the sanctuary. The closest that comes to that is when an animal gets sick and there is nothing they can do to help it.”
“They have to put it out of its misery, don’t they,” Marinette asked.
Adrien nodded. “The youngest two Gardens speak fluent French, so I was able to spend some time with kids my own age during the fashion show. They told me that while it breaks their hearts, it is better than letting the animal suffer.”
“I can see where they come from for that,” Juleka says. “They love, take care of, and train all the animals. So it’s only natural that they form a bond with them.”
“I know I am not the brightest person in class, but how can they believe such crap,” Kim shook his head. “Whenever anyone even slightly mentions someone famous, she instantly says she is either best friends with them or somehow related to them. It’s impossible.”
“Tell that to the sheep that follow her around like she’s god’s gift to the world,” Marinette rolled her eyes.
“Makes you wonder if we really are the only ones in class with braincells,” Nathaniel, of all people, said.
The bus doors opened as it came to a full stop at the sanctuary. Bustier was the first out and the class followed her. They all first went into the sanctuary. And even from what little they could see from where they were, it already was one of the most beautiful places any of them have ever seen.
Trees, flowers, and even fruit and vegetable plants were growing as far as their eyes could see. The entire sanctuary also seemed to be covered by a glass dome, making an environment similar to a greenhouse. It made sense since there were probably plants in certain areas that needed to be grown in certain temperatures.
But today the dome’s windows were open, letting in the natural light of the sun, even if it looked like squares on the ground because of the dome’s window linings.
As Bustier lead them to a stop, two teen their age approached the group. Adrien recognized his two penpals. The ones he met in Greece when he was there for the fashion show. Lyon and Vallia Garden.
Vallia was quite beautiful and had a grace and elegance to her style. She had long blond hair braided with roses and butterflies and had pink streaks. Her eyes were a stunning silver that you could see, if you were close enough, had specks of blue in them. Her style was a red, pink, and purple dawn colored dress with gold flats. On her wrists were diamond rose cuff bracelets, a butterfly on the one on her right wrist.
Lyon gave off a very icy exterior that also screamed honor and loyalty that only a knight would have. A tall boy with hair that was black with streaks of white and blue in it, coming to the length of Adrien's. His eyes were the opposite of the girl's, blue with silver specks. His outfit of choice was a sky blue t-shirt under a white jean vest, matching the blue pants with white boots. On his hands were white fingerless gloves. Around his neck was a sword and shield pendant as well as a white cloak only going down to his knees.
They all also saw that the two did have crystal medallions on their foreheads. Vallia’s was a rose quartz butterfly and Lyon’s was a sapphire wolf.
“Your pen pals are hot, Adrien,” Marinette smirked as she saw her honorary brother staring at Lyon.
“Shut up,” Adrien grumbled, making Marinette giggle.
Bustier turns to the class. “These two are going to be our guides through the sanctuary. Please show them the proper amount of respect since they are the ones that work here.”
Lyon and Vallia gave the teacher the side-eye. While they technically did work there, their family owned the sanctuary and it was like Bustier had completely forgot about that and thought that they were just employees of the sanctuary.
“Shouldn’t we be guided by adults,” Mylene asked, trying not to sound offensive to the two teens.
“We’re your tour guides because we are the only ones here fluent in French,” Lyon told the class, his French flawless.
Adrien hid that he was chuckling behind his hand. He knew the twins were fluent, but the looks on his classmate’s faces when Lyon spoke in French was just so funny.
“Before we begin, let us introduce ourselves,” Vallia said, also switching to French. “My name is Vallia and this is my twin brother, Lyon.”
“Please also take note of a few rules of the sanctuary,” Lyon says. “While the animals here have been tamed, do not touch or interact with them without permission. Certain movements or actions could cause them to badly react. They are all also on specific diets, so do not feed them unless we give you food to give them.”
“The plants should also all remain untouched,” Vallia added. “There are certain plants here that are not native to the area and survive here only because we created the right environments for them. Especially the ghost orchid. There are barely even 2000 ghost orchid plants left in the world and they need to remain here so that they do not go extinct.”
Most of the class nodded, understanding the rules. Lila hid how annoyed she was at not being able to take whatever beautiful plant she wants or touch any cute animal that she sees.
The tour than began, the class following the twins deeper into the sanctuary. Already they were starting to see a ton of the animals that lived there. There were some animals of Greek origins. Such as brown bears, red deer, lynxes, rock lizards, weasels, and wild boar. There were also more international animals. Like white-tailed deer from North America, jaguars from South America, pandas from China, African panthers and lions, Indian tigers, horses from Canada, even komodo dragons from Indonesia. And that was just the beginning.
“The Garden Family Sanctuary was founded almost a hundred years ago by siblings Apollo and Persephone Garden,” Lyon says. “Having been named after the god of the healing and the goddess of flowers, they had always loved helping nature and animals.”
“They started out with an animal shelter that took in any and all animals,” Vallia continued for her brother. “They had a very clear rule about being a no-kill shelter. The more popular they became, the more room they needed. And since they already came from a rich family, they bought more land. And over the years, it grew into the sanctuary you see today.”
“With the amount of animals and plants coming, there has been chat about buying land on another island to expand the sanctuary,” Lyon said. “Which means more area to protect from smugglers and poachers.”
“Your French is very good,” Marinette compliments them.
“Thank you, we’ve had years of practice,” Vallia says.
“It helped when we hosted a few French fashion designers here a few years ago for a charity fashion show,” Lyon said.
Adrien caught the smirk that Lyon sent his way. It made the blond blush.
The group continued walking through the sanctuary. A few of the animals curiously looked at the group, but chose not to get near them. There were a few did cuddle up to the twins, who happily petted them before sending them away with a treat in their mouth.
But even as the twins tried to talk about the sanctuary, Lila was still telling her lies as the classmates not under her spell surrounded her. They listened to her more than they did their actual tour guides.
“Yeah, poachers and smugglers try to get in all the time,” she was saying. “The first time I was here, I saw one and tried to tell the employees and they didn’t believe me. They certainly did after I single-handedly stopped him from taking a rare blue tiger.”
“That is so cool, Lila,” Rose unknowingly encouraged more lying.
“They should make you a partner here if you caught a poacher that they did not even know was there,” Alya said.
“They wanted to, but my mother said I was too young to be part of a business,” Lila says.
Adrien saw the twins look at each other as they hear what is being said. He knew that while the two were mostly quiet around those they do not know, other than when they gave tours, they would definitely not take liars sitting down. They were extremely protective of their family, which was why Lyon practiced archery while Vallia is an expert with the bo-staff.
“The Garden family would never offer someone outside of the family a part of the sanctuary,” Lyon stated, making the class look at him.
“We would appreciate you not tell such tall tales about such a charitable family,” Vallia crossed her arms. “They are well-respected by all of Greece and do not deserve to have such lies told about them.”
The class looked very insulted at the accusation of Lila being a liar, which happened whenever anyone said that. It happened more than you think since Bustier’s class was the only one in the entire school that actually believed her. Everyone else knew that Lila was nothing but a liar.
“Something tells me that things are about to get interesting,” Juleka whispered to the rest of their group.
“You’re the one that knows them, Adrien,” Marinette says. “What do you think they’ll do?”
“I’ve been in contact with them for years,” Adrien said. “And from all I know about them, it’s a slight miracle that Lyon hasn’t already threatened to shoot her with an arrow.”
“Does he do that often,” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.
“Only to those that really anger him, really annoy him, or threaten his family,” Adrien said. “But that last part also includes the sanctuary and all of the animals kept here.”
“Guess we should be thankful that he doesn’t have them on him right now,” Kim says. “Even if he could get rid of our liar problem with a single shot.”
“Lyon was actually scouted by the coach of the Greek Olympian archery team,” Adrien tells them. “But Lyon doesn’t like competition. He says that they are nothing but barbaric events meant to to do nothing but enlarge egos and decrease braincells.”
“Can are class even lose what they don’t have,” Marinette smirked.
All of them laughed at her joke. When Marinette got sassy and sarcastic, it was hilarious. She could sass-talk like nobody’s business.
“Haw dare you,” Lila put a hand over her heart and then started up the crocodile tears again. “How could you be so mean to me?”
That was when her sheep glared at the twins.
“Lila is not a liar,” Alya was her main supporter as usual. “You’re nothing but simple employees. I bet you do not even know the Garden family. Lila, on the other hand, is basically an honorary member of their family.”
Both twins crossed their arms this time, staring down the class.
“Let us fully introduce ourselves,” Lyon narrowed his eyes at them. “My name is Lyon Garden and this is my twin sister, Vallia Garden. Our family owns this sanctuary and neither of us nor the rest of their family have ever met this girl.”
Adrien was seriously smirking at this point. He had seen this coming and was very glad that it had finally was. Especially since Lila did not even get the number of family members right. There were two Garden parents, but the children were another story. Lyon and Vallia were the youngest of the family, but Vallia was the only girl and they had two older brothers.
“You’re probably just lying to make Lila look bad because you’re jealous,” Alix glared at the twins. “She’s connected to the Gardens while you are not.”
“Don’t believe us, we don’t care, but we do have a friend in your class that knows who we are,” Vallia giggled. “Isn’t that right, Adrien?”
The sheep looked at the model. He only smirked as he joined Lyon and Vallia’s side.
“You two certainly know how to make an impression,” Adrien tells them, chuckling.
“If we really wanted to make an impression, I would have started at my favorite wolf den,” Lyon snickered. “But I would have been too tempted to order my wolves to eat them.”
Adrien laughed at the looks of horror on his classmates’ faces.
“If you guys haven’t figured it out, it was my family that the twins were talking about before,” Adrien says. “We were the ones that came here for the charity fashion show. It was great to meet the two youngest members of the Garden family.”
“So these are the sheep that follow that liar like lost puppies,” Vallia looked at Adrien. “The liar that doesn’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer?”
“Got it in one, Vallia,” Adrien says. “And she’s been telling lies about your family since this field trip started. She even said that your family was three girls and two boys.”
The twins rolled their eyes.
“Wow,” Lyon shook his head. “Vallia might wish she had a sister, it’s just us and our two older brothers with our parents.”
Vallia playfully slapped her brother’s shoulder.
While Adrien took his two friends over to the rest of his group to introduce them, the rest of the class finally seemed to get that Lila did indeed lie to them. They turned on her like lions on an antelope and started yelling at her for lying to them.
The twins made mental notes to contact their parents about needing to sue a girl for slander and defamation.
#ml salt#alya salt#lila salt#Lila exposed#original character#miraculous#miraculous ladybug#miraculous fandom
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When Stars Ignite - Chapter 14
HPHM Rockstar AU
A/N: Katriona Cassopeia (in mention) belongs to the gorgeous @kc-and-oc
General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.
Specific Warning:
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Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.
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This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist
Taglist: @slytherindisaster @carewyncromwell @night-rhea @thatravenpuffwitch
Man, we were killin' time
We were young and restless
We needed to unwind
I guess nothin' can last forever
Forever, no…
~ Bryan Adams - Summer of ‘69 ~
Much to his relief, Orion’s fear of having been discovered seemed to prove unwarranted. Skye was a direct person, never shy to speak her mind; if she had truly seen something not meant for her eyes during the interview, Orion was sure she’d have already come and spoken to either of them.
But nothing of the sort had happened. She had acted just like she always did and his first surge of worry had died down again. Sometimes even the most focused mind was prone to being tricked and, as he had to admit to himself, focus was something he found himself lacking in these days.
It wasn’t only because of Lizzie’s teasing getting riskier that he found his mind wandering more often than not. Ever since the show they were meant to be playing for the children from the foster system had shown its face on the horizon, an ever present restlessness had been growing in Orion.
Dreams that he had pushed to the edges of his mind a long time ago had started haunting him again; they kept coming back whenever they held an event stirring the buried memories of his childhood. He loved seeing the light in the children’s faces when they were spending time with them; he knew it was a rare sight, after all. The emotional mess Orion carried back with him afterwards was the dark side of the coin, however.
The charity event was scheduled for the next day; they were to play a small acoustic set for the children in the afternoon and their regular show only a few hours later on top. To keep their spirits high before the double load, Ethan had scheduled a day off for them.
The weather was still uncharacteristically hot and so most of the band and crew had found themselves at the small pool on the rooftop of their hotel. Much to everyone’s surprise, even Artemis had joined them.
Charlie had followed Skye’s advice to take Artemis for drinks a few days prior. He had been unusually tight-lipped about it when they had asked him how it had gone down.
“It was good,” he had shrugged, “told you she’s not as bad as you all think.”
While the young pyro tech still kept her distance from the rest of them, Orion had seen her chatting with Charlie outside of their work on stage since then. He was glad she seemed to be taking a step into the right direction, lowering her armour even for the tiniest bit.
But Artemis’ tentative attempts at integrating herself with their group lounging by the pool were counteracted as soon as she took her shirt off. Everett audibly wolf-whistled at her black bikini with surprisingly colourful patterns crisscrossing it. Her withering glare was met with a lewd grin as Artemis picked up her stuff and dumped it on the deckchair farthest away from them.
Lizzie gave Everett a smack on the back of his head. “Well done, Ev, you’ve scared her away. I wanted to have a chat with her.”
Everett looked at her over the rim of his sunglasses. “I’m not stopping you. Two beauties in bikinis getting close? Who would I be to object? You could rub her back with sunscreen.”
He laughed to himself. “If Artemis isn’t up for it, I’m always here for you, gorgeous.”
A hint of the same irritation Orion felt flickered over Lizzie’s face. “You’re a real mood today.”
She got up from her own deckchair and started over in Artemis’ direction anyway, but was stopped by Charlie catching onto her wrist.
“Woah, where are you going, little rockstar?”
“Go and talk to Artemis, see if I can convince her to come over if Ev shuts up.” She gave the singer lounging in his chair a dark look.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Charlie said and pulled her down next to him. “Trust me, if you push her you’ll be the one scaring her away. She’ll come over if she wants to.”
Lizzie opened her mouth to object but Charlie shook his head. “You can’t force her, sunshine.”
“Fine,” Lizzie snorted, not pleased by the situation, “so what’re we gonna do now?” She nodded in the direction of the pool. “Anyone up for a round of water polo?”
Everett declined, preferring to seek a better place to tan, while Merula did the opposite and withdrew to the shade with a book. So it was Charlie, Lizzie, Andre and Skye who made their way to the water. Orion would have joined them, but he was preoccupied with some ideas that had been floating around in his head since that morning; he wanted to write them down before he’d forget them.
He was lying on his stomach on his deckchair, notebook open in front of him, but found it hard to concentrate. The match of water polo going on in the pool had turned into some kind of wrestling match, like it always did eventually. Lizzie and Skye were sitting on Charlie’s and Andre’s shoulders respectively, trying to knock the other into the water; a lot of giggling and shouting was involved as they fought for the upper hand.
What really distracted him though, was the way the sunlight was refracting in the water droplets on Lizzie’s skin when she moved. It let her slender body shimmer, her tan she always got so quickly in the summer months a beautiful contrast to the vibrant red of her bikini. Her wet hair looked a lot darker than it actually was and it was clinging to her back.
Skye almost managed to knock her off Charlie’s shoulder and Lizzie laughed as she righted herself again. It was the kind of laugh that made her stand out amongst all the others, bright and captivating. It gave her an aura that was impossible to escape, drawing eyes whenever she entered a scene. She had the ability to light up a whole room with her smile, as fresh and beautiful as a sunrise.
“I’d say I’m 95.9 % sure what you’re staring at, my friend,” Orion suddenly heard the voice of Murphy next to him, “or should I rather say who?”
Orion tried not to let his surprise show; he had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard his best friend approach. “Your meaning is obscure to me,” he answered evasively. “I’m simply trying to work here.”
Murphy couldn’t hide his smirk. “When you’re working, your attention is usually 87.5 % focused on your work, more if no one is distracting you. Four out of five times you don’t even react when spoken to.” He glanced down at the mostly blank page of Orion’s notebook. “Today I’d say your focus is reduced to abysmal 30.9 %.” Never missing a detail, his eyes flicked to the still on-going wrestling match in the pool.
With a sigh, Orion closed his notebook and rested his head on his arms. Murphy was far too observant to be lied to, but he didn’t have to know all the details either.
He indicated their laughing friends with a slight nod of his head. “It is good that our friends are having a great time, it strengthens their bond of friendship. But they are making a lot of noise, it’s bound to draw attention.”
The dismissive sound Murphy was making clearly showed that he wasn’t buying it. “It’s obvious they’re distracting you. But from what I’ve seen, 95.5 % of the time you’ve spent looking at them were devoted to one of the pairs, and while I do have to admit that Andre’s new gold bangles are surprisingly flashy and apparently water resistant, I highly doubt it was him that drew your attention, same goes for Skye, although her hair usually is an eye catcher, I’ll give you that. That leaves Charlie and dear Lizzie, and last time I checked, you weren’t one for redheads, that’s more my thing. Not that I want to say I find Charlie particularly attractive, although some might say so, but I digress. So only one option remains, and as the one and only master of logical deductions, the great Sherlock Holmes, once said, ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable…”
“...must be the truth’,” Orion finished with a sigh. “I know the quote. You're quoting numbers all day every day, do you really feel the need to go into literature as well now?"
Ignoring him, Murphy was grinning from ear to ear, clearly satisfied with his conclusions. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Orion wasn’t answering immediately; he didn’t like Murphy’s prying at all. “Are you done, Detective McNully?”
“Fine, don’t answer me then, I don’t need confirmation,” Murphy snorted. “The stats never lie, my friend.”
Orion rolled his eyes, hoping Murphy wouldn’t delve into another one of his statistical sprees. Although he was right in that his numbers were seldom wrong, Orion himself preferred a more open-minded view of his surroundings to Murphy’s cold, analytical observations; especially, if these observations were directed at his own behaviour.
But of course, Murphy wasn’t deterred. “To the attentive observer, which of course you know that I am, all the facts are there. Eight out of ten times your mood changes for the better when Lizzie enters the room. Seven out of ten times she starts smiling when she looks at you. You two look at each other during shows and soundtracks 46.4 % more often than at the others and yes, I factored out the times when you need to because of the cues she’s giving you, thanks a lot for asking. You hug each other at the end of the shows significantly longer as well. When you leave the backstage area, you’re never leaving together but almost always in close succession.”
The blond sound technician crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Are you really sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me?”
Orion was more than a little shocked at all the facts Murphy had just thrown at him. “I had no idea it was that obvious.”
Murphy shrugged, a sly smile appearing on his face. “Only to me. You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and my above average observational skills, which of course not everyone possesses, solved 82.3 % of the mystery.”
“What’s with the rest?”
“What I can offer in facts, I sometimes lack in interpreting. Katriona connected the dots.”
“Obviously,” Orion sighed.
“So, what’s the deal with you two? Are you dating?” A frown appeared on Murphy’s face. “I thought you had a clause about this in your contracts. Ethan’s not going to like this.”
Orion vehemently shook his head. “No, you got that wrong. We’re not dating, everything is just like it has always been. We’re just enjoying additional pastimes, which - I’ll give you that - may exceed a regular friendship.”
He looked at Murphy intently. “No one besides you knows about this, and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way.”
Murphy made a non-committal sound. “Of course this doesn’t include Katriona.”
“As if any of us could keep a secret from her.”
“I normally don’t go for absolutes but that’s 100 % true,” Murphy laughed. He looked at Orion curiously. “So how long has this thing between you and Lizzie been going on now?”
“A while,” Orion answered evasively.
“The definition of ‘a while’ ranges from two weeks to up to a year. Judging by my numbers, it’s definitely not the former. Doesn’t sound like a short lived fling to me.”
“I wouldn’t call it a fling,” Orion said; it was surprisingly hard to put what was going on between them into words. “But we’re definitely not emotionally involved with each other. It’s not a matter of the heart, more of a physical extension built on the base of our friendship.”
Murphy leaned back into his wheelchair and grinned. “The old classic, friends with benefits.”
“If that’s the label you want to stick on it.”
Murphy hummed in response, following Orion’s gaze to the pool again. His voice was quieter when he spoke this time. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We are both on the same page about it.”
“Just saying, things like these seldomly work out as well as they start. Approximately 89.6 % of physical relationships end in chaos, tears or both.”
The memory of his own initial worry emerged in the back of Orion’s mind. He watched as Skye gave Lizzie a final push that sent her toppling from Charlie’s shoulders. She shrieked before she crashed into the water, but was already laughing again when she resurfaced; Orion firmly pushed his concerns away.
“It won’t escalate with us,” he said. “Both of us value our friendship, and the fate of Equinox even more so. We’ve established very clear rules. I appreciate your worries, but they are misplaced.”
“As much as I love rules for the structure they’re bringing, rules can easily be broken,” Murphy said. “Just be careful, okay? Mixing friendship with sex can be a lot of fun but the devil’s in the detail.”
They both watched Lizzie climbing out of the pool and heading over into their direction. When she passed Everett, he pulled down his sunglasses and watched after her, his eyes very slowly travelling up and down her body. He said something to her Orion couldn’t hear, but Lizzie only rolled her eyes, shot something back and continued on her way. Murphy's eyes flicked from her to Orion.
“Aren’t you bothered with Ev hitting on her?”
Orion shrugged. “Why would I? She’s not my girlfriend, and she can perfectly handle herself, as you’ve just seen.”
“That she undoubtedly can,” Murphy laughed, “I’ll better be off now and leave you two alone. I wonder where my beautiful wife is. I haven’t seen her in quite a while now.”
#hphm#hogwarts mystery#harry potter hogwarts mystery#orion amari#murphy mcnully#lizzie jameson#lizion#rockstar au#when stars ignite#wsi#besties collaborate
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noel on ice — kim namjoon
Pairing — Namjoon x Reader, feat. minor mention of Jungkook x OC
Genre — fluff, holiday, minor angst, mental health
Tags — strangers to lovers, figure skater!Namjoon, barista!MC, non-idol au, figure skater au, café au, holiday au
Word Count — 16k
Summary — After sustaining a crushing defeat at the World Figure Skating Championships, falling from his perfect gold standard to his long-time rival, Kim Namjoon returns to South Korea with an unsure heart and accompanying injury. At the same time, Y/N is as far from home as she has ever been due to a falling out with her family, working as a barista at a café in Seoul while trying to finish her degree. As if by fate, the two meet, and Namjoon makes it his goal to make Y/N see the magic of the holidays -- one Christmas adventure across Seoul at a time.
Warnings — minor language, brief anxiety attack, mentions of ptsd related symptoms
A/N — This year has been a very difficult one for us all. For my fic in this Christmas collab, I wanted to acknowledge all of that and give a little mental health break for everyone. All of our experiences have been different, but one thing we all have in common is that 2020 was unexpected, painful, and heavy. Please, no matter what holiday you celebrate, let yourself have as much rest and healing as you need. If this little, probably-needs-more-editing-than-I-had-time-for fic can help you get there — even just for the twenty minutes it takes to read — then my job is done ❤️ I love you all, and I know I speak for the others when I say I hope 2021 treats us all so much kinder, and I hope we learn to love ourselves in spite of our worlds around us.
Playlist — Link here.
Christmas Collaboration — this fic is a part of the Christmas Collab by @kooala (link coming soon!)
"Hey—Hey, are you even listening to me?"
Raising your head slightly, your eyes widening as you realize you've zoned out again, focusing on the snowfall outside instead of the next customer in line. The woman waving her hand in front of you is as foreign to South Korea as you are, but her expression is entirely that of an angry American. Her scowl has etched deep lines into her skin, where smile lines should be.
Unfortunately, her face is all too familiar. Usually it pays to be one of the only native English-speakers at your café; however, when Americans come in, you're the one pushes to take their orders and serve them.
Even the most difficult ones.
"S—Sorry, Ma'am," you mutter. Shaking your head, you force a customer-service smile. "I was just admiring the snowfall. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Oh, yeah," she retorts sarcastically. "So beautiful that it's making travel home nearly impossible. Can you please just make my drink so I can leave?"
"I—I didn't hear it, Ma'am. Can you repeat it please?"
While the woman rolls her eyes, she repeats her order swiftly, muttering something along the lines of, "Baristas these days, I swear to god," under her breath. "Make sure to get it right this time. Every time I come in and order a blended cappuccino, you guys end up giving me a latte, which is not what I ordered."
"And every time, we have to explain that all a latte is, is a blended cappuccin—"
"—I don't want to hear it!"
With a sigh, you ring up the total for the "blended cappuccino, not latte" and let the woman pay. From the sidelines, your co-worker Lisa stands with a glare and a tin of heated milk ready to go for your order.
"Ms. Blended cappuccino again?" she asks as you turn towards her with a note written in perfect Hangul.
You nod, running a hand over your hair in frustration. "I hate being the only native bi-lingual person here. Means I get to deal with her every damn time."
Sensing your downtrodden spirit, Lisa pushes you out of the way, giving you a gentle shove towards the back room. "I got this one. Go take a breather in the back, okay?"
"But—"
"—Ah! No buts. I know enough English to get by."
From the front desk, the woman pipes up again, demanding her drink be made faster. Lisa marches past your, arms herself with the imaginary drink, and says in perfect English, "You're in Seoul now. Speak Korean."
Knowing Lisa can handle the absolute hell-spawn that is an angry American Karen, you turn your back to the drama and shuffle to the break room behind the "employees only" door. An exasperated breath escapes as you revel in the silence, pushing away the muffled café sounds on the other side of the door. Being the only one in the break room, you spot your favorite white chocolate mocha on the side table, with a smiley face sticky note indicating it's from Lisa beside it.
You smile gently at the sweet gesture, and shove the sticky note into your pocket as a reminder to yourself to thank her later.
Taking the mug between your overworked hands, you settle down on the window seat and watch the December sky slowly shift from violet to navy. The mocha is just slightly sweet with a hint of peppermint, just like you like it. It's almost enough to illicit the Christmas spirit lying dormant inside you.
There's something incredibly painful about this particular holiday season, you think to yourself as the cars pass swiftly on the street outside. The glittering lights, the beautiful carols, the crystalline snow — none of it feels the same as last year. The holidays are supposed to be a time of comfort and renewal, but this year — after moving halfway around the world by yourself — your heart is starting to wonder if that part of you has died.
Maybe it's the loneliness you're feeling, or maybe it's the fact that you're so far away from home. Or maybe it's the fresh-in-your-mind arguments and falling out with your family over the summer. That bitter taste lingers still in the back of your throat, not unlike a dark espresso. A Christmas season without your parents and siblings; you never thought living your own life and following your happiness could hurt so much. For better or worse, that nostalgic feeling family and friends bring is long gone. And now you're nostalgic for nostalgia itself; what kind of messed up feeling is that?
You've had twenty-four wondrous, magical holiday seasons. Is it part of growing up that your allotment of joyful Christmas days is limited?
Is twenty-five the year that the magic just...stops?
When the night sky becomes unchanging, the door to the café kitchen opens. Lisa peeks her head inside, side-bangs falling in her face. "How's the mocha? Did I get it right?"
You take the last sip with a grateful smile, then place the mug onto the coffee table. "You nailed it. Thank you, I needed that."
Pride swells in Lisa's chest, and her shoulders straighten as she enters the room. "Well, good news. Karen's gone," she announces, "and your favorite customer is here!"
"Who?"
Lisa places her hand horizontally at her hip-level. "About this tall? Loves peppermint hot choco?
Bolting from your seat, all your concerns are momentarily gone. Your co-worker doesn't have to utter another word to get you to exit the back room and reenter the kitchen.
Across the counter, a mop of black hair is barely visible. Dark brown eyes peer over the granite surface; they twinkle and shine at the sight of you. Tiny hands splay on the surface in an attempt to make the small child taller. He's around seven to eight years, you estimate. Nine or ten at the very most. Definitely not out of primary school. And he's your very favorite customer, because unlike most, this child comes in with a toothy grin almost every single day with enough money for a peppermint hot chocolate. He's never late, and he's never unhappy. If the Sun were to bless the world with a ray of sunshine in human form, this kid would be it.
"Ahjumma!" the little boy shouts, a grin plastered on his face.
Instead of having him crane his neck, you walk around the counter, bend down on one knee, and ignore the other customers behind him. Pulling one of the tiny baked goods from your apron pocket, you offer the sweet to the child with a wink.
"You're here awfully late, Yeongu. You're usually here right after school lets out. It's already after dark."
Yeongu digs through his pocket and pulls out several crumpled won, enough for his beverage of choice. "Tomorrow is the last day before Christmas break, so dad picked me up and took me skating. I'm with mom and her boyfriend for the rest of the month 'cause Dad's going to Busan with his new wife. I don't like her that much. She frowns too much. And she smells like soju and taffy."
You exchange the won for the baked treat, laughing softly as you invite the boy onto the corner table nearest the hot chocolate machines. "You don't like taffy, do you?"
He makes a face and takes a big bite of the delicacy. "My teacher tells us that if we eat taffy, it will help us remember things. I ate too much of it last year, and now I hate it. Dad's new wife must always be forgetting things, because she always smells like it!"
After finishing the simple drink, you slide the mug across the table and plop down in the seat across from the small boy. "So does this mean I won't get to see you until after Christmas?"
Yeongu shakes his head. "I'll be by tomorrow after. Mom wanted to visit my cousin before we left. He's back in town for Christmas, and we haven't seen him in a long time."
"Oh? What does he do?"
"Sports."
At that, the boy changes the conversation. "What are you doing for Christmas, Ahjumma?"
"Yeah, Ahjumma," Lisa pipes up after serving the final to-go customer for the night. She flips the sign on the front door and turns back to the two of you, hand on her hip. "What are you doing for your first Christmas in Korea?"
Shrugging slightly, you turn your attention back to the small child across from you. "I'll probably spend the day with Mochi — my cat — probably studying so I'll be ahead in the new year for my next classes." Lisa gives an empathetic look at the mention of your kitten, which causes you to roll your eyes playfully. "Don't give me that look! I'll be fine. Probably best for me to have a relaxed, non-hectic couple of days. This year has been a rough one."
"That sounds sad," Yeongu states bluntly, earning a snicker from Lisa.
"Kid's right. Absolutely dreadful, [Y/n]. What a lame Christmas."
"What about you, then? Do you have any plans for Christmas?"
At the question, Lisa's smirk drops and she perks up. "Well, I'm sure you know, but Christmas in Korea is pretty different from America," Lisa reminds you, and you nod your acknowledgement. "It's more of a couple holiday, so my boyfriend Jungkook and I are planning to take the week off and do a ton of holiday activities together. Mostly outdoors stuff. Y'know, snowboarding, skiing, snowball fights — the usual."
"Sounds like a blast," you laugh.
"Oh, it will be." She gives a wink, then nods to Yeongu. "Are we about done here? I need to head out if you're okay with locking up for the night."
You give a wave of approval as the child nears the end of his glass. "I got this. Say hello to Jungkookie for me."
Lisa flashes a set of extravagant finger hearts before disappearing into the back, where she gathers her personal items and exits out the rear entrance. In her absence, Yeongu tugs on your sleeve and holds up an empty mug.
"Thank you for the hot choco, Ahjumma," he grins, showing the dark stain on his upper lip.
Taking the mug, you use the edge of your apron to clean the mess from his face. "If you come by tomorrow before you leave with your Eomma, I'll make you another with extra peppermint, okay?"
The boy's smile grows, and he hops up from the table with a swift bow. "I'll be here!" He heads for the door with a skip in his step.
"Will you get home all right?" you call after him.
Yeongu turns and grins. "I will, don't worry, Ahjumma!"
And then he's gone, out the door in a rush of energy and giggles towards his home nearby. You merely shake your head; there's no point in going after him now.
Soon after, you're following in his step. It doesn't take you long to clean up. By the time you lock up and exit out the back, snow has begun to fall. You brave the cold, tugging your coat tighter around you, burying your face into your scarf. The journey to the subway is short, and your feet take you quickly. Even still, you stare upward at the snowy clouds in hope that they might spark a semblance of Christmas joy in your heart.
Tonight, like every other night, nothing changes.
You heave a sigh, and the breath billows out as a visible fog as you enter the station. Going through the motions to get to your apartment is easy. A swipe of a card, a short ride to the edge of the neighborhood, and a trek up the set of stairs. Once through the door, you're greeted by a mewing shadow of a cat.
"Hi, my baby girl," you greet with a soft smile, bending down to scratch the tiny fur ball behind the ears. The black cat rubs her chin against your palm and follows you when you waltz to the kitchen. "You hungry?"
As if responding, "Yes!" Mochi speeds up and meows a bit louder than last time.
Her antics bring a smile to your face as you turn on the television for background noise. You find the nearest Korean news station, finding the program in the middle of a report on Korea's favorite rap duo and their upcoming tour: Suga and J-Hope. Your intention with the selection is two-fold — first, to continue to enhance your skills of the Korean language, and two, to continue learning about the culture and world of your new home. While you had extensive knowledge of both before moving to Seoul — despite the process being rather quick due to the fallout with your family — nothing compares to being immersed in the country itself.
As the musical entertainment section ends, you begin pulling ingredients out of the fridge and cupboard. "What do you think sounds good, Mochi? How about teokbokki?" The black cat perches her paws on your right leg, purring pleasantly. "I agree, sounds great after a long day."
You toss a bag of rice cakes onto the counter as the news changes to sports. Even as you prepare the sauce for the meal, you actively listen to the voices in the background.
"Unfortunately, RM Nam's ice skating season has been cut short due to an unforeseen injury he sustained during practice this summer. At the time, the damage to his shoulder seemed unnoticed by the athlete and his coach. However, as we saw earlier this October at the Grant Prix Series: Skate America, Mr. Nam's mishap on the ice turned out to be far more damaging than originally thought. Thus, the position representing South Korea at the next in the series, Skate Canada, was shifted to his rival, Kim Seokjin, and RM Nam returned home to Seoul to recover."
You can't but help a glance up at the screen. The skater in question has his back turned to the cameras as he heads into the airport. Behind his sunglasses, mask, and beanie, he offers a polite smile and wave to the reporters. Moments later, his coach guides him into the building, out of sight.
"That doesn't sound fun," you mutter to yourself as the report moves onto politics.
After you finish cooking, you plate yourself a portion and move into the living room. Besides the tiny tan sofa and the television propped up on a box, most of the room is bare. There are a handful of boxes strewn across the apartment of the few things you either had shipped from the States or that you bought in your six months since then, but for the most part, you've been putting off all of it. Most of your time is spent at work or at school; you haven't had the time, energy, or motivation to do any of it. Even at Christmas, despite Lisa gifting you with your very own tiny tree and twinkle lights to spread across the home, you've yet to unpack any of it. The tree remains in the slender box beside the TV, and you doubt it will go up this year at all.
Heaving a sigh at the thought, you turn the channel to VIKI put on your favorite drama. This particular one is a reincarnation plot with two male leads played by Korea's golden boys: Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung. Paired with the bowl of teokkboki in your lap and the kitten curled to your side, it's enough to drag you thoughts out of homesickness and back to the present.
This might just have to be the Christmas you forget and hope that the next year is a kinder one.
A lot changed in your life this year. In some ways, the changes were good. In others, not so much. Most of the turbulent times were in the heat of the summer, but things began slowing down once you moved to South Korea in September. You were now away from toxic family members, away from a life you never wanted, and looking ahead to an uncertain but certainly hopeful future.
In late October, the seasons began changing for the better — and not just in the physical sense of the falling leaves and cooler breeze. Lisa was right about your favorite customer; it truly was little Yeongu. However, there was another that you looked forward to seeing, just as much as the elementary school boy.
This person was older, around your age, with a deeply dimpled smile that made your stomach flutter. Eyes as slender as his body proportions, you'd be lying if you said he wasn't an attractive man. Hair the color of the snowflakes he walked through, eyes the color of the beverage he'd always order, skin the color of warmth in a cozy fireplace. Even his voice was warm and deep; at every conversation, while you are completely fluent in Korean, you find yourself just wanting to listen to the soft timbre.
Over time, this man — whose name you'd quickly learn was Kim Namjoon — became a regular at your little coffee shop. He'd come in at the oddest hours, either super early or super late. Hours you often worked alone, when there were fewer customers. Every time, he'd strike up a conversation as you took his order and crafted his beverage of choice (a heavy coffee brewed dark and bitter, with just a splash of cream and almond whip.) He was sweet, and eventually you opened up. He'd hang around the counter long after the transaction was completed, sometimes until another customer stole your attention away. It didn't take long for you to realize that he was far more than merely a pretty face.
In those weeks leading up to December, you found yourself smiling a bit more. Joking a bit more. Shoulders lightening a bit more. You looked forward to the increasingly insistent days where he'd waltz in — sometimes covered in raindrops, sometimes in crisp leaves, sometimes in snowflakes — always a crystal blue umbrella under his arm and a charcoal grey scarf around his neck.
It's the same person standing at the entrance now, the man currently shaking the rain from his umbrella and platinum locks. Lisa gives you a smirk as she nods her head towards the register and steps away from the counter, as if silently saying, "You're up, m'lady. Holler if you need me; I'll be doing an order in the back."
You brush your hair back into proper place, display a genuine smile, and take your stance behind the register. When Namjoon's eyes meet yours, his smile deepens and creates dimples on either side of his mouth.
After the customer in front of him pays and leaves with his order in hand, you greet him with a simple, "You haven't been in, in over a week. Finally trying to break your caffeine addiction?"
Namjoon gives a deep laugh and shakes his head. "Not in the slightest. I like being able to function as an adult in society, thank you very much." He pulls out several won from his wallet. "I'll have..."
"The usual?"
He cocks an eyebrow. "You remember?"
"Of course," you grin, and type his drink of choice into the register. Taking his money, you add, "How could I forget your order after the hilarious reaction when I suggested a mint mocha?"
The boy thinks back to the first day he walked into the café, and recalls that conversation with a groan. "Oh god, was I that bad?"
Handing him his change, you tap your chin and reply, "Well, maybe a bit. I'd never seen someone so horrified at the idea of mint chocolate."
Namjoon rubs the back of his neck with an awkward smile. "Sorry about that. Pretty terrible at hiding my disdain for that flavor combo."
"No worries! Made me laugh."
Seeing that there are no other customers behind him, you turn to the brewing station and usher Namjoon to take a seat on the bar stool across the counter. It's a position you've taken several times before. When the customers are low, as they are at this hour of evening, the platinum-haired man tends to linger and converse far after his drink is finished.
"What brings you in today? Just wanted a pick-me-up or?"
Namjoon heaves a sigh. He watches you closely but casually, silently admiring the skillful way you begin to brew the dark beverage. "I've had a lot on my mind lately, and coming here always helps me de-stress."
"Coffee helps you relax?" You can't help but chuckle at the sentiment.
"And the company."
Heat rushes to your face, and when you glance up to meet his gaze, the warmth only increases. "You're smooth, Kim Namjoon. Very smooth."
Brown eyes widen, and he bows his head so that his bangs cover his eyes. "That's not what I meant at all!"
"Calm down, you're fine. Wanna talk about what's on your mind, though?"
In all your conversations, the two of you have only ever talked on the shallow surface of various topics. You don't know much about Namjoon, and he doesn't know much about you — despite having shared extremely vague information about your year, your jobs, and your education. You feel very open with him, but most of the time, those conversations can't be had in a fifteen minute discussion at a café.
"It's a long, complicated story. I'm not sure you'd wanna hear it." He raises his hands defensively as he realizes how his words might be construed. "Not that you wouldn't understand! I just wouldn't want to be a downer."
You select the cold brew setting on the machine and let the device begin to whir to life. "Well, I've got at least the time it takes to make your drink. I'm all ears."
Namjoon shakes his head as he settles his elbows on the counter. "You're persistent."
"Honey, I've been called far worse."
Seeing your eagerness, your companion heaves a sigh and shifts his gaze from you to the window at his right. As be begins to speak, his demeanor falls a bit. He's not as happy-go-lucky; there's an err of anxiety about him that you can't quite nail down. "I've been thinking about a change in career recently. Things haven't been unfolding this year like I wanted...and I'm starting to think I'm not meant to do what I'm doing now. Maybe I need to retire — from this industry, I mean, and move on to another."
Even with that small confession, you can't help but mirror his emotions. "I hear you. I've felt similar feelings this year."
His gaze shifts back to yours, and he tilts his head in surprise. "Really? How so?"
"I told you I moved to Seoul in September, right?" Namjoon nods. "That's because I wanted a...a fresh start. I enrolled in Yonsei University, got a job here, and just...moved."
"That's pretty brave, and that's really awesome you're at Yonsei. They're a fantastic school."
"Thanks," you grin whilst popping the canister of cold brew out from under the brewing machine. "I needed to get away from certain people in my life that weren't letting me move forward, so moving was the best choice." You pour the dark beverage into a small mixer and pull out the vanilla creamer. "Sure you don't want mint this time? Last chance."
Namjoon cocks an eyebrow as a silent challenge; the expression makes you giggle to yourself as you pour the very non-mint add-ins. "Hilarious."
"Hey! Just offering." After giving the mixture a whisk, your smile falters.
Nothing gets by the observant person across the counter. "I feel like your story has a 'but' after what you ended with."
"You're good," you reply, gesturing to him with the handheld whisk. "I'm not talking too much, am I?"
Namjoon shakes his head adamantly and flourishes with his hand for you to continue. "I mean, we're practically friends now. Please, go on."
Reassured by both his calming nature and genuine interest, you continue talking. "But after getting here...let's just say it's hard to make friends and get out there in a country where you look so different, where your language isn't native, and where you know literally no one. So...ah, this year's been a pretty lonely one, and I know I still made the right choice, but now that the holidays are here..." You trail off and offer a small smile. "All that to say, I know what it's like to second-guess yourself and not have things go the way you thought."
"Seems we have a lot in common," he chuckles, leaning his chin on his hand.
The comment causes the mood to lighten, and you let a laugh slip out. "Yeah, seems so."
Before the conversation can continue, the front door opens. Yeongu enters, a couple of other customers behind him. As if on cue, Lisa enters from the back room and greets the adults with a smile and a swift, "Hi, welcome! What can I get you this evening?"
As the child approaches the adjacent counter where you stand, his grin widens. You perch your elbows on the counter and lean over. "How's my favorite customer?"
"I'm finally free from school, Ahjumma!" Yeongu cheers loudly.
"Congrats! I'm sure you're relieved." He nods affirmatively. "t's freezing outside. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, I promise. But can I get a mint hot choco?" He holds up a crumpled bill with a toothy grin.
"Of course, you can. Extra mint, just like I promised." You nod towards the seat closest to the window. "Sit in your usual spot, okay? After I get this nice man his coffee, I'll get your hot chocolate."
As Namjoon turns to look at the child, Yeongu's eyes widen in surprise. "Namjoon-hyung! I didn't know you were here."
Much to your shock, Namjoon reciprocates the affection and hops down from his chair to bend down to Yeongu's level. "Yeon-ie!" He teases the boy by ruffling up his hair, which Yeongu scowls at him for.
"Um... You two know each other?"
"Yep!" Yeongu grins. "He's my cousin, the one I told you about yesterday."
"Oooh, that makes sense. Didn't realize my two favorite customers were related."
Yeongu laughs at the comment and hops into the chair beside Namjoon. "But I'm your favorite customer, right?"
"Of course," you tease, flashing him a playful wink.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Ahjumma, can I please have mine in a to-go cup? Mom told me to come right home so we can finish packing for our trip."
"Of course, give me just a second to get you a lid." You turn to your first customer with an apologetic smile. "Namjoon, I'm almost done with yours. Just give me a moment."
"Actually, do you mind putting mine in a to-go cup as well?" He jerks his thumb towards Yeongu. "I should probably walk him home. He lives just around the corner from me. I'd feel better if I did."
"Oh, sure, I can do that."
"Would you walk with us, Ahjumma? Pleeeease?"
Your gaze moves to Namjoon. "Do you mind?"
The elder cousin hops up from his chair, shaking his head adamantly. "Not at all! Can you?"
"Sure, I'm about at the end of my shift anyway! Let me grab my coat. I'll come with." You turn quickly to Lisa, murmuring, "Can you watch—?"
She cuts you off with a wave of her hand. "—Go! I can close up for the night. But if you don't come back with a date planned, the invitation to spend New Years with Jungkookie and me is rescinded."
With a playful eye-roll, you peck her on the cheek and run to the back for your coat. Once you return, you find Namjoon scuffling Yeongu's dark locks with a dimpled smile. Looking back up as you return, the expression doesn't falter.
"Ready?"
You nod and follow behind through the exit, trying to ignore the wink and dual thumbs-ups Lisa flashes you as you pass.
Once on the street, Yeongu walks ahead of you and Namjoon. The first few minutes are silent between you two. From ahead, you can hear the small child talking to himself, or perhaps his hot chocolate, and then occasionally to the adults.
As you cross the busy street, Namjoon clears his throat. "So...you have any plans for Christmas?"
You scoff under your breath and shake your head. "Why does this topic keep coming up?"
"Hope I didn't offend," he laughs. "Yeongu said something about a café girl not having plans last night. I figured it was you."
"Trust me, you're good. But yeaaah. Kinda new to Korea. I spent the fall settling in and trying to start over. Between work and school, didn't expect much. Holidays sneaked up on me, I guess."
There's a pause as the trio rounds the corner. Yeongu finishes his hot cocoa along the way and hands the empty cup to Namjoon. The elder doesn't even hesitate to take it, and the boy rushes ahead to what you assume is his home. Over his shoulder, he shouts, "Thank you for the choco, Ahjumma!"
You grin widely and wave. "You're welcome!"
Yeongu turns to Namjoon, sticks out his tongue in a playful manner, then disappears into his house.
"Aaand that's the thanks I get." Namjoon rolls his eyes and turns his body towards you, giving you his full attention as the sun sets behind Seoul Tower. "I have a crazy idea."
"Oh, really?" You cross your arms over your chest and cock an eyebrow. "Those are my favorite kind of ideas."
"Cheesy," he grins. "Well...I don't have any plans either. Maybe we spend it together?"
"No plans, huh? Do I look that pitiful?"
"No! No, it's not that at all, god." Namjoon's smirk falls from his face as a horrified expression drowns out any humor. "Sorry if that's how it came off. I just—You seem really nice, and it's been a while since either of us just enjoyed someone else's company. No strings. No pressure."
Tugging your lower lip between your teeth, you shuffle in your step. "I don't know, Namjoon..."
"Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I hate to see anyone's shoulders so heavy in December. How about this — give me three days to prove the magic isn't lost."
"Three days? That's it?"
"That's it."
"Okay then, Mr. Kim." You offer a hand in his direction. "Three days."
Namjoon's eyes lock with yours, as does his hand. "It's a deal."
The following weekend you wake to a phone call coming in from your recently-added number. Rolling out from under the covers to grab the device from the nightstand, you answer with voice still groggy with sleep. "Hello?"
"Are you still sleeping?" the caller laughs in a deep timbre.
"Shuddup." Peaking an eye open, the time on the screen reads just after eleven a.m. "It's not that late."
"Really?"
"Did you call me just to make fun of my lack of healthy sleep schedule, or did you have a point?"
"Ouch!” Namjoon exclaims playfully. “I actually did call, and it's actually perfect because I don't need you ready to go until around three this afternoon. So you can totally just go back to sleep."
You curl back under your heated blanket and revel in the warmth it provides. Beside you, Mochi curls closer, nearly sitting on your head. "Mmm sounds perfect. Wait—what?"
"You heard me." There's a hint of teasing in Namjoon's words. "It's Day 1. Be ready for an outdoor adventure by three. I'll pick you up then, okay sleepyhead?"
The butterflies rumble in your stomach at the nickname, and you clear your throat before replying. "Yep, got it. Three p.m. Outdoor adventure. Can't you tell me what it is or where we're going?"
"And ruin the surprise? No way. Just trust me, Jagi."
A squeak slips out, and you throw your hand over your mouth to hide it. "Okay, see you there—I mean then!"
You can almost hear Namjoon shaking his head as he says his goodbyes and ends the call. Despite still being sleepy and warm and cozy in your nest, you lie wide awake in bed for the next half-hour, replaying his voice over and over in your head like a well-loved record.
The day flies by, and eventually it's approaching three. You've dressed to impress while still trying to keep it casual. Despite this being a date, it's still casual. You like Namjoon a lot, and you hope he likes you as well. However, outside of conversations at the café, you haven't spent a lot of time together yet. This is as good a second-first impression as any, and you intend to make the most of it.
Grabbing your winter coat and scarf, you scurry down the stairs and spot Namjoon lingering by the entrance with two cups in his hands. He's dressed in jeans and a sweater with a dark grey jacket over top, his usual scarf looped twice around his neck. A beanie covers his head, but bits of his platinum hair still stick out in places. Slung across his shoulder is a brown leather backpack. He always looks nice, that much you know, but the fact that today he looks nice for you makes you sickly happy.
He flashes a smile as you bound out the door. "You look rested," he teases, then offers you one of the cups.
Taking it with a nose scrunch, you look down at the order on the side, seeing that it's your usual order. "How did you know!"
He shrugs. "I have my ways."
"Was it Lisa?"
"Maybe..." He straightens up and nods his chin towards the nearby station. "Follow me for our first adventure!"
After boarding the train to Itaewon, you can't help but wonder where he might be taking you. Your mind goes through all of the things to do in Itaewon, but the list is lengthy. From his excited and proud expression, you know Namjoon has been looking forward to this all day, just as you have.
After exiting fifteen minutes down the line, Namjoon reaches for your free hand. "May I...?"
Your fingers close the distance, glove-covered palm clasping his. "Lead the way."
Namjoon grins, then tugs on your hand as you exit the station. Once outside in the frigid air, you see your breath come out in puffs of fog. You tighten your scarf around your neck and allow your companion to usher you down the sidewalk, towards a clearing in the colorful buildings of Itaewon-do.
Another block or so, and you see the direction in which he's heading. A large sign along the way reads, "Grant Hyatt Seoul Ice Rink" in bold Hangul. Your eyes widen as the realization hits you, and the excitement inside you grows. "How did you know I've wanted to go ice skating!"
Namjoon shuffles up to the ticket counter, replying over his shoulder, "Um...lucky guess?"
As he purchases your tickets, you take a moment to absorb your surroundings. The trees are glowing from the lights covering every branch and trunk. They surround the rink and give a glow from within that is so much softer and more intimate than the harsh lighting of the city. The Hyatt Hotel stands as a black silhouette against the horizon. In the opposite direction, you can see N. Seoul Tower already lit up as the afternoon lighting shifts to evening. Projectors shine shapes of glittering snowflakes across the ice, giving another layer of ambient lighting to the rink.
"I haven't been since I was a kid," you add, staring at the exterior of the open-air rink with awe. Namjoon hands you the ticket, which you use for entrance and skates before shoving it into your jacket pocket. "Have you ever been before?"
"Yeah, a...few times. Hey, what size shoe are you?" When you tell him, Namjoon grabs a pair of skates from the shelf beside the ticket booth and gestures for you to sit on the bench across from it. "It can be tricky to lace your skates properly," he commentates as he kneels down in front of you and begins to untie your boots. "It's really something you have to adjust yourself, so let me know when I'm close?"
Not having any words to respond at his sudden closeness, you nod the affirmative and watch in silence as he puts one boot to the side, slips the skate on with ease, and begins to adjust the laces like a professional. After repeating the movements with your other skate, he taps your knee and looks up at you.
"Too loose? You want them to be as tight as you can handle to keep your ankles steady."
Moving your feet, you shake your head from side to side. "A bit more. I'd hate to have Day 1 turn into a trip to the E.R."
"Definitely, nothing says ‘Christmas magic’ like an emergency room visit," he laughs, adjusting your laces as you requested. "How's that?"
"Much better, thank you."
After lacing up your skates as tight as you can handle, Namjoon stands and offers you an arm. He helps you waddle over to the entrance, gently sliding you onto the ice despite your shaky knees and flailing arms. You soon realize that it might be best to hold tight to the barrier and stick only to the periphery.
He doesn't follow you on at first. When you turn and look back for him, he waves you on. "You go ahead. I need to grab my skates first."
"Mmm fine, but if I break my neck trying to catch your ass, you're paying for ramen after. Got it?"
Namjoon gives you two thumbs ups as he lets you go onto the ice. "Loud and clear."
Eventually, you begin tugging yourself along, trying but failing to keep up with the traffic of more experienced skaters. Even compared to those half your age, or even less, you're the child on this rink.
About half-way around the rink, you spot Namjoon making his way towards the entrance. Waving your hand, your smile widens when he sees you. He waves back, nearly bumps into the person ahead of him at the gate, and you murmur to yourself, "This should be good."
Namjoon hits the ice. He's not like the barreling disaster you are, but like a graceful swan. It catches you off-guard; if anything, you expected him to fall flat on his face or tumble over a child on his way over to you on the opposite side. He needs no assistance from the railing, nor does he struggle to cross the center and come to a full stop in front of you. His skates make a graceful scraping sound, and his stance is one of a professional. Even his skates are different than yours; they're custom, and you realize that must've been what he was carrying in his backpack.
You assume the awestruck look on your face is the reason for his smirk and laughter. He does a spin for dramatic affect as he closes the distance between you. "Surprised?"
"For starters! How the hell are you so graceful? You're literally twirling around on one foot on a frictionless surface, and I can barely make a left turn!"
The platinum blond gives you a look like you're still missing the point, then extends his hand. "C'mon, I can help you more than the railing can."
"Promise not to sue me if I break your face by crashing into you?"
"Promise, now grab my hand and skate!"
Your hands in his, you take the leap of faith and separate from the barrier around the oblong rink. Namjoon slowly skates backwards, carrying you the whole way. Your eyes remain glued to your trembling feet, careful not to have the blades deviate too far out to one side or the other.
"Look at you!" he cheers, ever the positive one. "A whole two minutes on your feet."
"Shut up."
You won't deny that your progress surprises even you. Despite having to hold both his hands for the first ten minutes, then eventually one as you skate side-by-side for the following half-hour, you're more adept at skating than you thought you would be.
"You think you can try on your own for a lap?" he inquires.
Giving a hesitant nod, you let go of Namjoon's hand, saying, "Don't leave my side, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Taking a deep breath in, you push one skate out in front of the other and move yourself forward. The other follows after, and you get about twenty feet before you stumble and nearly fall face-first. Luckily, Namjoon keeps his promise and wraps his arms around your waist before you crash.
"Good try!" he exclaims, keeping his arms around your middle even after you regain your balance. "You got pretty far, actually."
You give an awkward chuckle and lay your nervous hands over his at your hip. "Maybe I'm not quite ready for a free-skate yet."
"No worries." He lets his arms drop and retakes your hand to steady you. The dimples appear next to his smile as he adjusts your beanie on your head, which had nearly fallen off in your almost-fall. "But I gotta say, you didn't have to fall for me on Day 1."
"So smooth!" You roll your eyes and give his shoulder a playful shove, only to gasp and reach back for him when he naturally skates backwards at the push. "Nevermind, I take it back. Please don't leave me in the middle of the rink."
Namjoon lets out a loud laugh, nearly doubling over as you cling to him. "You're so cute."
As you skate together, you keep getting the feeling that Namjoon has spent far more time on the ice than you previously assumed. After you get the hang of it yourself and are able to wobble along beside him without a constant hand to hold, he smiles a proud, wide smile.
"See? I knew you could do it!"
You raise your eyebrows at him. "Still nowhere near close to you."
"That's what a lot of people say," he brushes it off.
"Way to brag there, Joon," you snort, then immediately freeze in place so suddenly that you nearly fall over again. "Wait—you don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
Namjoon's smile shows his dimples, and they deepen with his reply. "Not a bit." The song changes, playing the symphonic piece "Noel on Ice." Namjoon's face lights up, and he turns back to you with a wink. "Watch me?"
Nodding affirmatively, you release his hand and let him skate towards the center of the rink. His gaze remains on you as he spins to a stop in the middle, then turns his gaze downwards. Arms still at his sides, and his shoulders straighten. You await with bated breath for the next note.
The melody lifts, and Namjoon's arms follow suit. Piano notes drip across the chilled air, and the violin prompts an extension of his hands upwards. Then he moves, gracefully flowing from one movement to the next, as if this has been an ice dance built into his very being. The harp and cello urge him to move faster, spinning like a dancer across their stage.
Namjoon spins into the air, fully coming off the ice. Your hands fly up to cover your mouth out of fear, but he lands it with ease, shifting into his next series of steps like a professional. Flawless and practiced, he's caught the attention of everyone at the rink. As you look around, you see everyone else focused intently on the skater. Some even have their phones out to record. Not just one or two people, either; you see at least a half dozen with their cameras trained on Namjoon.
That in particular has you perplexed. Brows pulling together, you shift your eyes back to Namjoon. The piece is nearing its close, and he's moved back to the center of the ice. Twirling in place, he's moving like a spinning top. Always in a single place, so fast you can barely see, gracefully shaving ice under him so that snowflakes fall around him. He lowers, nearly sitting as he continues to twirl on one foot. The music grows to its crescendo. Slowly, he rises up and extends his hands towards the sky.
And then it hits you.
There's a reason why his face, his voice, and his presence is so familiar to you. You couldn't put your finger on it until just now, but the way he moves on the ice like he's the only one in the room — like it's a second home — brings you back to one of the first days you had in Seoul. That first day, at the Incheon Airport, the man you saw being bombarded with press and fans. Then again on the screens in the lobby of the immigration center. And again a few nights ago on the news.
RM Nam. South Korea's pride and joy, their greatest skater, the man bound for the Winter Olympics until a training injury earlier in the year put him out for the season. You're not into sports, but even you knew him by name and the tragedy that had occurred.
That legendary skater was the one in front of you now. He hadn't mentioned it, and you didn't suspect a thing until today. While definitely a shock, you can't help but be in awe of him even more. He isn't just good on the ice — he's like nothing you've ever seen.
As the music comes to a close, Namjoon skates to a halt. His spin finishes, and he ends with a ending pose bow. Clearly out of breath and shoulders heaving, his gaze shifts to you once again. Your smile widens, and you throw your hands up as you cheer. The others around you begin to clap, but you're by far the most enthusiastic one there.
Suddenly, Namjoon's persona returns to that of a shy and humble one. He bows again in the directions of the viewers, then scurries out from the center and back to you. Eventually, those around you begin to skate once more, ignoring the fact that one of the biggest sports icons in all of Korea is among them.
Namjoon runs a hand over his bleached hair, his smile sweet and his eyes a little nervous as he approaches. You shake your head in awe, letting a surprised laugh slip out.
"Okay, I see exactly what you're doing now. You suggested ice skating because you're Olympic-level! That's totally cheating, by the way."
Namjoon skids to a stop in front of you, as graceful as his takeoff. Without thinking, you reach your hand for his, which he gladly takes. "Figured it out finally, did you?"
"Call me stupid, but I honestly didn't see it until just now." You shove his shoulder with your free hand, only encouraging his teasing reaction. "RM: Guessing that's a stage name?"
He adjusts the beanie over his hair and gives an affirmative gesture. "Yeah, mainly to protect my privacy. Skating world can get pretty intense, sometimes."
You move your chin towards his shoulder, recalling that's where the injury occurred over the summer. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yeah, totally okay. I go to PT a couple times a week. Mostly healed up, just can't compete for another few months. My coach has made me swear off skating until the New Year, but I figured it was worth throwing a little extra into trying to impress a pretty girl." He tilts his head to the side, rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand. "Did it work?"
Instead of responding verbally, you curl your finger towards you, a mischievous smile on your face. Namjoon lowers his head and skates closer to you. When he's within arm's reach, you lean up and press a kiss to his cheek. A giggle slips out as his eyes widen and his cheeks flush.
"So... Is that a yes?"
"Yes!" you exclaim, throwing your arms in the air and nearly falling over for the hundredth time that night.
Namjoon returns the chaste gesture to your temple as he helps you recover your balance. "Skate with me some more then?" he murmurs, adjusting your scarf around your neck with gentle fingers.
Your face hot and your stomach fluttery, you nod your response and loop your arm around his. "Only if you show me how to do that fancy twirl there at the end."
The idea has Namjoon laughing loudly. "That's my variation on the basic Scratch Spin, which took me about three months to nail perfectly in a routine."
"Then you'd better prepare to be here 'til February!"
After skating for hours, until both of you are exhausted and ready for food, Namjoon takes you to a nearby ramen shop that's close to the train station. It's a hole-in-the-wall, with less than five tables, but with ramen you're able to find a park bench and settle down there with your backs to the city lights and your eyes on the stars overhead. You each mostly in silence, just enjoying each other's company and the delicious food. You make sure to tell your companion how great the choice was, and you insist on coming back again soon.
After wrapping up the meal and seeing the late hour on your phone, Namjoon suggests you both start heading home. "Hate to have to take a bus at this hour instead of the last train," he snickers.
Fully in agreement, you let him take your hand again as the pair of you begin to walk back home. First on the train, then on the sidewalk the short distance to your apartment building.
As you turn the corner onto your short street, your apartment in sight, you rest your head against Namjoon's shoulder and sigh happily. "Thank you for today. It was just...magical."
"Christmas magic?"
You nod against his jacket, wistful and content. "Definitely."
Stopping outside your apartment, you turn towards him, not letting go of his hand. Namjoon gives you a content smile as he looks at you, one where his eyes glisten at his coming words. "Then I have a chance."
"At what?"
He reaches yet again for your scarf, moving it from around your lower face so he can cradle it in his hands. "Restoring your hope in the holidays, and your hope in yourself and your choices."
"Ooof, that's getting ahead of it, I think." You bite the inside of your cheek as a small tug of anxiety and sense of being lost pulls at the back of your mind.
But Namjoon is relentless in his pursuit, and for that you're grateful. "That's why I have two more days planned."
"Already?" you laugh.
"You bet!" he exclaims. "In fact, I'll pick you up at nine on Saturday, but don't wear a dress or skirt. Are you free then?"
"For you, absolutely."
His teeth show through his grin, and he leans forward to press a kiss between your eyebrows. The gesture is gentle and sweet, made even more so by the warmth of his hands on your cheeks through his gloves. Nevertheless, it leaves you breathless.
After a moment of silence, he pulls away and lowers his grasp, but you crave the contact as soon as he relinquishes it. He nods towards your apartment, as if saying, "I'm not leaving until you're home safe."
You take the hint and give a tiny wave as you enter your building. "Have a great night, Joonie," you whisper through the cracked door. "And thanks again."
Namjoon waves back. "Goodnight, [Y/n]. Sleep well."
Saturday can't come quickly enough. You find yourself smiling more often, a joyful feeling in your heart as you go about your work shift and college classes. Even the smallest and insignificant things feel a little easier. The weather wasn't just cold anymore; it was full of beauty and hope and Christmas spirit.
Maybe Namjoon was right. Maybe he was helping you turn a corner.
Right before you're ready to head downstairs to meet Namjoon at the entrance, your phone begins to buzz. Lit up on the screen is an international number, but the area code is that of your old home. The butterflies of excitement die almost instantly, shriveling up into tiny balls of anxiety in your stomach.
Even though you ignore the call, you can't resist listening to the voicemail left behind. Putting your phone on speaker, you're shocked to hear your mother's voice wishing you a Merry Christmas, saying that she and the family miss you, and that they wished you would visit so you could clear up everything that went wrong over the summer. Your throat constricts at the sickly sweet tone; her voice always did drip in honey when she wanted something, she she was trying to manipulate her child. Between her conniving control and your father's lack of respect for privacy and personal boundaries, you remember all over again why you left.
You jump as your apartment bell rings, and the small screen by the door shows Namjoon at the entrance. "[Y/n], are you up there? I texted twice...not sure if you got those."
Looking down at your screen, you see that he's right. You have two unread texts from the last five minutes that you missed due to the unexpected caller. Shaking yourself out of it, you shoot him a quick response, close everything out, and head for the ground level.
"There you are!" Namjoon greets with a grin that almost makes you forget your mother's call.
Almost.
Forcing a smile and reply, "Sorry, I don't know why I didn't see your texts."
"No worries." He waves his hand as if to say it's nothing to worry about. "Are you okay? You seem bothered about something."
You glance up at him, unable to deny he looks slightly concerned. You mirror his laissez-faire attitude and brush it off. "Totally good. Heading to the station?"
"Not this time." Namjoon gestures towards the bike parked by the corner of the building. "You ready to go?"
"Both of us, on that? Are you sure that's safe?"
"Oh yeah! Trust me." He kicks the stand down and mounts the bike, patting the extended seat behind him. "I once rode up Namsan Mountain with Seokjin on the back of this thing, and let me tell you, he's a hell of a lot bigger than you."
Knowing he's probably right, you settle yourself on the seat behind him and wrap your arms tightly around his middle. It's probably not the most well-balanced thing in the world, but you trust Namjoon more than you buy into your fear of falling. "No skirts or dresses, huh?"
"Now you get it," he laughs, pulling out onto the bike lane on the street headed into towards the older side of the city. "Unless you'd like a wardrobe malfunction."
He picks up speed and gets to an easy pace down the street. It's fast enough to get to your location speedily but slow enough that you're able to stare at the beautiful buildings and wondrous landscape around you. Even the people have an aura of happiness caused by Christmas. Had it always been this stunning? Or had you been blind to it until just now?
"Seokjin, as in Kim Seokjin, your rival?"
"So you do watch the news," he sighs. "They aren’t portraying us as friends these days, are they?"
You shake your head and rest your chin on his shoulder. "Not really. I didn't know you were friends."
Namjoon shrugs his shoulders slightly, his voice monotone. "Yeah, well, we've known each other since we were seven, got into skating together around that time, and have been friends ever since. While I wish I didn't have to sit this one out, I couldn't be happier to have him representing South Korea at the Worlds — sorry, that's what we call the World Figure Skating Championships."
"Yeah, they're kind of painting you as opposites."
"That's just what the news does, I guess. Gossip and tabloids and fan-wars. I fell on the ice and hit my shoulder pretty hard; it had nothing to do with Seokjin. He and I talked before I left, too. We're on good terms. Most of us from South Korea are friends, actually. We only get represented as enemies because it's a competition. But a lot of times we're on the same flights, in the same hotels, in the same training areas, you get the idea."
Namjoon pulls up to a stoplight at a near empty intersection, waiting silently for it to shift colors. "Is that what you meant by change of career?" you inquire.
"You're observant," he chuckles.
You turn to rest your cheek on his back. "For what it's worth, and keep in mind that I don't know the first thing about figure skating or your injury or anything like that, but as someone on the outside looking in, you're still so talented. Last week, when you were skating alone, I couldn't tell at all you were injured, and you looked like you were really enjoying it. I don't know if that means anything to you coming from a novice, but if you're still in love with skating and want to get back out there, I think you should go for it. You're still spectacular to watch, Joonie."
There's a beat of silence, but then Namjoon glances over his shoulder and winks at you. "Would you come see me perform live if I did?"
Shrugging your shoulders, you state, "Why not?"
He laughs at your silly expression, then begins to move the bike again as the light finally shifts. "That actually means a lot, [Y/n]. Thank you."
The rest of the ride is quiet, at least until you begin to hear the sounds of a bustling outdoor market. Namjoon turns the final corner, and you're elated with the stone street in an older part of Seoul. Vendors in various booths stretch out in every direction. Some sell food or drink, some sell trinkets or clothing, some even sell vintage books or vinyls or movies. Every nook and cranny has something special to offer. The sights, smells and sounds bring an enormous smile to your face as Namjoon steadies the bike to a stop beside the bicycle rack.
You hop off with his help, nearly bouncing up and down from excitement as he parks and locks his bike on the stand. "This is amazing!" Turning to him, you catch him off-guard with a tight embrace, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck and pulling him down to you.
Namjoon seems amused by your eager reaction, and he pulls you closer to him. "I thought you would like it. There's nothing quite like Christmas than a market."
After letting him go, you press a kiss to his cheek as you lower back down to your level. Namjoon's hands tenderly cradle your face, just like last time, only today he's glancing away from your eyes and down to your lips. As your heartbeat quickens, you pull him back to you, fingers grasping at his winter jacket.
His voice is deep and soft as he asks, "May I...?"
Your cheeks flush as you nod your approval. Namjoon's dimples deepen as he lowers his face to yours, barely brushing his lips against yours in the gentlest kiss you've ever had. You close the distance, tugging at his jacket so he moves closer. He gives a tiny laugh against your mouth, then follows your guidance to deepen the kiss. One hand slips back to your hair; he gently plays with the strands.
A moment later, and you're sighing as he pulls away, both light-headed and light-hearted. Namjoon smiles down at you, gives you a surprising second peck, then pulls back with a chuckle. "You're a really cute kisser, y'know that?"
You drop your head and hide your face in the front of his coat. "Shut up."
Your companion's laughter echoes in the air around you as he wraps an arm around your shoulders and places his lips briefly on the top of your head. "Are you hungry? I know where we can get the absolute best Tteok-kkochi."
Eventually you lift your head and nod, feeling your stomach rumble at the thought of rice cake skewers. Namjoon moves his arm from around your shoulders, taking your hand instead, and ushers you into the first aisle of the Christmas market.
If it was magical from the outside, it's even more so from within. Somewhere in the distance, you hear holiday music playing. Not the commercial Christmas songs you're used to, but instrumental music that plays perfectly with the sounds of the market crowds. You're awestruck by every single booth you pass, and Namjoon promises to take you back to all of them after you grab a bite to eat.
Which are well worth the walk into the interior of the market. The Tteok-kkochi are cooked to perfection, drowned in a sauce, and by far the best you've ever had. Even after circling back to the booths you missed on the way, you beg Namjoon to lead you back to get another set.
"I've found heaven," you exclaim dramatically, taking the next two from the cook behind the counter and hanging one to your companion. "I'll never have rice cake skewers this good again."
After paying, you spot a section of the market decorated with lights and colorful orbs, much like the decorations you're used to seeing in the West. "Can we go over there next?"
Namjoon spots where you're pointing and eagerly agrees. The pair of you make your way towards the greenery and decor, amazed at the giant Christmas trees decorated to perfection on the periphery of the market.
"That's a massive tree," he gasps, staring upwards. "Are those normal in America?"
"Maybe at a mall or outside a hotel or something," you reply, equally as taken back. "I've never seen one that big in person in a long time."
As you peruse the Christmas section of the market, slipping from booth to booth as the clock strikes Noon, Namjoon asks, "Have you decorated your apartment at all? I know it can be kinda hard to find stuff in Korea like you're used to."
"Not really," you admit in passing. "Between work and school and, y'know, starting a new life in a foreign country, the holidays kinda fell on the back-burner."
Namjoon taps your shoulder, ushering your attention towards the old, American Christmas movies booth a few spots away. You gasp and rush over with renewed excitement, eyes scanning eagerly over the shelves. They have just about everything, from the classics like "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" to movies you grew up on like "Home Alone" and "Elf." The more you sort through the outdated DVDs, the bigger your smile gets.
"What's your favorite Christmas movie?" Namjoon asks, casually looking through the Christmas vinyls on the booth next to the movies.
"Without a doubt, Ron Howard's 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas.'"
"The one with Jim Carrey?"
"You know it!"
He laughs. "Yeah, my little sister and I watched it a lot when we were kids."
Your head perks up at the mention of a sister. "I didn't know you had siblings, either."
Namjoon nods. "Yeah, she's in college, too. Studying to be a psychologist."
"She sounds amazing."
"Yeah, the family is very proud. I know I am." He pulls out a vinyl for one of Frank Sinatra's Christmas records. "Do you have siblings?"
At the question, your gaze shifts back to the movies, hands preoccupied with finding the perfect one. "I do. A brother and a sister."
"Older?"
"Yeah..."
"What are they like?"
"A lot like my parents," you sigh, moving on to another shelf, turning your back to your companion. "Which is part of the reason I left, so..."
Namjoon senses your anxiety around the topic and rests a hand on your shoulder as he passes by. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize--"
You cut him off with a casual wave of your hand. "It's no worries, really." Spotting the record under his arm, you ask, "Find one you like?"
While he doesn't seem to buy your act, he lets the conversation go and holds up the vinyl for "Tales of Noel on Ice" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as performed by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
"You don't already have that one?" you gawk in surprise.
"I don't actually," he admits bashfully. "The title composition is one of my best free skate performances, and I have a record player at home, so why not?" He gestures to the movies. "Did you find one?"
"Oh, I don't need one! I was just looking. I don't even have a DVD player anymore."
"I do, so pick one out and maybe we can watch it sometime."
You shake your head at him, trying to subdue a chuckle. "A record player and a DVD player? You're so odd."
"But to your benefit," he reminds you with a wink, pulling out a single movie nearest him. It happens to be your favorite with Jim Carrey in all his hilarious glory on the front.
Cocking an eyebrow, you give a tiny round of applause at the luck of pulling that film out of all the others. "Well, you're going to have to invite me over sometime then."
"You can count on it."
For the next couple hours, Namjoon and you make your way through the entire market, hitting all the shops that interest and intrigue you. All the while, you talk about a plethora of things and get to know each other letter. For instance, you find out that he was born in Ilsan, not too far from where you are now, and that he hates seafood just about as much as mint chocolate. You also find out that he looks like his mother, who was the one that got him into skating to begin with. And to no one's surprise, Namjoon is actually very funny. Not only is he smart, athletic, and good looking — which alone would have caught your attention — he's got a wicked sense of humor to top it all off.
Likewise, he learns more about you. You tell him about the city you grew up in, the friends you had in high school, what you studied before you came to Korea. You tell him that along with your studies, you're really invested in writing and try to make time for that as well. It hasn't been so easy since the move, but you're hoping to get back to it in the new year.
As you approach mid-afternoon, and the final leg of the market, your phone begins to buzz. Your screen lights up with the same foreign number as before. Instantly, both your feet and your heart stop. Your shoulders tense up, and you turn to a blissfully unaware Namjoon, saying, "Hey, I gotta take this. You go on ahead."
"Are you sure?" he asks, the person in front of him not the same happy-go-lucky one as before.
You give him a nod of reassurance. "I'll catch up."
Before he can reply, you've turned and moved towards the massive Christmas trees, where there's an opening and the crowds are quieter. Despite what you told him, you don't intend on answering. Whoever is on the other end of that line, be it your mother or father or siblings, you want nothing to do with them. You do, however, want this to be over. You promise yourself to hear the message, block them, and then go run an errand after the holidays to get a new number.
After the call drops, you wait with an anxious feeling building in your stomach. Maybe they didn't leave a message. Maybe it wasn't your family after all. Maybe —
A soft ping alerts you that you have a new message. Selecting it, you raise your phone to your ear and hear your father this time. He repeats all of what your mother said, only with a layer of frustration and authority that she didn't use. He's borderline cruel as he spouts the same old lies that you're trying to unlearn; it's your fault, it's because of you, you're the cause of it. What it is, depends on the day. This time is has to do with your family not being the same and their world falling to pieces. He uses colorful sentences, well-crafted insults, but all you hear is blame, blame, blame.
Tears prick your eyes as the voicemail ends, and you realize you should've just deleted the message when you had the chance. A small part of you still hoped they would change, even after all this time, but you see now that it's not possible.
They will never change, and neither will you.
The pit of depression weighs down in your stomach, and loneliness tingles at the back of your throat. Why now? Out of all the times, out of all the days, why are you feeling these things now? You're out having an adventure with a man who you really like, and who you know likes you, in a city you now call home. You're far from any sadness or trauma or family or friends that once brought you down. You've left your past behind. You'd started to feel like there was hope in the holidays and in the future again, like the last year was worth the pain, like everything was starting to turn around.
But suddenly, that snake is wrapped around you again, pulling you back into old habits and old ways of thinking. It's grabbed on tight and is pulling you back into the dark, away from people you care about, away from people who care about you.
Even as you glance up at Namjoon a few stalls away, completely naïve to the painful flickers going through your mind, you feel the need to draw back. Pull away. Stay away. Go back to the security of the known, of the sad, of the lonely. It's warm and comfy, even if it hurts.
Clenching your fists, you try to silence the noise in your brain by shaking your head. The thoughts only grow louder, and the pit in your stomach gets heavier. You haven't felt a depressive episode like this in a long time. You thought they were long gone, especially now, especially with him...
"[Y/n]? Are you okay?"
Looking up, you see Namjoon's approaching you in the clearing. One hand carries the movie and vinyl he purchased for you both, but the other is outstretched towards you. While you don't pull away from his touch, you taste bile in the back of your throat.
"I—I need to go home," you mutter. "I'm starting to feel sick."
"Oh, okay, hold up I'll go get my bike and I'll take you home."
Feeling your breath quicken, you pull your gaze from Namjoon and nod shakily. The walk back to the bike rack is silent, even the crowd outside fades to a low background murmur. Namjoon places the purchased items in his bicycle carrier, then mounts it.
You follow suit, regret beginning to pile up inside you. Running isn't going to help anything, and you know he must be hurt and confused. But to you, the only thing you can do right now to protect yourself is get away from it all and go back to the place where you feel safest.
Tears burn your eyes as you curl up against him. Namjoon pedals speedily to your apartment, making the trip faster than last time. When he pulls up to the curb, you hop off without a word.
"Do you need me to walk you up?" he offers, worry causing his brows to pull together.
You shake your head and put distance between you both. "No, I'm fine. I'll...text you later, okay?"
Without another word, you turn and enter through the front, leaving Namjoon behind on the other side. Trekking up the stairs, through the door, past a mewling Mochi, you curl up on your bed and let yourself finally feel all the sadness piled up inside.
Fifteen minutes later, the waterworks flow when your phone lights up from an incoming text. Knowing exactly who it is, you grab it and text a swift message to Namjoon.
"I'm so sorry I left so suddenly. And that I ruined our day. Not feeling like myself."
"That's okay. I just got home, so I wanted to check up on you. I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Do you need anything?"
"No, but thank you."
"Okay... Maybe we can try again some other time? I'd hate to let you down on Day 2."
Unable to reply, the phone turns black and you let it fall onto the duvet.
The days leading up until Christmas Eve were long and full of guilt. You closed the café for the final time the Monday before the holiday, and with no classes to attend, you mainly stayed inside and watched the snow fall outside your tiny apartment window. Mochi kept you company, but even the small fur ball could sense that something had changed for the worse. Even she had gotten used to you being happier this December; you'd taken two steps back while attempting to take a single step forward.
Every morning, you'd spot Namjoon riding his bike past your apartment on his way to the rink where he trains. Every day, he'd stop and gaze up at the building, never sure which frosty window you were behind but melancholy just the same. He'd call and text; the former, you would never answer, but the latter, you did sporadically. Mainly at night when you thought he wouldn't be up.
He usually was.
"Was it something I did?" he asked that Tuesday before Christmas. "Did I move too fast? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
"No. It's not you."
"Then tell me what it is. I don't want to come across as pushy, but I thought we were getting closer...and then you pull back and hide from me. From everyone. I know I don't know everything about your past or what happened before you came to Seoul, but I promised you three adventures. I still have one to make good on before Christmas."
"Joonie..."
You couldn't bring yourself to write more. The tiny part of your brain that told you that maybe this can work, maybe it's worth trying, maybe things can be different now, it was silenced by the overwhelming majority of your mind. It remembered everything from your past, from the hurt and pain, from the loneliness and fear. Despite your wish to make things right again, it was drowned out by the pure terror of being wronged again.
"Don't shut me out. Please. Let me show you things can be different now. You don't have to go at this alone, [Y/n]. Not anymore."
Pushing down the urge to cry yet again, you move your fingers to type a swift and cold reply. "I'm so sorry I wasted your time, Namjoon. I really am. I thought I was ready, but it's clear that I'm not. Please, spend Christmas with your family. Don't waste any more time on me."
And that was the end of it. You muted his notifications, ignored his calls and texts, and eventually he went silent. The day before Christmas Eve was the first you didn't hear from him, and it was the first day you felt like you'd truly fucked things up for good.
On Christmas Eve, you got an unexpected call from Lisa. Deciding to take a break from staring at an empty Word document with ever-growing frustration, you answered the call, only to be bombarded by Lisa's rambling.
"Oh, thank god! I didn't think you'd answer! I need a huge favor, and I hate to bother on such short notice on Christmas Eve, but this really cannot wait and I'll love you forever if you—!"
"—Okay, okay," you chuckle, shaking your head at her antics.
"I need you to run back to the café and grab something for me. Jungkook is on his way there, but he doesn't have a key."
"What could you possibly have left that's this important?"
"My fucking credit card."
"You've been out of town for two weeks and only just now realized you left your card?"
She heaves a frustrated sigh. "Please, just, do me this favor?"
Rolling your eyes, you pull yourself from the sofa and grab your keys on the counter. "Fine, but you owe me."
"Yes, yes, I know."
You leave the apartment in a hurry, taking the next train to the café. In less than fifteen minutes, you're at the front door. Lisa assures you that Jungkook is on his way, only twenty minutes away. After unlocking it, you make yourself at home in the lobby with a fresh white chocolate mocha. It reminds you of Yeongu, and you smile at the thought.
After about a half hour, your phone begins to buzz in your pocket. Lisa's text has you halting in place.
"I'm sorry to do this. You didn't really give me another choice. I crossed a line, but I think you'll thank me in the end."
Your fingers are swift typing a response. "What did you do?"
"You remember how you gave me a spare key in case you ever got locked out? Or in case you were kept at school too long and needed someone to feed Mochi?" A pause, then she adds, "He came to Busan, [Y/n]. He asked me in person what to do. Do you know how out of the way that was for him? Give him another chance. Please."
"You didn't."
"I did. I'm sorry, but you've talked about how you pull away when you get close to people. It's gone on for almost a week. It's Christmas Eve. You can hate me all you want later, but please. Go home, kiss and make up, then try to salvage Christmas."
A huff of air exits your nostrils as it hits you. Lisa's given the spare to Namjoon. Jungkook was never on his way; this was all a rouse to get you out of your apartment long enough for him to get inside. But to what end?
"He's good for you; I can tell that much already. If you ever were to give someone the benefit of the doubt and place your broken pieces in someone's hands, he's the best you're gonna find."
A pang of truth rocks through you, and while you have still a semblance of willpower, you shoot her a swift text and rush back for the station. "I'm still mad at you, but we'll talk later. I need to get home."
"Go get him!"
The series of stairs up to your apartment never felt so long. Out of breath and winded from rushing home, you find the door unlocked. Pushing through, the place you left less than an hour ago isn't the same as it was before.
The entrance hallway is glittering, multi-colored strands of twinkle lights hanging along the periphery. Fake snow lines the trim, and paper snowflakes are tossed across the furniture. Each one is unique and hand-crafted.
As you venture further, a rainbow array aurora covers your living room and kitchen. There must be at least a dozen lengthy strands of Christmas lights hung across the few items you've unpacked, circled around the sealed boxes, and framing every window and door. Fake icicles hang on the windowsill, fake greenery lays where curtains should be, and a small Christmas tree stands at your height in the corner.
Jovial, English holiday music plays softly in the background. And humming along to the tune of The First Noel, Namjoon stands with bent-back facing you. He's finishing his final touches on the tree, ensuring that each sparkling orb and shimmering tinsel is perfect. He adjusts the star on the top with a smile to himself, oblivious still to your entrance.
For a moment, you stand in silence and watch him. Your heart is heavy but still beating. If anything, seeing him in the midst of such a sweet and selfless act makes it flutter. Even after cutting his well-planned adventure short, ignoring him for over a week, and telling him to stop speaking to you, he's still here. He came back, and he's trying to prove to you the truth he's been spouting all along.
Eventually, you blink out of your stupor and clear your throat to alert him to your presence. Namjoon turns on his heel, elbow grazing the tree just enough to send it toppling backward. He curses and lunges for it, grabbing it by the star just in time to keep it upright. His characteristic clumsiness prompts a snicker from you, one that you attempt to hide with your hand over your mouth.
Namjoon adjusts the tree and turns back to you with a bashful expression. His lips pull into a side-smile, a single dimple popping out in the process. "H—Hi..."
"Hi," you repeat back to him, letting your hand fall. Your eyes follow suit and drift to your damp, snow-covered shoes.
A beat of silence passes where neither of you knows what to say next. Then the both of you break it at once, words tumbling over each others several times in a row. You laugh to yourself and look back up at him; Namjoon smiles down at you, shaking his head at the awkward reunion.
He gestures silently to you. "Go ahead."
You clear your throat, then say, "I...I wanted to say that I owe you an apology."
He shakes his head firmly, extending his hands in a olive-branch manner. "No, you don't—"
Your feet move back, putting space between you both. "—Can I explain and finish, please? Just...hold your forgiveness until then." At your request, your companion falls silent, letting his hands fall respectfully at his side. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment, you re-calibrate your mind and prepare for your admission.
"There's a lot you don't know about me yet," you begin softly. "Ah, shit — That came out super mean. I mean, you know a lot about me. You kinda know why I moved to Korea, the situation with my family back in America, that whole thing. You know where I work and what I'm studying. You know my favorite drink of all time is a white chocolate mocha, and that my favorite customer is barely four feet tall. You know Lisa is my shield at work, and that we've become pretty close in less than a year. You know I'm a homebody and that my favorite thing to do by myself is play with Mochi and watch dramas."
You release a huff of air and raise your eyes to meet his, a wistful smile tugging the corners of your lips. "But there's a lot I haven't told you — or anyone for that matter. I've gone through...a lot of shit this year. When I moved to Seoul, my mental health was in the trash, and my self worth was in shambles. I'd just been shoved from everything I'd ever known into a foreign place."
When you pause for a moment, Namjoon's small and steady voice pipes up with a single inquiry. "I thought you left willingly?"
"I did," you state. "I've wanted to move to South Korea for a long, long time. Since I can remember. But I never thought I'd lose everything before then." Tears prick your eyes, and you lift your sleeve to wipe your nose. "Sorry."
"Don't be." Namjoon gestures towards the small sofa, and you follow his lead. You perch on a single cushion, legs folded underneath you. He takes the adjacent one, far enough to for personal space but still close enough to rest a hand on your knee. This time, you don't push him away as you catch your breath. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"No, I do, but maybe not now." You take another breath in and focus your thoughts. "I didn't mean to start all that with the intention of being the victim and making you feel bad for me. I...I told you that because I wanted you to know that there are reasons why I push people away. I've been on a journey to heal that trauma all year, but it doesn't happen overnight. But even with that, I never should have just left like that. I never should have ignored your calls and texts. I shouldn't have made you feel like you were the bad guy, or that any of this was your fault, or that you did anything wrong. You were—"
You struggle to find a word that fits what you're truly feeling, one that doesn't feel overwhelming, but the only one that comes to mind is... "You are perfect, Joonie. You're sweet and kind. You treat me like a normal person that's worth something, and I think part of me was scared of that. Especially around the holidays, I feel very fragile, and I run from things I think might hurt me."
"I would never, ever hurt you." Namjoon flashes a soft and empathetic smile. "Can I ask why you got spooked so suddenly? You looked off when I picked you up, and I know you said it was nothing, but..."
You pull your phone from your pocket and play the message for him, the one from your mother. And when he remains silent, you play the second from your father. While he listens, you watch him. The hand on your knee turns to a fist, and his jaw clenches. Part of you is relieved that someone else is reacting negatively to the messages, yet another signal to you that your choice is validated.
"I got the first that morning, but the second right before I left," you murmur. "I didn't respond, and I've blocked the numbers, but I've felt unstable since then. That's why I shut down, and why I left."
He nods, then turns off the phone. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. That's emotional abuse and manipulation. No one should have to go through that."
"I know, but I was wrong. I'm sorry for doing that and for hurting you. It was wrong, and I don't deserve you coming back again and again...even if you concocted this up with Lisa."
At your light-hearted comment, he chuckles and bites the inside of his cheek. The fist on your knee loosens back, his fingers tapping gently against your skin. "She told you, did she?"
"Yep," you chirp. "I'll thank her later."
After a moment, Namjoon's eyes flicker back up to yours. For a moment, he almost looks worried. "Are you mad?"
"Meh." For a moment, you're able to hold your composure long enough for your companion's eyes to widen in horror. "I'm just kidding," you relent, and Namjoon looks visibly relieved. "How could I be mad? Look at all this!" You gesture to the magical space around you. "It looks like a wonderland in here."
A crimson hue fills his face, and he's all of a sudden very shy about the accomplishment. "I wanted you to feel like you had a Christmas, even if it was just for one night."
Leaning your head against the back cushion of the sofa, you stare at him with a bittersweet smile on your face. "Are you mad at me?"
He shakes his head, expression more adamant about that than anything he's said so far. "Not a bit. I was worried, yes, and maybe a little disappointed. I think most of that was tied to the fact that I thought we were on the up-and-up. I saw you slowly opening up and having a good time."
"Gahhh," you groan, eyes fluttering shut with frustration at your past self. "I really fucked it up, didn't I?"
"Not really." His hand slips up your knee, and he weaves his fingers through yours. The squeeze he gives and the gaze he locks gives emphasis to his next words. "I know I don't know everything about you, just like you don't know everything about me, but I'd be lying if I said you aren't the most joyful thing I've experienced in a while. Being around you makes me happy, and the fact that this has you so down makes me want to be there for you — if you want me to. I don't blame you for anything you've done, so you have nothing to be sorry for. Honestly, after hearing those messages and some of what you've been dealing with this year, I know I would've reacted the same way. But, if it helps your peace of mind, then I forgive it all."
"Thank you," you whisper, trying to blink away the tears pricking your eyes.
Namjoon's gaze softens, and he tugs on your hand. "C'mere." You scoot closer, and he pulls you the rest of the way onto his lap and into his arms. Your legs dangle off the side of his thighs, and your head nestles in the juncture between his neck and shoulder. One hand holds tightly to yours while the other circles your waist, dipping under your sweater to rub soothing circles on your skin. Your free arm wraps around his waist, pulling him even closer than before.
"Sometimes terrible, inexplicable things happen to us and it takes us months — even years — to process." Namjoon's timbre is quiet and deep, rumbling against your ear as he speaks. "Everyone goes through that, even me. But it's so much harder to face it alone. Sometimes it takes a lonely, awful Christmas to see just how out of sorts you are. I don't know everything, but if you'll have me, I'd like to stick around to find out."
"You'd still be willing to get to know me more, even after seeing me at my worst?"
"Jagi, if this is your worst, then I would hate to introduce you to sixteen-year-old Kim Namjoon. That boy was a train-wreck."
Letting a watery smile show as laughter escapes your lungs, you reach upward and wrap your arms around Namjoon's neck. He pulls you closer, hands splayed on your back and waist. A sense of relief, and something like home, floods through you. Burying your face in his neck, you allow yourself a moment to collect your thoughts. Ever patient, your companion just holds you close as you come back around.
"Enough with the heavy," he breaks the silence, pulling back and wiping his thumb across your cheeks. Nodding towards the front of the space, where your television is, you follow his line of sight. "I brought your movie and the player. If you're okay with me staying over, do you wanna watch it?"
Leaning forward, you bring your face closer to his, murmuring, "I'd love that."
Namjoon closes the final distance. Both your eyes and his flutter shut as your lips meet in the middle. You tug on the collar of his sweater, encouraging him closer as his arms tighten around your waist. In a burst of bravery, you run your hand through his platinum hair and nip at his bottom lip. He inhales abruptly, and you giggle in response.
"You're gonna be the death of me, [Y/n] [Y/l/n]," he laughs, eventually pulling back to catch his breath.
You grin mischievously at him, biting your lower lip. "Still sure you wanna stay?"
"Definitely. Oh! And I placed an order for takeout, which should be here any minute."
You burst into laughter, resting your forehead against his shoulder as joy fills your body. "You really put all your chips on me coming to my senses, didn't you?" When he shrugs, you add, "What if I had said no?"
"Then I would've been eating for two alone in my apartment," he groans.
You shake your head at his antics and playfully poke the dimple in his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Joonie.”
His smile deepens at your words and gesture. “Merry Christmas, [Y/n].”
Just as he promised, food arrives at the front of your apartment a few minutes later. Namjoon hops up and volunteers to get it from the entrance, and you pop the movie into the player. Silencing the music on his phone, you select the "Play" option from the menu, and the credits begin to play over Anthony Hopkins' narration as your companion returns.
He serves up the food and delivers it to you on the sofa. With a rumbling stomach, you take it gratefully. Just as the singing begins, Namjoon settles into the seat beside you, hooking your leg over his so you maintain closeness as you devour the takeout. Neither of you have seen it in so long, and thus both of you are laughing whole-heartedly at every joke and hilarious mannerism.
After the meal is finished and the dishes are on the makeshift box side-table, you find yourself slowly slipping closer to your companion. Namjoon gladly pulls you closer, and by the middle of the movie, you're back in his lap. With the blanket wrapped around you both, his chin on your head, his arms around you with one hand tracing absent-minded patterns on the skin above your pants, you know you've never been more at home in Seoul than you are right now.
"I'm sorry I ruined your grand plans for Day 3," you murmur after a while.
Namjoon's hand on your waist halts, then changes to a reassuring, tapping pattern. "Be glad you did; this is way better than anything I had planned."
"While I have to agree, what did you have planned?"
You can hear his smile in his voice. "Well, honestly I hadn't decided between Lotte World or Seoullo 7017. You said you hadn't been to either of those, and at Christmas, they're magical. All the lights, the music, it's an absolute winter wonderland."
"Well, if I get to see you skate live, then we can definitely go to those after the solar New Year. Maybe...Maybe even call it a date?"
Namjoon presses a kiss to your forehead, one that makes you grin to yourself and sigh peacefully. His reply is loud and clear, a promise reverberating through his chest. "I think that sounds perfect."
As the movie continues, you relax and think back on everything that's happened this year. All your concerns and worries you had a few weeks prior, at the beginning of December, they all seem so far away now. Even those anxieties brought up recently feel as if they're resolved. he sense is comparable to that of a chapter ending and a new one is being written. And this time, you're the one holding the pen.
At the resolution of the film, you realize that what Namjoon set out to do over a series of adventures truly did come to fruition. Be it luck or fate or whatever you want to call it, he really has given you that spark of hope in the Christmas season. It's something you thought you'd lost, or perhaps you'd left it in America along with many other things. He's brought it back to life, and so much more along with it.
All that magic, all that wonder, all that love and hope and joy — Namjoon is right. It hasn't disappeared from the world, and you haven't outgrown the things you used to feel during the holiday season. It's all still right here, in front of you and around you, waiting to be taken with grateful hands and heart. Maybe it's not in the form it used to be, nor is it in the place it used to be, but neither are you. Both you and your home have changed this year. But despite it all, you are still here, still striving to love yourself and your new life, still trying to let the magic find you.
And this year, because of a wonderful person named Kim Namjoon, you had all the love and magic you could ever need.
#bangtan-madi writes#christmas collab#bts christmas collab#bts christmas fic#christmas oneshot#christmas fic#holiday fic#holiday oneshot#bts#bangtan#bangtan sonyeondan#namjoon#kim namjoon#rm#rm x reader#namjoon x reader#kim namjoon x reader#strangers to lovers#bts x reader#kim namjoon oneshot#namjoon oneshot#namjoon fic#kim namjoon fic#rm fic#rm oneshot#kpop#figure skater au#figure skater!namjoon#cafe au#barista!mc
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|PRETTY PLEASE| M|
SMUT/ LIGHT ANGST
Pairing: Taehyung X Reader ( A lil Joonie at the end)
Song reference: Dua Lipa-Pretty Please
About- Tae fucks you on top of your receptionist desk before you fire her…
Or- Tae’s feeling a little needy...and somewhat low key, self continuous about you possibly hiring a new production assistant..AKA...Jungkook. It seems as though Mr. Kim takes pride in being the youngest within the office! It seems as though your baby boy just needs a little..reassurance....
Warnings: Soft dom OC, Service top Tae, Baby/baby boy/praise kink/ over-stimulation/ cum play/cum as lube(using someone elses cum as lube to be exact) Fingering, Semi public sex, unprotected sex/ dirty talk, biting/marking kink/minimal prep, oral(F receiving), Finger sucking, (Joon is mentioned a couple times during sex but not physically present) he dose however come in after it’s over and shares a kiss with Tae at the end BTW (I feel like I’m missing some...but theirs nothing like off the wall in this one)
Note- This one shot is a part of my OT7 Poly AU called 7 deep! Part 1 will be linked below! Short version of the overall plot: Your Married to Namjoon, however you’re both in a open relationship and run a very successful Adult Entertainment company called “Onyx” with your 5 college lovers AKA BTS Minus Kookie! There is a lil backstory sprinkled in because without it the dynamic would not really make sense....
Tae is her executive assistant upon other things BTW...
Theres a HUGE praise kink and a lot of dirty talk here...he’s her baby..point blank...
Joonie’s lost and jsut wants everybody happy
WC: 7K
Onyx Entertainment 7:09 AM
~~~~
“Y/n’’ Taehyung comes over slowly, voice still full of sleep. sitting even lower, and huskier than usual..almost a whisper actually. Positioning himself right behind you, hips flush against the swell of your ass, snaking his arms, around your waist. Hands trailing slowly up your stomach, allowing his fingers to roam your body freely until one of his hands is flush around the front of your neck. Applying just enough pressure to trigger a slight chill to course up your spine, as the stark contrast from the array of metals he has dancing along his delicate fingers brushes against your skin. However, your so used to the position, especially where Taehyung is concerned it doesn’t stifle you the way it used to, somehow your still able to function….
Arching your back even deeper….however contrary to what he may want…that’s not really why your arching at the moment…..
“God,was it necessary for you to wear this dress today??!” Tae whispers, sounding almost pained at the revelation! Face nuzzled into the side of your ear, nipping at the gold hoop dangling from your lobe. “Y/nnnn” He’s needy…and whiny…very..not that your surprised though…
A low almost disinterested hum rings in the back of your throat as your fingers patter against the phone. ‘Yes baby?.”
”Stop, ignoring me” Pouts off his lips as he nips your ear even harder, a slight growl that sounds far too cute to be even remotely threatening leaving his throat!
A disgruntled...nah, an infuriated groan huffs off your chest upon seeing there’s 40,yes 40 voicemail’s.. stored on said phone. Well aware your busy, but not busy enough to have gotten 40 messages all in one night. A string of curses hush off your lips upon hearing the date and reasons behind the numerous calls that were clearly never returned.So ya know, there goes a good… shit, 10k down the drain in payroll over the past 4 in a half months she's worked here!
“Tae, add “Officially, fire Jordan’’ to my list of things to do today..please and fucking thank you…”
Slamming the headset against the desk phone hard enough to have to actually bounce off the receiver. Taehyung knows you like the back of his hand though, not even blinking as he damn near acts as if he’s spider man grabbing the phone before it completely falls off the desk. Within seconds he instantly brings his hands back to their initial position, caressing your frame against his own. Suddenly your curiosity gets the best of you so you welcome yourself to her desktop. Logging in to Outlook to check her work email. And what do you know, 120 unopened emails…. god why…WHY!?
“You have got to be fucking kidding..” Sighs off your lips in disbelief “What the actual fuck has she been doing this entire time!?” The question was rhetorical: you really didn’t wanna know, it took every ounce of self control not to search her browser….You’d probably pop a vessel if you logged on and found her history full of online shopping, Facebook, and UberEats! Body slouching into his almost as if all of the energy got sucked out of your body upon seeing the shitshow that is Jordan’s email!
“So wait, am I adding that to your schedule before or after your 7:30 AM appointment to fuck Taehyung Kim?” Brow quirked in genuine curiosity, as if he just asked you the day's weather forecast or something!.
Honestly? It took you a minute to even catch on because he said that shit with his entire chest, like, he meant that! Not even an ounce of amusement laced within his delivery….
A loud cackle ripped from your throat once you actually process what this man just said. Reclining your head against his shoulder, placing a lingering kiss along his cheek which he leaned into instantly. The grip he holds around both your waist and neck tightening once you start to rock your hips against him. Biting your lips,lashes fluttering in his direction, yanking the chain around his neck ever so slightly.
“Hmm….must have missed that when I skimmed my itinerary this morning…huh?” A sly smirk playing along your lips as you lock eyes with his.
“Mmm, minor but very important schedule alteration…weren’t you the one who taught me that you always have to be ready to adapt to any and every situation?”
A low hum rings in the back of your throat as you gently massage his freshly dyed scalp “I do recall saying something along those lines...” Ghosting your lips over the hinge of his jaw...blowing lightly.
Those electric blue locks you'd grown to love were now replaced by a color you haven't seen in lord knows when. Black, as simple as it may seem it just compliments his caramelized complexion and dark brows perfectly. His hair is getting long all over now, and the older he gets the more comfortable he seems to be with letting his entire face be seen, hair parted messily down the middle in soft waves. It’s still kinda surreal watching him turn more, and more into a man as the years go on! Still remembering when he was walking around campus with his hella brassy box dyed blonde hair and Pacsun jeans....
Turning his head so his lips hovered over yours close enough that you could almost taste the Caramel ice capp on his tongue. Nosing along your face like a spoiled puppy silently begging for affection, chin tilted upwards just enough to let you know what he needed!
“We don’t have time baby boy you know this..” Leaning down to kiss the pout off is lips before it even appeared “You know were slammed and Yoongi has production getting in at-”
Taehyung leans in to capture your lips in another kiss, clearly less than intrigued by anything you had to say at the moment. This time a little deeper, moaning against your tongue as he breaches the seam of your lips. It’s hard and messy, Tae’s teeth accidentally clack against your own, your trying to speak but it keeps getting muffled against his lips! He’s shameless with his need, the way he’s licking his way around your mouth while he slowly grinds his hips into your ass tells you that. Nothing subtle about how hard his dick is straining against the leather of his pants…
He doesn't waste any time either,clawing his way up your thighs, hiking your dress up, around your waist, sliding his hand down to cup your pussy between his palm. Taehyung lets out a loud wanton moan, one that bounces off the brick walls around you once he feels how warm and wet you are. The blatant wet patch in the center of your panties, that his fingers are damn near stuck too! You move your hand up to the side of his neck, taking a somewhat aggressive hold to try and get him to calm down enough for you to speak. Nails digging tiny crests into his skin, yet you don't stop because you know he fuckin loves it.
“No fuckin patience” Tugging his bottom lip between your teeth, far to fond of the man in front of you to have any bite laced within your delivery.
“You talkin about me or you?” A playful smirk plays along his tongue as you lean up to trail yours over his lips to ease the sting before sucking it into your mouth.
“What’s got you so distracted today hmm??” Head cocked to the side, feigned innocence’s playing along your tongue as you gaze back at him, taking in how blatantly fucked out he already looks.
A low whine rips from his lips as he forces himself to break apart just enough to actually speak properly! “Are you forgetting we came here together?” Brow arched knowingly, Taehyung drops his head, to lick, nip, suck, and kiss your neck, ripping a soft moan from your throat, reclining your neck to give him more room to work. Breath hot and heady against your skin as he noses up the side of your neck. “And we have plenty of time,I already know you don’t need much right now….” Clasping his fingers around your heat even tiger “Baby, please”
Point being, Tae utilized his free access to the apartment that Namjoon and you share this morning after deciding he had no interest in driving himself to work. Which also means, he heard the two of you fucking in the shower, Joon and Hoseok had been in NY for a convention for the past week so lets just say it was long overdue. And actually…. correction, he wasn’t just chilling in your apartment, he was laying on your bed getting off to the two of you fucking in the shower. Still, this boy is insatiable and that wasn’t enough for him to be even remotely satisfied...
“Mmm…” You rock backwards, grinding against his length even harder, tilting your head back, taking the brunette’s ear between your teeth. Pulling hard enough to make him whine, body shuddering against your own, lips flush to his ear “Oh, so it’s my fault you invited yourself in and listened to us fuck in the shower?” Painting your lips down the side of his neck until you suck a mark into the juncture of his collarbone. Low enough that his shirt can cover it during business hours, though you know if he had it his way your marks would be plastered over the front column of his neck!
“My fault you’re already nice and hard and all you wanna do is fuck me until I come allll over your cock too?” His body goes completely pliant under your tongue, just like a cat being pulled by the nape of its neck. A faint whimper falls from his lips as he reaches up, hands getting tangled into your hair pressing down to keep you in place. “My fault your too horny to focus today?”
“Fuck today!” He scoffs around a moan “You’re always distracting, I always want you, god, since fuckin Econ, second period, you know this.” Damn, he’s taking this back to his freshman year of college!? “You already know what you do to me!” Mumbling against your jaw, kissing across it as best as he can at the current angle.
A pleased hymn rings in the back of your throat at the memory “My spoiled baby…” Breath fanning out warm against his skin “Always loved being marked up by me huh?” Taehyung is a resident switch, especially during his college days, yet for some reason where Yoongi and yourself are concerned this man becomes submissive as fuck. He’s always a pleaser, but it comes something serious where your concerned, his need to make you feel good almost overtaking his own need to climax!
Tilting your head to meet his hooded gaze head on “What’s got you all hard baby? Thinking about how easily you could just slide in?” Nothing accidentally about the low moan that slides off your tongue after every word. As you place your hand ontop of his. Gently rocking it back and forth against your clit “ How warm and wet I am? How messy it’ll be, feeling Joonies come dripping out of me as you fuck me?”
“Y/n! Just- fuck…”
‘Is that what you want Tae? You wanna fill me up and fuck me open with your big, thick ,cock?” Your staring him dead in the eye as these words purr off your tongue “Joonie came hard too, there's still so much leaking out right now, my panties have been saoked since I left the house..” Taehyung’s jaw tense as you slip a hand behind you, gripping his dick in your palm through his pants. He was always one to go commando so the rough texture flush against his length was really fucking him up right now. Eyes fluttering shut, “You know I’d still be nice and tight for you too..I’m always tight and warm around you aren't I baby??”
Taehyung didn't even have to open his eyes to know you had a smirk on your face, he could feel the smirk within your voice and he whined..loud. Dragging his bottom lip between his teeth before releasing another moan once you free him from your palm and start grinding your hips back against him.
You push back and he whines even louder this time, leaning down to nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck. “God, please, baby let me fuck-let your baby boy fuck you. Let me make you feel good…” You can feel his cock twitch behind you, and there's no denying it, you want it just as bad as he does.
You can tell he’s getting himself worked into a frenzy so you kiss him quite. Massaging your tongue against his cooing lightly at how quickly he just melts into you!
“Mmm, if I let you fuck me are you gonna be a god boy for me? Make me come all over your cock?” You know, you already know but you like riling him up….
“Fuck yes, I’ll fuck you so damn good…” Sinking his teeth into your pulse point, not even attempting to let up until he rips the neediest whine imaginable from your lips, knees damn near bucking in the process. Taking the skin between his teeth and sucking...hard..Tae wants to leave a mark..he appears to be feeling oddly possessive today…
“God, I can fuckin smell you now...fuck…” Taehyung’s grip on your hip tigtnes “Let me….fuck baby let me…”
“Jesus-Fu- Do you even know how good you sound when you beg?” A shaky breath signs off your lips and you can feel Tae Smiling against your skin..well aware he’s about to get what he wants.
“Yeah, I know, I know, I sound good,” Tae smirks around a moan . “I know I do, I know how much you fuckin love it too… Love seeing me all hard, and needy for you…..only you. Your the only one that gets me like this”
A fond smile plays along your lips as you stroke his nape..”My baby boy yeah?”
Taehyung just whines in response bucking his hips even harder, honestly you could tease him all day but there really isn't the time. “Yours, always yours” there’s a slight pout playing on his lips. Almost as if he’s trying to convince himself of that as well which is something you take a mental note of to bring up later!
“Yeah,” You moan, low and breath. “Yeah, come on...fuck me.”
“About damn time….” You can feel his lips curl into a smile that you can only imagine sparked something wicked! Because your baby boy is a spoiled brat at heart!
With one clean sweep he knocked every damn file off Jordan’s desk and flipped you onto your back. Hips shifting slightly so your legs are dangling off the edge, as he steps between them. Kneading your inner thighs beneath skilled nimble fingers as he loosely wraps them around his waist.
Once your situated you peer up at him, a playful smirk playing on your lips as your nails claw up his sides…. “You wanna make me feel good Tae?”
“I wanna fuckin ruin you, I always do...every time I look at you I just wanna give you every damn thing! However you want it….” Tae Moans….sliding your panties to the side a slight hiss ringing in the back of his throat as he claws up your thighs. Your still dripping, lips swollen, clit still sensitive to the touch.
You visibly shudder, gut twisting at the admission...as you take in his lust-filled hooded gaze.“Such a pretty pussy baby…” Long, delicate fingers trail up and down your clit gently. Leaning down to blow a trail up your lips just to make you squirm.
“Fuckkk” Back arching off the desk, not one to try and hide how affected you are. You know he gets off on praise. “You can, you already know you can do whatever you want to me….” You moan even louder as he works your clit a little quicker, adding more pressure.
“God, I still can’t get over the way you sound” Leaning down to kiss you, deep languid strokes of his tongue while he traces his fingers around your entrance….he knows damn well you don't need it but he can’t help himself. “I wanna put my fingers inside..feel how tight and wet you'll be around my cock…” Tae slurs around a moan as his tongue hits the roof of your mouth. Instead of responding you reach down, taking his wrist and guiding him straight in, until your both gasping against one another.
Inserting his middle and ring finger, making you pull back just enough to catch your breath, inhaling a sharp breath through your nose. He can feel Namjoon’s come just leaking out once his fingers slush through as he buries himself knuckle deep. “Fuck, Yn” Growls off his tongue, gaze instantly darkening
Nose scrunching into his face the deeper he works his digits into, your warm, tight and messy, so fucking messy! Curling his fingers upwards as if he’s trying to scoop his come forwards so he can push it all back in, “Such a messy pussy”
“Feel good baby?”You can feel him smiling into the kiss, and a deep groan rips from the back of your throat.
“You know I can handle more than that baby, come on….” Taehyung moans at the instructions pulling back to brace his forehead against yours gazing down at you through hooded lids. His arm starts to move a little harder, making you spread your legs on instinct, wrist shifting ever so slightly until your moaning louder, deeper..hips rocking up to meet his palm. Making sure it smacks against your clit head on every time he makes contact.
“Yeah, fuck. Like that, just like that” Snaking your hands under his shirt to claw up his back, cooing at how hard he shutters at the contact “Angle u-fuck” A light giggle leaving your lips a stated smile on your face as he finds the spot before you even get it out. Twisting and angling his arm, fucking his fingers into you until he finds that ridget patch nuzzled between your heat, thighs tensing around his waist once he does and he just beams down at you…
He starts working his fingers faster, adding a third, spreading them ever so slightly as he pulls out so he can slide in with little to no resistance. Regardless of Joon fucking you this morning, you still always manage to snap right back in place. No matter how many times they’ve fucked you over the years, you always fit around Taehyung’s cock like a glove...always.
Tae is the youngest and he was also the least experienced when you all met, and by that I mean he was one of those college kids that didn't know any better, Simply because none of his prior partners ever took the time to..properly make their needs known...that is until he met you one Thursday night…
So you often found this strong sense of pride at the way he fucks you now...no instruction truly needed. He could get you off with his eyes closed at this point. You just no he gets off on it...gets off on being your good boy, and he always is.
Your loud now, and Tae’s leaking so much precome into his pants it’s unreal. Rocking your hips even harder up and down, you can physically hear how wet you are, without a doubt leaking onto the desk! You already close, closer than you wanna be before is cocks splitting you in half.
“Fuck stop!”
The smirk that tugs along those lips was something lethal, gaze dark, a low hum ringing in the back of his throat as he raked over your form. How ragged your breath is...how hard your thighs are tensing around him…..
“Why?’ Head cocked to the side as he sticks his tongue out wetting those pouty lips of his. “Can’t handle coming 3 times today?” The arch in his brow is taunting and you can’t even lie, there's something really sexy about how confident he’s gotten over the years “ Don’t wanna come until I’m balls deep inside you” The question coming off more as a statement, gaze daring you to tell him anything different.
Your breath hitched, every vein in your body felt like it was on fire as he pulled you into a kiss. ,deep, rough and messy while you clench down around his fingers. Ripping every once of bravado he had to shreds...within seconds, once you trapped him between your heat, cock twitching on command.
“Now. Fuck me” You breath out, eyes locked with his as you slide his fingers free, lacing your tongue around the. Slow deliberate strokes, humming around the taste of both your and Namjoon’s arousal coating your tongue and Taehyung looks fucking wrecked! You allow him to slide in knuckle deep until he hits the back of your throat, and he can’t help but moan at how easily you take him.
“Come onnn Tae, fuck meee” A low whine hanging off your tongue as you guide his fingers back down your body hovering over your clit again…. “I need your cock baby”
“Fuck, yeah okay...I’ll fill you up baby” Stepping back just enough to unzip his pants and much to know ones surprise he’s rock hard, standing straight up, the tip painfully pink it almost looks as though you can physically see him throbbing. An obscene amount of Precum’s leaking down his shaft as he grazes his thumb over his slit. Hissing at the contact, Tae’s so hard it literally hurts at this point , balls tight against the base of his shaft.
Mouthwatering shamelessly at the sight as he grips his cock and smacks it along your clit a couple of times. Just to hear your juices slick all over the place, literally sounding as if he just splashed his palm in water!
He leans down and kisses your neck until you grab him by the hair to turn his cheek, to kiss him, deep and hard, making him taste Namjoon’s come on your tongue. You grind your hips forward letting his cock graze your clit until he's groaning low and desperate against your tongue. Hiking your legs up around his waist, digging his nails into the swell of your ass. Pressing your heels into the small of his back to pull his hips even closer!
“You sound so fucking good like this, so fuckin ready to fuck me huh baby?” Tae practically growls when he answers you, he technically responds “yes” first in Korean which is...rare, typically only happens when he’s overwhelmed and clearly…
“Yeah, yes, fuck I want it, need you baby please .” Grounding his hips even harder until he has your eyes rolling to the back of your head, fuck this boy is going to be the death of you. The pout on his lips is a stark contrast to how thick, and hard his cock is as it rubs against your clit…
Letting your fingers roam through his hair, landing on the back of his neck “Fuck me…”
He doesn't even bother lubing up his cock he doesn't need it , he just shifts his hips slightly to angle you upwards and slowly sinks his cock inside, breathing out deeply through flared nostrils as he does…
“Fuckkkk” Leaves both of your lips in unison once he breaches your entrance. Heat instantly pooling in the pit of your stomach as he starts to stretch you open. His eyes stay on yours the entire time, though hooded and unfocused they never waiver! Panting out hot and heavy against each others tongues, as you try to adjust to the stretch...
You can both not only hear but feel Namjoons come overflowing the deeper he gets! You can feel his arms starting to shake from how overwhelmed he is from all the pressure building around him.
Leaning up to whisper a combination of praise and absolute filth in your baby’s ear until your ripping the neediest moans and groans from his throat.
Dropping his head to leave a trail of open-mouthed kisses up the side of your neck, along his jaw, nipping at the diamond hoop in your ear.
There’s no edging his way in either,Taehyung is sliding all the way home. Not stopping until your filled to the brim. Continually whispering praise after praise into his ear which already has him throbbing on impact. Squeezing your ass even tighter, nosing up your cheek until you bring your lips flush to his, sliding in tongue first, need overtaking finesse at this point but neither of you cared!
He starts to move and you dig your nails into his ass, hard enough to make him groan even through the leather!
“Don’t, move yet….be a good boy for me, and stay still... “ He grunts and damn near has a temper tantrum but he obliged….”Stay still pretty, you can do that for me can’t you?”
Right as he's about to speak he finds himself choking around a moan as you purposely clench around him .
“Fuck, baby your pussy feels..Goddamn Yn” He almost sounds awed as if to say after all these years it’s kinda crazy that you still have this kinda affect on him! He lets out a low hum when you do it again, Taehyung is hot to the touch at this point “Fuck, tell me” his tone takes on an almost demanding tenor which only makes your toes curl against the sole of your Louboutins!
“Tell you what Tae?” Tone somewhat teasing until you take in the look of almost desperation within those big brown eyes of his, “That you're my baby? My good boy? The best boy?” Eyes fluttering shut briefly, a low hum ringing in the back of his throat “That your cook feels so fuckin good even when your not doing anything? Or how good you're being for me no matter how bad I know you wanna move.”
Fingers gently caressing the back of his neck “What do you wanna know baby?” In contrast to Tae’s your voice drops down to a whisper,nothing but fondness and affection dripping off your tongue. You can sense something’s wrong more than just him being horny. Yeah he had a praise kink but this feels different as if he NEEDS the validation outside of just sex. “Or…” reaching you to take a delicate, somewhat intimate hold on his jaw, temporarily shifting the mood. “Tell you how much I love you? Because I really fuckin do Tae…” His breath hitches in his throat, you feel his cock twitch and his heart hammer against his chest at the admission “Soo much baby…”
“I love you” The words ramble off his tongue repeatedly almost as if he can’t stop...
Leaning down to nip at your bottom lip “Keeping my cock, nice and warm…..squeezing me soo good baby…” Leaning down to suck on the hinge of your jaw. “I just-I wanna make you come so bad, wanna fill you up with even more come until your just dripping with it. “ Tae’s voice dropped to an octave you haven't heard in lord known when, instantly reminding you that you created a fucking monster…..you know what he’s doing though. Since you won;t let him move he’s trying to get you worked up enough that you don’t have a choice.
This time when you clenched around him it was involuntary and so was the needy ass moan that ripped from your throat
His skin is flushed...eyes begging you to let him fuck you “You get me soo hard, I don't even understand how you could even expect, me to wanna go out and find someone else after I’ve been wrapped around you for so many years. Yn fuck-” Eyes rolling to the back of his head mid-sentence, the tighter you suck him in, he’s overwhelmed and just rambling at this point but you know what he’s referring too...
Meaning, even though you essentially operate as a closed triad as long as there’s open and honest lines commutation. The boys aren’t technically tied to Namjoon and yourself...yet outside of maybe a little drunken grind and make out session in the clubs...or something….at least over the past 2 years none of you have strayed...None of you have ever wanted too..more than content with what you have...
You reach up, placing your fingers in front of his mouth ‘Spit' ' He does with zero hesitation, as you bring your hand down to work your clit…The second you make contact you start pulsing around him even harder...and now Tae’s squirming on top of you. It’s becoming way too much he’s going to fuck around and come before he even gets to move
“Baby please, I can’t- I need-”
“Fuck me then!” Voice gently yet commanding
“Oh thank fuckk” Taehyung almost shouts as he thrust into you, hard and fast, almost knocking your head into the raised back of the desk! Snapping his hips forward with purpose, clearly well aware that the two of you don’t have much time.
He leans down to kiss every exposed piece of skin he can reach, your neck, shoulder, collarbone, before making his way up to your lips, sucking his tongue into your mouth. “Fuck, I can still taste you, both of you!” He kisses you through each thrust, hard, and opened mouth, panting out against your tongue, as you rake your nails down his back. Pulling out almost completely only to thrust in hard enough to have your thighs weakening. Practically dropping from his waist until he reaches under resecurring them in place.
“Yes, fuckk yess..” Each roll of his hips is sharp, precise, hitting every spot you need to have your eyes having a continuous meeting with the back of your head!
“Taeaahyung fu-” Pulling apart, drifting your eyes to where his cock is flushed, and sliding all the way out only to slam back in…Blurring the lines of where you start and he ends..."Look at how good your fucking me….always such a good boy for me yeah?”
Your winded...and your thighs are shaking, eyes heavy as all hell, but the moan that slips past his lips at the praise is more than worth it. You swear you feel his cock get even harder actually. You rock back, tensing your muscles around him, ripping a low groan of your name off his tongue before he actually responds.
“Yeah I’m good...so fuckin good for you baby!” You can feel his breath get lodged in his throat as he speaks, shifting your hips so they are raised a little higher. The moan that rips from your throat as you arch off the desk has him fucking into you even harder. Addicted to all the sinful sounds he knows he’s the only one responsible for right now... “You take me so well, sound so fucking pretty for me…” Dragging his bottom lip along his teeth!
“Fuck me harder, I know you wanna...you know I can take it! Use me baby, fuck meeeee”
He groans, leaning down to pull you into a messy kiss as he pulls out and snaps forward making you almost scream, head pulling back in a stifled gasp as he picks up his pace, grounding his hips and steadying his rhythm. Brining your hand back down to work your clit, knowing your close, but you still need a little more.
“Fuck you look soo good getting yourself off like that….”
You let your eyes flutter open, a menacing smirk playing on your lips as you remove your hand from your clit. Sucking your fingers into your mouth as you fuck into him even harder. Lathering them with an unnecessary amount of spit, as if you weren't already dripping all over the place.
“You like watching me get myself off for you?” Bring one hand up to massage your nipples through the thin fabric of the dress while the other comes down to graze your clit. Locking your eyes with his as rub yourself, harder, faster, clearly with a purpose this time around. Eyes growing heavy as you moan out, rocking upwards to meet his thrust but never once breaking eye contact.
Tae, moans even louder at that, especially once you start fucking into him with the same amount of forces he's giving you “Yeah, baby fuck me...fuck me” Biting his lip, grunting and groaning through clenched teeth once he feels you start to tighten around his cock which has been throbbing this entire time!
Tae, braces your legs on either side of his shoulder, angling your hips even higher as they roll into you, deep and fast. The sound of skin slapping, Tae, grunting, and you moaning bouncing off every surface. Turning his head to the side to kiss at your ankles...teeth gently grazing along the strap of your heels, as he rolls his hips even deeper, head luling onto his shoulders.
You whine low and breathy as you click the backs of your heels together behind his head. Pressing the back of your thighs flush to his chest to bring him even closer. Those big, extremely sexy hands of his grip your waist, even tighter gripped your waist trying to pull you even closer. Ass flush with his hips at every stroke, the intoxicating feeling of the deep drag and stretch of his cock deep inside you had Tae’s toes curling against his Saint Laurent boots.
“God why do you look this fuckin hot!?” He actually sounds upset to be honest, and you can't help but laugh no matter how hard it is to breathe right now. Your thighs are practically vibrating on either side of his head.
“Fucking me open with your cock…like it was made for me...made to make me come-” Stopping mid-sentence not by choice just because fuck you couldn't breathe he was deep at this angle “Fuck and your gonna make me come too, keep fucking me Tae- just….fuck!”
“I was baby,fucking you just how you taught me…” He whimpers and moans even louder eyes fighting to stay open and maintain eye contact. Something about the way he said that “The way you taught me...” Was exactly what you needed to let go!
“Taeeee” you whine “I’m going to fuckin come harder.. Fuck please!!” Throwing your head back against the desk, knocking against what feels like a stapler but you can’t be bothered to care by how good he feels right now. Your gasping, breathless, and more importantly now your the one that sounds needy and there's nothing sexier than that to Taehyung.
Leaning up to grip him by the back of his neck and he leans into it. Basically folding you in half, he can feel how hard your starting to squeeze him, and he damn near chokes on his own words. “Yeah, yeah, just like that , come for me, come for your baby...”
He gasping and whimpering right over you, jaw slack but not fully able to really kiss you back right now, so you decided to toy his bottom lip around your tongue. “Harder,harder” You instruct low and breathy tight into his mouth. “Fuckkk”
You clench your muscles around him as hard as you can, moaning loud and unfiltered until your coming, hard. Your spazzing and coming all over his cock and it’s actually almost pailful at this point.
“Yes, fuck baby ..your so good, soo perfect... ” You can feel that he needed this ,not just physically, just everything, about him in this moment screams how bad he needs this! There's no way he's coming no matter how close until you do, until you milk him through it!
You swear for a minute your heads spinning, fuzzy and lightheaded, ears burning as he rips you apart nerve by nerve...like he said...Just how you taught him! It takes a minute a good minute for you to pull you shit together and fuck if it dosent do wonders for you baby’s ego!
You whimper directly against his lips, gaze heavy, still completely fucked out “Such a good boy, you’re doing so good, come for me baby…” His thrust are becoming sporadic and out of rhythm because you don't stop stroking your clit, so your still spazzing around him, your still coming! You've always been one for over stimulation, I mean fuck you have 6 lovers for fucks sake how could you not. Your coming, moaning,painting and it’s ripping Tae’s orgasm straight from his body whether he was ready for it or not!
Taehyung cries and you can feel is cock twitch one more time before hes coming, snapping his hps forward, and stalling in place as you clench down around him! moaning louder and louder, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Tae collapses forward once he’s finished, so spent and you pull him closer, encouraging him to rest on top of you no matter how heavy he truly is.
“So good,” you whisper “Always such a good boy for me…” He leans down, completely blissed eyes heavy, and kisses you slow...intimate...hands gently stoking up and down your thighs as the two of you breathe as one… realizing this isn't really the time or place for this but you need amount to fully come down!! “I love you…” Slurs off your tone completely spent, and you feel him smile against your lips.
“ I Love you” A moan starts on his tongue and ends on the top of yours as he slides out, you can feel the come leaking onto the desk. Before you can even process what’s happening you see Tae drop down to his knees...bracing your thighs on either side of his head. Scooping up as much of the overflow as he can pushing, his fingers in knuckle deep curling upwards in the process...Thighs threatening to clench around his head in over secretive as a low whine hisses from your lips!
“Oh my god” Fingers seamlessly found there place in his soft, slight damp locks, tugging on his scalp relentlessly as you rolled your hips into his tongue. Though you really should be running away from the sensation but fuck, you can;t help it! Low breathy whines and moans fell from your lips the harder he sucked your clit between his lips, moaning out as all of your arousal's coat his tongue. Your clit is still rock hard and your literally a second away from coming all over again...that is,,until he slides in 3 fingers deep and apparently where Taehyung is concerned you don’t even have a refraction time because...
“Tae-baby- fuckkkk” Back coming to a complete arch as you came with a silent cry, you were panting so hard you almost felt like you were about to pass out. Taehyung’s tongue was still relentless, causing you to jerk and twitch away from him, trying to edge your way up the bed but it was no use..you were already crowning the headboard.
“Please, fuck - I can’t , I can’t …” Thankfully it seems as though he agreed, maybe it’s because your thighs wouldn’t stop spazzing and you soiled the spot right beneath your ass you were so wet! Kissing, licking, sucking a path from your clit, up your stomach, sliding your dress back into place, before his face was finally flush to yours. Sliding his tongue into your mouth without warning, kissing you deep and messy,letting you taste a combination of Tae, Joon and yourself thoroughly as you licked the excess coming from the corners of his lips causing you both to moan. Hands soothing up your trembling thighs trying to sooth you but it was no use..you were a mess!
Taehyung could feel them vibrating against his palm. Smiling smugly against your lips, clearly pleased with the sudden state your in . Locking your thighs around his waist, bracing his hands beneath for support because he can feel how pliant your entire body is beneath him.
“Wrap your arms around my neck” Whispered against your lips as he kissed you again while shifting off the desk, gripping your bag, and leading the two of you down the hall into your office. Voice sitting even husker now than it did initially....eyes still comptely blown out
Laying you gently on the leather chaise against the wall and you can’t help but smile up at him with nothing but fondness. Remembering those days when your baby boy was still lost in that fuck boy phase and thought after care was not kicking his partner out after! Now you watch as he slowly spreads your thighs apart. Cleaning you gently with a couple baby wipes kissing every inch of skin he touches in the process before doing the same to himself.Tucking his spent cock back into his leather pants with a slight hiss due to oversensitiveness…
“Thank you baby…” Taking his hand in your kissing along his knuckles “Fuck Tae, you were in a mood this morning...holyshit” An exhausted chuckle leaves your lips as you settle into the cushions, your thighs were literally still humming.
“Aye gotta make a lasting impression before you go meet my replacement right??” He tried to laugh it off, but not only did his “smile” not even remotely reach his eyes...you could hear light tremor laced within his delivery that he tried to mask by said laugh!
Brows scrunching to the middle of your face immediately because...WHAT!?
“Speaking of, you and Yoongi have that 2:30 interview with Jungkook. So you might wanna dip out and shower first, you just might still end up feeling kinda sticky, between me and Joonie there’s just..fuck..”
To be honest, everything kinda melted into a blur and it almost seemed as though you really weren’t listening because all you kept thinking about is him saying you were going to meet his “Replacement…”
“I mean even with a pantyl-”
“What?!” You honestly did not mean for your response to come out as snappy as it did but again… WHAT!?
“I said you might wanna-“
“That’s, what this was about?!” Brows furrowed in the center of your face in confusion more than anything because what the fuck Tae! “First off, he was your idea, but if he makes you uncomfortable for any reason we don’t have to interview him! You have to work with him too baby, I don't want-” You know your deliveries off so you find yourself reaching up to gently caress his jaw, which is a stark contrast to your tone at the moment!
“No, no” Flagging his hand in the air dismissively “ I want you to, he seems like a good kid and like he knows his shit Yoongi needs..no he deserves that..he already does so much!” Nervously raking his hands down the nonexistent wrinkles on his black silk dress shirt. “I don’t know baby, ignore me I’m just being stupid …”
He gets up with a box of Clorox whips and sprays heading back to the lobby so you opt to follow, no matter how much your thighs are literally screaming at you the entire time! Well aware that the desk without a doubt needs to be toughly whipped down with the next half hour before production starts trickling in! Kicking up the air as well to get the humidity out of the atmosphere, thankfully space had an open enough floor plan that, the typical sex smell That may clog up a bedroom wasn’t as potent…
Without even sparing you a second glance he starts spraying down the desk, whipping the surface diligently, actually somewhat aggressively which let you know he felt a way about this. Nobody's jaw just twitches while they clean..he was annoyed…
“Ugh no.” Reaching out to grasp his wrist halting his movements, and now it was clear he was adverting your gaze, eyes locking on a fucking paperclip to his right… “ I will not ignore you and your feelings are valid, always, even if I don’t quite understand them.” Exchanging his wrist for his jaw, gripping it firm enough to firm him to make eye contact and there's nothing subtle about how glazed over they were…
“Baby…” Cooed off your lips as you stoked his face you watched his nose twitch as he tried desperately not to cry, so you leaned down... Placing a lingering yet innocent kiss along his lips. No ulterior motive just hoping it gave him some sort of comfort…. Feeling the way he just melted into you...yet the tension stayed evident within his body…”Talk to me Tae..please..:”
He didn’t pull away fully, resting his forehead flush to yours “I don’t know... I just-”
The two of you pull apart the minute you hear the faint ding of the elevator, eyes instantly scanning the camera to see it’s nobody but Joon. Starbucks, and Mcdonalds in hand, clumsily trying to type in the code so Taehyung decides to be the one to break apart and help him out. More so because he just really didn’t want to get into this right now….never has he been so thankful that Namjoon’s early!
Heading for the door to help your husband lord knows how clumsy he is the last thing we need is coffee all over your freshly polished floors. Looking fine as ever....sometimes you really don’t understand how the fuck you go so damn lucky! Wind swept freshly dyed ice blonde locks, all black slacks and fitted blazer...
He smiles down at Tae, who tilts his chin upward, silently asking, and Namjoon already knows...placing a kiss along his lips that started out innocent... Until he caught a taste of something lingering on Taehyung’s tongue, which rips a deep groan from the back of his throat. The second his tongue breaches the seam of his lips, his entire body freezes, feeling the almost violent manner in which the younger was shaking against his frame had Namjoon pulling back instantly...Searching your eyes for some sort of clarity as to why Tae looks like he’s about to cry. Or why he holding onto his blazer for dear life....
‘Baby??” Namjoon’s tone is tentative, scared...uneasy.and honestly, you aren't sure which one of you he’s addressing so you speak up.
“It seems as though Tae is feeling a type of way about us possibly hiring Jeon…” You're cautious of your tone, keeping it light, concerned but not accusatory because you really don’t know what’s going on honestly! Watching your husband’s brows furrow having no idea who the hell you’re referring to.. And it rips a snort from your lips and a wet chuckle form Tae’s as he gently whips his eyes...trying to catch the stray tears that have betrayed him and slipped out…
“The kid who just graduated from USC...the production major Yoongi and Yn are interviewing today...and it’s not that I feel a type of way I just..”
“Tae, your crying…” He almost sounds heartbroken even repeating the words and your stomach drops as you take in the two men you love to death. At a loss as to what has Taehyung so uneasy that he’s crying. And why it hindsight it seems now, felt the need to fuck you before your interview so you wouldn’t’ “Forget” him. How the fuck could you ever forget him!? He’s never been one to be insecure...ever!
“You don’t just cry for shits and giggles...baby....” Tae turns his head but the light catches the glaze in his eyes, and how hard his jaw twitches int he process..
“Aye” Namjoon’s tone just says “Look at me” not even leaving it up for debate and he dose...regardless of how bad he wan’t to doesn't even think about it.
“ Just because you’re not listed under CEO dose not mean your opinions and concerns as far as who we bring into this company aren’t valid. You know this…before we had this big fancy building and all these employees it was just the 7 of us...don’t think we’d ever forget that”
Eyes flickering around the room slightly, upon seeing the mess onto of the desk and he kinda puts two and two together… “What were you doin before I came in??” Voice low, tentative...comforting…bringing his gaze down to the cleaning supplies in hand.
“Ugh, cleaning the desk…” His voice breaks at the end, and he won’t even look at the two of you….”
“Kay, how about I finish cleaning the desk, and you go talk to Joon, and I’ll be in there in like 5 ...Okay?” Swaying over in his direction, taking the box of wipes, and spray from his hand before placing a kiss to the side of his head. Pulling back to do the same to your husband…whose eyes are desperately looking to yours for some form of directions that you, unfortunately, can’t give right now!
Taehyung just nodds, snuffling a couple more times as he fiddles nervously with the collection of rings dancing along his fingers. Many of which are gifts from his 6 favorite people at this point…..
Namjoon walks over and places the bags and tray of drinks on the glass table in the center of the room..wiggling his fingers in the younger’s direction.
“Come talk to me Tae, Tae..”
That’s all she wrote for now, I feel like there's a lot of DOM Tae FF’s which I love, however when I look past “V” and meet the two in the middle I don’t get straight dom vibes..lol sorry not sorry..but either way it’s all for fun and I hope you all enjoyed. Part 1 is attached, it's Joon X OC with Tae coming in at the end…NOTE this is not only a Tae centered AU....
MASTERLIST
#taehyung#taehyung smut#taehyung x reader#kim taehyung#kim taehyung smut#kim taehyung x reader#bts#bts smut#bts x reader#bts au#kim taehyung au#kpop smut#kpop au#namjoon#namjoon au
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The Runaway Princess | One
Okay, okay, okay so I'm dropping this preview here because I have yet to decide if this is going to be a long fic or a chaptered fic but I have the first part down and I wanted to share it. It's a young Zemo x OC fic (lightly OC? His wife in the comics is named Heike and I took that name and ran with it so she's my own design but with a ripped off name LOL).
If I decide to post the rest on here it will be on my DIzzy After Dark page because I'm planning this to be an NSFW style fic (bc why the fuck not) but this opening bit is 110% friendly to all ages I just wanted to introduce Heike because I fucking love her.
This story goes with the Zemo moodboard I made months ago and finally just got around to polishing. Here is the like to that!
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Synopsis: Heike is a Ballerina and a Princess, but before that she is an object, one toyed with by her very mother. She is to be married to a man she's never met, whom she has yet to even see a picture of (though that's of her own design), and is on the verge of one of the biggest moments of her career: dancing on the Marinsky stage.
Pairing: Helmut Zemo x Heike Petrov (OC)
Warnings: Slight angst, eventual NSFW content that will be 18+ (not this part), fluff tho and lots of it, seriously this is all over the place
Word count: 2.2k
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The first drops of sunlight pour in through the arched windows, painting the glossy wooden floor in an array of sparkling pastels. They hit the paneled mirrors, bouncing off of the golden bar that runs the entire length of the studio, illuminating every surface in an ethereal glow. For just a moment— the tiniest fraction of time where there's no noise other than the slightest shuffle of silken slippers against mahogany and even, meticulous breaths— everything is perfect. Everything is calm.
Perhaps if Heike’s eyes were open she would admire the peace— the way her studio looks as though it’s been dipped in a bath of gold and oil paints. The way it’s just cool enough to keep the sheen of sweat from her limbs. The silence. Oh yes, she would certainly admire the silence. It’s all she’s ever longed for.
Her eyes are not open, though, and in her head her thoughts are excruciatingly loud— louder than they’ve been in ages. There’s no silence for her to admire behind the darkness of her eyelids. No gold, or oil, or peace. Nothing of the sort.
No, in her head she is on a stage. A loud, vast, practically thrumming stage.
Bozhe, pomogi yey.
That’s nothing new, though— that’s her life. Her life is on a stage and her life is a stage. She is always doing and someone— but more often someones— is— are— always watching. Being on the stage is not new.
What is new is the particular stage that she is on this morning. The Mariinsky Stage. The biggest grande allegro in all of Russia. It’s the stage she has been preparing to dance on for almost all of her life— for almost twenty-five excruciatingly long years. In just thirty-six hours she will be performing in front of the world’s most important people.
Kings and Queens.
Princes and Princesses.
Presidents and Prime Ministers and everyone in between who can afford a ticket.
So, her family— her entire family— somehow that’s worse than anyone else.
A soft voice cuts through her pondering but not quite through the dread.
“Mi’lady, it is seven.” Already? Heike could have sworn she just put her slippers on a few minutes ago. “I am afraid it is time we start dressing you. It’s a special day— the Queen has, erm, reminded me, shall we say, that you mustn’t be late to brunch this morning.”
The Princess sighs, the Mariinsky beginning to fade from behind her eyelids. Of course her mother’s been pestering her lady in waiting again. Would it truly be a normal day if she didn’t? It isn’t as if Katerina is the kindest, hardest working, most tolerant woman in the castle— no, that would be absurd. Surely if she was then her mother wouldn’t treat her with such scorn— as though she’s lower than the dirt the country stands on. Only a touch worse than she treats her own daughter.
Oh— wait.
Cracking an eye open, Heike drinks in the woman before her. Scarlet hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks, and a worn smile. Worn but there nonetheless. She opens the other eye, passing Katerina what she can only assume— nyet, hope— is the same. She has no idea how Katerina puts up with the Queen. She can barely do it and she’s the princess. Heike knows it’s for her, though, so she tries her best to be the opposite.
She lowers herself to the floor, stretching her hands out towards her toes. “Three hours to get ready? Surely that’s too much time to throw on a dress and some heels, Kat.”
Katerina rolls her eyes, tsking and shaking her head. “Shush miss— you know this morning is different.”
The princess giggles, tilting her head to the spot on the floor next to her. Katerina sighs but it is pointless— Heike is well accustomed to her pattern of feigning annoyance. When you’re around the same person day in and day out for nine years, you begin to pick up on their traits. Like how Kat rolls her eyes but the left side of her mouth still ticks up. It comes with the territory— it comes with being best friends.
That’s what they are, really. Best friends. Heike’s only friend, truly. She knows it’s odd to become friends with your lady in waiting— it’s not lost on her the implications of such a relationship and of her status— but Katerina has never felt like her servant. The idea of even having a servant has always felt terribly outdated, at least to her. Kat is her friend— her sister. Well, if sisters were paid to be your sister. She would like to believe that the reason Kat sticks around, though, is because she feels the same way.
Bozhe, pomogi yey.
Katerina slumps onto the floor next to her, rolling onto her back, her blue gown pooling in a graceful circle around her. Heike meets her eyes with another smile— this one much less coy. There is only so much that can keep the nerves at bay. Practicing her ballet was helping— a lot, actually— but now that she’s not moving— now that the dawn has broken into a more sinister form of daylight— all the raging thoughts have begun to simmer again. Now, it seems, they are boiling over.
“What do you think it’ll be like?” Her voice is quiet, just barely breaching a whisper, but in their little bubble of mahogany and glass it is louder than ever.
Katerina pushes herself up onto her elbow, her brows creasing together. They have been having the same conversation for weeks, ever since her mother told her the news. Heike can practically hear what she’s going to say before it’s out of her mouth.
“It or him?” Heike winces at Kat’s bluntness regardless— usually they skirt around the real topic for a few minutes, warming up to it.
She supposes they don’t have time for that today though. Not when he will be sitting in their conservatory in three hours. Maybe even less. Maybe he is even here now, waiting, speaking to her parents and bartering a deal for her hand— no. She takes a deep breath, beginning to untie her slippers if only to keep her shaking fingers occupied.
“Baron Helmut Zemo—” Heike tests his name on her tongue. It tastes familiar— that is probably because she has been repeating it for weeks now, though— “he sounds regal.”
“He is royalty,” Katerina reminds, the left side of her mouth quirking up. “Just the same as you, Mi’lady.”
Heike sighs. “Katerina, please— I’m a dancer. A ballerina. None of the formalities— they make me feel… strange.”
Being a princess would mean that she is the daughter of a king and a queen— it would mean she actually got recognized as anything more than a pair of pointe shoes.
She doesn’t add that, of course, only pulls said pointe shoes from her feet, letting her toes stretch and curl in the cool air of her studio. Not for long— only until her fingers begin trembling again and then she is starting on the sides of her leotard, pulling at the little silk ribbons. Soon, though, even that is interrupted, a pair of warm hands wrapping around hers and halting her attempts to hide her fidgeting.
“You’re stalling is what you are. Just as you have been all week. It isn’t healthy, Hei. Talk to me— you always talk to me.”
Heike lifts her eyes back to her friend, meeting her worried blue eyes and feeling her shoulders drop. “I’m sorry, I know. It’s just— I—” She doesn’t know what to say— part of the reason she hasn’t talked about it is because she’s at a complete and utter loss. “I am tired. I think. But so are you— more so than I. So I shouldn’t complain.”
Katerina rolls her eyes again, squeezing her hands. “Mi’lady I am exhausted. Truly I am. But at the end of the day I get to go to my bed and I get to sleep. Just like you do. We both sleep, yes?”
“Yes, but what—”
“It means we are the same— which means don’t say that. We are friends. You are tired. I am tired. I can be tired and listen at the same time, believe it or not.” Kat shakes her hands, bringing them up to her chest with Heike’s fingers still wrapped in her own. “I know it’s hard but we must talk about this. No excuses.”
Heike tries for another smile but it feels more like a grimace— like all the muscles in her face are rebelling. “How are you so kind to me?”
Katerina narrows her blue eyes until all Heike can see is black. “No excuses, Mi’lady.” She scrunches her nose, her face softening from it’s accusatory glare. “But— on that note— you’re much more lovely than you give yourself credit for, Hei. You’re easy to be kind to. So, again, stop making excuses because if you don’t then you will be unlovable. I will stop loving you.”
Heike laughs for a quick moment and then straightens— Kat is right. Kat is always right.
“I’m nervous,” Heike admits.
It’s harder to push the words out than she thought it would be. It’s like her throat squeezes extra hard when she says it, her teeth and tongue acting a barricade to the truth. The words do manage to shimmy through but they take all the energy she has with them and she sags. Her whole body rebels against the notion that she’s worried. Princesses aren’t supposed to worry.
“I don’t even know what this man looks like.” Heike continues, gently pulling her fingers from Katerina’s grasp, curling them around her bare arms and closing her eyes— It’s easier to think in the darkness. “I suppose I could look but there is no point, I’ve made it this far without. No matter what I do he will still be here soon. His appearance isn’t really the point anyway. That’s what I keep telling myself at least.”
Heike mutters the last part but she’s sure she hears it.
Only a few measly seconds pass before Kat’s voice cuts through the darkness, as patient yet as pressing as ever. “What is the point then, Hei?”
Her. The point is her. It is not about whether Heike likes him— it doesn’t matter if she does, her mother has her ways of getting what she wants. The Queen— her holder. Gods, this man could hate Heike— take one look at her and despise everything he sees— and her mother would still, somehow, find a way to have them married.
Heike snaps her eyes open— she draws the line at having to think about a wedding. Her wedding. To a man who will probably hate her. That’s the point— marriage. Status. Everlasting, lukewarm relationships for the sake of kingdoms that are more an idea than anything else.
Again, Heike doesn’t say that, at least not all of it.
“What if he does not like me?” She can’t force her voice past a dull whisper, her hands— now that they aren’t being held steady— once again trembling.
Katerina’s face softens immediately, her eyes losing the glimmer of humor she had somehow been maintaining. It was probably for Heike’s benefit. People are always trying to keep her happy, like it’s some sort of crucial task. Keep Heike happy or it’s off with your head. Her— the princess— the burden. She doesn’t want any heads, she can barely keep track of her own at any given moment.
Case in point.
Katerina holds her arms open wide and raises a scarlet brow. Heike doesn’t waste any time in rushing forward and piling her body into Kat’s. Burden or not, there’s no way she’s about to refuse the best hugger in the castle.
The lady in waiting squeezes her arms around the princess, her words soft against her temple. “That is impossible. Impossible. You worry much too much— you always have. He will love you, Heike. I know he will. It’s impossible not to love you, trust me I would know.”
Heike snuggles deeper into her friend’s arms, soaking in as much of her lemon and vanilla perfume as possible. It’s the only thing that’s ever screamed home to her. She has been many places— danced on many stages— but coming home never meant the castle walls. It never meant anything because Katerina was always right there next to her, holding her hand or flicking her ear or snoring until the very last minute when they are being rushed off the plane and Heike is doing more of the waiting than anyone. She has always had the privilege of bringing her home with her— her citrusy, red haired home.
But for how long will that be possible?
She doesn’t ask— It is for her and her only to bear. “But what if he doesn’t?”
Katerina pulls back, much to Heike’s dismay, her hand slipping under her chin and squeezing gently. “The we run, Mi’lady.”
Heike’s heart softens. “We?”
Kat rolls her eyes, the left side of her mouth halfway to her ear— Heike supposes she should have seen that coming. “You are not leaving me here alone, miss.”
Bozhe, pomogi yey.
⁺ ˚ * •̩̩͙ ✩ •̩̩͙ * ˚ ⁺ ‧͙ ⁺ ˚ * •̩̩͙ ✩ •̩̩͙ * ˚ ⁺ ‧͙ ⁺ ˚ * •̩̩͙ ✩ •̩̩͙ * ˚ ⁺⁺ ˚ * •̩̩͙ ✩ •̩̩͙
Translations:
Bozhe, pomogi yey — God help her
#helmut zemo#baron zemo#zemo#helmut zemo x oc#baron zemo x oc#zemo x oc#royalty au#marvel#mcu#mcu fic#dizzy writes#The Runaway Princess
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Ransom Drysdale Must Die (Chapter 2)
Summary: Ransom Drysdale is a serial cheater. The only way to get him to pay for what he’s done is for him to die. Or at least be extremely humiliated. As long as you don’t fall for him.
Pairings: Eventual Ransom Drysdale x black!reader, Ransom Drysdale x Multiple OC’s
Warnings: Swearing. Eventual smut.
(Author’s Note: I was watching John Tucker must die and it made me think of my favorite sweater wearing murder daddy.)
Words: 3.4K
It was true that you didn’t really have much of a life in Boston. Having to move around a lot really affected your people skills. Not that you weren’t a nice person or at least you tried to be, but it became a little difficult to know how to talk to people when you grew up thinking that none of it would matter in a few months.
Your mom had called you asking for you to visit which you hadn’t done since college. You weren’t even sure what state she was in now. Hell for all you know she’d given up completely and moved to a different country. Besides you didn’t really have the space to host someone. Not that your apartment was too tiny for company, but your mom didn’t pack lightly despite being a nomad.
She’d talked to you as you drove to work. Telling you about another guy that she’d met that she was sure was the love of her life in whatever new place she was in. As much as you wished you could tell her to stop, all you could do was listen and mhm on occasion.
The Ransom Drysdales of her life were going to keep doing what they do to her and whatever woman they could get their hands on. You just wished she’d make better choices so she didn’t get hurt.
You felt a little bit of relief as soon as you’d arrived at work. Talking to her always made your stomach turn now which you hated, but there didn’t seem like there was much you could do. You kind of understood. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone. Except since she’d jumped around so much she’d kind of made you want to.
You went through the employees entrance stopping at the breakroom to put your stuff away. “Hey,” Andy the assistant golf director greeted you. You didn’t really see him much, but he was always friendly when your paths would cross. He was a really handsome guy, super nice.
You shoot him a small smile as you close your locker. “Hi,” you said.
“So, did you hear? Harrington’s on a good one,” he said. “Something about the yoga studio that most of these women go to had to shut down.”
You raised an eyebrow. “What? Damn.”
“I know. Today has been something else.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Gonna have a lot of pissed off fitness gurus all over the place.”
“Just what I needed in my life.” You sighed. “Well, I better get in there before Harrington rips my head off.”
“Good luck,” he said.
“You, too.”
Just like Andy had warned you Harrington was on a good one. You walked into the clubhouse dining to see him chewing one of the other waitresses out, causing her to burst out into tears. You gritted your teeth because it was hard to watch.
“Jesus Christ, what happened?” You whispered to Britt.
She shook her head. “Well, there was an emergency shut down at the Porter’s Studio which means they’re all coming here which would be fine, but Vida has to combine two classes into one each session.”
You raised an eyebrow. “What? What happened?”
“Apparently Ransom’s amazing good looks,” she started, exaggerating her tone, “made her swoon so hard that Lucy had a misstep on the stairs and she proceeded to totally eat shit.”
You gasped, covering your mouth. “No!”
“Oh, yes. I barely missed all the action.” She pouted in disappointment.
“Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine, but Harrington had to send her home for the day.”
“Miss L/N, Miss Lin will you mind being useful and getting to your jobs,” he was now turning his fury to them.
“Yes, Mr. Harrington,” the both of you said in unison, as you suppressed the urge to tell him to fuck off.
“Actually, Miss L/N, I’ve already assigned you to help out Vida in the yoga studio,” he told you. Of course you’d end up dealing with it. Maybe it was a good thing he trusted you enough to move you between sections.
“Will do, Mr. Harrington,” you said.
How Vida was still able to keep that zen exterior despite having to take on Lucy’s class and the women that normally went to the Porter’s studio. You weren’t sure if you believe the story about what happened to Lucy, but it was kind of funny to think about. At least she was okay.
You moved everything around on the refreshments table to make it look presentable. This was what he needed you to take care of. At least you’d get to sit all day.
Vida laid on her mat needing a break before the next class arrived. Dealing with that many of these women at one time was draining. Even if on the outside she hadn’t broken a sweat.
“Ugh, I’m so jealous!” The squeaky voice of a woman said as she walked into the room. “He’s so hot!”
“Shhh, not so loud,” Chloe shushed her as they stopped at the table. “We’re supposed to be keeping it on the low. He doesn’t want his grandfather to find out while he’s redoing his will.” She grabbed a water bottle and a complimentary towel.
“Yeah, but c’mon, Ransom of all people,” she whispered this. “He’s so dreamy.”
Chloe bit her lip. “I know right. And, it’s so different because Jeffrey could never do the stuff we do. It’s insane.” She sighed wistfully.
Your eyes widened as you listened in on their conversation. Was it bad that you were making mental notes to tell Britt after. It’s kind of sad. Closest you’ve gotten to making a friend and you’d managed to bond over the scandalous shit rich people do.
“You lucky ass bitch I swear.” Her friend laughed as they walked over towards the back of the class.
You weren’t going to lie. You were kind of curious as to what else they were saying as you tried to listen in. You were honestly so fascinated by this whole ordeal.
Your attention on Chloe and her friend was cut short when Marissa walked in. You didn’t know this many of these girls took their yoga classes here. You scrunched up your face as she went to the last spot in the front of the class to unroll her mat.
“I already told you, Baby. We can do it later tonight.” She twirled a piece of her hair around her finger as she stopped at your table, her Airpods in each ear. Chloe had come up beside her to grab another water bottle glaring at the other woman as did so. “I can wear one of those sets you like if you promise to do that thing I like.”
Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest seeing them this close together. God you had so much to gossip about.
Just as the two of them had went to sit down, Amber walked in with her two friends on each side. Holy shit. There really was no way for you to expect this. You know maybe it was a good thing you were always the first one Harrington moved in between sections.
Finally the class had started. You were only half paying attention as Vida had doing warm-ups. “Alright, ladies, give me a nice deep breath and then....” she breathed out dramatically, “exhale.”
This went on for a minute and to be honest listening to her soft commands were making you sleepy. Everyone was following her directions as she broke her own pose to walk around to help help someone who wasn’t stretching deep enough.
As she had them grab the small yoga balls next. You loved yoga. Yoga was relaxing. You’d rather watch paint dry than watch other people do yoga and yet here you were.
“Ow! What the fuck, Amber!” Chloe shrieked knocking the room out of the peaceful atmosphere.
Your head snapped up to see what the hell had happened. Amber shrugged a smile plastered across her face. “Sorry! It slipped!” She replied in a sickly sweet tone.
Chloe rubbed her cheek as her friend came over to look at it. “Are you okay?” The other woman asked.
Right as Chloe was nodding, another ball flew hitting in her face. This time a lot more deliberate making her losing her footing. When she stood up there was this fire in her eyes. “What the hell is your problem!” She yelled at her.
“You’re my problem. Trying to push up on my boyfriend, Bitch!” Not to be outdone, Amber got into the other woman’s face.
“I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about!”
Amber rolled her eyes. “Oh whatever, everyone knows you’re a fucking gold digging whore.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped before slapping the other woman’s face. Your hand went to your mouth. Wow you really really did have a lot to tell Britt.
Amber not to be outdone, retaliated by doing the same. Everyone watched from the sidelines with shocked expressions as things progressed. Marissa was the only one to come over trying to break it up.
Oh god.
“C’mon, guys! Really?” She stood between them. “Fighting over a man. It’s not worth it.”
“There’s nothing to fight about! Ransom is mine!” Amber pointed at herself.
You were pretty sure your heart was going to beat out of your chest now.
It was Marissa’s turn to react now except she kind of looked like she was malfunctioning as she blinked way too many times in one second. “What?” For a minute she kept her cool, clenching her jaw.
Then she grabbed a ball throwing it at Amber’s stomach. “What the fuck!”
“I’m dating Ransom!”
Boom.
There it was.
Finally.
You stood up trying to get out of dodge as hell was unleashed. Chloe threw a water bottle hitting you in the back, making you fall as Vida also unsuccessfully tried to run.
The wind had been knocked out of you, but you could hear the three smacks that they’d given each other before getting up. They were fucking animals. How good is this guy’s dick for them to be acting like this.
Instead Vida tried to break it up like Marissa had done, but it didn’t really work as Marissa pushed the refreshments table into the four of you before tripping over one of the towels that had fallen and landed on your stomach.
The three of them tried fighting on top of the two of you when you grabbed the whistle around Vida’s neck to blow into it. The harsh shriek penetrated the air, making them cover their ears. “He’s cheating on you and instead of taking it out on him, you’re beating the shit out of each other!” You yelled.
“Miss L/N!” Harrington walked in red in the face.
Oh shit.
--
You were going to have a giant water bottle shaped bruise tomorrow. Maybe you could write a thank you note to Chloe for that one. Or for all of the various bruises that were given to you by Marissa. At least, Amber hadn’t done any damage to anyone, but them.
You’d been told to clean up this mess as Vida was able to go nurse her wounds. Could you sue? Was that possible? Sue this club and the three of them. Cuz fuck this hurt.
Harrington had chewed you out pretty hard. Of course he’d come in at the right time which must have made him think you had something to do with it even if you’d just been caught in the crossfire. Maybe your mom had a point. It wasn’t all that bad to pack up and move from place to place. Except instead of doing it over men, you could have like a jobs theme or something.
You’d just lifted up the table that had flipped over during the scuffle when Andy came in with a whistle. “Damn. I heard it was bad, but nothing could have prepared me for this.” He looked around with his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, it was pretty great.” You sighed puffing out your cheeks.
“What the hell even happened?” He asked, cringing as he saw the cracked mirror that looked a moments away from shattering.
“Chloe, Amber, and Marissa happened,” you replied, getting down to start gathering the bottles.
“Harrington must have been pissed.”
You laughed. “He was. His face was so red.”
“Did that little vein in his forehead pop out?” He asked with a smirk, raising his eyebrow.
You nodded. “Oh yeah. Looked like his head was going to explode.”
Andy laughed. “Damn. I would have paid to see that.”
“Yeah,” you shrugged, “well I would have paid to not get hit with a full water bottle.”
“No! They did that?”
You nodded. “Yup. I’m going to have one hell of a bruise tomorrow.”
He shook his head, but before he could say anything the three women were escorted into the room with a security guard. There arms crossed and somehow perfect. How the hell did they manage to fix themselves first.
“I better get back.” He half-smiled. “Try not to get caught up in any trouble.”
“I’ll try.”
Security had left for some fucking reason which caused the three to do the expected as they took a seat on their mats which had remained on the floor. You were pretty sure you were about to witness round two, planning an escape plan out of the room this time.
“So,” Amber broke the silence, “I talked to Ransom.” She smirked. “He said he felt bad for you because you’re clearly jealous that we have something special.” She put her hand over her heart. “Something that doesn’t need a label because it’s-”
“Our own unspoken bond,” Chloe cut her off with her eyes narrowed as she rattled off that part of Amber’s speech.
“And,” Marissa took over, “I just love how secure you are and it hurts to hear you question it.”
“Because you’re the only girl for me!” The three of them finished in unison.
The three different expressions on their face was interesting. Amber looked like she was ready to fight someone all over again, while Marissa looked like she was one wrong move from crying, and Chloe looked like she was ready to murder.
Amber clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “He really said the same shit to all of us.” She looked like she was in disbelief. Like she’d been punched in the gut. Or possibly hit in the back with a water bottle. Or maybe smacked in the stomach with a yoga ball.
Chloe huffed. “Okay, so what? He gives me the same lines he gives you guys and then hooks up with m-” she started in on a rant until Marissa cut her off.
She shook her head waving her hands to stop her from talking. “Wait, what? You hooked up with him in between that time?” Marissa asked with an eyebrow raised.
“It was in his car!”
Amber guffawed. “Like a fucking high schooler during homecoming?”
“As if that makes it better?” Marissa laughed sarcastically.
Chloe glared at the other women with her lips puckered. “We share an unspoken bond,” she retorted. “Besides weren’t you all oh yeah baby I’ll wear that set you like, like two hours ago?”
“Oh, I’m sorry that I have sex in a bed like a normal adult,” she argued back.
Amber coughed. “Boring.”
You didn’t mean for that snort to come out, but it did. Then their attention snapped to you. Three very intense eyes were on you. “Excuse you?” Amber challenged you, her head tilted to the side.
You cleared your throat as you picked up the balls. “Sorry.”
“If you have something to say, say it,” she pressed. God she looked angry. Not that you could really blame her. If you were in her position you’d probably be ready to go off at any little thing. Of course you didn’t want her going off on you again.
You opened your mouth to say something before closing your mouth again and second guessing it. “You know what. No it’s none of my business,” you replied. You didn’t need to get mixed up in their drama again.
“Just say it,” this time it was Marissa who was trying to get it out of you. Chloe wasn’t saying anything, but you could tell she was daring for you to say something.
You licked your lips before groaning. “Okay, ummm,” you took a deep breath, “does he always call you pet names? You know. Baby, sweetheart, honey.” You rattled off. “Yeah it’s not out of affection.It’s so he doesn’t mix up your names. And, he’s all about that unspoken bond or something special, but never ever about a relationship. And, then he'll make this whole arrangement feel like it's your idea so feel guilty that he cheated because this is something he really wanted.”
Amber scoffed throwing her head back. “Oh my god! You’re dating Ransom, too.”
“No. He doesn’t mess around with the help,” Chloe said.
You raised your eyebrows. “Okay that was rude, but no. I’m not. I’ve just dealt with someone like him.”
Marissa pursed her lips, looking down at the ground now. “He does always make me feel guilty,” she reflected.
“I guess I feel like if a guy was making me feel like that, I’d-”
Amber cut you off, rolling her eyes. “Yeah you’d break up with him blah, blah, blah.”
Chloe scoffed. “As if he wouldn’t get a new girlfriend in like five seconds.”
“Which is why I wasn’t going to say that. If it were me dealing with a man like him, I’d get even.” You shrugged, finally picking up the last bottle of Evian which had rolled over to the other side of the room.
“Wait, who are you?” Chloe asked.
Before you could answer, Harrington had stomped back in right as the mirror shattered. The three women stood up screaming from the noise as you covered your mouth. Yeah wonderful timing.
“Y/N!” He yelled. “Get your shit and get out. You’re fired.”
You weren’t really shocked. At least your last day was memorable. Normally you would have went in there to clean things up. Except it didn’t feel worth it. You’d been caught up in enough fights for the day and al you wanted was to pop open a bottle of wine and drink until you puked.
The three of them only watched as you walked out. As if this wasn’t their fault. You could always get another job, but it still felt shitty. Unlike Amber and Marissa you didn’t have rich parents to fall back on. While Chloe also had her deceased husband’s fortune to get her through. Why were they even doing all of this over a man like Ransom. They could have anyone they wanted.
You hated job hunting. It was so stressful and annoying. You were surprised you’d even landed this gig. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, though. At least you wouldn’t have to deal with Harrington.
“I can’t believe he’s letting you go.” Britt shook her head.
“I know.” You sighed. “It wasn’t even my fault.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like you told Ransom to be a serial cheater.”
“Is it bad that I almost feel bad for them?” You didn’t want to. All of them could have left him today and find new boyfriends in an hour and yet no one deserved what Ransom was doing.
“Don’t forget to text me, okay? If you need anything I’m so there.”
You smiled softly. “Thank you.”
One of the security guards walked in ready to escort you out. The two of you rolled your eyes. “Alright, we’ll talk later. I need you to tell me everything.”
“I will.”
As you were walking out Ransom was talking to some girl at the front desk. You glared at him, not that he noticed. Not like he was paying attention anyway because apparently Ransom didn’t care about the help.
Fuck that guy.
When you’d finally gotten to your apartment, you showered and changed just wanting to wash the day away. The soreness had started to settle into your muscles.
You tried watching TV with your glass of wine in hand, but all that did was make you think about the impending doom of not having a job. So you found yourself doing what you normally did when things were shitty.
You’d gotten lost in the soft blues so easily as your brush sweeped against the canvas. You weren’t really sure what you were going for, but at least you felt a little better.
As you took a step back to see what was missing there as a knock on the door. You groaned going to look through the peephole and your jaw dropped seeing Amber on the other side.
#ransom drysdale x reader#ransom drysdale#ransom thrombey x you#ransom x reader#ransom x y/n#ransom x black!reader#ransom x oc#ransom x poc!reader#Chris Evans#chris evans x ofc#chris evans x black!reader#chris evans x poc!reader#chris evans x you
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1300 miles | chapter two | b.b.
Summary | Bucky Barnes is adjusting to civilian life, living in Brooklyn, visiting Sam in Delacroix when he can, and trying to figure out what he wants. When he meets Jo Landry, the tattooed lead singer of a New Orleans-based band, he thinks he might have found the answer. Too bad they live 1300 miles apart.
Time Frame | post-TFATWS
Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc
Rating | explicit
Warnings | mentions of combat-related injuries, alcohol use, tattoos/body piercings, coarse language, gay male character, bisexual female character, recreational/medicinal drug use (weed), pet names (doll, Sarge), smut (f/m, mutual masturbation, fingering, very very slight dom!Bucky, praise kink), angst if you squint but not really, and all the romance tropes/fluff because I'm a sucker for it; more warnings to come; 18+ ONLY, minors DNI
A/N | Likes and comments always appreciated. :)
series master list | AO3 link | full master list
1300 miles playlist
Tag | @mrs--barnes
_____
previous chapter
_____
Jo wakes the next morning to a text from Danny: Did you fuck the Winter Soldier?
She rolls her eyes and responds: Fuck off. He’s not the Winter Soldier anymore.
Danny replies with a leaf emoji and the words: Come upstairs.
Jo slides her glasses on and climbs out of bed. She pads into the living room as quietly as she can to find Bucky snoring on her couch with Toulouse perched on his chest. She can’t stop herself from snapping a picture with her phone.
Upstairs, she lets herself into Danny’s apartment. She’s met at the door by Greta, Danny’s PTSD service dog, a medium-sized German Shepherd who waits patiently for Jo to kneel down and scratch her behind her ears.
“Morning, pup,” Jo whispers.
“I’m out here,” Danny calls from his third-floor balcony.
“Coffee?” Jo asks.
“Cold-brew in the fridge,” Danny responds.
She detours to the kitchen before joining Danny at the small table on his balcony.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Jo asks. Danny always smokes the morning after a nightmare.
“They’re called flashbacks, and yes,” he responds, taking a deep drag of the joint.
“But they’re getting better, right?”
"Since you came back, yeah, they're getting better."
“Give me that,” Jo says, reaching for the joint. She takes a drag then exhales slowly. “You can always wake me up when you have a flashback, you know.”
Danny snorts. “I was afraid I’d wander into your bedroom to find you getting dicked down by an Avenger.”
“Please stop,” Jo groans. "You get that you're my brother, right? And this is weird."
Danny laughs, "It's only weird if you make it weird." Then he says, “Seriously, though, what’s the deal with Mister Tall-Dark-and-Handsome? I mean, if Sam trusts him, then he must be a good guy, but he’s literally a hundred years old, Jo.”
“He’s…” she pauses, “really sweet and charming underneath the brooding exterior. I really like him, Danny.”
“But?”
“But he lives in New York,” she whines.
“Yeah,” Danny says, taking another drag on the joint.
“‘Yeah?’ That’s all you’re going to say?”
Danny shrugs. “Some things are worth working for.”
Jo laughs, “Okay, why don’t you get back to me when you’re not high. I’m heading back downstairs.”
“Love you, Josiebean,” Danny says, using the nickname he gave Jo when they were kids.
“Love you, too, Daniel-San,” Jo replies. Danny laughs at the Karate Kid reference like he always does, and Jo kisses his forehead and pats his shoulder before leaving.
_____
Bucky wakes to the smell of coffee and bacon, his stomach rumbling at the scent. There's a warm weight on his chest, and when he opens his eyes he's greeted with the yellow stare of Toulouse.
He looks at his watch. It's a little after eleven. He usually wakes earlier, but he also doesn't usually sleep as soundly as he did last night.
He wanders into the kitchen in his borrowed sweats to find Jo standing at the stove in an oversized t-shirt, shorts, and out-of-season Halloween socks, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Her back is to him, and he takes the opportunity to study her naked legs. More ink peaks out from the hem of her shorts and covers most of her thighs. Bucky has the urge to drop to his knees before her and run his tongue over every intricate design.
Instead, he clears his throat, so he doesn't startle her, and she turns to face him. Her face is bare, and she’s wearing large, gold-rimmed glasses. Bucky can’t decide if she looks prettier like this or like she did last night, with her hair flowing down her back and her guitar in her hands.
"Morning," Jo says. “Sorry to shatter the illusion,” she continues, gesturing to her glasses and outfit.
Bucky smiles. He isn’t sure what the protocol is for greeting the woman you made out with and whose couch you slept on last night, but he decides he wants to kiss her again. He takes the few steps toward her and pulls her into his arms. This close, she has to crane her neck up to look him in the eyes.
“Morning,” he says. They’re so close and his voice is pitched so low that Jo can feel the word rumble in his chest. Butterflies erupt in her stomach.
Bucky leans down slowly and presses his lips against Jo’s. This kiss is softer and slower than the kisses they shared last night, and the heat that explodes in Jo’s lower stomach burns the butterflies away. Her fingers dig into his triceps, one arm yielding to her touch, the other firm against her digits. She sighs and opens her mouth to his tongue, letting him deepen the kiss.
He licks into her mouth, and Jo moans, her hands coming up to cup his stubble-covered cheeks. Bucky’s own hands slide down Jo’s back to her buttocks, pulling her hips flush against his so she can feel the effect she’s having on him. Jo gasps, and Bucky’s lips leave hers to trail wet kisses against her jaw.
When he pulls away, Bucky’s smile is almost smug. He likes all the sounds he’s able to pull from her, and he wants to hear more.
Jo turns back to the stove, catching her breath and trying to hide the flush she knows is rising from her chest to her cheeks.
“Breakfast — well," she looks at the clock on the oven, "brunch — is ready. Have a seat.”
Bucky places a final kiss against the back of Jo’s neck before sitting.
Toulouse rubs against Bucky's legs beneath the kitchen table. He reaches down to scratch Louie between the ears, and the cat lets out a contented chirp.
"He's usually not that nice to strangers," Jo says, watching the two of them from across the room.
"My sister had a cat growing up — big, fat orange thing that was missing half an ear. His name was Marmalade."
Jo smiles brightly and sets a plate of food in front of him. “Coffee?” she asks.
“Please,” Bucky says. “But I can get it.”
“No need,” she says, handing him a mug of fresh coffee. “You want oat milk? Sugar, maybe?”
“Black is good,” Bucky says, taking his first sip.
Jo sits across from him with her own plate and coffee cup. They spend breakfast talking quietly. Bucky likes the domesticity of it. He's gotten used to having breakfast at the Wilson's with Sarah, Sam, and the boys, but this meal with Jo feels more intimate. He has a brief flash of spending every morning like this, but he pushes it away as quickly as it comes. He's trying not to overthink whatever’s happening between himself and Jo. He’s not used to having good things in his life, but he wants to lean into this, take the risk.
"You said last night that you know who I am," Bucky says as they clear their plates from the table.
Jo is quiet for a moment, neatly stacking plates and coffee cups in the dishwasher.
“I may have seen a documentary or two featuring the Howling Commandos,” she says, closing the dishwasher and turning to Bucky. “And Sam and Steve may have crashed in Danny’s apartment for a couple of months when they were on the run following the Accords.”
Bucky is silent. He's staring at Jo with the same brooding intensity as last night, but there's something more in his eyes — a sadness she hadn't noticed earlier. She's seen that look before on Danny when he first came back from Afghanistan. It's the look of someone who's lost everything. But as quickly as it's there, it's gone.
Bucky clears his throat. “You knew Steve?” he asks.
“Yeah. I mean, briefly,” she whispers. “Let me show you something.”
He follows her into the living room where she pulls a box from one of the bookshelves. She empties the contents onto the coffee table; it's a handful of polaroids featuring varied combinations of Jo and Sam and Steve and Danny. Bucky sits on the couch and picks up one of the photos. It's of Steve with a German Shepherd; in the photo Steve is smiling brightly, and Bucky's heart aches at the sight.
"That's Greta," Jo says, sitting next to Bucky, "Danny's dog. She was just a puppy then. She adored Steve."
Bucky laughs through his nose and picks up another photo. This one features Sam and Jo sitting at a table in a kitchen that looks like Jo's but slightly different — Bucky assumes it's Danny's; Sam is clearly in the middle of a story, and Jo's head is thrown back in laughter. A stab of jealousy hits him in the chest — Bucky wants to make her laugh like that. He skims through the rest of the polaroids, finally landing on one of Jo and Steve sitting side by side at a piano, Steve's large frame dwarfing the woman next to him.
"He found out I can play a few '30s and '40s standards on piano," Jo says, smiling at the memory. "There wasn't a lot for him and Sam to do cooped up here for three months, so I taught him some basics."
Bucky stares at the photo for a while before he speaks. "You play piano?" he asks.
"I started on piano, took up guitar when I was ten, then bass when I was thirteen. I can also play drums, organ, banjo, mandolin, and a little violin," she says. "And I have a Bachelors of Music with a concentration in voice."
Bucky stares at her for a moment, then tosses the photo back onto the coffee table and reaches for Jo, pulling her onto his lap. She settles with her legs on either side of his hips and her hands on his shoulders.
"So, you have very talented fingers, then?" Bucky asks with a flirty grin.
Jo rolls her eyes and laughs, but she's secretly pleased with where this interaction seems to be headed. She was worried Bucky would feel like she had kept something from him by not telling him about Steve last night, but he seems to be taking it in stride.
"Thanks for showing me those photographs," Bucky says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He gave up everything for me back then, so it's nice to see that maybe he had a little bit of happiness during that time."
"He wanted the same for you," she whispers, nudging her nose against Bucky's.
Bucky kisses her softly, then pulls away, staring into her green eyes. Jo slides her glasses off and sets them on the coffee table behind her.
She drags a finger down his vibranium arm and asks, “Can you feel that?”
Bucky licks his lips. “Yeah. It’s—it’s different from the real one, but yeah.”
Jo hums in acknowledgment but doesn’t say anything else. Their lips meet again, and this time the kiss is longer, needier. Bucky sweeps his tongue into her mouth, and Jo is certain she's going to have beard burn across her face tomorrow. But she doesn't really care.
Jo slides her hands into Bucky's hair, and he sighs into her mouth when she angles her hips against his just right, pressing against him slowly. His grip on her waist tightens before he slips his vibranium hand down across her backside to gently guide her movements. His flesh hand covers her right breast, palming her through her shirt.
Jo's hands leave his hair to slide beneath Bucky's t-shirt. He pulls back from her slightly and puts his hand over hers.
“I have scars,” Bucky warns.
“Okay,” Jo mumbles against his lips, trying for another kiss.
Bucky pulls back again. “They’re not pretty.”
Jo looks at him. “Bucky, do you really think I care about that? Do I look like someone who’s worried about conventional beauty standards?” she jokes. She smiles softly and brings a hand up to cradle his jaw. “You don’t have to show me. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” she whispers, leaning in to kiss him again.
He pulls away from her mouth to tug the shirt over his head before he can overthink it. He’s gorgeous like this, and Jo wants to touch every inch of him. She starts with his chest, and her fingers dance lightly across the scars on Bucky’s left shoulder before she presses a quick kiss to the spot where flesh meets metal. Bucky smiles at the gesture, then his lips are on Jo's neck. As he sucks a mark into the place where her neck meets her shoulder, Bucky slips his flesh hand beneath the fabric of Jo's shirt.
Bucky's thumb slides across her nipple, and he pauses, warm metal against his digit stopping him. Jo can feel Bucky's fingers against her breast, trying to work out what exactly he's touching. She leans back, her hands on Bucky's chest to keep him from following her and pulls her t-shirt over her head.
Bucky's fairly certain his heart stops at the sight before him. He’s not sure what to look at first: the small gold balls that adorn either side of Jo’s erect nipples or the intricate floral design inked on her sternum between and below her breasts, framing them perfectly.
“So…I have my nipples pierced,” Jo says, taking Bucky’s staring for hesitation or confusion.
Bucky licks his lips. “Fuck,” he mutters before running his thumb across her right nipple and taking the left one between his teeth.
Jo hisses and bucks her hips harder against his cock. He's hot and hard beneath her as she grinds against him. The feeling he had last night – of being on fire – has returned, but it's tenfold now. Every thought of taking things slow, every bit of doubt has evaporated in wake of his need to please Jo.
Bucky grips Jo's waist and flips her onto her back on the couch, coming to rest between her open legs.
“Is this okay?” he asks, pressing his bare chest against hers. His dog tags are cool against her skin.
“Very," she breathes.
Bucky's lips find Jo's again before trailing across her jaw, down her neck, and over her breasts. He lets his tongue explore one of her pierced nipples before taking the bud between his teeth and pulling slightly. Jo gasps, and her own hands slide from Bucky's shoulders down his chest and across his stomach, her blunt fingernails scratching against his abs as she goes. She palms his cock through his sweats, and Bucky's hips stutter. His eyes clench shut like he’s in pain, and he pulls away to catch his breath.
"Sorry," Jo says quickly, removing her hand. "We can slow down."
"No," Bucky all but growls, then takes another deep breath and opens his eyes. "No. It's just been," he pauses, "it's been a while since I've done this, and you're kind of driving me crazy, Jo." He lets out a breathy laugh, then seems to sober. "I just—I, uh, need to be in control of some things. If that's okay."
She smiles her understanding before kissing him, softer this time. Bucky leans into the kiss and sweeps his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. He props himself up with his vibranium hand, and his right hand moves back to Jo's breasts, teasing each nipple in turn.
"Tell me what you want," Jo says as Bucky's teeth bite gently at her pulse point.
Bucky presses his lips against Jo's ear and whispers, "Touch yourself. Please. I want to watch you fall apart."
Jo whimpers. She catches the look on Bucky's face as her hand travels down her body and into her shorts. His pupils are blown wide, barely a hint of blue visible around black. She knows her own eyes look much the same.
She hisses when her fingers meet the bundle of nerves between her legs, then slide lower. Bucky can't decide if he wants to watch her hand beneath her shorts or her face. He settles for moving his eyes between her face and breasts, watching them rise and fall with each breath she takes. Finally, he lowers his head back between her breasts and traces the outline of the tattoo there with his tongue. Jo moans and bucks her hips.
Bucky presses his own hips against the couch, trying to find the smallest bit of relief. He's not going to last. It's been too long since he's been with someone this way, and his body feels like a live wire. He reaches up to push the fabric of her shorts aside, moaning when he realizes she's not wearing anything beneath them.
He feels Jo's fingers pull away, and he growls, "Keep touching yourself." She does, her fingers rubbing hard circles into her clit. "Good girl," Bucky praises, and Jo keens, Bucky's name falling from her lips.
He slips his own fingers inside of her. She's so wet and warm, Bucky is afraid he'll finish just from this. Or maybe it will be the sound of her moans that do me in, he thinks. Because she sounds lovely, better than she did on stage last night. And she feels perfect wrapped around his two digits. He adds a third, and Jo's whole body tenses. Bucky can feel her warm heat tighten around his fingers as her legs bend and draw in closer to her body. The sight of Jo coming pushes him over the edge. He's spilling into his sweatpants like a teenager, and he doesn't even care. All he can think of is the sound of Jo, the feel of Jo, the look on Jo's face.
Bucky collapses onto Jo's body, his full weight resting on her for a second before he props himself up again and looks at her. She's smiling sleepily, a slightly dazed look in her eyes, and he can't help but admit that it makes his ego swell to know he can make her smile like that.
"That was..." he starts.
Jo hesitates, then runs her fingers through his hair softly. "Good? Great? Amazing?" she says.
Bucky breathes out a laugh and rests his head on her chest for a moment. "All of the above," he replies. Jo hums, and Bucky continues, lifting his head again to look at her, "You're fucking perfect, doll."
Jo laughs, and replies, "You probably say that to all the girls, Sarge."
Bucky sobers. "No, Jo, I don't. Really." He brushes a strand of hair from her face. "When I said I haven't done this in a while, that was an understatement," he says. Dr. Raynor told him he needed to open up, nurture friendships (or whatever this is turning into), so here he goes. "I wasn't really planning on this happening — not that I'm not glad that it did..." He pauses.
"But you live in New York, and I live here. And we just met,” Jo finishes.
"I don't know how things like this work these days," he says. He's looking at her with such sincerity that Jo thinks her heart might burst. "I told you I wanted to do this right. Dinner, flowers, the whole nine yards.”
Jo cocks her head to the side and smiles. "Let's start with dinner."
_____
They lay in silence for a while, Bucky's head resting on Jo's naked breasts, her fingers running through his hair. Jo's starting to think he's fallen asleep when Bucky speaks again.
“I should probably go,” Bucky says reluctantly. "Sam was expecting my help with the boat today."
"I'll drive you," Jo says. "Just let me get dressed."
"You don't have to do that. I can call a cab."
"Delacroix's, like, an hour outside the city. It'll cost a fortune. Let me drive you."
Bucky hesitates, but Jo nudges at his right shoulder gently until he agrees. He presses a soft kiss to her lips before he stands and offers her a hand. While Bucky moves into the bathroom to change back into his own boxers and jeans, Jo slips into her room. She comes back out wearing jeans and a vintage Lilith Fair t-shirt; she's traded her glasses for contacts. Jo shoves her feet into her combat boots at the door and turns back to kiss Bucky quickly before they leave the apartment.
_____
The drive to Delacroix is quiet except for Jo's Paul Simon playlist thrumming from the car speakers. Bucky thinks he might actually like the music. Or maybe he just likes listening to Jo sing every word.
When Jo pulls up outside Sarah's house, Bucky turns to her from the passenger seat. “I don’t have your number,” he says.
“Give me your phone," she responds, smiling and holding her hand out.
Bucky unlocks his phone and hands it over. Jo saves her number before texting herself so she has his, as well. She deletes the text conversation and hands his phone back.
"There you go, Sarge," she says with a wink.
Bucky leans across the car's console and wraps his vibranium hand around the back of Jo's neck. He pulls her close and presses his lips against hers gently. Jo responds by running her fingers across the stubble on Bucky's jaw and sweeping her tongue into his mouth. A moan rumbles through Bucky's chest, and he tries to move closer to Jo's body, but he knocks his knees roughly against the center divider.
"Shit," he curses, pulling away. "It was easier to kiss a dame in the front seat of a car in the '40s," Bucky complains.
Jo laughs. "Kissing a lot of dames in cars, were you?"
"I got around," Bucky says, a grin on his face.
He feels like himself around Jo – not exactly the person he was before the war, but close. He almost feels like he could be a better version of that man; he wants to be that for Jo. For now, though, it's easy to flirt and laugh with her, watch her eyes light up and her smile brighten.
"I believe it, Sarge," Jo teases. Over Bucky's shoulder, she notices Sam standing on the front porch of the house. "I think I've stolen you away from Sam long enough," she says.
"Please, doll, steal me away anytime," Bucky flirts. He kisses her once more. "I'll see you Tuesday," he whispers, his hand lingering on her cheek before he climbs out of the car.
“Looks like someone had a good night,” Sam laughs as Bucky ascends the front porch steps.
“We are not talking about this,” Bucky grumbles.
“Oh, we’re definitely talking about this,” Sam says, clapping Bucky on the back.
______
next chapter
#bucky barnes#james buchanan barnes#james bucky barnes#sergeant barnes#bucky barnes x oc#bucky x oc#bucky barnes x ofc#bucky x ofc#bucky fic#bucky barnes fic#bucky fanfic#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes romance#bucky barnes smut#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes fluff
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The Arms Of A Woman
burnsoslow said:
Dear TBFF, I'm requesting a My Love one-shot with Ellie screaming for Drake while he talks to his beautiful girlfriend, and then him hanging up to call her back on Facetime ... and other details. 😍😍😍😍😍
I don’t even have words for what I just wrote. You asked for a simple request a week and a half ago and it blew up into this monstrosity of 8225 words.
Pairing: Drake x OC (Alyssa)
_____________________________________________
He was Liam's best man.
She was Riley's matron of honor.
Drake first laid his eyes on Alyssa at the wedding rehearsal, but couldn't meet hers. The petite brunette with the brightest blues flashed a dimpled smile at him when they were formally introduced. He swore her face was glowing. It was as if the sun itself shone directly on her at that moment. If beauty could be adequately defined, this woman was the epitome of Drake's definition.
She wasn't noble. She wasn't from a wealthy, pretentious family. She wasn't even from Cordonia. She was the opposite of every woman he had become accustomed to knowing. Simple, upbeat, and not fake, all of which was an instant attraction to her. Having spent the entire week getting to know each other, she made him feel more carefree than he had been since childhood. He smiled more with her and because of her, and yet still, he considered her out of his league.
Drake tried to shake away the connection he felt with her. He was whiskey and beer, where he saw Alyssa as a fine wine that deserved to be savored by the most delicate lips. A woman like that would never want someone like him.
She asked him to dance with her at the reception with that sweet voice that penetrated his heart. Fuck if he didn't want to with everything in him, but -- it was her. It was her. What if he mis-stepped or was out of rhythm or made her embarrassed with just how inept on his feet he truly was?
What if he wrapped his arms around her and couldn't let go?
What if he never wanted to?
Drake's heart skipped a beat when she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Her skin was soft and smooth.
His was worn and rough.
The young Walker tried to resist, but the urge to touch her was too powerful. He had to know what her body felt like pressed against his.
She seemed to want the same thing.
Alyssa's feet glided gracefully, and her tiny little form fit perfectly in his arms. Her eyes flitted when she laughed. And her nose wrinkled when he said something funny.
Her lush brown hair smelled of raspberries and mint.
The same scent that would remain on the pillow next to his for weeks.
She took his heart with her when she returned to New York the next day, but didn't know it. Was it possible for this woman to fully grasp what she did to him?
Drake and Alyssa would come face to face again one year later at Riley's funeral. If either of them ever needed someone to take the grief away, this was the time. Neither one spoke as they commiserated over a cheap whiskey bottle in his room and collapsed into each other's arms. There were no words that could be spoken to take the pain of losing their best friend.
Comfort would come in the form of insobriety, and his lips brushing over hers as both of their tears meshed together.
Drake took her as his that night for only the second time.
Their bodies cried out to one another as if the other held all the power in the universe to mend a broken heart. To chase all the pain away.
And as if a gust of wind swept through Drake's room that morning and carried her away, she was gone again. No goodbye, no note, no fuck you -- just nothing.
But Drake learned something about Alyssa that night: She may be a rare vintage, but she was all whiskey.
His whiskey.
The only brand he ever wanted to thirst for again.
He needed his hands on that bottle and the taste of its liquid on his tongue.
It drove him insane that she was no longer there to quench his thirst. To make him laugh again and feel like a lovesick fool. He hated the feeling, but at the same time, he had never felt like that with anyone else. Perhaps that's how he knew she was real.
That what he felt was real.
Drake stood in front of his mirror each morning, glaring back at the reflection of a man who had a craving so intense for a woman that his body shook and his heart bled with want.
Who the fuck was he kidding, though? He was Drake Walker. Just a simple commoner lost in a sea of glitz and glamour, gold and filigree. He never belonged in that world and never would. Except for Liam and Maxwell, no one wanted him there. Hell, even his own mother and sister, left him.
As the days turned into weeks, then weeks into months, he couldn't help but believe Alyssa Claire Devereaux would do the same given a chance. Fucking forget her Walker, she will never want you the way you want her. She's gone! And even if she comes back, she'll just leave … they always fucking leave. Forget her. YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
That's what he did … forgot. It was so much easier to conceal his heart in a hard shell and protect it from the hurt everyone inevitably caused him than to let it consume him. Besides, he had to take care of Liam and Ellie. They needed him more than he needed to think about his own affliction.
But, God, that woman was hard to forget.
Drake moved out of the palace shortly after Riley returned for good. It relieved him that one of his closest friends was back, but he needed to get out from under Liam's wing. Drake wanted to be his own man in the quiet solitude that his dad's old cabin in the woods provided. It was everything he ever wanted, and yet somehow, there was still something missing.
Drake spent months upgrading the cabin to become more habitable for himself, but also hoped he would one day be able to share it with someone special. He felt kind of silly fixing this old lakeside cabin up. Not that it didn't need it. The log home had certainly seen better days. It was just that every nail he hammered and the walls he painted and carpeting replaced was always done for someone he knew would never see it. His heart and soul went into perfecting a home that he was sure she would never share with him.
Alyssa flew to Cordonia to visit Riley twice after she returned, and each time Drake was asked to stop by.
He never did.
Seeing her would only serve as a reminder of his place in this world. Not that she ever made him feel like that, but Alyssa would never … could never want him with the depth of desire and yearning he had for her. He was a man of little means and had nothing to offer her. Alyssa should have … no ...she deserved to have the best. The best wasn't something he could give her or anyone else for that matter.
Damn it, if he didn't want to, though.
Standing on the front porch of his cabin one evening, Drake spoke on the phone with Liam, who wanted to know why he hadn't shown up for Riley's baby shower. Drake rubbed a hand over his mouth and tried to explain how busy he had been in the past few days. He hated lying to his best friend but knowing that Alyssa was there was all the excuse he needed not to attend. Besides, what the hell would he do at a baby shower? And it was the couples, second child, in one year; how many more damn things did they need?
He grazed his thumb along the smooth wood railing of his porch and tossed back another cold one; it complemented perfectly with the chilly air that stung his bare arms.
The pain reminded him he could still feel outside his heart.
Hearing the gravel crackle in the distance, he glanced at the long winding driveway that rarely saw another vehicle aside from his old truck. Drake shielded his eyes from the bright yellow of halogen lights weaving and bobbing over the rocky terrain and coming to a dead stop behind his truck. He arched his neck and squinted to see who the hell was at his house this late in the evening. Did some dumb fuck get lost like the last two cars that stopped by?
"Is … is that Riley's car?" Drake muttered to himself.
His heart sprang from his chest when he saw the small, curvy figure with long brown hair that he had long since memorized. Alyssa hastily stepped out of the driver's side and slammed the door.
Drake tentatively walked off the porch and paused at the bottom of the steps, stunned to see her.
She stood next to the car with her chest heaving, brows knitted. "Well? Say something," she demanded.
He closed his eyes and turned his head away. Looking at her was painful, and yet it was like the sun emerged from the black cloud that was his life. "What do you want me to say, Alyssa?"
"Anything! Something! I don't know! Maybe start with why the hell you've been avoiding me every time I'm here."
Drake didn't move nor speak. Fear controlled him like a rope wound so tightly around his neck; it stifled him. Why did she have to be there?
Alyssa moved closer to him, and Drake panicked. He took a step back and held a hand up to stop her. "Don't… just fucking don't. Not this time, Alyssa. You need to get back in that car and drive your ass back to wherever you came from like you always do and never come back here again."
Her eyes welled up at his words, and her voice broke with emotions. "Why are you saying that? This has nothing to do with me, and you know --"
"IT HAS EVERY DAMN THING TO DO WITH YOU!!" He snapped. "I'm in love with you so goddamn much it hurts! I think I have since the first time I saw you, Alyssa! And … and I'm so fucking tired of not knowing what to do with that. I just … I'm just … I'm not good enough for you. And I never will. I've accepted that."
Drake covered his eyes; he never cried in front of anyone, and he sure as hell wasn't about to break down in front of the woman he shouldn't love more than his own breath.
"Not good enough for me? NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME? Why do you think I came all the way out here tonight? I needed you to know that I love you too. So don't you dare give me that, not good enough, bullshit, Walker." Alyssa erupted into her own grievous tears and ran to Drake, enveloping him in her arms. As much as he wanted to refuse her embrace and shield himself from the eventual hurt that he had convinced himself she would cause, he couldn't do it. The truth was, he missed her.
Every good thing that he had or ever would have, he saw in her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."
"I know, Drake. I know."
Drake balled a fist full of her hair and slightly tipped her head back to look deeply into her eyes. "No, you don't know. I want you. I always wanted you. And damn it, I always will want you." He crashed his lips into hers with such force, with such need and unyielding fervor, it nearly took her breath away.
"I want you too, damn it. Only you," Alyssa said through their heated kiss." Just don't give up on me."
Drake broke his lips from Alyssa's, breathless and filled with hunger. "I won't. Not this time." He lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her inside the cabin.
Through desperate kisses and hot tears, scattered clothes, and impressed skin, he laid her down on the rug in front of the fireplace. All the pent up disappointments, the hurt, and the staggering need he mounted up over the past two years manifested itself through every passionate grip and curled tongue. He wanted to show his worth, still not believing he could be anything she needed.
Their hearts drummed to the same beat and rhythm. It matched the cadence of his thrusts and her pleasured moans.
Everything he ever wanted to say to her was told that night through his touch, taste, and sight. Drake wasn't sure she would get the message, but he damn sure would try.
And as the flicker and flames of the fire's red and orange hues danced like fireflies over her rounded breast and the junction of her quivering thighs, he couldn't have been clearer.
And he did this over and over and over until she finally fell asleep in his arms.
Does she really love me?
Would she still be here in the morning? He worried
He hoped.
Pulling her sleeping form as close to his as he could, he kissed her shoulder and nestled his forehead against hers, and would meet her again in his dreams.
The next morning, as the black sky disappeared behind a spreading wave of yellow rays and luminous shades of pastel blue, Drake's eyes fluttered open to empty arms -- again. His heart spontaneously crashed into the pit of his stomach, and a burning sensation formed at the back of his constricted throat.
It was then that he decided the rest of the day would be spent wallowing over every intoxicating beverage he could get his rough hands on. To hell with her.
No, fuck that -- TO HELL WITH HER!!.
Laying flat on his back with an arm draped over his cloudy eyes, he damned the world and himself for allowing her another chance, for letting his guard down and thinking that maybe she cared.
He sat up with a heavy groan and stared at the pile of clothes that trailed from the door to where he laid. Mixed in with his jeans, old white tee, leather work boots, and socks, was her red lacy panties, bra, two black heels, and a dress. His heart raced, and he swallowed hard over the lump in his throat. Was he foolish enough to believe, to hope, to wish, that she was still there? That … that maybe she did want him.
That he was good enough for her.
Drake rose to his feet and quickly threw on his boxers. The smell of bacon wafting from the kitchen, combined with her melodic voice singing hit him like a bolt of electricity through every cell in his body.
She … she stayed.
He walked hesitantly toward the sound and pushed the carved cedar door that led to the kitchen open. There she was in front of the stove with a spatula in one hand and the handle of a pan in the other. She was sashaying her hips to the music she created with a towel draped over her damp hair and wearing the buttoned-up denim shirt he wore last night -- the globes of her ass peeking out.
Alyssa didn't hear him approach as she flipped over a piece of bacon, and both of his greedy hands grabbed on to her bare ass. She jerked up at his touch with a shriek, then giggled playfully.
The scent of blueberry pancakes and bacon filled the kitchen, but the only scent he wanted to inhale came from her.
He twisted the knobs on the stove to turn the burners off and moved the hot pans aside under her confused stare. "Drake, what are you doing? I'm trying to make you breakfast."
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and sunk his teeth into the side of her neck. "Forget the breakfast for now. You're the only thing I've wanted to devour for two damn years, and the only thing I ever will again."
"Drake --"
Without warning, he hoisted her up, lowered her onto the opposite counter, thrust her legs apart, and before she even had time to prepare herself for what was happening, his tongue separated her pink slit.
HIS whiskey.
Drake's blood pumped frantically like an addict getting his first fix in years until her legs contracted and squeezed around his head. The tighter she clamped down, the louder she moaned, the higher her hips bucked, and the deeper her fingernails clawed into his rumpled hair, the more intoxicated by her taste he became. It couldn't have been clearer, Alyssa savored every sensation he gave her, but the greatest feeling came from knowing he loved and desired her.
It was the only thing she ever wanted from him too.
After they showered together and finished breakfast in the kitchen, he had some place special he wanted to show her. Taking her by the hand, they walked to the lakeshore just behind his cabin. The calm and solemnity of the water's edge lapping and brushing against rock and sediment was a welcomed retreat from the world around them.
Not that anything or anyone else mattered outside the two of them at that moment.
Alyssa's face lit up in wonder when the pair approached a clearing just past the dock filled with ducks. She had heard their calls from the cabin porch while eating breakfast, but couldn't believe her eyes at the multitudes of mallards that floated elegantly on the surface. Seeing her so mesmerized by something so simple only made Drake's feelings for her that much stronger. As Alyssa's eyes glittered from the picturesque scene before her, Drake walked over to a storage bin on the dock and pulled out a small paper bag.
With her hands clasped over her mouth, he held the bag out. "Wanna feed them?"
Alyssa lowered her hand with a grateful smile. "Really? I would love to." She excitedly took the bag from him and filled her small hand full with the tiny pellets. She looked at him as if she were asking for permission before he nodded, and she tossed them into the water.
Drake chuckled over her self-satisfied smile that beamed through those large dimples he loved. For such a small woman, he mused, she was larger than life.
He watched with amusement as Alyssa made sure every duck got at least a little something to eat. She even made Drake get another bag full as she got onto the bigger ducks for stealing from the smaller ones.
"This is amazing, Drake." She lit at as she tossed out her last handful and rubbed the residue from her hands.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nipped at her ear. "Well, I think you're amazing."
Drake led her further down to a cove covered with large, overhanging tree branches encased in Spanish moss and a canvas of corded vines. There was scarcely enough room for the sunlight's rays and warmth to shine through the tethered foliage. Alyssa squealed as soon as she saw the rope with the tire hanging down. Drake released his hand from hers, knowing she would most likely do so anyway, eager to get to the swinging object that caught her eye.
He let out a chuckle when she did exactly that.
She hadn't changed from that enthusiastic girl he first met at the wedding rehearsal two years prior when they spent the better part of the week touring the capitol. She made him stop everywhere, always mesmerized by the beauty of a flower she'd never seen before, to make conversation with a local vendor that took no less than an hour, or to watch an elderly couple embracing one another in love. All the things that generally pissed him off when Maxwell was with him, never fazed him when Alyssa did it. He found her bubbly personality, endearing.
Among other things.
Such as all of her attempts to get her little legs through that tire swing. Alyssa insisted she could do it by herself when he offered to help, so he stepped back, but was always ready to catch her if she were to fall. Upon her sixth and final attempt, she got her foot stuck on the inside rim and dangled backward with her other leg wrapped around the outside of it. As she grasped the rope tightly for her life and spun in wild circles, she laughed out, "HAHA, I told you I could do it!"
Drake dropped his face into his hands, shoulders shaking with silent laughter at the sight before him. She seemed perfectly content twisting around that tire and rope, but he couldn't let her stay like that long fearing she would get hurt. He reached under her arms and held her in place so she would be able to get both legs through.
Alyssa paused to glance up at him with a humored grin. "I still did it all by myself."
He nodded with a snicker back at her. "Yeah. I agree. you did do that all by yourself."
Drake placed his hands on her slender back and pushed her gently forward. While she swung, they caught up on what they had been doing since seeing each other last. She was still teaching Kindergarten and was currently on Spring Break. He had just landed a new job with the transportation department as a survey technician.
She hadn't dated anyone seriously since they were together after the funeral.
He hadn't dated anyone at all.
She would have to return to New York in two days.
He would be left behind without her again.
And as much as he didn't want to think about her leaving, he found some solace in knowing she loved him.
Alyssa loved him. This incredible, funny, intelligent, beautiful, throw-caution-to-the-wind, woman loved him. And she loved him not for what he could buy her or where he could take her in life, but just because he was Drake. It blew his mind; very few people saw him as nothing more than a shadow in the corner. Alyssa wanted to shine a light in that corner or die becoming a shadow with him.
Drake would wake up the following two mornings just as the light tinted the sky, brush her hair aside, and admire the woman who captivated him in ways he'd never understand.
They made love several times, fished on the lake, and spent their evenings wrapped up together in a blanket on the porch swing listening to crickets and talking until their eyelids grew heavy.
Well, Alyssa did most of the talking, but he never enjoyed listening to someone more than he did her.
Two days later at the airport, lost in a sea of faces all coming and going, chatting, carrying on with their hectic daily lives, two lovers stood amongst the crowds wrapped in each other's embrace and spoke their last farewells.
Drake placed his hands on the side of her jawline, his thumbs grazing her cheeks, and placed a kiss he hoped would last them both until she returned nearly two months later. Alyssa's face fell into his broad chest with tears pouring down her red hot cheeks, and clung to his shirt, not ready to leave him. When the last call for her flight was announced, he sucked in a deep breath feeling that old familiar ache he had experienced without her before.
He placed a gentle peck onto the top of her head and swallowed hard. "You'll call me when you land, right?"
She looked at him earnestly, with swollen eyes and a quivering chin. "I promise I will. And every day after that."
His hand shook as he swept a strand of hair away from her eyes, disheartened, but not wanting her to leave without saying one last thing to her. "I love you, Alyssa," he declared through a broken whisper he wished could have been spoken louder, but his heart stung.
With a stuttered breath, she smiled back at the man who captured her heart and soul in every way possible. "I love you too, Drake."
Following one last longing kiss and glance, Drake stood motionless while watching Alyssa disappear through the gate that led to her plane and out of his presence again.
And as the crowds hustled around him trying to catch their flights, Drake was unwilling to move from that spot. Even after a shoulder bump and a luggage cart slammed into the back of his heel, he refused to budge. He knew it was crazy, but a part of him wanted to wait there until she returned in six weeks. Six weeks was a long time to go without her and driving back to an empty cabin was not something he was looking forward to. Alyssa made that place so much more enjoyable -- she made it a home. The only home he would ever want again.
A smirk curled his lips when a sudden thought crossed his mind. It was more like an idea he was surprised he hadn't entertained before this moment. Would it still be there, he pondered.
With his heart racing, he drove back home and ran straight to his bedroom. Drake pulled the top drawer of his dresser out and tossed it onto his unmade queen-sized bed. A handful of socks were hurled aside, and a stack of briefs was lifted to peek under.
Nothing but an empty wooden surface was below.
The second drawer dropped to the floor, and Drake fell to his knees as he hurriedly sifted through folded shirts and some old mail he had no idea why he saved anymore.
Nothing. "Damn it."
He was confident the last place he put it was in this dresser, so panic set in as he stared at the third and final drawer. Drake rubbed the back of his neck and inhaled deeply. "Pull yourself together, man," he said to himself, wrapped his hand around the brass knobs, and pulled back.
Hidden under a pile of old photos and magazines was a small metal safe with a combination lock. Drake's eyes shot to the ceiling as he ran a series of numbers through his head. Biting his lip in deep concentration, he twisted the turn style of numbers and pulled the lock off.
It was like discovering an untouched gold mine as he grabbed the ring box and lifted the top. Inside was his grandmother's simple gold band engagement ring with a small Old European cut solitaire. It didn't have a lot of sparkle or shine to it, but if he dropped it off at the jewelers in the morning, perhaps they could bring it back to life. He wanted Alyssa to have the greatest symbol of his love and devotion to her, and this ring was one of his most treasured items. Only someone as special as Alyssa deserved to wear it.
________
As promised, Alyssa called when she landed and every day following.
Four weeks after leaving Cordonia, she stepped out of a cab following a later than usual dinner with some work friends. She unlocked the door to her Brooklyn apartment and tossed the keys onto her kitchen counter. The dinner had been dreadful; she knew better than to order a steaming plate of fajitas. When the waiter swept the plate across her face, the smell of hot green peppers and onions hit the bottom of her stomach like a boulder. It didn't take long before a warmth spread throughout her body, and a cold sweat erupted across her flushed face.
Alyssa let out a small chuckle to herself as she began digging through her purse for her phone. She hoped the poor waiter had forgiven her for the mess she made on his shoes. A $20 tip was enough, or at least she forced herself to believe it was. Mortified by the mishap, Alyssa had apologized profusely to the patrons of the restaurant and her friends who were demanding their money back from the hostess as she left.
She swore she would never return.
It was 10:03 p.m. Alyssa was three minutes late with her daily call to Drake. She pulled out loose tissues, dozens of flair pens, her wallet, and some ginger candy she purchased yesterday, from her purse.
Her cell wasn't in there.
She searched around her feet, thinking maybe she dropped it when she set her purse down.
Slamming her fatigued eyes shut with a groan, Alyssa remembered exactly where she saw her phone last: sitting on the table at the restaurant.
She gestured animately toward the heavens. "Why? Why do you hate me today?"
Swallowing what little dignity she had left, Alyssa locked up her apartment, hailed another cab, and shuffled back to the place she had just cleared out with her bout of evening sickness.
The line of angry guests had dwindled to only an elderly couple since she left—a fact she was thankful for.
The hostess recognized her immediately, rolled her eyes, and reached under the podium. "I suppose you're looking for this," she said with a condescending tone and a scowl, holding out Alyssa's cell phone.
Alyssa smiled back sheepishly and retrieved the device from the woman she now wished she had vomited on instead. "It is. Thank you."
As she rode in her third cab in the last 30 minutes, she swiped her phone cover to unlock it. The ultrasound photo to confirm her pregnancy yesterday was visible on the home screen. Alyssa glided a gentle thumb over the picture, swearing this tiny little peanut looked like its father already. How was it possible to love someone you'd never met this much?
Smiling down at the little black-and-white photo, Alyssa sighed, feeling nothing but joy. "Our baby."
Scrolling through her contacts, she pressed Drake's name, and he picked up on the first ring.
"Devereaux!"
"Hey, baby. I'm so so sorry that I'm calling later than usual, but I had dinner with some friends and left my phone at the restaurant." It was killing her not to tell him, literally killing her. She swore when she took the pregnancy test, and the next twenty tests after that, Drake just had to be told in person. No one should get news like that over the phone. Plus, she felt like she knew him well enough to know he would worry and want to catch the first plane to New York. With a new job, Alyssa didn't want Drake to make the wrong impression on his new employers already.
"Nah, it's okay," he lied. Drake had been worried sick she changed her mind about him, or that something terrible had happened. "I'm on my way to the hospital with Liam and Ellie to visit Riley, and I guess now celebrate two birthdays."
Alyssa chuckled. "Riley always was terrible with dates, so it's a good thing both girls will have the same birthday. Speaking of which, is that the birthday girl I hear screaming in the background."
"Yeah. She's not happy with Uncle Drake talking to his other girl. She keeps reaching for the phone and shit." There was a long pause as Ellie screeched in the background. Alyssa could hear Drake trying to calm her down with the most gentle and patient voice she had ever heard him speak in. If Alyssa weren't already slightly nauseous, she would swear the butterflies in her stomach had taken over. He is going to be such a good daddy, she thought.
Drake got back on the phone. "Hey, baby girl, do you mind if I facetime you? I think seeing her Aunt Lyssie would help."
"Yes! Aunt Lyssie approves of that idea. It also gives her the chance to see Uncle Drake's handsome face that she is missing real, real bad."
The cab pulled up next to the curb outside of Alyssa's apartment, and she asked Drake to give her a moment to get upstairs and then call.
Alyssa sat on the edge of her bed, exhausted, but loved seeing Ellie on the video chat, and it calmed the little girl down. And as much as Alyssa missed him, she was somewhat thankful the limo was so close to the hospital when Drake called back. She didn't know how much longer she could keep her eyes open, and Drake could tell after her fifth time yawning he needed to cut it short, anyway.
"Baby doll, we're pulling up now, and you look like you're ready to fall asleep on me. I'll let ya go."
Alyssa shook her head. "No, no. I want to talk ..." She covered her mouth to disguise another yawn. "It's just been a really long day, and the dinner, and my phone, and --"
"Lyssa, Sweetheart, go to bed. It's fine. I have to get inside, anyway."
"I know." She sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow. On-time ... probably."
Drake laughed. "Then, I can't wait ... probably. Get some rest. Love you, sweet girl."
She blushed every time he spoke those words. This time was no exception. "I love you too."
The next two weeks passed by at a snail's pace for both Drake and Alyssa. The anticipation of seeing each other again after what felt like an eternity apart made the days unbearable. Keeping busy with work and friends could only sustain their sanity for so long. Both were eager to share life-changing news—both a little nervous over what the other would say.
With school officially wrapped up for the summer, Alyssa packed everything she would need for a few weeks and left her apartment key with a friend to water her nearly dead plants while she was away. With her pregnancy now in the eighth week, taking care of those plants became more important to her. If she couldn't take care of them, how would she care for a baby? It made no sense to her either, but hormone changes made her a little more irrational over the past week.
Liam was kind enough to send the jet for her. Alyssa had initially planned to visit Cordonia after school let out anyway to help Riley with the babies and spend some time with the friend she thought was deceased almost one year ago. Liam nor Riley was ready quite yet to trust another nanny. With Alyssa being so good with children, they were hopeful they could persuade her to stay and take on the task full time.
She boarded the plane just before midnight, trying to stay awake for most of it to compensate for the jet lag that awaited her. Early pregnancy would not cooperate, and she slept almost the entire duration of the flight.
Upon landing in Cordonia at near dusk, she was pleasantly surprised to find Riley waiting for her on the tarmac next to the limo.
Running to her long-time friend, Alyssa wrapped her arms around her. "Riiiiiillley!!!"
"Alyyyyyyssa!!"
Alyssa pulled back and looked over her best friend. "I can hardly tell you just had a baby two weeks ago. Look at you! You look great."
Riley subconsciously rubbed her hand over the small bump she had and smirked. "God, I love you."
Alyssa hugged her former roommate once more. "Not as much as I love you."
As they rode in the limo back to the palace, Alyssa helped herself to a ginger ale in the mini-fridge and took a long drink. "Not that I"m not thrilled that you came, but I thought you were sending Mara to pick me.
"Liam insisted I be the one to meet you. He and Maxwell are taking care of the girls, which gives me a chance to get a little break."
Alyssa took another sip and screwed the cap back on. "Have you seen Drake?"
Riley shook her head. "Not since Evie was born. He really hasn't been around much lately."
"Not ... not even today? Like, before you left?" She asked with a tinge of surprise.
Riley rubbed a comforting hand up and down Alyssa's slender arm. "I'm sorry, sweetie. No."
Alyssa sunk back into her seat, somewhat disappointed. Drake knew she was arriving today. In each of their conversations this week, he told her how excited he was to see her. As much as she wanted just to shrug it off, it hurt her that the man who professed his love to her, wouldn't be there to see her today. She knew it was silly -- he probably worked late today -- but it didn't stop her from fretting. She pulled out her phone to see if he tried to call or text, and there was nothing from him. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry ... I'm going to cryyyyyyy.
The limo pulled into the palace; Alyssa and Riley grabbed her bags from the trunk. She glanced around to see if Drake's truck was there.
It wasn't.
Sucking her lips between her teeth to prevent the desperate urge to burst into tears, she hoped Riley didn't ask her too many questions. Speaking was not something she could risk at that moment. She knew if her mouth opened, the sob she had staved off during the ride would erupt.
Staff was ready to take Alyssa's bags when they passed through the gilded doors. Liam was standing at the foot of the grand staircase with a phone in hand and shoved it into his pocket when he caught sight of the girls.
"Liam?" Riley asked with a puzzled looked. "What are you doing down here? Where are the girls?"
He kissed his wife. "They're fine, love. Both are sleeping, and Maxwell is with them." Liam then turned to Alyssa and greeted her with a kiss to the cheek. "Alyssa. It's great to have you back with us. I hope your flight was comfortable."
She nodded with half a smile. "It was very nice. Thank you for letting me use the jet."
"You didn't answer my question, Liam." Riley furrowed her brows." Why are you down here? Is everything okay?"
"Sweetheart, you and I need to go upstairs." He grabbed Riley's hand and then looked to Alyssa with a mischievous smile. "And you. You need to go into the ballroom."
Confused, Alyssa gestured to herself. "Me? Why?"
"Just ... trust me. Go in the ballroom. Your Prince awaits."
Riley did not understand what the hell was going on, and knowing she couldn't keep a secret from her best friend, Liam knew it was for the best she didn't. She prodded him for information all the way back to their quarters -- he never relented.
Alyssa placed her hand on the gold handle set that adorned the ballroom door and pulled back. He came.
Her breath hitched when the darkened room that held fancy royal gatherings, suddenly lit up with thousands of small white lights. She crossed the entrance, unsure of what was occurring. "Hello," she called out.
The quiet ballroom abruptly came alive with an old familiar tune that she knew by heart. It was so special to her that her heart grew with nostalgia ... or perhaps, deja vu. She clutched her chest with an enormous smile that shined brighter than all the lights in that room combined. Playing in the background was the first song she danced with Drake to. I can't believe he remembered that.
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over, and life is like a song
At last, the skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you
Out of the corner of her eyes, Alyssa spotted Drake, dressed in his nicest pair of blue jeans, a buttoned-up flannel dress shirt, and a suit jacket. She bit her bottom lip and cast a bashful glance his way. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and the way he was swaggering toward her with that wide grin made her belly clench.
“Drake. What's going on?"
He grasped hold of her hand and leaned down to place a gentle peck on her eager lips. "Maybe, I missed you a little."
Still holding her hand, he led her to the center of the ballroom, never taking his love-filled eyes off her. "Maybe, I missed you a lot."
When they reached the midpoint of the room, Drake stood in front of her and circled his brawny arms under hers, his large hands resting on her back. He studied her eyes with so much desire and affection that it sent a surge of heat throughout her body and made her knees tremble.
"And maybe ... I wanted to take the most beautiful woman in the world to the same spot I fell in love with her two years ago."
Tears pricked at her bright blue eyes. "Drake," she muttered fondly.
"I believe you forced me to dance with you that night."
She chuckled through a soft cry. "I did. Yes."
He nipped her nose softly and then her forehead. "No one's forcing me now."
Drake still hated dancing, but by God, he would recreate that night for her even if it killed him. His feet never lifted from the floor, but he shuffled side to side with her in his arms.
If he didn't hold on to her, Alyssa would swear she'd float away. She rested her head on his bulky chest, his heart pounding against her delicate cheek. The smell of his cologne drifting like lead through her nostrils.
He lifted one of her slender arms above her head and twirled her around twice. It was the most romantic gesture anyone had ever done for her. And she smiled through the sudden queasiness that his cologne and those two turns had exacerbated.
Drake caressed the center of her back with tiny circles of his thumb. Every stroke was delicate and deliberate. He gazed down at her clammy face, feeling convinced she was charmed with him and his actions. Now was the perfect time for the big finish.
""Alyssa. I've dreamt of this moment for almost two years. Ever since we stood on this very dance floor for the first time, and I held you tightly in my arms. I didn't want to let go of you that night, and ... I don't want to let go of you now. Ever."
Every word he spoke enchanted Alyssa. It touched her on another level that she relished and savored. She also felt the gurgling in her stomach that made her desperate for the ginger candy in her purse. Fuck, where's my purse.
Drake reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the velvet ring box.
He bent down onto one knee.
Alyssa's hand shot to her mouth.
He smiled up at her. "Alyssa. I love you so much. And I've gone too long feeling this way for you, and I'll be damned if I let you go again. I want you to be mine ... at last. Forever. Would you marry me?"
Alyssa shook her head affirmatively with her hands still clasped firmly over her mouth. She wanted to answer him so badly.
Drake furrowed his brows; a troubled looked in his dark eyes. "Baby girl? Is ... that a yes? I'm... I'm not sure ... what you're trying to tell me right now."
Still holding the ring that glistened from the little lights up to her, Drake became increasingly desperate for an answer. His brown eyes were so full and glassy; she could see her reflection in them.
Alyssa lowered her hands, took a shallow breath through her nose, and slowly blew it past her lips. She did this three times before sighing in relief as the nausea she was suffering from subsided gradually.
Feeling terrible for the man she loved with all of her heart, who just proposed to her, and was still on his knees waiting rather despondently for an answer, Alyssa flashed a radiant smile at him. "I'm trying to tell you ... YES!!!! My answer will always be yes!"
Drake slid the ring on her finger, her hand shaking the entire time.
He jumped up and, with a broad sweep of his arms, lifted her into a passionate kiss they both got lost in.
Drake had been madly in love with her for two years. And though she had been thousands of miles away during that time, he never got over her. And as he lowered her back down to the floor, his hands ghosting through her hair, and her soft hands gripping his sides, every part of himself couldn't believe she would forever be his. That all those lonely nights of longing and wishing for the woman that captured his heart wasn't in vain. She said yes to him.
Drake Walker finally got the girl.
He rested his forehead on hers, still amazed, but never felt more love and joy than he did at that moment.
Until ...
"Alyssa, you've made me happier than I ever thought was possible. I swear I don't think there is anything that will ever top this."
Alyssa gripped the charm of her necklace and slid it back and forth along the chain with a sly grin. "I think I may know of a way to top it."
Drake pulled her into a kiss. "Oh baby, trust me, there's gonna be plenty of that too," he said with a sexy smirk while grinding his hips into her.
"Huh?" Alyssa looked down at feeling the hardness of his groin pressed into her. "Oh. Oh. No, no ... I mean, yes, but ... no, that's not what I was referring to."
A rosy red shaded Drake's cheeks, then he watched with curiosity as Alyssa reached around to her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. He couldn't help but admire the ring on her finger --his ring -- while she scrolled and danced her slender fingers eagerly over the screen. The brightness of the light from her phone made it easier for him to catch the glow that flitted across her face when it became apparent she found what she was looking for.
Alyssa lowered the phone to her chest under his unrelenting stare, not wanting him to see just yet. A questioning smile crept across his lips. He couldn't imagine what his fiancee had on that phone she was so sure could make him any happier as she seemed to insinuate. Whatever it was, it thrilled her to show him.
Alyssa drew in a sharp breath. Nervousness would be an understatement for what she felt. Nervous of his reaction. Nervous about what the future held. Nervous about sharing something so special with this man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Removing the phone she held so close to her chest, she glanced down at the screen with a soft smile and then turned it around to show Drake.
As his eyes adjusted to the glare, he bent down to get a better look.
"Do you know what you're looking at, sweetie?"
Drake knew precisely what he was looking at, and her name typed in white against the black backdrop only confirmed what he wanted to know. After Alyssa, that picture was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Pride and love simmered heavily in his chest.
With his heart pounding, he thought about how right she was. He could be happier.
Over the emerging tears that clung thickly to his wide-open eyes, he swallowed hard; unsure words could come out. "Is that ...is that --"
Alyssa nodded through her own fresh tears and finished his thought for him. "Our baby, Drake. We made a baby."
Drake's hands flew to both sides of her face and crashed his lips into hers.
Not only did he get the girl.
Drake Walker finally got the family he always wanted.
What began as a simple flirtation at a wedding reception two years ago for their friends, that branded his heart with her name, turned into a lengthy love affair. The years had been filled with loneliness and sorrow for both, but in the end, they always knew the other was, The One.
She was his whiskey -- the one who held him together and brought him back to life.
He was her knight -- the one who would protect and defend her always.
Together, they could erase heartaches, fill the voids that had plagued them for years, and love infinitely.
The wedding was a simple affair held just over a month later by the lake in front of the cabin. The day was bright and warm; it accentuated perfectly with the western style theme. With only, Liam, Riley, the babies, Maxwell, and Hana gathered around, Drake married the woman he was always meant to be with. They chowed down afterward on a barbeque and cold beers.
Six months later, after twelve hours of labor, and him never leaving her side, they welcomed a happy and healthy baby girl.
And Drake Walker deserved his girls in the end. He was a worthy man. Money didn't make the man he realized. It was being a good father and husband.
And he was.
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