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zriasstuff · 2 months

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First impressions- Lorenzo Berkshire x reader

Lorenzo Berkshire behaves like the perfect gentleman towards you, but what’s underneath that perfect facade? First impressions don’t last forever…

go to pt.2—> Second chances?

“Look, this one’s sooo pretty!”, your friend Jenny on your right hand side squealed excitedly.

“Oh my god, I have to get this dress”, Anya, your other friend, gushed while already holding five different ones in her hands.

You were also roaming through the countless racks, searching for a new and mature looking dress. In Hogsmeade, a new boutique had just opened and soon enough all the girls stormed inside to get the most beautiful pieces.

Inside the boutique everything was laced with delicacy, elegance and maturity. Three things you wanted more than anything to be a part of yourself. It was about time that you changed your appearance and became a young woman. After all, you were in your fifth year at Hogwarts already.

Not being able to decide between all the gorgeous clothing pieces you picked up, you took all ten of them to try on. Ten was definitely too many though, so some would have to be eliminated. The trying on process sadly didn’t do much for you, you still loved every single piece. Eventually, you come out of the fitting room, upset due to your inability to decide.

“Just buy all of them then”, Anya encourages you, “if you don’t they’ll be sold out and you will never get to try them on again”

That was easy for her to say. She was born into generational wealth and could buy all the clothes, or anything at all, that she fancied. On the other hand, you couldn’t just take home whatever you pleased. Still, you felt lucky that you had the money to buy one or two, so you eyed each piece you grabbed carefully.

“Ugh, they all would look so beautiful on me”, you groan, not wanting to give up even one of them.

When you turn around again to get your friends’ advice, they are nowhere to be seen.

Scanning the area for them, you unexpectedly make eye contact with someone who seemed to have been eying you. You stop looking for your friends, and take a moment to glance into this mysterious persons piercing blue eyes, perhaps for a little too long. He, whoever he was, appears to have taken an interest and started inching towards you.

Suddenly, after not having been able to place him, you recognize who he was. He was one of the guys who always hung around Draco Malfoy, who was a year above you. Even though you were in the same house, you have barely even made contact.

“You’re right”, he approaches you, looking you up and down.

“About what?”, you ask, finding it strange why one would approach you in this way. And as a guy, why would he be in this particular boutique. Was he perhaps shopping for his girlfriend or sister, you wonder.

“They would all indeed look very beautiful on you”, he compliments you charmingly, towering over you, a warm smile on his face as he said that. Sounds like he overheard your little dilemma. Surprised that he was so straight forward, you feel your cheeks heating up a little. While you’re smiling nervously, you manage to mumble out a thank you.

“It would be such a shame, if you had to leave them here”, this guy, whose name didn't even come to your mind, continued the sudden conversation. This guy surely had something planned, with the way he was leading it.

“Yeah, sometimes I wish I could just go shopping limitlessly”, you truthfully admit.

“So what’s your name, darling?”

“Y/n”, you answer while a thousand thoughts circled your mind. Such as how you managed to have caught the attention of this gorgeous, older guy— he surely must’ve approached you because he found you pretty right? And he just called you “darling” in such a heartwarming tone.

You didn’t like where your mind was wandering. All those thoughts, simply because a guy paid you the slightest amount of attention.

How long has it been since a guy had shown the slightest interest in you again? As if the exact time mattered, it had been too long anyway. You start doubting that you were maybe reading too much into his behavior—that your feelings were the ones of a silly little girl who just received some candy. So he called you darling, that doesn’t have to mean anything.

“Pretty”, he notes, “I’m Lorenzo by the way, but you can call me Enzo”.

Alright, you rethink, surely you weren’t reading too much into it. He just complimented you again, the second time within five minutes.

“May I?”, he gently asks, disrupting your small talk. Before you could even respond, he takes the clothes out of your hands. You weren’t sure what to make of this, so you threw him a questioning look. “Let me”, he says, afterwards smoothly grabbing your hand. “Let me what?”, you try to understand his behavior as you’re being led by him.

“Let me spoil you with what you deserve”, he responds so genuinely, but also as if it was the most natural thing in the world. You couldn’t even believe it. He had to be an angel fallen from heaven, with the way he was treating you.

This Enzo, whom you just properly met, was willing to spoil you like a literal princess. This is what teenage romance that your favorite authors write about must feel like.

“Are you kidding?”, you ask in utter disbelief. Not that you were complaining, but it simply felt too unreal, that someone would do this for you without even knowing you.

At the counter, you finally catch your friends, who have become victims of a giggle attack. They kept pointing their fingers at Enzo, maybe demanding some sort of explanation, but you yourself didn’t even know what to make of this.

All you knew was that within the next five minutes, he had paid for all ten pieces you picked out and was carrying the bags for you, like a true gentleman.

“I don’t even know how to thank you for this”, you tell him at the exit of the store, hoping he wouldn’t regret what he just did. What if he demanded you to reimburse him? No, he wouldn’t do that right?

“You wearing one of those would be enough of a thank you.” You can’t help but blush at his words, not believing your luck, that you met a guy this sweet. He was truly everything a girl could ask for.

Generous, handsome, tall, and caring—the whole package.

You saw your friends waving you over to them, so you excuse yourself. As he hands you the bags, his hand lingers on yours for a moment, before you let go and go over to your friends.

On your way you hear Enzo’s voice, causing you to turn around briefly.

“Meet me after dinner tonight, yeah?”

“Of course”, you happily obliged. You couldn’t wait to tell your friends about this perfect guy, and they couldn’t wait to hear the story either.

…

During dinner you kept turning your head to the right, hoping to catch a few glimpses of Enzo, who was sitting only a few seats away from you. You became rather disappointed when he didn’t notice you. Instead, he was laughing with all his friends.

“Y/n, what do you think?”, you hear all of a sudden, pulling you out of your admiration for Enzo. Totally in and out of your head, you try to remember what your friend asked you about. You also wondered whether Enzo had told all his friends about you yet, hopefully in a positive manner.

“Are you so in love with this guy you met four hours ago, that you can’t even focus on your real friends anymore”, she jokes, totally calling you out in your lovestruck behavior. The way you were infatuated with him, one could believe that he snuck you a love potion. But no, he was the first guy that you had ever felt this enchanted by.

In the last remaining minutes of dinner, you were mentally counting down the minutes. Only a little longer, you told yourself, then you could meet with him. Talk with him. Get to know him further. And eventually you would both lean in for a kiss and then…

“Dinner is finished, please go back to your respective common rooms”, Dumbledore's voice echoes through the dining hall, interrupting your daydream. As you’re getting up slowly, you tell your friends to go ahead. When everyone walked out, you saw Enzo separating from his friends to make his way to you. You could barely wait, having anticipated talking with him throughout the entire dinner.

“Hey”, he says, coming up to you.

You say nothing, replying with a simple smile. Deep down you were kind of scared of sounding overly excited, which could possibly scare him off.

“How’s it going?”

“Pretty good, how about you?”, you play your feelings down. You were better than “pretty good”, you were floating on cloud nine. If paradise existed, you were pretty sure that you were there already.

“I see you’re wearing a new dress, you look stunning”, Enzo says while looking you up and down, yet again. Your heart skipped a beat, overjoyed that he took notice. He really did pay attention to you.

“I’m glad.” Little did you know, and he did too, that you only wore this for him to see. It made you happy to know that your efforts weren’t in vain.

“Listen, how about we meet in my dorm?”, he suggested, “have us a little quiet place.” You instantly agreed, but told him that you would come by a little later because you wanted to refresh yourself in your own dorm first.

After all, you wanted everything to be perfect for your first date— wait, you stop your train of thought. Was it even a proper date? You weren’t sure, you’ve never been on one. Either way, you hurriedly skipped off to your dorm, informing all your girlfriends on your meeting.

Being the supportive girlfriends they were, they help you and give you pointers on your hair and makeup.

“I cannot believe that you’re going to be Enzo’s girlfriend”

“I’m so jealous, I wish an older guy would ask me out too”, they rave over your incredible luck.

“Well, I don’t even know if I’m really going to be his girlfriend”, you confess. He did seem interested, but after all you two were on completely different levels. What gave you comfort was that he seemed to be one of the nicer guys.

After one more glance in the mirror, you take off and ask everyone to wish you luck. You tried to be as quick as possible, not wanting to miss out on moments that you could’ve spent with Enzo.

Carefully, you sneak over to the boys’s dorms and you realize that you didn’t know which one Enzo slept in. So, you wander door to door, abruptly stopping when you recognize Enzo’s voice. His dorm door was open by a slit, so you lean in a little to listen. You knew it was sneaky, but you just couldn’t fight off your curiosity…

At first you couldn’t make out their indistinct words, but suddenly Enzo got a little louder. He sounded completely different from when you talked with him earlier.

“Fuck no!”, he scoffed loudly. You didn’t know what he rejected so angrily, but it only piqued your curiosity. You guessed that he was in the process of kicking his friends out to spend some time with you.

“Do you honestly think I care about her?” Enzo threw the question around. Upon hearing that you felt your heart standing still. Who was he talking about?

“Ok but if you don’t actually like her, then why go through the effort of chasing her down in that boutique”, Draco’s voice hollered all the way to you. After hearing that, even the tiniest hope—that he didn’t mean you, diminished within seconds.

“Yeah, you could literally have any girl you want, without spending a coin”, Blaise stated so painfully blatantly.

“You guys don’t get it”, Enzo defended his questionable, and apparently exaggerated, efforts to get you.

“My purchase barely cost me anything in terms of money, I have enough of that. But in return, I get a young, stupid and attractive girl who’ll do anything for me, because subconsciously she thinks she owes me”

Never in your entire life have you heard such a disgusting thing. For him you turned out to just be eye candy. A mere investment if you were being completely cynical.

Without wanting to hear more of what he had to say, you ran off back to your own dorm. His words rung in your head, stinging harder than you could have imagined. Back at your dorm, you barge in and burst into tears in front of all your friends. You’ve been holding them in ever since you heard his hurtful words.

After jumping on your bed, you instantly sink your head into a pillow. The darkness helped a little in blocking out everything. How could he have been so manipulative, and how stupid were you to have actually fallen for that?

His words may have been disgusting, but what was worse, was that they were true. Perhaps you would’ve really done anything he asked for in his dorm, had you not overheard their conversation.

With your makeup ruined and mascara running down your cheeks, you finally look up to answer to your friends’ concerns. All of them huddled around you, already comforting you even though they didn’t even know what happened. As you’re retelling what you overheard, you’re barely able to look them in their eyes. That’s how embarrassed you were.

When you were done, none of them could believe how sick and twisted Lorenzo Berkshire really was. Under that nice guy facade, hid a ugly and cunning playboy. At least Draco was open in showing what an asshole he was, this way he couldn’t really surprise you. But with Enzo, his first impressions were deceitful, which was way worse.

But under all your anger for Enzo, you were scared. Scared of the fact that Enzo was the first guy you’ve ever had real feelings for. Of course you only felt that way because he schemed and you fell right into his trap.

Still, a little part of your heart shattered upon the cruel reality. You didn’t want to believe it. A tiny guilt feeling part of you wanted so badly to walk up to his dorm again and to pretend nothing happened. It’d be easier than accepting his true intentions.

A sharp knock suddenly catches all of your attention. You must’ve been bawling out your eyes for a while now. You realize that Enzo had no idea about what happened and was still waiting for you.

“Can I come in”, you all hear him say from the other side of the door.

“FUCK Y-”, Anya begins yelling, before you immediately cover her mouth with your hand. You know she only meant the best, but you did it for a reason.

Everyone looked at you confused, trying to make out what you were thinking.

“Don’t let him know yet”, you whisper decisively, hoping he couldn’t hear you through the door.

They all ask why not, and truthfully you also weren’t too sure. But it felt more secure at the moment to not reveal your cards yet. Who knew how you could utilize the information you had. Ironically you learned that from Enzo in the past ten minutes.

“Is everything okay?”, he asks through the door, unsure of what was happening. What an amazing actor, pretending to genuinely care. How could one be so shamelessly two faced.

“You know what Enzo, I’m feeling a little sick”, you lie, trying to sound composed and calm. You couldn’t face him just yet.

“I'm sorry to hear that, I could-”

“I think it’s best if we just talk tomorrow”, you stop him before he could go on with more of his bullshit. In all honesty, talking to him was the last thing you wanted, but you had to sound believably fine.

“If you say so. Good night then”, and with that you heard his leaving footsteps.

“What are you doing?” Jenny asks you with a puzzled expression.

You explain to all of them that you need some peace right now to deal with your emotions and thoughts. The whole Enzo thing needed some time to be dealt with.

Since you were obviously in a bad headspace, they understand and leave you alone.

When lying in bed and processing your emotions from before, all the sadness, anger, embarrassment and fear—you suddenly feel something else too. You deeply wanted him to feel as foolish as you did too. You wanted him to regret his stupid little plan forever. You seeked for more than simply forgiving and forgetting, you wanted revenge.

#slytherin boys x reader #harry potter oneshot #harry potter #slytherin boys #slytherin boys x you #slytherin reader #lorenzo berkshire #lorenzo berkshire x you #lorenzo berkshire x reader #enzo berkshire x reader #enzo berkshire #enzo berkshire x you #slytherin boys fanfiction

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seeingivy · 1 month

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picnic

sukuna x f!reader

**part of my best friend's older brother fic

previous part linked here

(^^make sure you check since this was a double upload and I posted the last one very recently :D)

dear head of the cullen clan, keep evening plans open – im getting off work early and we’re going on a picnic. coldest regards, the head of the volturi (ps. am expecting a very wholehearted appreciation for the fact that it’s coldest regards and not warmest regards, because they are, in fact, vampires and therefore cold. because they don’t have a heart and such.) (extra ps. this is a link to a shared spotify playlist. i’ll add a song and then you add one. we’ll keep it going.)

you snort.

dear aro of the volturi (does he have a last name???), so much to unpack in one email, yet again. you really know how to keep a girl on her toes. first and foremost, you are SOOOO ran through. so offended that i wasn’t the person who got to put you on to twilight and whoever it was, I HOEP SHE DIES! if you’re team jacob, you’re a freak. second, SO VERY FLATTERED that you think i would be carlisle. a little haunting that you think YOU would be aro…but it’s ok cuz former companions to enemies back to lovers in our case would be kind of crazy??? third. done and done. i just added a song so hurry up bc i have like ten other songs i want to add and i am #impatient see u after work pookie :D, carlisle cullen (very appreciative of the cold regards. you are a king among men.)

his response back is very prompt.

Never call me pookie again. (very offended that you think i’d be stupid enough to be team jacob. and direct your murderous rage towards yuuji and my mom, who forced me to watch it in theaters with them.)

you wait for sukuna at the park two blocks down the apartment complex. the sun is hours away from dipping into the horizon, the chilly wind rustling through the trees. you realize now that the red skirt and white sweater might betray you in a few hours but decide that you’ll simply have to steal his jacket when he gets here.

and you would have already but he’s twenty minutes late.

and while this part of the city is extremely safe, sukuna’s ever constant fear of people attacking you on subway trains and stabbing you in alleyways has instilled an acute fear of strangers in you, which is why you’re gripping the sparkly pink pepper spray he bought you very harshly in your palm right now.

you think it’s sweet that he bought you a pink one.

but of course it’s severely ironic that you almost used it on him.

because he scares the living daylights out of you, by placing his hand around your shoulder from behind.

“hey. i’m sorry i-”

“jesus fuck-”

you instinctively hold the pepper spray up to his face, your hands shaking in front of you.

“i’ll use it, you pervert!”

sukuna leans his head to the side, which is when you’re finally able to log that it’s actually him standing in front of you and not a stranger, and you drop your hands in embarrassment.

“i mean, i’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t doll face but–”

“oh my god, sukuna. i thought you were trying to rob me!”

“i’m smarter than that. the only thing inside your purse is lip gloss, which has very little value to me.” sukuna responds, dropping the little basket at his feet and taking the little stalk of flowers out of the top handle.

“i’ll have you know that it’s actually sold out in every store right now. so you could make bank if you sold it.”

“don’t tempt me. and for your sake, i’ll accept the apology you didn’t give me for just trying to rob me of my eyesight and for calling me a pervert? i’m getting really tired of the age gap jokes, y/n.” sukuna responds, as he lifts your hands at your sides and places the stalk of flowers in your hand.

you give him a big smile as you press your nose to the flowers, the scent fresh in your nose. and sukuna props down, setting a billowing white blanket on the ground before he taps the spot next to him and signals for you to sit next to him.

“who needs eyes?” you joke, as you squeeze his hands and set the flowers down next to the little basket.

“me, dipshit. how else am i supposed to look at you?”

you cover your hands with your cheeks as you watch him place all of the little things inside the basket next to you, laying them out perfectly. it’s albeit a weird assortment – two wine glasses, perfectly wrapped sandwiches, a mini-cake, and strawberry lemonade.

“well, stop perceiving me. this is so weird!” you murmur.

it’s enough to catch his attention and stop him in his tracks.

“what?”

the question makes you pause. and a little embarrassed. it was a little harsh to say while you were joking.

“oh, i mean…i didn’t mean it like that! i was making a joke about perceiving because eyes…vision…and i almost took your vision away! and you perceive with your eyes, because how else would you see…”

sukuna smiles, before shaking his head, and continuing spilling out the last of the contents – a set of gouache paints and two little small canvases. and he drops to his feet, yanking his shoes off, before sitting flat on the blanket and gesturing for you to join him.

“there’s no way in hell that was what you meant. but we’ll ignore that for the time being.” sukuna responds, hiking his legs to his chest and gesturing towards the spread he just put out.

you tilt your head to the side in confusion.

“you look very pretty today.” sukuna responds.

“thanks! you too!”

he narrows his eyes.

“uh huh. well, pick what we do first. the paint, the sandwiches, or the weird wine glass cake.”

“the wine glass cake? like from tiktok?” you ask.

“correct. i’m really bad at…cute dates. so…i did some research.”

sukuna refuses to look at you. because after admitting it, he’s suddenly busied himself with reading the back of the box of paints, like it’s the most riveting, intriguing thing he’s ever read in his life.

but the pink flush that’s creeping down his neck betrays him entirely, as you reach forward and push the little box down. and sukuna’s already glaring at you.

you place your chin on the top of his knees, reaching for one of his hands and smiling.

“you did research for a date?”

“you can choke on your spit.”

you grin.

“you really know how to turn a girl on.”

“you’re filthy.”

you grin.

“and you’re actually so precious, i–”

“don’t call me precious, y/n.” he whines, as he reaches forward to flick on your forehead.

you smile as you sit by his side, tucking the folds of your skirt under your leg as you reach for both of the wine glasses and hand him one.

“so how humbling was it to have satoru explain all this to you?” you ask.

he sneers.

“don’t even ask. he’s like the biggest nuisance i’ve ever met in my life. top ten worst moments of my life.” sukuna responds.

“i’m flattered you humbled yourself to him for me.”

“i actually asked suguru. they’re like…two peas in a pod, they can’t do shit without each other. the paints and stuff they gave me and the nice basket too.”

“that’s sweet of them. remind me to send them something later to thank them.”

sukuna scoffs.

“no need. they were more than happy to give it up for you.”

“ah yes. i hear they’re big fans of this camping bag story. the scouts honor and the fake story we had to tell them makes a lot more sense now.” you respond.

sukuna rolls his eyes.

“okay, you know what? sue me. i was like sixteen sleeping next to a girl for the first time. god forbid i enjoyed myself. and i don’t know why they’re all so hyperfixated on that story because it was a very normal thing to assume when you’re asked that question.”

you snort.

“and you say you’re not a pervert…”

sukuna leans forward, his eyes flitting down to his lips before he looks back up at you. and he can tell that you’re in a mood, that you’re trying to push his buttons by annoying him.

“you know i despise you right?” he whispers.

you grin, leaning in.

“is that right?” you whisper back.

“oh yeah. you irritate me.”

there isn’t even a shred of earnestness in the words he’s uttering. you know he doesn’t mean them.

“keep going.” you respond, as he presses a warm kiss to the side of your cheek.

“you’re a nuisance.” – a kiss to your forehead.

“an irritation.” – a kiss to the tip of your nose.

“like a fucking thorn in my side.” – and a kiss to the sweet spot right in your neck and his hand snaking up your thigh, which makes you nearly keel your head back from the sensation.

you place your hands on his cheek and pull him back, face flushed and his eyes nearly glazed over.

“are you crazy?” you whisper.

“what?” he asks.

“we’re in public, dumbass. you can’t just start trying to rile me up.”

sukuna leans back, obliging.

“so you admit it? i was riling you up?”

“oh, shut up.”

you reach for the sandwiches and unpeel one for sukuna. before he takes it, he places a tiny white box in your lap.

you frown. first the fancy date but the jewelry too?

“sukuna. you didn’t–”

“just open it. i’m impatient and i’ve been waiting all day. and i actually think you’ll like it. otherwise, you’re ungrateful and rude and you hate me.” sukuna responds.

you give him a tight lipped smile before you open the little box and actually smile.

it’s a dainty silver chain – the exact same as sukuna’s from the chain-links, but the build is a little thinner. and right at the center, a little charm of a star.

you reach forward for his chain, dangling around his collarbone. and surely enough, in addition to the original charm he had of an interlocked circle, there’s a star charm added right next to it.

“you always reach for it. when you’re talking or when we’re kissing. figured i’d get you your own since you’re such a big fan.”

“you are so…”

“perfect? sexy? the father of your children?”

“i was thinking adorable. can i answer d for all of the above?” you respond.

sukuna grins.

“survey says yes, princess.” he responds.

you yank the chain from the little box and hand it to him, before turning around for him to secure it on you. his fingers tickle against the nape of your neck, accompanied by a warm kiss, before he taps your shoulders to signify that he’s done.

“you know. you really are perceiving me right now.” you respond.

“and how’s that?”

“i know you’re obsessed with me and pay attention to every word i say.”

sukuna smiles.

“obviously.”

you jab at his side.

“i mean, i know you’re doing this because i mentioned picnics yesterday and always feeling left out. sure you could put two and two together that he never really bought me any nice gifts or anything when i said he ruined my birthday.”

“okay, captain obvious. and?”

you shove him once more, before leaning your head against his shoulder.

“well, i appreciate it. i know the whole…cutesy painting date isn’t your thing. we won’t have to do it again. and that you…you’re trying to make this whole thing special for me.”

sukuna scoffs.

“i’m offended. first and foremost, i always like to eat with you. every time i think that there’s no way you can amaze me more, you find another way to spill food on your clothes.”

“hey! that’s not true.”

“you already spilled on the blanket. second, this is a very violent way to eat cake. you literally mess up all the layers by doing that and destroy the piping on the cake which i can admit, i am a fan of. and third, i’m going to paint us as worms, which seems enjoyable to me.”

you curl your nose.

“worms?”

“yeah. what were you going to paint?”

“i don’t know. but it certainly wasn’t going to be worms. like the park or flowers or something.”

“boring. i’m going to paint us as slimy worms. and because we made it on this date, you’ll have to agree to put it up in the apartment, even if it’s ugly.”

“sukuna.” you whine.

“especially if it’s ugly. it’s a testament to our love.” he responds, dramatically placing his hands on his chest.

“you know, you’re so right. worms have been a really defining feature of your relationship.”

sukuna leans forward and presses a quick kiss to your lips and an additional one on your cheek.

“you just get me, princess!”

and he breaks the little joke by lifting one of your hands to his lips, and pressing a kiss on all four of your knuckles before pressing your hand to his cheek.

“and i have to do special things for a special person.”

you return the gesture, lifting his tattooed fingers to your lips and doing the same.

“you know…you’re really good at this type of thing.” you murmur.

“what do you mean?”

“i mean, being a boyfriend. and…and being supportive about everything. sometimes i feel like i’m trying really hard to be the best but…just comes naturally to you.” you respond.

sukuna shrugs.

“don’t know if i’m perfect but…loving you has always come really easy to me. i don’t really have to think twice about it because these are actually just things i want to do for you.”

you groan.

“see! that’s what i’m saying! you always just…say sweet things, do sweet things. sometimes i’m convinced i’m not even half deserving of it, just because sometimes i don’t reciprocate that back.” you respond.

sukuna leans forward.

“you know, you actually do though.”

“as if.” you groan.

sukuna pauses, before leaning his cheek against the tops of his knees and looking out at the expanse of grass in front of you. you follow his line of vision – to the dog running in the distance, the wide, billowing trees, and the little flower truck on the side – which you now realize is where sukuna copped the flowers from earlier.

“i mean, this type of thing. that we have, or…or the way i act around you. it means a lot to you because, you…you’ve never had this before. right?”

“yeah.”

“well, i haven’t had you before. i know you see me as perfect, but…but when you say that i can tell that you don’t mean it the way my mom or…or yuuji think that i’m perfect. in the untouchable way.”

you lean forward, cupping the side of his face.

“sukuna. you’re so touchable.” you joke.

“you’re disgusting.”

“you love it.”

sukuna smiles.

“yeah, i really do. it does actually mean the world to me that you think i’m perfect how i am and don’t think i’m larger than life.”

“if anything, your ego could be smaller.”

sukuna leans forward and presses a kiss to your cheek.

“and…and even the other day. i know you were acting squirrely and weird when yuuji was near us and heard us bickering, but i was half convinced that you were going to take his side at the end, when he started saying that stuff about me. because it is true and i have acted a certain way in the past…and, you would have every right to agree with him if you wanted to.”

you frown.

“no, i wouldn’t. you’ve never treated me like that and i know you’re being earnest when you say these things to me. this would be a very elaborate way to get into my pants if that was what you were trying to do. and i know it’s not.”

sukuna smiles.

“that’s what i’m saying. every other person for me has never given me that benefit of the doubt, but you always do. you were the person who thought to tell me that my grandpa died when you all came to get me and you were the one who wasn’t mad at me. the things you do for me are the same, in equal magnitude, as what i do for you. if this makes you feel good, or…or on top of the world, you have to know that’s how you make me feel too. i’m half convinced that you’re basically made for me at this point the way you get everything right on point.”

you lean forward and press a lingering kiss to his lips.

“i really think you’re made for me too, ryomen.”

sukuna groans, dramatically leaning his head back, before nearly pushing you over and peppering kisses to almost every surface on your face.

“quit fucking saying my name. you have no idea what that does to me.”

“i mean, i think i have an idea.”

sukuna clamps his fingers over your mouth, before pressing a few more lingering kisses to your face and pushing off. and subsequently, picks all of the grass out of your hair as you roll your eyes.

and after that sukuna, admittedly, very aggressively uses the wine glasses to portion off little slices of the cake and makes it a point to finish off yours when you can’t stomach the sweetness. and true to his promise – sukuna paints the two of you as worms, but at the park, stargazing.

it’s a little silly, the way he paints it. you were expecting it to be more gory or gross, but it’s so corny that it makes you smile. because he draws the two little worms, but distinguishes between the two of you, by swiping some of your pink paint and adding a little ribbon to the one that’s supposed to be you.

sukuna explains the stars. because before sukuna had dragged you out of that shitty bathroom bar, it’s what megumi and yuuji said in his drunken mess – he had pointed at two little stars and likened them to him and megumi.

and you’re almost positive that at the time, sukuna found it utterly ridiculous. but now, he understood it – the sentiment. that you and sukuna were two little worms, and two stars, and two little flowers too.

and to his promise, the two of you decide to place the little canvases you drew at the end of the kitchen counter.

it’s only then that you realize that you have to go the whole ten miles for sukuna the way he had done for you – countless times again. and that if you were going in blind in trying to make something special, you’d have to take a page out of his book and do some research.

and there was only one person who could really help you, who you’d rather die than humble yourself to than ask for help.

regardless of that, you still call sammy the next morning.

next part linked here

an: they're about to do it. anyways....there is a very real playlist to match the one that they talk about in the fic -- and it matches the way it described in the fic! so it's interleaved, the first song is a song that sukuna would have added, the second one that y/n added, the third sukuna, so on and so forth. it's linked here! happy listening babies

second an: thank you for the love on the last chapter. it makes my heart really warm bc all of that was actually based on a REAL MAN and real things that I have felt/have said to me and just having people comment that they felt seen by it or it made them feel a certain type of way actually made me really happy and so warm. this blog was one of the first things I did after I stopped being really, really sad and i'm glad that i'm able to share a little joy here and there, if that's what this fic is for you. anyways this is long and sappy and gross and actually I just love you all for enduring the ouchies and the sillies with me a little bit 💌

third an: double upload bc yall were so patient with me :D

taglist: @porridgesblog @k0z3me @kayleegomez @yihona-san06 @sweetenertea @skzismyhome @mykyoon @violetmatcha @rebeccawinters @shotenvinsoot @itzmeme @gojoswifeyyys-world @cutiejg @chilichopsticks @ghostreadersthings @charlie-xo @whoami-72 @heijihattorisgf @megu-meow @complexivelovely @multiplefandomthings @hoebuns @lzaj19 @glossygreene @ramluvr @sureconfused @najaemism @manduse @imhorn1help @gamergirl5125 @r0ckst4rjk @invisible-mori @isaacdaknight @wishmemel @gyros-cum-sock @suftsunshine @i0099 @cowgirlikets @haitanibros0007 @stuffeddeer @yoontaedotin @ec3lipsy @armani79 @awkwardaardvarkforever @kereseth @leave-rae-alone @ruruvia @princess-ackerman @jjkwritingss @lilkiwikiara @opchara @telepathicheartss @starriesworlds @raechu11 @exprimidordefresas @nxxrxm @aalloochaat @strangehuman101 @tzutology

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znitsamluv · 5 months

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Hello! Could you do a Chifuyu x reader, they met a bookstore in the manga section. Chifu saw them reading the same manga as him and decided to strike up a conversation. They exchanged numbers and they plan a date. Takemichi and the others are wondering why he is distracted. Few days later they follow him and see the reader in the classic white dress and sun hat waving at Chifuyu. Lucky guy has a date with a total cutie!

Lucky bastard

Pairing: Chifuyu x FEM!reader

Warnings : none just fluff unless you are allergic to happiness

Note : sorry for making you wait anonie 🫶

" Excuse me, Do you have this volume?" Chifuyu asked the counter lady at the manga store showing her the picture of the manga cover , he spent 20 minutes looking around for the new released volume but he had no luck at finding it .

" Sorry it's sold out" The counter lady said without evening sparing Chifuyu a glance making him frown , it was just released yesterday! How can it be sold out already.

" Excuse me " chifuyu was about to complain and tell whoever talked to wait in line but he stopped once his eyes fell on you, it was ironic how he felt like how the Main leads in the romance manga he reads feel when they see their love of their life for the first time , words getting stuck in his throat and his heart pumping faster the more he looked at you.

" Oh did I interrupt you? " Chifuyu couldn't help but let out a chuckle at your adorable panicked state.

"it is fine " Chifuyu gave you one of his bright smiles , he was handsome you can't deny that ... And polite , you expected a rude response but the warm answer made you smile in relief.

" I was looking for the newest volume of (manga name) , do you have it here ?"

Chifuyu almost got a whiplash from how fast he turned his head once he heard you ask about the volume he was just asking about.

" No " the lady said again and continued to type on her computer, chifuyu felt his heart tighten seeing the beautiful smile you wore since getting in fading into a frown .

" I know a place that has it ! " Chifuyu said without thinking, he doesn't know another place but all he cared about right now was not letting you leave , not now.

" Really?!" The sparkle in your eyes was everything Chifuyu needed he might be dumb for saying something he wasn't sure of but what is the harm in making a beautiful lady happy?!

" yeah .... I can show you if you want it is around the corner"

You are not dumb of course , you know that trusting a total stranger and following them somewhere else might end up bad but you can't deny that from the moment you went inside the shop you had your eyes following Chifuyu around, it was as if the universe finally decided to be on your side and have that fine man talk to you and suggest showing you another shop , it can't be bad !

" if you don't mind then I'm ok "

Chifuyu had to hold himself from doing a victory pose now , he needs to seem cool , he wants to impress you.

He held the door open for you , he made you stand on the left side so you aren't close to the road and cars , he listened to you attentively like you were his favorite song , he looked at you like you hung up the stars and laughed whenever you laughed, it was like you wiggled deeper in his heart the more time you spent together.

And you better believe that you found the volume you were looking for, but it didn't stop here , you both exchanged numbers and from that day you hung out regularly , Chifuyu would sometimes ditch toman meetings and hangouts to go hang out with you .

And after a month of talking and being casual chifuyu had the courage to ask you out on a date and almost passed out when you agreed.

" you look... Stunning" chifuyu felt like he forgot how to talk , just seeing you in that beautiful white dress and sunhat once he met you at the park was like seeing an angel sent from heaven, you both spent the evening together laughing and having a cute picnic.... Until a certain group of chaos noticed you both.

" so this is who you have been ditching us for ? "

Chifuyu froze upon hearing the familiar voice and looked at Baji and Takemitchi , Baji looked at you then at Chifuyu and let out a toothy smile.

" fair enough"

" I can explain! " Chifuyu panicked slightly as you looked confused at the whole situation.

" no need to..... What am I doing wrong god "

Baji said loudly as he looked at you then at Chifuyu, then at Takemitchi who has Hina .

" Let's go Takemitchi, chifuyu is busy with his girlfriend"

Without even letting chifuyu explain himself they left and he looked at you with rosy cheeks.

" I apologize-"

"I like the idea of that "

" huh ? " Chifuyu looked at you with a tilted head when you cut him off .

" I like the idea of being your girlfriend"

Chifuyu had to pinch himself to know he wasn't dreaming, looking at you with a wide grin like a lovesick fool

" I like the idea of that too "

#tr🎴#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers headcanons #tokyo revengers imagines #tokyo manji gang #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #tokyo revengers chifuyu #matsuno chifuyu #chifuyu x reader #chifuyu headcanons #chifuyu imagines #chifuyu fluff #Tokyo revengers chifuyu imagines

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girlactionfigure · 11 months

Text

JEWS DON'T PROSELYTIZE

So let’s get onto the topic of Jews and proselytizing. It’s a topic that surprizes me when I reflect on how strongly I feel about it. I’ve noticed that others also feel very strongly about it. I wanted to unpack why it triggers something so powerful in me when I see Jews appearing to proselytize - that is - attempting to convert non-Jews to Judaism. It’s precisely because proselytizing is so alien to Jews in feeling and practice that I was struck by the posts of this online account:

Similar messaging even appeared on, (what presumably are), paid for adverts on roadside billboards:

Firstly, let’s not allow people of bad faith or bad intellect to pretend there’s some kind of anti-convert sentiment behind my reaction to this advert and my antipathy towards proselytizing. Converts are as Jewish as the prophets. My two favourite Jews in real life happen to be converts and they’ve enriched and deepened my relationship with my tribe.

The question is really one of how non-Jews come to Judaism.

As I understand it, converts are people who come to Judaism of their own volition. They are not caught by casting out a net as these billboards attempt. Following the compass of your own heart which points you towards the Jewish people is a beautiful power. The unique, organic footsteps that bring each convert to the true home of their soul are less likely to be reversed, retraced and tip-toed back out of than someone who was sold the religion as if it was a Subway sandwich. These are people who truly want to bind their destiny with us because they truly are us. Those who fall in love with Jews and convert before marriage have also experienced a calling of the soul - the organic flourishing of love within their heart.

None of these converts were cold-called by a telesalesman offering them an opportunity too good to be true. They weren’t cynically recruited as an exercise in numbers. They weren’t randomly solicited, persuaded, manipulated, hunted or worked upon - which is exactly what these billboards are doing. They are trying to manipulate and work on non-Jews in order persuade them to abandon who they are - as if whoever they are is inherently a lesser thing - and to become Jewish. These adverts are capitalism in action. They are as tawdry as an advert for Doritos. Surely advertising the Torah like it’s some cleaning product competing against other cleaning products is rank? And I write this as a secular Jew. If you want Judaism to compete in the marketplace like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Mountain Dew - then I think that cheapens and degrades what you’re “selling”.

Adverts also target our insecurity. The heart of advertising is to tell us we’re not good enough unless we own this product. You smell bad. You look ugly. You’re uninteresting. Firstly, a non-Jew is as perfect as a Jew. They don’t have to become Jewish to have value - and Jews don’t need others to become Jewish for our tribe to have value. We don’t need to be validated by getting non-Jews to join us. Secondly: I think it’s irresponsible and distasteful for Judaism to proselytise as it risks taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable. If someone succumbs to your idealistic sales pitch when not at their best - you’re inflicting a lot of damage if they decide it’s not for them in the future. Someone extricating themself from a religion they adopted whilst in a bad place is more emotionally complicated than someone trying out a hair product and deciding it’s not for them.

I also think we should be unashamed in saying it’s better to have quality over quantity. We don’t need members of the tribe just for the sake of it. In any venture in life, it’s better to have a small group of people whose hearts are truly into something than simply going for numbers. We have to ask the question: why proselytize in the first place? What’s the goal? We’re a tiny minority but our numbers are fairly stable. We’ve been around for thousands of years and aren’t going anywhere soon? Why proselytize? Why would we want to go out converting non-Jews? And why don’t we?

This leads to the most profound reason for not proselytising - one that’s important not just for the Jews - but for the world at large.

Jews choosing not to proselytize is the most beautiful rejection of an anti-totalitarian instinct. We don’t proselytize precisely because we’re not trying to take over the world. We just want a small corner of it where we can be free. And we’re happy for others to be free. We’ll mix and get on with everyone and participate fully in the world. But we’d be awfully unhappy if people didn’t accept us as we are and tried to stop us being Jews. We hope that everyone else mixes, interacts and participates as fully as they want to with the world. But we don’t think they should have to stop being themselves to do so.

Whether people like it or not there’s a totalitarian instinct ingrained in the act of proselytizing. And it’s not just confined to spiritual faith groups. Political sects such as communism are also on a mission to convert people.

The starting point and end goal of those who proselytize is thus: if everyone is the same then the world will be a good place. If everyone accepts Jesus there will be heaven on earth. If everyone accepts the prophet Muhammed there will be peace. If everyone accepts the teachings of Marx there will be utopia.

By NOT proselytizing, Judaism communicates that people can be different and the world can still be a good place. We don’t all have to think the same. We don’t have to dress the same. We don’t have to pray to the same God. We don’t need to dominate others and turn them into us. People are allowed to be different. It is the most profound example of live and let live in action. It is a rejection of mass uniformity and global group think. Jews - with their passionately held convictions and belief they possess certain truths - are not trying to force it on others.

We need to absorb how revolutionary and powerful this concept is. To have ideas you cherish and believe are life enhancing - and to be able to enjoy them without trying to force them on others. It is bizarre that some people’s enjoyment of a thing is reduced if other people aren’t enjoying it too. To then go out and try to convert others by persuasion or the sword is an insane level of insecurity.

Proselytizing is not just questionable because it leads harassment, bullying and domination - the goal of global group think would be awful if achieved. A healthy nation, a healthy civilisation, a healthy planet will venerate difference - not domination. The friction of different perspectives is absolutely essential for human vitality and progress.

So I honestly don’t know what the people who post materials that stray into proselytizing are playing at. Converts will come - as they do and as they always have done. And they are among the best of us. But going out hunting them isn’t bringing something to Judaism. It’s taking something away.

Anyway, it doesn’t affect me - I worship Zeus.

Only joking.

Thanks for reading. I hope I’ve converted you to the beauty of accepting converts without actively trying to convert people.

Sending love to all Jews who are beautiful and perfect as Jews - and love to all non-Jews who are beautiful and perfect as non-Jews.

Once again, if you think my articles are welcome contributions to ongoing debates and have some value, please do subscribe:

LEE KERN

#Judaism #Proselytize #Jewish #converts

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slvtwh0re · 9 months

Text

To Hell And Back

smut; dean winchester, spn

Four months without Dean was worse than any pain you’d ever went through. Somehow, someway, he’s back from Hell and in your arms again, and the two of you are left to pick up the pieces. But first, there’s something both of you need - each other.

Warnings: character “death”, grief, crying, fingering, p in v

It was the sort of pain that didn't go away, no matter how much healing I put into it. It was something that lingered, memories that would haunt my dreams and cloud my mind. It was a pain that pulled at my heart, trying to drag me towards him no matter how impossible it was.

Watching my boyfriend get ripped apart and dragged down to Hell was an image that would forever be embedded in my head. Four months ago, Dean's time had run out - he had sold his soul, and he had to face the repercussions.

I couldn't even be mad at him for making the deal, because he only did it to save Sam's life. But now, everything was falling apart without him. I'd spent the last four months at Bobby's, who hardly trusted me alone half of the time. Sam had went off by himself, taking his grief out through hunting and God knows what else.

Downstairs, I heard a clatter from the kitchen. It wouldn't have caught my attention, other than the fact that Bobby wasn't home, so it couldn't be him. Although I hadn't hunted in months and I was most definitely rusty, I still had the same instincts as always. I grabbed a knife from my nightstand and crept downstairs.

The first thing I thought was a demon, coming to get revenge on either Bobby or me for something. And since Bobby wasn't here, it was up to me. In the back of my mind, I could hear Dean, walking me through each step.

When I emerged at entrance of the living room, my feet locked in place. The knife slipped from my hand, clattering against the hardwood and catching the attention of the person in front of me. Whoever - or whatever - it was looked exactly like my late boyfriend.

But it couldn't be Dean, because I had seen him die. I had buried his body alongside Sam and Bobby.

"No..." I murmured, shaking my head and taking a step back.

Dean's hand reached out for me, but he paused when I flinched away. "Y/N..."

I closed my eyes, feeling the tears brimming them fall down my face. "You're not him..."

"Y/N, it's me..."

Everything in my nature told me to throw my knife at him and grab the nearest flask of holy water, but I couldn't move. Whether it was Dean or not, I didn't have the strength to kill him. He was my greatest weakness, and it had never been more obvious.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered. "I'm going crazy... You're dead..."

My eyes flicked back up to Dean and my face softened. He took a few steps forward - almost hesitantly - and wrapped his arms around me.

His embrace shot electricity through my veins. It was like revisiting a drug I'd been sober from for months. For the first time in four months, I felt completely and utterly safe.

I knew it was something that should've been impossible - my dead boyfriend coming back from Hell. But when he kissed me, a soft peck over my lips, I knew it was him. He was scared to upset me, making sure to carefully formulate each move, but the kiss was enough to prove himself to me. I knew Dean like the back of my hand. I knew how he felt, how he tasted.

When he pulled away, he rested his hand against my cheek and cradled my face. He took a moment to look me over, like he was trying to remember every small detail about me.

"How...?" I breathed.

"I don't know, baby," he told me, resting his forehead against mine. "I don't know..."

Out of all the emotions I felt, relief was the most prominent. It washed away any sense of confusion or pain I felt, and suddenly, my lips were on his. My kiss was hungry, trying to make up for months worth of time. He gasped in surprise, taking it as his cue to grab the back of my thighs. He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Upstairs," I managed to tell him. "Spare bedroom..."

He was just as urgent as I was. There was no time to ask questions or stare in shock. I had Dean again, and I wasn’t going to let go until he reminded me of the things I'd been missing so badly. He was the same, craving the feeling of me in every way possible. He hadn't even had time to ask about where Sam was - which was an important conversation that we'd have later.

I thanked God that Bobby was gone and we had the house to ourselves, because there was no way either of us were waiting. Dean carried me upstairs and into the room I'd resided in for those terrible weeks. He set me on the bed - the bed that I'd spent countless hours sobbing, begging, and screaming in.

"I missed you so much," he said softly.

There was so many things I wanted to ask, like if he was okay or needed anything. But I could see it in his eyes - what he needed was this. I was sure he wanted to forget, because I could only imagine how bad it was for him. He could talk to me on his own terms, but what we needed now was each other.

"I waited for you," I told him. I flipped over so I was positioned on his lap, pinning him down underneath me.

He tensed under the feeling of me pressing myself against his waist, just like he'd always done. I had almost forgotten how it felt to make love to Dean, all the little details that I loved so much.

"Good," he praised. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to take care of you... Let me make up for it."

Shaking my head, I replied, "No. I'm taking care of you tonight."

Dean always put me first. He tried his hardest to reassure me in any way he could, to distract me from the bad things that surrounded us. It was an instinct for him to take care of me, but I wanted him to know that it was okay when he needed it, too. He didn't argue as I began pulling his shirt off, because I think he knew it, too.

In the dim light of the room, I saw the outline of a handprint on his upper arm. I furrowed my eyebrows, reaching out to gently place my hand over top of it. For a moment, Dean seemed nervous, like he was about to flinch. It was like he wanted to hide from my gaze, but the moment my skin touched his, he relaxed.

Other than that scar, his body was the same as it always was. He had no scars from the hellhounds, no remaining injuries. He'd been completely healed. He was the same Dean I'd had before.

I leaned down to lock my lips on his neck. My hands snuck down to unbutton his jeans. He lifted his hips, kicking his pants off. He slipped his hands under my shirt and quickly discarded it. While I worked my hips against his, he ran his hands over my body, reminiscing in all the times we'd done this before.

"I love you," I said, a reminder I was sure he'd missed hearing. I began to remove his boxers, using my hand to teasingly hold him.

"I love you," he repeated between deep breaths. His hand reached for mine and he grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand out of his boxers. Suddenly, I was beneath him and he was pulling my shorts off with fervor.

I breathed his name, surprised by the way he'd taken control so quickly. He grinned at the sound of the word leaving my lips, and he said, "This won't even begin to make up for lost time, but let me start?"

Of course, I nodded. There had been so many nights that I would've died just to see him again, to feel him once more. There was no way I was missing an opportunity now.

He ran one of his fingers over me, feeling how wet I was. For a few minutes, he used his fingers to explore inside of me while he softly moved his lips against mine. It took mere seconds for him to relearn exactly how my body worked. Once he had, he removed his fingers, only to replace them with his cock.

The feeling of him pushing into me was still so familiar. I exhaled sharply, overwhelmed in the best way possible. He buried his face in my neck, pausing for a moment to allow us both to relish in the feeling. My fingers traced circles at the base of his neck and I kissed the side of his head softly.

He began moving, slowly at first. His mouth was busy leaving marks around my neck, but I was focused on the rhythm of his hips. With each thrust, he got rougher, sending waves of pleasure through me. My mouth was open and I gasped every time he moved. It was like all my senses were heightened now, having gone so long without him.

It didn't take long for me to feel tears brim my eyes while I thought about how much I'd missed this - missed him. How I thought I'd never experience this again. I loved him more than life itself, and watching him die - screaming for me and Sam - was something that would always haunt my dreams. But somehow, someway, he was back and I had him again. Emotions and pleasure were flooding my veins, and I couldn't help but blink a few tears away.

Dean heard me and he lifted his head, wiping my tears away with his thumb. His movements never stopped, but he analyzed my face, looking for any signs that he should. I quickly sniffled and smiled softly, showing him that everything was okay. I was more than okay, and that's why I was crying.

"I just missed you," I assured him in a whisper.

"I'm here now," he said against my lips.

I moaned into the kiss when I felt his hand between my legs. His fingers rubbed small circles over my clit, building my release and bringing me closer to the edge.

"You don't ever have to worry about losing me again," he added.

It wasn't a promise he could make, and we both knew that. But in the moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear. My body went limp in his arms and I gasped for air as I came undone. Dean grunted at the feeling of me tensing around him and I felt his hips falter. Latching my lips over his pulse was enough to make him finish, and I took the time to leave a mark behind - something he would surely admire later.

He laid beside me in bed, keeping his arm around my waist. It was like he was scared to let go of me, but I didn't mind.

"Where's Sam?" he asked. "And Bobby?"

"Bobby's out, he'll be back soon. Sam... well, he's hunting."

"He went off by himself?"

"Bobby and I both tried convincing him to stay here," I told him. "But he insisted on leaving. I tried going with him, but... Bobby didn't let me, and Sam convinced me to stay. It’s a long story.”

That was enough to tell Dean just how bad things were after he died. He fell silent, replaying my words in his head.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

"You have nothing to apologize for," I answered, shaking my head.

"No... You shouldn't have had to see what you did. I put you through all of this."

"You did it to save Sam," I reminded him softly. "That's not something to apologize for. I have you back, and Sammy's still alive, so it's a good day, Dean."

"I was so worried about you," he admitted.

"Bobby took care of me." I smiled at him, running my hand through his hair. "And when Sam was here, we took care of each other. We're all okay, now."

"We need to find Sammy," he said, tracing the small scar on my hip.

"We will. But first, I think we need to explain a couple of things to Bobby."

"Oh, that'll be fun," he murmured, making me laugh.

There was so much that still needed to be done, things that needed to be figured out and questions that needed to be answered. But that half hour was what Dean and I needed in order to move forward. We needed that reminder that our love was unbreakable, that we'd always find our way back to each other. Now, we'd continue doing what we'd always done - regroup with Sam and figure things out, as a family.

#dean winchester smut #dean winchester #dean x y/n #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #spn smut #spn #supernatural smut #supernatural #smut #spn fanfic #fanfic #supernatural fanfiction

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thesamoanqueen · 3 months

Text

Blackwater XVI

Raiting: 18+

Warnings: drama cause this story would be nothing without it

A/N: first chapter of the year and we're getting close to the end, so I've left a few little hints here and there

A couple of years ago him and Jey had bought a house by pooling their savings. It was one of those semi-detached houses sell for a few bucks, with few rooms and zero comforts, covered in faded wood slats, paper-thin walls and a single walled backyard without green. For them it had been a victory, they had a party too, one of those goals that their parents had dreamed of achieving for years when they were in their place. Jey had already started a family, Roman was trying to do the same with different results, but he had thought to be happy at that time. Struggling night and day to fill the fridge, he sold himself to the highest bidder, aiming to move forward at any cost, with his head down, without asking questions, open ears, so they had taught him and his cousin did the same. When they weren't working outside the city, they sat in the backyard together, on too small chairs ruined by the sun, telling how it was going and how long it took to reach the top.

They had carried on like dogs, for years, until Roman had realized that the pats on the head he kept down weren't enough to fill a wolf. Their paths had not always been side by side beyond the backyard of that house, life had pushed him with other challenges, other trials, disappointments, pain, lessons. What had happened next, what had led them to bite each other's throats and then be together and separate again, had been the result of all of that.

That warmth in the bottom of his stomach Roman had felt it again, months and months before, the illusion of being happy with little things in another backyard - his - in another house - his - and just as it had happened then, it was gone. He was not meant to live like that.

We eat first. It's all ours. The beginning and the end.

Sitting at the head of the table, with Y/N beside him finishing her breakfast, he stared at the plates still full, enough to feed an entire family, at the padded chairs just waiting to be occupied by someone of their blood, the well-kept backyard where not a single blade of grass grew out of place.

- How you feelin- sitting to his left, the wiseman asked in an attempt at conversation, but it was enough for Roman to put down the coffee he was holding in his hand to silence him.

He was fine, he had recovered his strength, there was nothing wrong. It had been enough sleep next to his mate to restore order in his life and home, to regain full control. He had lost yes, but it hadn't depended on him, it hadn't been a weakness of his and whoever was no longer sitting at his table was a loss he could afford. He had everything needed and more, he was still the undisputed alpha. The attack he had suffered had not left a scratch on him and would have been forgotten. He still had everything he needed to avoid falling back into that misery.

Y/N on his right, took a sip of her smoothie, her sharp eyes focused on Heyman who was already arranging his tie to give himself a tone.

- While you were taking your well-deserved break, my tribal chief, I figured you still wanted to know how business is going and I checked on our members personally for you. A couple of them had heard some silly rumours, some really bad ideas that sleep or a heart attack should have taken out of their heads if you ask me – bad ideas, rumours, opinions, just hearing those words was ruining his breakfast.

Impatient, he dropped the fork onto his plate of eggs and the wise man fell silent for a second, his eyes scanning him as the smell of anxiety increased.

- I made it clear... that they cannot change partners if they don't want to pay for the exit, as per the initial stable agreements. Someone has persisted in starting some… incorrect practices, they are finding allies, but we can appeal, extort what is owed. They're playing a game beyond their capabilities, they don't know how it works – he tried again, making his lip twitch.

Allies, partners, power games. He knew his opponents, men who pretended to be alphas and who he had kicked one after the other, exposing them for the nobodies they were. Now they were running their mouths, they plotted, raising their heads again and showing their dog teeth trying to scare him. He knew what they had in mind, he knew who would try to step forward and who was working to ruin what he had built to take his place or presume justice. The previous night had been a gift for them, the moment they had been waiting for to step forward.

- And even though the border has been temporarily moved a little further south, I have already made it clear that we officially have the right to-

My packland.

- How far south? – he stopped him, his attention suddenly high and focused on him.

He heard the wiseman swallow, trying to take time now that it was too late to take back his words, his eyes fixed on his figure like a prey that feels is being hunted. A moment of silence and then the voice that came out already in pain.

- The border state – he admitted with a grimace and Roman couldn't help the tic that made his head bob – we-we can negotiate though, I'll point out that there has been some interference and that it's clearly not done, they won't take real calls if-

Cutting out whatever the wiseman was raving about, he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his lip curling in annoyance, a growl in his throat growing menacing.

Our home. They are close.

He still had his land, the one he had conquered, but the stain with which they had soiled him was spreading, threatening even what he could not afford to lose. He could do without some north land that he wouldn't have taken advantage of in any case, remote areas that he had never visited, that had never interested him. It was a loss he shouldn't have suffered, but he could bear it. What he couldn't tolerate was everything else, because the state border was south, too south for his liking and there were only two people, out of all the dogs that would be around his neck, who deserved to be blamed for that public execution.

- My cousins. Where are them? – he asked in a low growl and felt Y/N's eyes immediately on him, in silence.

- My Tribal chief -

- I asked you where are em, answer me – he snapped and so did her hand, invisible, under the table, resting on his thigh as if wanting to keep him anchored to the ground, blocked from smashing everything and exploding.

Heyman swallowed heavily, his attention now for a second on Y/N as if looking for an ally and Roman physically felt his eyes on her, immediately lifting his head to glare at him and make him press against the chair in a futile attempt to escape his fury.

- They came back with us yesterday morning, someone saw them on secondary roads to the west. I don't know where they are now, I've tried to contact them several times, still no answer... I'm sorry... - he said and Roman smelled what he too had felt in the bottom of his stomach the entire night, turning over in Y/N's arms: grief.

They had hit him from behind once more, using informations he had given them with trust, to get around him and go around his territory undisturbed. They knew everything, they had access to everything, there were only a few things that Roman had cut them off from in those years of success, the rest had always been there, served on a silver platter at their disposal. In the last period he had closed some doors, not given too many privileges, but there was no inch of that land where they had not spoken for him at least once or acted in his name. They could do anything, go where no other enemy could without attracting attention and this put him on the defensive more than he could tolerate. They were a danger on the loose and Roman couldn't allow them to keep doing what they wanted, how and when they wanted if he didn't want to find himself in an even worse situation than now.

They're our shadows.

He wasn't dumb to hope to physically block them from doing more or wandering around, he had once again shared the backyard and his land had been their home for too long, but he could find a way to remind them who owned the empire on which them and their families walked.

- Stop looking for them – he ordered seriously, his hand tightened around Y/N's now.

- My Tribal chief? – the wiseman whispered uncertainly, his expression at least as confused as Y/N’s.

His wiseman was right, anyone who tried to go against him made the same mistake: they were playing a game beyond their capabilities. For Roman it had never been just a game, everything for him had always been personal, inevitable, necessary. Those two, Jey especially as his right-hand man – and brother – knew everything about him, but he also knew everything about them and it wasn't what they knew about each other that would make the difference in the war they had threatened to wage against him. It was how they would use it and he had always been better at hitting to make his mark.

- Cut them out. From everything. All of em. The Bloodline is no longer their business – he announced without regrets, intending to finish his breakfast in peace.

They had decided to stab him and leave him after his attempt to fix the mess they had made. Now they would have to deal with it on their own, them and their families, filling the empty tables and starting to pay again for the air they breathed, everyone, from first to last without exception.

Starve them.

***

Y/N had seen him arrive from afar after hours, with his hands hidden in his pockets and that typical heavy gait. She had had the impression of watching a kid coming back home after a bad day and had stayed on the threshold of the entrance, waiting for him. Solo was not a kid, Roman and Paul called him the enforcer for good reasons, but the omega part of her, empathetic and protective, that sometimes couldn't stay in its place, had taken control of her that time. By tenaciously refusing, she ended up occupying that role within the new family, as if it had always been hers, as if she had always had it in her blood. She wasn't so sure if there was still a family anymore, but whatever shape it had now or how many people it was made up of, Y/N couldn't move from the entrance.

Solo opened and closed the door in silence, his head low, eyes resting on her only for a moment to acknowledge she was there, before walking straight on, slouching with his shoulders down. His round face, usually threatening, was swollen and his forehead marked by the thoughts that crowded his mind.

- Solo – she called him and even if he gave no sign of having heard, Y/N knew that it wasn't like that – it wasn't necessary for you to come – she pointed out, trying to say more, to make him understand and his voice came out quick, refusing.

-It's up to me – he announced seriously, heavy, time necessary to allow Roman to call him from outside after smelling him.

Y/N saw him staying there just for a minute before disappearing outside without further explanation and joining the empty table where Roman insisted on planning in Paul's company. From afar, she observed them together, in that new strange rigid balance and let herself breathe heavily.

Roman was ready to move on and Y/N knew that he would do everything in his power – and it was a lot – to regain control, but she wasn't so sure that that kind of approach was right. After what had happened to her as a child, she too had left everything behind able to move forward, until he made her understand that no matter what she thought, something would always be missing without a family with her.

That thought made her suddenly turn to go upstairs and try to do something, even if Roman didn't want to, even if he made her promise to let it go. She had avoided talking to Naomi after those messages, but it was time to do so, because she was perhaps the only one who in some way could understand and maybe help her. She could make Roman reason, she had already done it once, but if she needed to do it one more time she would have needed something more on her pocket and having someone willing to help ease the tension on the other side would have been useful. When she finally called her, she waited a couple of minute, but the chaos that reached her after waiting left no doubt. She knew that chaos.

- Y/N! How you doing? Ya good? – she asked immediately and as soon as she did so there was silence.

Her voice was a little too loud, a sign that she was probably joining that chaos before, but the apprehension inside made her realize that she wasn't the only one in that state of mind.

- I've had better days, it doesn't matter, im good.

- I'm sorry Y/N… believe me, im so sorry – she heard her admit too seriously and Y/N nodded even though she couldn't see it.

Naomi was the friend and sister she never had growing up, as were the twins. The bond they had made was a kind of connection that Y/N had discovered without looking for it, it had been natural, simple and now she had the impression of feeling it tremble for a stupid piece of land that had no value for her.

- I know, but it will be better when things calm down. That's why I called Nao - she said, hoping to hear from the other side the same intentions she had.

Naomi didn't answer, not right away, at least not to her, because Y/N clearly heard someone else making noise and her moving to silence him, before talking in a completely different tone.

- Listen... the boys want me to talk you, they say I have to make you reason about things before it's too late, explain to you how things are rightnow... - Did they want to make her reason about things? – I won't do it though, it's not on me. I just want you to know that even though it may seem that way there, it doesn't have to be like this, you don't have to end up in the middle. You don't deserve this, not after what you've already been through.

She hadn't expected to hear that when she decided to call Nao. They wanted to make her reason? What did they mean by not wanting her to end up in the middle with everything?! They were all in the middle, it was a family business, they had told her to the point of exhaustion what they were, for months, when she was still struggling to get used to Roman and now they wanted to keep her out? She was the only one who would listen to them, the only one who would defend them despite what had happened, but suddenly they kept their guard up, they didn't even try to explain to her why they acted the way they did and Naomi refused too. Did they just want her out or what?

- And what im suppose to do? Should I sit back and watch how will it end? – she asked in disbelief, confusion slowly turning into tension along her spine.

How could they have thought of suggesting something like that to her?

- It's this reaction that I worry about. None of us are asking you to choose and act, I'm just saying that we don't want this kind of pressure on you. Me, Jimmy and Jey, Im sure that no matter what, Roman also doesn't want to put you in such a bad position.

A noise, loud, like a sarcastic laugh, from the other side reached her despite everything and Y/N imperceptibly tightened her grip on her phone, trying to ignore that just mentioning him was enough to provoke them.

- A good way would be to resolve and make things the way they were, for everyone. It's not late if the guys- she tried, but Naomi stopped her before she could even try.

- We all hoped it would go differently Y/N. We all wanted things to change. It didn't happen and I'm not going to start talking about what has to be done or what will happen like Jimmy wants too, sorry, that's out of the question, I'm worrying about you and that you're there alone with him hearing all those stories.

Mate!

- What? – she snapped, her gaze suddenly directed at the wall as if she was in front of her.

Her she-wolf reacted even before her head, high attention, tense body.

Naomi wasn't the kind of person who ran her mouth about anything, she always said what she meant and what she was saying at that moment Y/N didn't like it at all. She herself had told Y/N almost a year earlier that she had to see beyond, that she had to give Roman an opportunity and she had seen beyond, she had tried hard and was doing so even at that moment. She was trying hard to understand and sort things out for everyone despite everything, but as things were at that moment, it seemed like she was really the only one who wanted it and she wasn't willing to hear unhappy hypotheses about what she was being told when just the day before she was kneeling to wipe blood from her mate’s body.

- I just want to make sure you're okay and you don't get any bad ideas, I love you – she listened to her add after a few moments, as if she had given her time to cool down knowing and Y/N closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

She believed in Naomi's good intentions, however she didn't want to upset her, they didn't want her to end up in the middle, but it was her who put Roman back on his feet after they had knocked him down, her who listened to him struggle to fall asleep with his arms almost crushing her, her who tried to keep them together despite their hard heads refused.

- I love you too, but I'm good like this. I’ll be okay. Thanks for checking on me. Give a kiss to the guys.

She hung up before hearing her answer, putting the phone away with the real intention of not using it again for who knows how long. With her head resting against the wall, hands frozen and an unpleasant shiver down her spine, she realized that it was becoming too much, too quickly and her eyes instinctively shot towards the walk-in closet where, lost in a corner, she had hidden the suitcase she had arrived with there in Florida. Roman hated seeing it and would have hated it twice as much if he had known she still had the suppressants inside, but she needed to be clear-headed, now more than ever.

***

Someone else in his place would have stayed in their own home, safe, away from prying eyes and the dangers that rumors can create. In other circumstances he would have done it too, because now he had a very valid reason to stay within the walls of his house. It had no longer attracted him for a while to be always on the road, to grace people's gazes, the desire, envy, admiration that he read in their faces, he had distanced himself more and more. Their attentions didn't even interest him, he didn’t care, but he needed them, because once he had them they would reach the right ears and it was necessary for others to know that he was on his feet, back in strength after just a day. They had hit him, but not knocked him down and him leaving his personal reserve must have been a statement, together with the agreement he had planned that afternoon, for the future of his legacy. A statement that he had hoped would also improve Y/N's mood, at his side since the previous day and with a face that Roman had learned to know and avoid.

- I thought you would agree – he reflected, interrupting the silence inside the big black suv speeding along the coastal road that would take them to the city.

Perfect and composed in her red dress, Y/N turned to look at him, leaving the intensive study of the road, her hand clasped in his, her look confused for a moment. However, he knew what was buzzing in her beautiful head even if she hadn't said it, even if she had avoided any scene with a coldblood that would have made anyone envious, she wasn't the kind of woman you could tell a story and move on. And he wasn't willing to play that game, not with her, not after what had happened, not at risk of losing her too after what they had been through to be together. He had learned from the trial, he knew what to do now.

- I made that decision thinking about you too and you're not happy – he added, already feeling words weighing in his throat.

- Me? How would I have influenced your choice? – he heard her ask and slightly tightened his grip on her fingers, his tongue sliding over teeth to banish the tic that threatened to make his lip curl.

Mate must be on our side. Mine mate.

- I should go and get’em inside their homes, make em beg. I'm controlling myself, you don't like arguments. I'm doing it for you, it's what you wanted. No fights.

What his cousins had done deserved more than a lesson, but going against them, smashing, punishing them as they deserved, leaving them floundering in their misery would have been a dangerous move. The family balance was built on strength, however it was not only with that Roman had managed to obtain what he had now, what others before him had failed to secure. He knew that he had to beat them with the head they lacked first and then with strength, if he wanted to keep everything and re-establish order, jumping to the last step was too high a risk. Y/N also wouldn't have taken it well, she had already tried to keep them together once and even if she hadn't said anything yet, if she didn’t asked it again, Roman knew that it would be difficult for her to leave everything behind. He had promised to keep her out of business, away from that kind of thing, his cousins had ruined every plan and it was enough having to drag her around with him so as not to lose sight of her, making the wrong move could ruin everything .

Her hand moved without force in his grip, but enough to allow her to free her thumb and rub it over the back of Roman’s hand, one of her many ways to calm him when anger began to rise.

- What I wanted was to see yall together – she clarified and Roman nodded, without thinking twice.

- We will do it again, when they will come and apologize. Door is always open for those who are family – he added raw, the skyline of the city now running beyond the window.

His dynasty was made up of men and women with thick blood and hot heads. He had to have an iron fist to prove himself worthy of the title he had, of the ulafala that the Elders had put around his neck, weaknesses were not welcomed and mercy even less so. He hadn't forgotten who Jey and Jimmy were, their blood would remain like his even in the grave, but Roman wasn't willing to pretend nothing had happened just because of that, not after yet another attempt, not after losing. He demanded something in exchange for his forgiveness, he wanted them to remember why he was on top, they had to pay. Only then would he hold out his hand again, not a second sooner.

- And do you think that will happen? That they will apologize?! You can't really think that – Y/N replied with a short sarcastic laugh, a curl swinging next to her gorgeous face.

- No, not now. Their stupid heads will think they can do it, that they can teach me a lesson, they will try to prove that they don't need me.

They would have accomplished nothing without him, just as they had never accomplished anything before he lifted them out of the ground where they were eating and took them with him to the top. The only advantage they had was that there were two of them and even that was worth little since both of them didn't make a full thought. They would carry on stubbornly, trying to challenge his influence, trying to move with the knowledge they had and when they realized that they were in hot water, that they could not do a damn without his approval, they would start to growl. And even then it would only be a growl because he was already two steps ahead.

With an annoyed grin, he turned just in time to see her frowning, lips pouting slightly in that little grimace she always made before talking back.

- And maybe they'll try to get you on their side. Somehow, at some point – he stopped her, running his gaze over her figure, feeling her freeze.

Mark her. We need to mark her.

That one was more than a possibility, much more than a possibility.

Y/N was his future, his legacy, as much as the land he defended. Before her he had done the impossible to secure as much as he could, trying to please everyone, without knowing what would happen after, but with her everything had changed. She was his centerpoint, she was made to be next to him and build a new bloodline with him and for this reason she was also his weak point. His cousins would never dare to hurt her, none of them were savages, but they would try to convince her to side with them somehow and he couldn't let her hear a single word.

-Ro – she called him as if trying to bring him back from wherever his head was going.

-I know Jey... he'll try. He’ll do anything to be the good guy, to justify himself, he can't handle the pressure, he never has. He needs an excuse to look himself in the mirror at night and say he's not doing this to take my place. He'll try it with you and Jimmy will try with Solo.

Jey was an hothead, looking at him from the outside he seemed a rabid animal, he had always struggled to open up to those who weren't family, but he had a soft heart, more than anyone else. Roman had seen him do unthinkable things, many times he himself had ordered them and Jey had never backed down, but he needed a reason, a trigger that meant something to him. He wouldn’t have come forward without seeking support, without he was just a kid watching something he was scared of. Jimmy on the other hand didn't have those problems, he was the other side of the coin, the trigger without reasons. It didn't take much for him to sprint and was used to truly believing himself the big brother of the litter, he wouldn't have let go of the chance to keep that title knowing in his heart that he couldn't have any others.

- Well, maybe it's not a bad idea to convince each other and find a common point - Y/N tried to suggest next to him and just the idea that it could happen or her even thinking about it again, made him snap.

- Like me going to the border to help em, finding myself with ma head half open?! This kind of common point?! I didn't start this, I won't let them finish it until I say so now! – he growled, voice too loud in the limited space of the suv.

He saw Y/N eyes widen and reflexively free his hand, to pass it over the face, torturing his beard, gaze going quickly somewhere else, outside, to the window and to the driver who, beyond the divider, was tenaciously looking ahead at the streets to not get involved. He inhaled deeply, pushing away the anger and then looking back at her, fingers reaching for contact again.

It wasn't her he was mad with, was them. They were ruining everything even now, even when they weren't around. He wouldn’t have let them be near her.

- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…- he apologized immediately, placing a kiss on her temple with caution – I know what you think… but it was you who cleaned the blood off me, you saw what they tried to do. It's not a game babygirl, it's not an argument. Ima doing this for us, I have to do it, that's what I meant when I told you it's just me and you

Y/N didn't move, but seeing her staying silent kept him with his gaze trained on her, fingers stroking her face now, trying to urge her to say something, react, nod, her hot spot on her neck still free from his mark, calling him louder and louder until it creeps into his head.

- ... have you thought about it again? You don’t want to be by my side? – he asked, unable to hold back the thought, atmosphere suddenly heavy and he saw her lower her tense shoulders. Walls down again.

One breath, her eyes closing before a hand found him, reassuring him, letting him keep his fingers where his scent should have been, the imprint of his teeth to make her forever untouchable to anyone other than him. She was made for him. The call, the impulse, became stronger with each passing day, after what had happened even more than before and Roman rested his forehead against hers, inhaling deeply to control the need to mark her there without no more waiting.

-If I had I wouldn't be here – Y/N whispered and he pulled her against him, burying his nose in her curls, grip becoming more possessive on her.

- I gave you my word I would take care of everything, I will do it – he stammered, looking distractedly through the window, while the Y/N nodded and the suv finally stopped in the building's parking lot.

Mine.

His, it was all his and would remain his forever. Y/N, the Bloodline, its territory and title. He wasn't a player like his cousins, he cleared the way when he went onto the field and made sure no one set foot there again without first asking permission. He was the alpha and would remain so until his last days.

***

Shaking his head, he went out into the backyard to see what had happened to his brother, who had disappeared into thin air as soon as Naomi had threatened a scene at Jimmy’s umpteenth attempt to convince her to talk some sense to Y/N.

Their call hadn't gone as they'd hoped, she'd refused to try and Y/N had hung up not in the best way. The last one hadn't been said, they could still make an attempt, Y/N was less unapproachable than she seemed at first glance, in a right way she would have listened and deep down Jimmy really wanted her to understand what she had ended up in. Naomi said they couldn't do it, that it was unfair and they should leave her alone living her life, he saw it another way.

Big uce wouldn't have put her in danger, him who didn't even look people in their faces when them spoke to him had lost his mind the first second he saw her, man was fucked, but he would have used her. He was already doing it, as he did with everyone, as he had been used to do all his life just for that place at the head of the table and she would realize it too late for her heart. It was up to them to make her understand how Roman’s head worked, what levels of manipulation he could reach to get what he wanted and it would be better for everyone.

Jimmy joined him as he paced back and forth along one side of the fence, like a caged animal, his face turned towards the neighbors house, his shoulders tense.

He didn't like that story, Jimmy wasn't even sure Jey could handle the stress. Roman had gotten inside his head so much that he changed his way of seeing things, taking advantage of the affection he felt for him, of his dedication to his family to keep him where he wanted, Roman had managed to manipulate him for years. He kept saying that they had to figure it out how to make peace, that he couldn't do it without all of them and Jimmy knew, he could already feel it through the bond, he was on the verge of exploding.

- Nao will try to talk her again, but not about this, she doesn't feel it right, she says is not good for Y/N and doesn't want to know about it, that we should stop... at this point we should try with Solo, he's eating trash from Uce’s hand and... hey? What’s wrong? – he stopped suddenly, when he was close enough watching Jey shake the fence in rage and immediately march towards the street.

- School called– he said in a hurry and Jimmy stiffened, going after him.

- Are the kids okay?

-They wants to throw them out. They say that they are not in order with documents, some checks, now they say that regulations have changed, we have to adapt or move them from there. They were rushing them, they tried to call him, Kecia is going to get them.

Documents, regulation changes, checks?! Without warning, from one day to the next and threatening to kick them out?! They were kids good God!

- Hey, hey, slow down, was it him? Do you think- he tried to ask and his brother snapped.

- Who do you think it was?! OG blocking everything, he wants to cut us off, he’s coming for our throats! Kids have nothing to do with this! – he growled mad, head down, teeth clenched.

It was unthinkable that he had actually done it, but more he remembered what kind of man his cousin had become over the years, more he knew that he had done it with a specific reason. The boys loved him, he was the uncle who solved their family problems, the one who spoiled them and who they could ask anything, they trusted that bastard, they were kids and he had used them as leverage to hit Jey again. Just as he had used him and Jey for years to take care of his business, Y/N to get out of the trial and as he would have done with anyone else at his disposal. He knew he couldn't go against both of them and tried to push things like this, with low blows and no morals, but he had gone too far that time.

He's coming for him. Get him.

Somewhere behind him he heard Naomi calling them, while Jey reached the car and he pulled his arm, trying to slow down what was now a hunt.

- Uce! Uce where-

- I have to talk to the elders, move.

It wasn't a request, it wasn't even an invitation. Jimmy knew that face and he also knew how it would go from here on out.

***

She had heard of a couple of those men names while listening to some conversation, one or two were faces she recognized, like that Pearce she had met some time ago with Solo during a tour of the city. They discussed balances, that silly border that started the war and Roman wasn't thrilled, even though his expression hadn't changed at all, even though he was sitting there with his back leaning against the chair like he was in full control. But he wasn't the one she was focused on, not now, not after seeing Paul reluctantly pull his phone out of his pocket to check on whoever was persistently calling.

His face had gone paler than usual and his eyes had rushed to Roman, as if seeking reassurance or terrified of his reaction. Y/N knew that face, it smelled of fear.

Something wrong, again.

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neil-gaiman · 2 years

Note

Good morning Mr. Gaiman! I was wondering this morning about how the presence of a fandom affects (or doesn’t affect) the business decisions that are made in the media and publishing world. I’d be so interested to hear your thoughts on it as someone who has a foot so strongly planted in both worlds—I at least can’t think of very many other creators who work on IPs as big as you do who are as engaged with and aware of the surrounding fandom culture as you are.

In your experience, are the studios and executive Powers That Be generally aware of the fandom cultures that surround their media properties? And is it considered a good thing, or more of a liability to an IP’s potential commercial success? When a show like Good Omens, or Our Flag Means Death, or Lucifer comes up for another season, are the studio execs aware or thinking about the active fandoms when they decide what gets greenlit? I would imagine that the scads of fan content and online chatter those fandoms have generated would be a good indicator for the success of those shows, but only if the decision makers knew about it and thought of it as a good thing, which of course not all creators do. You’ve shared with us a few very good reasons why some creative distance with fandom is strictly necessary at times. Is an active fandom something that a creator like you would consider part of the pitch when you’re trying to get more content greenlit? Or do the studios not get it or not care?

I think the truth is that for Networks the numbers of people in a fandom are so small, proportionally, to the numbers of viewers, that the fandom doesn't really even show up on anyone's radar. It was very important to me that the Good Omens fandom was treated well when we launched Season 1, but I doubt that Amazon or the BBC will be thinking much about the fandom when they plan the roll out for Season 2, as they already have an existing worldwide audience now in the hundreds of millions, and they will be aiming their promotion at those people and the people who have yet to try it, and not the fans. I'll remind them that Good Omens fandom exists as we get closer, and there are fans out there now in the promotional world (like whoever runs Prime Video's Twitter feed) but pretty much everything will be aimed at the viewers rather than the fans.

Studios and networks like knowing that there's an existing fandom, it reassures them, but it's never big enough to make a difference beyond the possibility of helping get something greenlit in the first place -- and that's not fandom, that's potential audience. The existence or non-existence of a Sandman fandom didn't help sell Netflix on greenlighting Sandman; the fact we've sold over a hundred million Sandman comics and graphic novels around the world definitely did.

As a writer, I realized in early 1989 that I had two choices: I could do things I knew would make fandom (back then, the early early Sandman fandom) happy, and risk making myself bored and dissatisfied, or make myself as the writer/creator happy and hope that enough of the fandom would come on the journey with me. I chose the latter route and it worked, and so it's the route I've always chosen since then.

#Fandom #good omens #Sandman

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aphrogeneias · 7 months

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eddie showing you around hawkins 😭 he takes you to the hideout and is telling you all about how he would play there every Tuesday and friday and how for the longest time it was just a couple of his friends and then whoever was already there listening to them play. he also takes you to meet wayne in the nice little house eddie bought him with his first big check as thanks for taking him in and always supporting him

i genuinely think that wayne feels like he already knows assistant!reader before he ever meets you because eddie would mention you all the time. in phonecalls, in letters, in postcards, when he visits. you're not all he talks about but he talks about you a lot, about the things you do for him and how incredible you are at your job and the way you take care of him and how he wants to do the same for you. to the point where wayne has to ask him, "are you serious about her? do you think she's the one?", and eddie can't lie to the man who raised him. even before you were ever official, he told his uncle you were it for him.

so, when you meet wayne, it's like you're family already. he takes you in, makes you coffee, shows you eddie's baby pictures, one particularly adorable one where he's holding wayne's old acoustic guitar and it's too big for his toddler body. you ask him for a copy of it and gives you the original, because he knows you'll take good care of it. you talk for hours, exchange stories about the most important person in your lives, and eddie can't help but feel he's the luckiest man in the world in that moment, in that house. everything he's accomplished in the past few years can't compare to that feeling

the three of you visit the hideout together. there are corroded coffin posters all around outside, announcing their one and only, sold out, concert that would take place that night. hawkins' prodigal sons back for one night only. you sit together in a booth inside, the bar empty for the afternoon, and eddie tells you all of the stories he had of that place. the day he tried to stagedive and fell to the ground because no one caught him (almost lost a tooth, according to his uncle, it was a pain in the ass), when he tried to organize a battle of the bands, the day gareth got into a fight and had to be dragged out, the day he sneaked his freshman friends in and they almost got arrested. wayne acts unimpressed but you knew he was just as amused at his boy's shenanigans.

you laughed until your cheeks hurt, and your heart grew twice the size. you took the feeling in and stored it somewhere in your heart, the same place where the munson's little family began to take root as well.

#i love them i love them i love them #nothing else matters #eddie munson x reader #anonymous #inbox

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houseofbreadpakoda · 3 months

Text

Saudebaazi

It was 7 on a Monday morning. More than half the city was up, the traffic taking over the mellow atmosphere. Two ladies stood in front of an old house, with one rumbling her pouch trying to find the keys.

"Oho, hurry now will you?" Whispered Sarala.

"Hmm hmm" Damini replied shaking her head, trying to rid her mind of the daze.

Sarala and Damini had spent the night at their friends place, sipped on a little booze and passed out. This had led them to sneak back home this morning, hurrying between rickshaws and buses, avoiding everyone's gaze.

It wasn't easy for them to be out on such adventures. It wasn't easy for two widows. For two 50 year old widows. Especially when they were clad in white from head to toe. They had absently held each other's hands tight while sprinting back home.

The duo had grown up in the same neighborhood. Both being from extremely conservative families, had been married off at very tender ages. Damini was married to Vinayak, a rich bank manager when she was just two, whereas Sarala was married rather sold to an old man Jagadish, by her parents, to clear their debts, at eleven years of age.

Jagadish, lured by the dowry he received began to lament his job, barely turning upto work thrice a week. Spent all the money he had on gambling and alcohol. Within a year of his marriage he was thrown onto the streets. Eventually, lack of money had led to abuse.

It was Diwali, when Damini had rushed to Sarala's house to feed her the sweets she had made when she found her tending to her wounds, broken glass pieces scattered on the floor. She had tiptoed to Sarala, to find a slit on her forearm, dried blood surrounding the wound. The bastard had begun his wrath much before the sun had risen.

"Why can't I have a nice husband...?"

".....I can be your nice husband...." Damini had replied sheepishly.

"Arey, but how-"

"Or maybe I could be your nice wife?"

"......that would be nice." Sarala had said smiling.

Damini's Husband was no better. He would be out for days or sometimes weeks. And when he'd return, so would the abuse. He earned enough to buy ten white elephants, but never bothered to give Damini a penny. When he decided to eat at home, he'd buy the groceries himself, but when he was away Damini would have to make do with the little food Sarala managed to sneak to her everyday.

Both the girls, barely teenagers, spent most of their time together. They would tie gajras for each other, exchange anklets, braid each other's hair and apply henna on each other's hands and feet.

Jagadeesh's drinking eventually backfired, the man could barely pass a minute without breaking into a coughing fit. All Sarala had to do was sit back and watch him swallow the poison everyday, and within a few months, hopefully, he'd be gone.

One very fine day, when Vinayak returned home with a chicken in hand, Damini had accidentally dropped a chicken bone in the broth which he managed to choke on, while Damini had coincidentally left to fetch water from the well. Poor lad, choked on his food, struggled to breath and died.

Sarala and Damini were now widows, at the age of just seventeen. It was good riddance.

After all they had good company ;)

This was supposed to come out months ago, but I was dumb fuck and forgot about it so here it is. My first non-fanfic series.

Tagging: @janaknandini-singh999 @talesinmyhead040122 @tenderhood @vijayasena @yehsahihai and whoever else wants to be tagged really

#wlw #desi wlw #desi sapphic #desiblr

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cacoetheswriting · 1 year

Text

celebrity skin. (part three)

pairing: rockstar!eddie munson x popstar!fem!reader word count: 5.8k summary: eddie finds a way to distract you.

content warnings: 18+, minors dni: smut with a plot, suggestive & mature themes, adult language, oral (m receiving), unprotected p in v sex (pls wrap it before you tap it), praise kink, slight degradation, heavy use of various pet names, oblivious idiots in love, mentions of minor character death, mentions of drug consumption, a little family drama, situational anxiety — if i missed anything, pls let me know!

psa: images used in the header don’t depict readers physical attributes! these are also described vaguely in the story, only that she’s a little shorter than eddie.

celebrity skin. masterlist

From the moment you became a household name, your life was a never ending circus.

Frankly, oftentimes it didn’t even feel like your life anymore. An act of sorts, and you were closer resembling a puppet on a string than a human being. Dancing when they told you to dance, singing when they told you to sing. Smile. Wave. Act a certain way. Be polite. Wear this. Go here.

You could probably count on one hand the number of experiences since your rise to fame that actually made you feel human and more than half of those are thanks to a certain rockstar by the name of Eddie Munson.

Although your time with Eddie had so far been extremely brief, the curly-haired rockstar made you feel things you have only ever dreamt possible.

His cute crooked smile. His perfectly brown doe-eyes. The way he said your name. How he made you laugh. His delicate touch and the way he seemed to know every pressure point your body had to offer. It was intoxicating. He was intoxicating.

And for a measly twelve hours, he was just yours, making you feel human.

Given the way everything played out between the two of you over these last few months, foolishly, you thought you’d get to keep him a secret from the rest of the world for just a little while longer — making up for lost time, and whatnot. Unfortunately, whoever took that picture and sold it to the tabloids clearly didn’t care, and why would they? In that moment, as they snapped the photo of a private conversation, whether your relationship with Eddie was real or fake, didn’t matter. Money mattered. Money always matters more.

“It’s gonna be okay, you know?” Eddie says, steering you away from your thoughts. He glances in your direction before focusing back on the road ahead. “Nothin’ the smart people we have hired can’t figure out.”

You look at him, a sad expression on your face. “In your own words, good for your career, bad for mine.”

Eddie scrunches his nose, faking a moment of contemplation. In reality, in the last few hours alone, he’s replayed that very first conversation with you about a hundred times. He was only joking around back then, but considering the language used on the front page of that lousy paper, and every other tabloid that followed, was clearly favouring him and disapproving towards you, his point was proven. And that only made his blood boil more.

“Doesn’t sound like me, sweetheart.” He’s trying to keep things lighthearted and the slight tease almost gets you to smile. Almost.

Instead, you let out a defeated sigh and lift your feet, placing them on the edge of the passenger seat before wrapping your arms around your legs and resting your chin on your knee.

“Guess we were never supposed to do this right.”

Eddie’s heart aches at your words. He doesn't like seeing you like this. He hated it yesterday at the studio after you saw each other again, before he got a chance to apologise, but he’s hating it even more now since there’s really nothing he can do aside from finding that fucker who took the picture and beating some sense into them — which would most likely only make the situation worse.

Then there’s the fear. Eddie can feel it, creeping and waiting to take him over whole at any given moment. He’s trying to push it down, remain positive and shit, because he knows nothing good can come from giving into feeling scared. But when he catches your gaze, he’s fucking terrified. There’s a sadness behind your eyes he’s really hoping isn’t accompanied by regret.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Eddie repeats his earlier sentiment while reaching over to take your hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. This time, he’s also reminding himself.

A rather uncertain silence settles in the air. You stare blankly at the road ahead, thankful for the LA traffic as it lets you spend a little more alone time with the boy you so desperately like, but hating it at the same time since this could quite possibly be the last moment you share before the chaos unfolds further. That feels wrong to you.

Eddie deserves better than every other fling you had, caught crudely by the paparazzi and making headlines worldwide. Difference between this particular rockstar and the trail of dates you left behind prior to meeting him was that you actually cared. You cared about him, wishing that was enough to get you both through this mess, but unfortunately you also cared about what the general public thought of your romance. Their opinion mattered as it would most likely dictate how this would play out with your respectable labels and management teams.

The rockstar also wants to get over this hurdle. He meant what he said about doing this right and he’s nothing if not a man of his word — especially when it comes to pretty girls that effortlessly occupy his mind, his heart, and make his dick hard. You tick all those boxes and about a thousand more.

“Hey,” you tilt your head to look at him. He meets your gaze and raises a brow, urging you to continue. “Is there somewhere we could go before meeting Marianne at the studio?”

“Anywhere, baby.”

“Someplace private. I think I need to feel normal for a little while longer before we’re met with our fate.”

Eddie chuckles at your dramatic choice of words, heart growing fonder ‘cause it seems he’s met his match. “Like Michael Corleone.”

You furrow your brows. “Who?”

He gasps, sporting a shocked expression. “The Godfather?”

“Never seen it.”

“Oh, baby, you wound me.”

You finally smile and Eddie swears his heart is going to burst. Yeah, he’s certain now he’s too far gone to let anyone ruin whatever this was shaping up to be. His whole life consisted of sticking it to the man and he wasn’t about to stop any time soon, especially since his first chance at real happiness was at stake.

“Eddie, I don’t think a record store is exactly private.”

He huffs out a laugh and without saying anything, jumps out of the car. Feeling a little unnerved, you remain in your seat, following him instead with your gaze until he’s at the passengers side and opening the door for you, like the gentleman you were beginning to learn he was.

“Don’t worry, sweets. It’s safe,” Eddie reassures as he reaches out a hand for you to take, “I promise.”

You exhale and nod. “Okay.”

So he helps you out of the car, kicking the door shut before throwing one arm around your shoulder and guiding you towards the entrance of the shop. From the outside, it looks like every average record store. You’ve been to enough of them in New York, back when no one recognised you, sifting through the albums for hours on end, in search of inspiration.

“How do you know it’s safe?” You ponder out loud, scanning the poster-covered window. At first glance, it seems he’s correct. There doesn’t seem to be anyone inside and you’re proven correct when Eddie retrieves a set of keys.

“‘Cause I own it.”

Seems as simple as that and it’s because of the nonchalant tone to his voice, you’re slightly taken aback. Though you don’t get to ask any specifics. He’s opening the door and his arm moves from your shoulders to your back, pushing you gently forward, as he continues.

“Welcome to the unofficial Corroded Coffin record store.”

A smile threatens to breach your lips as your eyes dart across the space. The first word that comes to mind is messy. There are boxes of records in every possible corner of the room. Completely unorganised as the apparent ‘Rock’ section features vinyls by Louis Armstrong, and where the ‘Blues’ sign is dangling loosely, threatening to fall at any given moment, Madonna makes an appearance. There’s multiple stacks of discs that were most likely no longer going to play like they used to and every centimetre of the wall is covered in posters that have faded with time.

Eddie locks the door behind the two of you then proceeds to pull down any blinds that allow any passersby to take a peep inside. He flicks on the light which flickers for a moment before turning on and it’s then you turn to face him, taking in the proud grin spread across his features.

“What do you think?” He asks.

“How come you own a seemingly abandoned record store?” You counter, unsure of what you actually think ‘cause even though the place has a certain charm, there’s something about it that seems almost haunting.

Eddie smiles faintly. He looks down at the stacks of vinyls and drags his fingers across the dusty shelf, then wiping them on the denim of his ripped jeans. He sighs, eventually looking back up at you.

“The very first song we taped, we did so in Jeff’s garage back in Hawkins and used a ridiculously old recorder so the sound was beyond shit. We really just needed somethin’ to play quickly for the club owners we wanted to hit up once we came to LA, convince ‘em to let us perform even on the worst slot available.”

Eddie walks past you and sits up on the counter that once served as the till. He fidgets with the scattered items around him as you watch him, already enticed by the story. Thinking also how different of a start you two had in the music industry.

“Obviously because we sounded so shit on that pesky little tape, no one wanted to work with us so we all decided to get different part-time jobs, save up some cash for a session at an actual studio. I ended up working in this wonderful little shop.” Eddie smiles at the memory and you can’t help but mimic his fond expression. “The owner was this older gentleman, Mr. Foley. He used to be a music teacher and when he retired, he used all the savings he had to buy this place. I was the only other person that worked here and ‘cause of the slow decline in vinyl sales, we used to just spend the days talking.”

Slowly, you cross the room and stop to the side of Eddie’s frame, brushing up against his leg. He glances at you then, brown eyes catching yours, and your heart flips inside of your chest.

“I don’t wanna bore you with all the details, sweetheart.”

“You’re not.”

Eddie smiles at you then continues, “So I told Mr. Foley, how I was in a band and what we were trying to do. He asked for the tape which at that point remained untouched in the glove compartment of my old van. The next day, when I came in for my shift, he had the tape playing and every time the song ended, Mr. Foley would rewind it and play it again.”

He pauses briefly, gaze shifting to your hand as he reaches for it, fingers grazing against your skin with such tenderness, you swear you’re going to melt.

“You know, I never really did believe in luck,” he half-smirks, still looking at your hand and how every crease in your skin perfectly aligns with his own. “I started that day ‘cause about thirteen plays later, the shop door opened and in walked Marianne in all her badass glory. The rest, I guess, is history.”

His smile falters. “Mr. Foley passed a day before our debut album came out. He had no living family, but that didn’t stop my surprise when his lawyer called to say this place was now mine. Mr. Foley apparently amended his will two months before he died, making it very clear the store and everything inside was for ‘that good kid, Edward Munson’ with a note that said I don't have to keep it open, just clean it every so often and make sure any property taxes are paid on time.”

Silence falls upon you. Eddie’s squeezing your hand, only now his doe-eyes are back to staring deeply into yours. It’s a moment that feels surreal. A moment that makes you feel human, just like you wanted. And judging by the look in his eyes, the rockstar feels exactly the same way.

“That’s… Shit, I don’t know what to say.”

Eddie doesn’t seem to mind though. He tugs at your arm, pulling you closer in his direction and spreading his legs wider apart so that you could slide in between them. His hands move to each side of your neck, pinkies brushing along your jawline, as you wrap your own arms behind his back, palms spreading across the leather of his jacket.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever brought here,” he states in a tone dangerously close to a murmur.

“Well, I’m honoured.”

He’s smiling again, only this time it’s different. The curl of his lips, the dips in his cheeks, the glimmer in his eyes, all reminiscent of the cockiness he displayed the first night you met. And the longer he smiles at you like that, the more you think back to the moment in his bathroom, causing your stomach to flutter and heat rush to your face as well as the space between your legs.

You quiver against him and he bites down on his bottom lip as his smile grows. He seriously feels like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet and all he’s doing is looking at you. It’s insane to him, how a little privacy and that picture-perfect beam you’re currently sporting, makes all the problems of the real world seem fucking unimportant. Left behind on the other side door of the record store you two were currently hiding in.

Obviously that couldn’t have been further from the truth, but right at this moment, Eddie didn’t care about the stupid tabloids or the gossip. He didn’t care about the reaction of the general public or your management team. He didn’t care that there was a chance the two of you would be told to end things before they develop further. He didn’t care about anything but the girl that stood in front of him.

So Eddie’s dipping his head lower and capturing your lips between his. The kiss is tentative and sweet, different from any kisses you’ve shared before and you’re softening under his touch with every passing second. His moves are calculated, deliberate, until he can’t contain himself any longer and the kiss is no longer tender.

Your hands are in his hair as he’s jumping off the counter without breaking contact. He’s pulling you flush towards him by your neck since close was apparently not close enough and you can feel your nipples hardening against his chest as he grazes his blunt nails against your skin, heads tilting side to side with nothing but hunger.

“There’s a couch in the back,” Eddie whispers in between kisses.

A quiet chuckle escapes your lips. “Do you really wanna have sex on your dead boss's sofa?”

But he just shrugs. “I’ve done it in places much, much worse than that, sweets.” A sentence that earns him an eye roll from you. “Plus, not really keen on goin’ to the studio with a fucking hard-on.”

And before you get a chance to respond, he’s spinning you around. One arm trapping you against him, ass to crotch so that you can feel his growing erection. He smirks when you moan faintly at the sudden contact, mouth now at your ear where he whispers harshly how he can’t wait to fuck you so hard you’ll never forget about him.

“My pretty girl,” he coos, leading you down the corridor, other hand on your waist, desperately tugging at your clothes. “Been thinkin’ nonstop about sticking my dick inside that delicate pussy.”

“I’m already sure I could never forget about you,” you whisper, relating back to his earlier point ‘cause you needed him to know that no matter what happens, you’re completely and undoubtedly his.

Eddie groans at your words, cock twitching in the prison that are his pants and boxers. He trails sloppy kisses along your jawline, tilting your head backwards so that he can catch your mouth in a desperate kiss. It’s heated and given your current position, rather sloppy — which only makes you squirm more. So with your eyes closed, lost in the pleasure that is his tongue dancing with yours, you stumble over your feet, trusting he can lead you to the couch in one piece.

“Fuck,” Eddie’s breathless already. He lets go of you for a split-second, only to remove his leather jacket and give you enough time to also take off your own, tossing it to the side, where he just discarded his.

Rotating in your spot, so that you were facing him once again, you offer the rockstar a mischievous smirk and drop to your knees without warning. Eddie doesn’t have time to react as you work to undo his belt buckle and then the zipper of his jeans. You only look up at him with your not-so-innocent eyes when you pull his pants down, along with his boxers, freeing his fully erect cock.

He groans, all throaty and deep, when you wrap your fingers around his base. In the same moment, you’re leaning forward and Eddie’s hands fly to the back of your head as you run your tongue around the rim of his throbbing manhood before wrapping your lips completely around it.

“Jesus Christ,” he swears when you start to suck, cheeks hollowed. You begin to bop your head, taking him deeper and deeper until his entire length is in your mouth, hitting the back of your throat. And when his grip on you tightens, cock twitching in your mouth, you quicken your pace and suck harder, wanting to devour him completely.

“Shit. Baby, I—”

Eddie feels like he’s floating. Huffing, puffing, and moaning your name like a prayer as his hips start to thrust, meeting your mouth a little too eagerly, making you gag and your eyes water. He hits the back of your throat several times, revelling in the control he so easily acquired, and you’re completely breathless, soaked between the thighs ‘cause you love the dominance he emits.

His groans are getting louder, the sound music to your ears. He pumps into you forcefully till it’s a struggle to keep up, and just when you swear you can’t take anymore, he pulls out without warning. A ring-clad hand is on your throat and he’s urging you to get back on your feet, which you do without question.

His lips are on yours in a flash, free hand making its way between your short skirt, tugging at your panties until they fall to the ground beneath. Then Eddie tumbles backwards, eagerly pulling you along as his tongue further explores your mouth. He only breaks the kiss when his calves hit the edge of the sofa.

“Shit, I-I don’t have any condoms on me.” Eddie mutters.

“I’m on the pill now,” you say then add, “Clean and tested too.”

“Same, otherwise I wouldn't have let you—”

“Shut up,” you whisper against his lips, pecking them softly as your hands rest flat against his chest. You push him ever so slightly and Eddie drops to the couch with a thud. But he doesn’t bother making himself comfortable. Instead, he’s reaching for you again, fingers wrapped around your wrist as you straddle him, your aching cunt now hovering over his throbbing cock.

You contemplate teasing him a little, rubbing your slit along his tip until he’s the one begging to be fucked. But Eddie doesn’t give you the chance. He’s shoving himself inside your impressively wet pussy and all you can do is exhale in pleasure, matching in tone Eddie’s visceral groan.

His eyes roll to the back of his head when he feels your cunt closing in around his dick as he slides back out, then again when he pushes back in nice and slow.

“God, baby, you take my dick so well.” Eddie grumbles, continuing to insert and remove the full length of his shaft from your glistening cunt, “It’s like you were made for me.”

And the look in your eyes tells him you agree — you were made for him, you’re sure of it. No one’s ever made you feel the way he does and no one ever will. The squelching between your thighs, where his cock met your cunt, is proof enough so you rock backwards, arching your spine, and put your hands on his outstretched legs.

“Oh shit, sweets.” Eddie breathes as you start rocking your hips, feeling his head hit that spot deep inside of you. “God, that feels so good. Don’t stop.”

You increase your speed, rotating on his member forward and backward, forward and backward, getting faster and faster and faster. He’s panting underneath you, hands on your chest, squeezing and kneading your breasts through the fabric of your designer tank top, and you’re whining, the wonderful sensation of being filled up completely doing everything to overwhelm you.

“Mhm, you fill me up so good,” you moan pathetically, grinding against his pelvis until you reach a speed you can no longer sustain without getting completely winded.

Then in the space of a heartbeat, you start to move up and down, and Eddie watches you with nothing but lust in his eyes. America’s favourite starlet hopping on his dick, moaning breathlessly. It causes euphoric waves of pleasure to contract inside of him in the form of pre-orgasmic ecstasy. “Fucking— Christ.”

He’s quick with his hands, pulling the garment over your head with ease and hosting himself up so that his lips are at your collarbone. He’s licking and biting along the sensitive skin, hands mounding the supple skin of your breasts, rings cold against your sensitive nipples. Your own hands were on his chest, using the leverage to put more pressure on your downward movements.

“Can my pretty girl go faster?” Eddie asks in a mocking tone, face now inches from yours. “Can my baby fuck me harder or do you want me to bend you over this fucking couch and show you how it’s fucking done?” He spits harshly, pulling your bottom lip between his teeth, then letting it go just as quick.

Your moans turn into cries of pleasure as you obey his request, bouncing hard upon him. He throws his head backwards, breathing heavily, eyes closed. He focuses on the feeling of your cunt clenching around his hard rod. Pussy contracting around his cock again and again and again.

"Eddie, fuck!” You’re almost screaming now, arching your back as your insides start to burn, orgasm building in your chest and moving downward to your connection point. “I’m so fucking close— Jesus Christ.”

You bounce, burying his length entirely in your tight hole and grind against his pelvis one last time, his name sputtering from your lips as your orgasm hits. And while you ride that high, body jerking against him, Eddie forces you to collapse on his chest. His arms hold you steady as he picks up where you left off, thrusting deep into your aching cunt, chasing his own release.

“Shit, baby. That was so fucking hot,” he’s groaning in your ear. His moves are relentless and you feel like a ragdoll in the confines of his strained embrace. His cock, completely covered in your juices, is dipping in and out of you with such force, you swear he’s going to break through that wall he’s hitting at each thrust.

“I’m gonna cum deep inside of you, shit.”

“Please. Yes. Please, Eddie, please.”

The quiet begging is apparently all he needs ‘cause seconds later he’s spurting hot cum inside your cunt and you shudder at the feeling. His chest heaving, heart beating in tandem with yours, as he empties himself completely. “Fuck, baby.”

Finding comfort in the crook of the rockstars neck, you lay in his embrace for a moment longer, mind completely numb from reality. The liquid pours from your pussy as Eddie eventually lets his arms fall, though not completely. His fingers gently trace along your bare spine as you both catch your breaths.

It’s serene, even considering the nastiness of what the two of you just did. You find yourself wishing you could stay like this forever, lost in the wonderland that Eddie makes you experience simply by his proximity. Then you find yourself thinking how what you feel towards the curly-haired man underneath you is a lot stronger than anything you’ve ever experienced and perhaps, even though you still knew very little about him, you were falling in love— no, no.

Impossible. Too soon.

Thankfully, Eddie breaks you away from your thoughts.

“If they tell us not to see each other and we have to sneak around just to be able to do this, I think it’s worth every second,” he says eventually.

You huff out a laugh, sitting up slowly. “Way to ruin the moment,” you tease and lift yourself off him before fixing your tank top back over your now very tender breasts.

“So you don’t wanna sneak around with me like a couple of high schoolers?” He asks as he watches you bend over to grab your panties, ass seeping out of your skirt in the process. He licks his lips at the sight before continuing, “There’s a thrill that comes with the chase, the secrecy, don’t you think?”

“What happened to doin’ this right?” You ponder with a smirk.

Eddie chuckles. “Well, I think you were right,” he says and you raise a brow, wanting him to elaborate, “We were never supposed to do this right.”

And although he says it in a lighthearted tone, clearly not meaning anything by it, not more than a silly joke anyway, the reality of his words crumbles on top of you like a ton of bricks. The weight is crushing, suffocating, and suddenly you’re hyper aware of your surroundings, remembering the events from this morning and the shitty article in the paper that outed you two.

You swallow, the smile on your face shifting from a real one to a fake.

“Is there a bathroom here? I wanna go clean up.”

Eddie notices the change in your demeanour but chooses not to say anything about it, thinking if you wanted to talk, you would have countered his statement. So he tells you instead where the bathroom is located and watches you leave.

Exhaling, he stands. He reaches for his clothes and puts his boxers back on before pulling his pants up over them, buckling his belt. The thin walls separating the office and the bathroom allow him to eavesdrop. He’s not sure what he’s thinking he’ll hear. He’s afraid it’ll be crying ‘cause that might mean you regretted everything — and there goes that fear again, creeping up on him. But it’s just silence, only the flush of the toilet and the running water from the tap.

He can hear the door open and close, but when minutes pass and you don’t return, Eddie takes both of your jackets and goes searching for where you might’ve disappeared to. It’s not like you’re hard to find, standing in the middle of the corridor, staring at the photos on the wall.

Eddie’s tentative in his approach, slightly afraid of startling you. But you register his presence instantly, tilting your head in his direction and catching his brown eyes with your own.

“Who’s this?” You ask, full of curiosity, motioning towards one of the pictures.

He stops next to you, gaze flickering in the direction of the photo in question and you watch as a smile breaches his lips.

“That’s Red,” he answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That means as much to me as Michael Corleone.”

Eddie snorts at your comment, although his eyes remain glued to the picture frame. The photo features him in a Hellfire t-shirt that now resides at the bottom of his over-sized wardrobe and he’s pulling up his pants with one hand while the other is behind Max, fingers in the shape of bunny ears she clearly knew he was doing as her face is an unimpressed frown, ams across her chest.

It was taken moments before him and the guys left Hawkins.

“Max. She’s my kid sister,” Eddie explains and your mouth parts in shock. He looks back at you, taking note of the surprise. “Not by blood or anything. But she lived in the trailer park I grew up in and we’ve been through a lot together so yeah, kinda adopted her as a sibling I never actually had.”

His eyes glistened as he looked at you, a little shy around the edges which is an emotion you haven’t seen on Eddie before. It made the brooding rockstar seem a little more approachable, lovable. That, plus the fact in the space of approximately two hours he’s opened up to you twice. Honestly speaking of his past as if he was desperate for you to know the kinder side of his soul.

And you’d never admit how you knew it already. How you spent most evenings reminding yourself of the stories he told you that night in August and how your heart grew three inches with every secret spilled. You’d never admit that it’s this side you prefer as it makes him more amiable, ‘cause that would mean you were indeed head over heels infatuated with him, which shouldn’t be possible after such a short period of time together. Right?

Considering also how you’ve never told him anything too personal. Keeping your cards a little too close to your chest. You couldn’t be falling for someone that knew nothing about you aside from the shit he dead in the paper. Right?

Eddie can see in your eyes, thoughts running wild. He wants to ask what’s on your mind, but bites the inside of his cheek, thinking yet again how if he really wanted to do this right, he had to let you open up on your own terms. So instead, he glances back at the picture and takes the frame off the wall.

“She actually lives in New York,” he says.

“Oh yeah? What’s she doing there?” You ask, eyes following to where his are fixed on the young girl.

“Smart cookie, studying at NYU to become a psychiatrist.” He beams proudly and your heart soares inside of your chest ‘cause you can feel the happiness radiating off of him, making you feel warm.

“Well, I hope she's actually studying 'cause otherwise I'm payin' her tuition and rent for nothin'.”

“I should ask Val if she knows her.”

It’s Eddie’s turn to be surprised. His head snaps in your direction and you can feel his doe-eyes scanning the side of your face, waiting for you to continue ‘cause who the fuck was Val, and shit, if she knew Red then that meant your lives were already intertwined more than either of you realised.

When you finally turn to him, after what felt like a minute of racking silence, a smile is present on your lips.

“Valentine, my younger sister. She would be around the same age as… Red, right? I’m guessing she prefers Red if that’s what you called her.”

“Yeah. Red,” he affirms, brows strung together, “You have a sister?”

“Several, actually. And one brother who’s often mistaken for my kid given our twenty year age gap. A headache for my PR team, but the light of my life. As is Val. Me and her are the closest.”

Eddie’s grinning now and you wanna ask him what’s gotten into him, but his elbow knocks into your own as if he was imploring you to continue. So you do.

“Big Corroded Coffin fan, that one. Don’t tell her I told you. She likes to act nonchalant about me being this star and hanging around other stars, so if she ever met you, she’d pretend she didn’t know who you were.”

“Kinda like you did,” Eddie teases.

You smirk. “I swear I didn’t know who you were.”

The rockstar rolls his eyes. “Hard to believe considering you were at my party and apparently your sister is a big fan.” He stands straight, all cocky and cavalier. “You seriously mean to tell me you’ve never heard my music?”

You gently push him back and wanting to act as coy as possible, you brush past him, heading in the direction of the front door. “Having listened to your songs and knowing who you are, well, those are two different things, hot shot.” You call behind you.

Eddie laughs. He hurries after you, swinging one arm around your shoulders and pressing a delicate kiss to your crown.

“Agree to disagree,” he whispers, flicking the lights off with one finger and leading you outside, into the sweaty Los Angeles heat.

After making sure the record store is locked, he helps you into the car before jumping behind the wheel. He throws the picture frame he took from inside into the glove compartment and starts the car.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starvin’.” He exhales dramatically and you chuckle, “How about I take you on our second date? There’s a diner not far from here. I used to go there every damn day before all the fame and fortune. Now I like to stop by sporadically, mainly when I’m high ‘cause I swear they make the best burger in town and the owner lets me eat in the kitchen, away from the prying eyes of other customers.”

“How can I say no to a chef’s table?”

“How can you say no to me, sweets?”

You shrug. “I can’t.”

And Eddie’s smile grows wider. He tries to hide the satisfaction seeping through him right now, the pure unfiltered bliss. Tries and fails. Though at that point you’re both too far gone to care.

When the two of you finally make it to the studio, hours later than initially planned, the peace of mind fades into nothing, faster than either of you anticipated it would. Not because you’re forced to face reality and the situation at hand. No, because over burgers and milkshakes, you mutually decided you would stand up to your teams if they threatened to break this apart.

“They can’t end something that is bound to make ‘em money,” Eddie reasoned. “And baby, we’re making a song together. That’s millions, especially if we’re spotted together a few more times. Then there’s the music video. I can kiss you on camera, you’re talkin’ another couple grand right in the pocket of the people in charge.”

It was sound logic.

Unfortunately, you failed to account for the one person who wasn’t making money in this situation, but still had very much to say when it came to your image and “pristine” reputation.

A person forgotten by you until Eddie opened the door to the recording room.

Sitting, rather comfortably at that, on the single item of lounge furniture, was your Nana. She’s talking with Marianne who, judging by her posture and expression, is doing everything she can to impress your grandmother.

You’re in half-a-mind to tell her it’s not worth the hassle, but you find yourself completely frozen. Unable to move or speak. Mainly because you were hating yourself for letting her slip your mind.

The thud of the door closing causes the two ladies to pause and turn to where you stood with Eddie. Marianne is immediately on her feet, shortly followed by your Nana who at first smiles, but when she notices the rockstar’s hold on your waist, her expression changes to one of disappointment, if not anger.

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