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#southpaw series
adore-laur · 1 month
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DEVOTION
— please enjoy harry & sawyer getting freaky in miami (inspired by this ask)💃
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MIAMI, 1993
People are packed into the arena like sardines. August humidity suffuses the air, a cacophony of chatter overlaps, and an infectious energy pulses in the room as everyone waits for Sade to hit the stage in all their sensational glory.
In the general admission area, Harry stands behind Sawyer with his arms protectively draped over her shoulders. Her footing shifts occasionally as she fiddles with his rings. He can sense her anticipation—she's been looking forward to this concert for months. When he gifted her the tickets on her birthday, she wept and kissed him with a hunger he had never experienced from her before. As much as he spoils her, she goes the extra mile to show him her appreciation.
Once the lights go out, Harry can't wait to see her vivacious eyes and dazzling smile.
Sawyer looks ravishing tonight. Her black cropped tank top has a variety of enticing little cutouts—no bra underneath, he might add—and she's wearing low-waisted denim shorts which hug her ass most temptingly. There's a reason he opted to stand behind her—two, actually. One, he doesn't want any dudes getting a sneak peek of his girl. And two, he doesn't need anyone seeing his hardness through his leather pants.
She curled her hair with natural-looking spirals and teased it with spray. Her long, wavy mane has always been a hassle to manage in the summertime, so she cut it collarbone-length. Her front bangs are tightly clipped back, and she wears gold hoop earrings. She’s truly a stunner.
Prior to leaving, Harry watched her as she got ready for the concert. They live together in a swanky Orlando penthouse, where the simple things like her clothes hanging in the closet and makeup supplies cluttering the bathroom sink make him unbelievably happy. While he gently reminded Sawyer that they needed to leave soon for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Miami, she applied her mascara and teased him by showing her cleavage while bent over the vanity. Despite his provocative urges, he managed to resist giving in.
When Sawyer turns to look at him now, the room reduces to just her. Lucious lips stained with pomegranate-red gloss. Skin glowing with moisture. Dark eyes filled with warmth. It’s breathtaking to behold the sheer beauty of her features. Time and time again, she hypnotizes him. He's beginning to think she can cast spells on his lovesick soul.
Sawyer taps his bicep before standing on her tiptoes to reach his ear. In an instinctive move, Harry touches her hip and leans down to better hear her.
Fanning herself, she says, "It's muggy in here. I'm going to buy a water bottle and braid my hair in the bathroom."
"I'll go with you."
"But you have to save our spot," she reminds him.
Though he nearly protests, he reluctantly nods and caresses the slick skin of her bare middle back. "Fine. You have your phone?"
"In my purse. I'll be fast."
Harry kisses the spot between her eyebrows before letting her go, keeping her locked in his gaze until she disappears past the lower seating sections. In crowds, regardless of size, he doesn’t like losing her. During baseball games, it’s less worrying since she always sits in the same section in her reserved seat, but in Miami, he's extra cautious because it's an unfamiliar city. Sawyer can stand up for herself since sass and stubbornness are intertwined in her Aries DNA, but Harry remains fiercely protective of her. She's a certified sweetheart, conspicuously beautiful, and also quite gullible to a fault—if anyone attempts to take advantage of that, they'll have to answer to him.
While she's gone, Harry observes the venue. There are people from all walks of life surrounding him. The staggered seating sections flanking the floor are filling quickly, and it's reminiscent of playing at Tinker Field, where he would watch fans fill the bleachers from the dugout.
In a few weeks, the minor league season will conclude, and Harry is looking forward to taking a much-needed break from pitching and traveling. He's thankful he didn’t have a game scheduled today, which gave him and Sawyer the chance to step out for a date. It aches to know she's missed him a little more after such a long season. Due to her full-time job, she can’t always travel across America with him or attend home games, but they’re able to make it work by cherishing their time together. Next month, they plan to celebrate their second anniversary in Seville, Spain. They'll sunbathe on the scenic beaches, relish a couples massage, and take romantic strolls through the city's idyllic parks.
And, if Harry doesn't chicken out, he'll ask her to marry him.
Fondly smiling at the thought, he watches two girls strut toward him, parting the crowd like the Red Sea. They're wearing variations of the same outfit—metallic miniskirts, frilly halter tops, and chunky heels. Based on their strikingly similar features, they must be twins. Twin One holds a Canon camera, while Twin Two laughs into her hands.
Harry waves politely before shoving his hands in his pockets. The moment a fan recognizes him, he knows it. There’s a strange shift in the atmosphere when he temporarily loses his shield of privacy. It's unavoidable when fifteen thousand people are gathered in a Miami venue. It comes with the territory of being a famous Florida sports figure.
"Are you Harry Styles?"
Here we go.
Feeling abnormal but pushing past it, he says, "In the flesh. How's it going, ladies?"
"Oh my gosh, we love you," Twin One gushes. "You're hella cute. You play for the Sun Rays, right?"
"Sort of. Our team name got changed recently. We're now the Orlando Cubs."
"Oh, cool," she says distractedly. "Anyway, we want a picture with you."
With a sharp inhale, Harry nods once. “Sure, no problem."
It doesn't bother him to take pictures or sign autographs. Most people are respectful and genuinely honored to meet him. Rarely, however, do people demand things from him, like right now. Then he feels prickles of discomfort. It makes him feel as though he's being exploited. It makes him feel fictitious.
As the girls swarm around him and touch him like he's a wax figure with no boundaries, Sawyer nudges her way through the crowd, water bottle in hand. As she processes the situation, her movements slow and her shoulders drop slightly. She has her hair in two messy braids, with the shorter layers springing loose. She looks effortless and... annoyed. Yeah, Harry is all too familiar with that look. He has been on the receiving end of those slanted eyebrows, those gritted teeth, and those assessing eyes. How will this play out?
When she sees Sawyer, Twin Two strokes his arm suggestively. Thankfully, they see her as a mere stranger rather than his girlfriend. His mind flashes back to past discussions about keeping their relationship as private as possible, and he decides not to sacrifice that for such a measly moment. No chance.
"Can you take a photo of us?" It was wise of her to ask, rather than demand. Otherwise, Harry's friendly mask would have definitely slipped.
Sawyer purses her lips as she meets Harry's gaze. "Do you mind?" he asks, his expression hinting at a secret message.
By taking Twin One's camera, she recognizes his unspoken signal and cleverly leaps into her role. God, he's thankful for her. He knows it's challenging to deal with these bizarre occurrences that pop their bubble, but she handles them all so gracefully. When they get home, he’ll shower her with affection.
Sawyer raises the camera to her eye and says, "I'll take a few."
Harry straightens his posture and awkwardly places his hands on both girls' upper arms. His muscles tense uncomfortably as their hands slither around his waist and linger near his stomach. Amid three flashes, he’s suffocated by the pungent smell of perfume and spearmint gum.
“There you go,” Sawyer says, giving the camera back and forcing a smile.
They browse the pictures before staring at Harry with a sickening amount of adoration. "It was awesome meeting you," Twin Two says, biting her lip. "We'll see you around at the next Sun Rays game."
"Cubs," Sawyer mumbles around a fake cough. Only Harry catches it, and he restrains himself from grinning proudly and kissing her senselessly.
"Nice to meet you both," he says, briefly touching his heart. "Enjoy the concert, yeah?"
They nod, blush, and giggle simultaneously before walking off, staring back at him a couple of times before fading into the sea of strangers. Harry releases a breath he didn't know he was holding and concentrates on Sawyer drinking from her water bottle. He's about to apologize for the unnatural situation, but the venue goes dark, and the audience erupts with deafening cheers.
The joy he expected to see in Sawyer's eyes isn't there. Silently, she crosses her arms and faces the stage with a blank expression. Harry curses at himself—he knows it isn't his fault and that it's just how Sawyer is. She takes things to heart and lets them stew until her skeptical thoughts overflow without a lid. The fact that she didn’t witness the entire interaction has made her understandably upset. Harry regrets not saying no to the fans.
First on the setlist is "The Sweetest Taboo"—sonically sensual, intoxicatingly groovy, and a fantastic way to open their show. Everybody dances to the exquisite beat and sings along to the lyrics. The energy in the room soars to an unimaginable level. It's contagious.
Harry grips Sawyer's hand so the crowd doesn't swallow her whole. She turns and smiles softly, finally bobbing her head to the music. Slowly, she loosens up, unfurling the passionate girl he knows lives within her. The one who loves to dance.
She looks resplendent as indigo lights glide across her face. Her body begins to move—the shape of her swaying hips and the pinch of her waist are irresistible. Harry settles behind her and follows her smooth movements, grinding against her backside. The warmth of his hands rests on her ribcage, and they dance, getting lost in the ecstasy of experiencing live music.
With each song, they forget about the world outside and fall more in love with each other.
——
Harry and Sawyer leave the arena on a high after being captivated by Sade's sultry voice and entrancing stage presence for over an hour. The parking lots are already congested with people trying to beat traffic, so they decide to wait until it calms down.
As soon as they get into the car, Harry starts the engine and turns on the air conditioning before reclining the driver's seat. With exhaustion swimming through his bones, he sighs contently. It was a magical concert, but he's not looking forward to driving back to Orlando. He'll need to stop by 7/11 for an energy drink and some snacks. Fortunately, tomorrow is Sunday, so they can both sleep in and laze around the whole day.
Sawyer unbraids her hair and removes the clips, then shakes her head cutely to let her wild curls loose. She looks tired as well. They danced the night away together, not caring who saw them. He told her to climb on his back a few times so she could get a better view of the stage. During the romantic slow-tempo songs, she hugged and kissed him sweetly, and he swears he almost got down on one knee right then and there.
"I love you, baby," Harry says, watching her take off her Doc Martens. "Tonight was divine."
A smile spreads across Sawyer's face. "I love you too. Hey, listen..." She reaches over to caress his cheek and thumb the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry about my buzzkill attitude at the beginning."
Shaking his head, he kisses her palm. “You don't have to apologize. I appreciate how you handled those girls."
He hopes to forget about what happened. Honestly, as soon as the concert started, he forgot all about them. There was only one thing on his mind: Sawyer and the mesmerizing way she moved.
"I just... I got jealous," Sawyer confesses sheepishly.
Harry frowns in astonishment. Jealousy is a rare emotion for Sawyer. They’ve been dating for almost two years, and he can count on one hand the number of times she has been outwardly jealous. Since he only has eyes for her, there's no rhyme or reason for her to feel this way.
What a new and fun development, Harry thinks to himself. He loves how their relationship continues to surprise him.
Harry, however, has been caught having jealous fits many times before. Like that instance when Sawyer was invited to lunch by her so-called "cubicle neighbor." Harry is her forever lunch date, not anyone else. Even when he can't be there in person, he'll call her office fax number and keep her company while she munches her cucumber salad. Harry's jealousy grew when he discovered some guy was trying to steal that from him, so he ordered an impressive bouquet to be delivered to her desk the following day. It didn't take long for everyone to get the hint. Then there was that time when they were watching The Bodyguard, and Sawyer kept squealing girlishly over Kevin Costner's character. Okay, so he literally took a bullet for the woman he loved. Big deal! Harry smothered his jealousy by obnoxiously pretending to be Sawyer's bodyguard while exiting the movie theater and then proceeding to sing "I Have Nothing" off-key the entire way home. She just laughed, which was his goal in the first place.
"Why'd you get jealous?" Harry asks.
Sawyer's brow quirks. "Well, when I'm subjected to taking pictures of two pretty girls who are all over my boyfriend, it doesn't necessarily feel good."
"I know," he says, frustrated with himself. "I should've refused them. They kind of trapped me."
She pouts sympathetically before climbing over the console and straddling his thighs. "My sweet sunray. You're too nice."
Harry pulls her closer by hooking his fingers through her belt loops and tugging. "I'm sorry you were jealous."
"I shouldn't have been. You know why?"
"Tell me." Reaching around her, he turns up the volume of the radio to drown out the sounds of cars honking at each other. The cassette tape they listened to on the drive to Miami is still playing on loop. "Paradise" by Sade sets the mood.
"Because you're mine," Sawyer says with conviction.
Spreading his legs on the seat, he smirks. "Say that again, angel."
"You're mine. No one else's."
"Ditto," he replies, rubbing his palms along her suntanned thighs. "You've got my devotion."
His bodacious girl bites his bottom lip until it stings, then says, "Prove it."
"Good fuckin' lord," Harry murmurs against her mouth before diving in. He kisses her ravenously while fumbling to unbutton her shorts, eventually helping her shimmy out of them. Sawyer shoves her hand down his pants and grasps his bulge, stroking it purposefully. He gasps and slides his pants down halfway, revealing his tented boxers.
"Are you mine?" she asks, sitting right on his cock and sending shockwaves of sex drive down his spine. Her body heat is addictive.
"Yes," he says breathlessly, kissing along her flushed neck. "I'm your man."
"Then act like it. Show me who you belong to."
A shocked laugh escapes as he greedily grabs a handful of her ass. "Sawyer Alejandra, what has Miami done to you? Ay, Dios mío!"
She smiles seductively. "It's Sade's fault."
"Is that right?" Harry cranks the volume up even more before allusively sliding his hand under her top and cupping the swell of her breast. It fits perfectly, and when he teases her peaked nipple with his thumb, Sawyer's palm slaps against the window as she grinds against him. The glass is fogging with the A/C running, sweat drips down his back, and the song's driving bass line pulsates loudly through the speakers. It's filthy what they're doing, considering potential onlookers surround them. It's a good thing the car has tinted windows.
The thrill of their sexual escapade pulses through Harry's body. As he kisses Sawyer's heaving breasts through her top's cutouts, the pleasure becomes borderline intolerable. His lips search for any sliver of skin, and in response, she tugs his hair and whimpers softly. Her skimpy lace underwear is damp, and he switches his attention to her clit. He rubs it with his knuckle, causing Sawyer's hips to momentarily stutter before she leans into the movement and stamps sloppy kisses all over his face, her cherry-flavored lip gloss transferring to his cheeks, nose, and jaw. They're as sweet as sugar.
"Almost there," Sawyer whispers, running her hand across his broad chest. Her fingers grip the material of his bejeweled sleeveless top to keep herself balanced, and Harry would let her rip it apart if he hadn't spent several hours meticulously hot gluing rhinestones onto it.
After kissing down her stomach and blowing air onto her belly button ring, he teases two fingers past her wet entrance, and it's all she needs to unravel completely. As she orgasms, she leaves love bites on his neck and moans. Her body language is desperate, the arch of her back and the tightening of her thighs against his own helping her through her release.
"Nice and easy, baby," Harry murmurs, squeezing her waist. "Take your time."
From the gratifying pain she inflicts on the tender flesh of his neck, Harry comes in his boxers, his pelvis jerking as goosebumps rise over his skin in transient tidal waves. It feels equally divine and unholy what they just did. Tiredness kicks in as they both breathe heavily. Gradually, the condensation on the windows disappears. Sawyer's handprint is the last thing to vanish, and the sight will undeniably haunt his memory in the most marvelous way.
Harry opens the glovebox and finds the stash of napkins. After cleaning Sawyer and himself, he pulls his pants back up, shuts the radio off, and says, "I've made up my mind."
"About what?" Sawyer asks, sitting sideways on his lap so she can stretch her legs. In just her cropped top, underwear, and adorable ruffle socks, she's a masterpiece. And all his.
"I'm gonna marry you one day," he says. It's something he's known for a long time. He hopes that easing her into the topic will make him more confident about proposing next month.
Sawyer pinches his earlobe. "Don't say dreamy things like that."
"Oh, that’s bogus," he retorts. "You say heart-stopping things to me all the time without even realizing. Especially after sex."
"Not marriage-related things!"
"Does that mean you don't want to marry me?" he asks, fishing for a reaction.
When she goes quiet and stares contemplatively at him, Harry's stomach swoops. He knows her exceptionally well, which means he knows she tends to shy away from substantial conversations regarding their future when they're sprung upon her by his spontaneous nature. Perhaps it's too early to propose a lifelong commitment, but hasn't she imagined sharing a life with him before? The moment he kissed her for the first time, he fantasized about settling down, buying a house away from the city, tying the knot, and having curly-haired babies.
Eventually, Sawyer says, "I would marry you in this parking lot right now if you asked me to."
Harry feels an internal splash of relief and plays it cool by saying, "Please raise your standards."
"Are you saying you wouldn't want to marry me in a parking lot, lover boy?" She tosses her version of his question back to him with a frisky smile.
"I'd find you and marry you in every lifetime. How's that for an answer?"
She’s speechless for five full seconds before lurching forward to hug him, her heart hammering. "You're crazy. I love you so, so much."
"I adore you," Harry whispers. He reaches for the 'S' pendant hiding under his top's neckline and pulls it out. "I'm forever yours."
Sawyer kisses him repeatedly and says, "Forever."
During the journey home, she falls asleep with her head in his lap, holding his hand while he drives. His thumb absentmindedly strokes her ring finger, and he feels a surge of emotion and excitement knowing he will get to spend the years to come by her side.
Years filled with being deeply devoted to her.
——
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thisfuckingdork · 3 months
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misspoetree · 1 year
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In case you were missing me these last two days: I made the fatal mistake and started reading Five-Star Southpaw.
And it consumed every single minute of my spare time. Because I literally couldn't stop.
And then I showed it to my sister in BL-purgatory @dreiviertelgut and dragged her down with me. And then I read it again. And then I commented on every single chapter. And now I'm posting about it (even though I'm sure all you guys already know about it).
I'm obsessed. I can't stop thinking about this fic.
I know there's already a line but dear anonymous author if you read this - please consider my proposal as well.
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thedroneranger · 1 year
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Ok, my new crush is Taylor Sheridan. This man is responsible for nearly everything we're obsessed with on television (streaming) right now.
I'm in love with both Yellowstone and Tulsa King. Of course, Mayor of Kingstown is on my list, as well as 1883 and 1923.
Plus, if you truly enjoy film, watch Sicario and Sicario: Day of the Soldado. So, so good.
Also, shout out to Taylor has David Hale in Sons of Anarchy.
Me watching Yellowstone: "This reminds of Sons of Anarchy with horses." ** Sees Taylor cameo, learns he's the Yellowstone creator** "Hmmm, that tracks."
Not saying we should thank Kurt Sutter, but...thank you, Kurt Sutter.
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buckrecs · 10 months
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Do you have any boxer!bucky fic recs?? Been looking everywhere and can’t really find much
Boxer!Bucky
masterlist | req masterlist
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ONESHOT
His Prize by @targaryenvampireslayer
Making an already sexually frustrated bucky even more frustrated is likely to lead to just more frustration, but…if you can wait… Bucky has plans for you after his win…
Angel by @toastedkiwi
your favorite fighter is in recovery.
The Fight by @bxcketbarnes
Love Hurts by @itsbuckysworld
Boxer!Bucky/ College!Bucky/ Boxer!Reader
fight club by @spidermanswifi
boxer!bucky where he gets knocked out in a match and y/n loses her shit because it was a cheap shot and she takes matters into her own hands.
more than worth it by @marvelous-fiction
Secrets and Fighters by @bucky-iss-bae
SERIES
Southpaw by @gogolucky13
Tied up in the criminal world your godfather has built, you have no reason to leave, until you find one in the man they call Southpaw.
Mess Is Mine by @scrumptious-delusion
as a date night surprise, your boyfriend takes you to a boxing match. little does he know, one of the competitors is responsible for breaking your heart five years ago and an accidental encounter is about to send your whole world spinning.
Fight For You by @revengingbarnes
At the annual local boxing championship, Y/N is the leading medical specialist on call. It’s a whole new environment, and despite the drastic change, she loves it. Bucky Barnes is the reigning boxing champion of Brooklyn. Virtually undefeated, this tattoo artist by day, boxer by night is someone that is now fighting his way into Y/N’s head. And she’s helpless in front of his winning streak.
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guzhufuren · 9 months
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Favourite VegasPete Fics pt.3  (in alphabetical order) full rec list
1. baby got bounce by @lu-sn https://archiveofourown.org/series/3540850
As a present for Vegas, Pete learns how to twerk. & Pete's adventures as an amateur pole dancer.
2. clouded with dirt by @sapphicblight https://archiveofourown.org/works/46274284
Prompt: "No, I'm not dating your brother." As they wait for Vegas to wake from his coma, Macau tries to figure out what Pete means to Vegas. Pete would like to know, as well.
3. discothéque rouge by @lu-sn https://archiveofourown.org/works/44019583
Vegas is here at this night club on a job, and he really, really doesn't want to be. Then everything goes sideways — in a good way.
4. Five-Star Southpaw https://archiveofourown.org/works/46009846
When Vegas is handed the keys to a failing major family hotel and told to bring it back to life, he knows it’s not a gift, or a test, or even an opportunity to prove himself. It’s a taunt. It’s a way to set him up for failure so everyone can rub his nose in the shitshow he’s left with, defeated and inferior to his cousins like always. It’s the death sentence of his pride in a gilded cage. But misery loves company and all that, and he finds a surprisingly fitting cellmate in an unassuming looking employee named Pete. Now if only he could get Pete to stop playing hard to get, this cage could become a lot more comfortable.
5. he wanted it comfortable i wanted that pain by @hawkshadowwrites https://archiveofourown.org/works/45435295
Vegas pulls the cloth off his head and Pete’s suspicions are confirmed when the look on Vegas’s face is pure alarm and confusion, not pride and satisfaction. “What—” Vegas says as the same time Pete all but moans. “Fuck me,” Pete whines, high and desperately needy. His hips buck up against Vegas’s thigh and he whines again. “Khun Vegas.” — Or; an ep 4 auction au where Pete drinks the drugged water meant for Porsche and gets grabbed by Vegas instead.
6. it’s so sweet (knowing you love me) https://archiveofourown.org/works/46458253
“You’re smaller than me,” Pete suddenly announces- simpering like a fox in the henhouse right in Vegas’ face. aka the 5 times Pete makes Vegas feel tiny + the 1 time he feels tinier
7. Mansions and Mafiosi by @blackwatervial https://archiveofourown.org/works/46604890
Vegas overhears that someone called Pete is looking for a Dungeon Master. Vegas is convinced that he’s the man for the job – he both has a dungeon and is a master. But when he turns up at Pete’s place expecting hot stuff (sex), he instead gets hot stuff (8d6 fire damage). OR The Vegaspete DnD AU no one knew they needed
8. no rest for the wicked by @itsbinghebitch https://archiveofourown.org/works/45520291
Pete has long left Thailand. He is now living the American dream, working long hours to make his rich clients richer and himself more miserable than ever. But when his best friend Porsche invites him to his destination wedding to the mysterious Kinn, Pete finds himself suddenly thrown into the world of the Theerapanyakul family, the silent machinations underpinning their wealth, and Kinn’s cousin Vegas—who, for reasons unknown, has made it his mission to tear down every assumption Pete holds about his life. — resort romance AU where Kinn & co are still mafia (except Pete doesn't know)
9. sub(stitute) by @blackwatervial https://archiveofourown.org/works/46102267
Pete needs a fake-boyfriend for a casino party. Vegas needs to secure a deal with a casino owner. Everyone knows where this is going.
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kookluvre · 2 years
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gold is dull. || jjk || 02
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your once-love abandoned you to chase his dreams as a boxer, leaving you and unknowingly, at the time, his son. as much as you want to forget him, you can't. you see him on the billboard, tv commercials, and in your son's room, reminding you of everything you once were.
“momma! please take me to golden boy's fight! he’s fighting here! in our hometown. please, momma. for my birthday? i wanna see him in person!”
pairing: jeon jungkook x female reader
genre: boxer!jk, dilf!jk, single mom! oc, heavy angst, ex-boyfriend, eventual smut, fluff, slow-burn
chapter warnings: blood, boxing fight, light smut, mentions loss of virginity, mentions of pregnancy, anxiety, just lots, lots, lots, of angst
chapter wc: 7.2k
A/N: woooohoooo chapter 2!!! i'm so glad you all loved chapter 1! thank you all for the kind msgs😭! this story will only get better by chapter. i can't wait for you all to read all of it. anyway, this chapter turned out to be longer than i anticipated! i also got inspired by the movie southpaw for the flashback scene! buckle up and enjoy!! this was angsty. yay. sorry? hehe enjoy and let me know your thoughts. ❣
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It’s December 31st. New Year’s Eve… and the day you’ve been avoiding is finally here. Today is the day you see that smug smile, tattoo sleeve, and those golden shorts with Lose Yourself playing as he confidently gets closer and closer to the ring. Today, you take your son to his favorite boxer fight in person. Today, you see Jungkook after five years since he abandoned you. 
As you are seated in your vanity mirror getting ready, you look at yourself, and you get reminded of the same girl that was casually doing their makeup, applying bold red lipstick, to go the party where you first met Jungkook. You had no idea that the guy Seokjin set you up would turn out to be the person you thought was the love of your life. Seokjin had only told you that he wanted you to meet his “handsome and boxer” friend, and you had to agree since he had previously agreed to meet up with your sister per your request. Things worked out for them, but can’t say the same thing about you. You assured Seokjin that this would only be a one time thing, since you were too busy with college and because “he was a boxer.” Who would’ve thought that that was the one thing that made you fall for him? His desire to succeed as a boxer. The drive he carried to achieve every one of his dreams. It inspired you. He inspired you. And your presence inspired him. Now, as you sit in front of your mirror, you’re applying a calmer shade of maroon red, and assuring yourself that you will be fine seeing Jungkook after five years. I’m okay. I’m okay. I won’t even see him up close. I’m going because this will make Min-Su happy. You pray the boxing gods hear your prayers and make him lose the fight. Then you make them hear the prayers about him winning for Min-Su’s happiness. Although Min-Su never finishes a match until the twelfth round, since he’s scared of the violence and the blood, he stays up, waiting for you to let him know that Jungkook has won. It’s also not good for Min-Su’s heart to have too much stress. 
“Hey baby, did you already pick out your outfit?” You ask Min-Su as you walk over to his room. You always let Min-Su pick out his clothes for any occasion because you want him to explore his creativity and personal style. Min-su walks out his closet, “I’m all ready, Momma! I just need help with the bowtie.” The choice of a tux definitely took you by surprise. You knew your son was a fashionista, but not this much! He must’ve gotten inspired by the celebrities he sees on TV being on first row. “You’re so so so handsome, my baby. Look at you!” You’re endeared by his choice of outfit. As you’re putting Min-Su’s bowtie on, you look at him with affectionate and teary eyes. “Mom, you’re crying.” Min-Su drops his smile. The comment takes you back. Tears were coming down your face and you didn’t even know. “What?! Oh my god, I am,” You say with a slight chuckle, wiping the tears from your face. “It’s cause you’re getting so big! And the day is finally here! It made me emotional, that’s all baby. I’m okay, look at me.” You show the biggest and goofiest smile, which makes Min-Su laugh. You got teary-eyed because you remembered the perseverance you held all these years to make Min-Su live a healthy life. 
“Are you now ready to go seeeeeee Jeonnnnnn??!!!!!” You exclaim spinning him around in a hug.
“Let’s gooooooo!!” Min-Su shouts, and once again showcasing his big bunny smile.
The car ride with your dad is a bit quiet as he tries to make conversation, but you just give him short and dry replies. These replies are the result of the anxiety you feel driving towards the arena. As much as you try to hid away these feelings, you can’t. If you’re being completely honest to yourself, the thought of seeing him in person after hearing from him four years ago with a hateful reply to your letter and not seeing him for five years frightens you. You’ll be there cheering with your son for the man who abandoned you without any remorse. You’re just another insignificant person in the big crowd of fans, and that’s all you are: fans to Jungkook, while for you, he is the father of your child. How could it not affect you? How can you act like everything is okay? You feel all these feelings, while Jungkook has no idea that you are there. 
Your dad turns to look back at Min-Su to see if he has his headphones on, “You okay? I can go in with Min-Su. He’ll understand if you tell him that you’re feeling under the weather.” 
“For the millionth time, I’m fine, Dad. I’ll be okay,” You let out a chuckle and a smile, trying your best to make your dad believe you, although you know that the look on your face would be evident to everyone you came to contact with. It’s a look of worry and nervousness. Your dad is correct, it would be better for you to stay home and let your son go with his grandpa, however, you also know that Min-Su would really appreciate if you’d be by his side, so you try your best to hide what you feel and let Min-Su’s happiness spread over to you. 
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“And oof, Volkov takes a jab to the chin from the Golden Boy! Damn, that was a strong one from Jeon! We are seeing constant jabbing from the Golden corner and a lot of running from the red corner. The match has definitely turned around to Golden Boy’s favor. Now we see Volkov getting on position to — ahhh,” The commentator groans, “The Golden Boy takes a strong punch to the nose! Would you look at that blood! We might’ve spoken too soon. The three minutes are up, and round 7 has ended. Volkov taking the win for this round. Let’s see what Golden Boy still has left for the remaining 12 rounds.” 
It felt relieving seeing Jungkook getting punched. You pretended that every punch was for all the struggles that you endured because of his absence and denial. When you look over your side to see Min-Su, you see him looking away and covering his eyes every time Jungkook gets punched, especially with that bloody nose punch he endured in round 7. Min-Su gets scared and anxious when there is a lot of blood in the match towards the end of the fight. Min-Su never likes to explicitly tell you that he gets scared, but you know, which is why you always tell him “alright, it’s getting late, time to go to bed,” and he doesn’t argue with you. You let him stay up, though, until the fight is over, so he can know if Jungkook won. 
“Baby, let’s go to get some snacks, and go to the restroom?” You tell Min-Su with a gentle smile. He nods with the ICEE on his hands. Your dad stays watching the fight, enjoying the sight of Jungkook losing. Although, there was a feeling of relief at Jungkook getting hit, there was a part of you that still got scared when you saw the blood on his face, drops of sweat falling on his face, and the team cleaning his wounds. It reminded you of those rookie fights you’d schedule for him where he reassured you that everything was okay and that “you should see the other guy.” It pained you seeing his pale soft clear skin all bruised up, swollen eyes unrecognizable and the coughing up blood the day after the fight.
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“Baby, look at your face. Look at your face.” You sob, caressing his swollen eyes, busted lip, and bruised cheekbones. Carefully placing your forehead on his as you sit on a straddling position on the couch. You always hated the end of the fight and the day after. It was when his wounds were the most prominent, and you couldn’t focus on anything more. Jungkook had won this fight, however, that wasn’t enough to make you feel better over his bruised face. 
“C’mon babe, don’t tell me that, I won the fight, we should be celebrating,” He smirks as he grabs your waist to pull you in closer to him. 
“No baby, I can’t. Look at you.” You continue to sob. 
“Don’t be too harsh on me. Imagine how I feel when the girl I love tells me “‘look at your face,’”He laughs, giving you a kiss on your cheek, saying it with that weak and sensual voice he carries after a fight. 
He makes you let out a chuckle in between your sobs, “I’m sorry kook, it’s just it hurts seeing you like this, you know.” 
“I know, baby. I promise you, next fight, I won’t let them hit me too many times. Third round and BAM, he’s knocked out.” You let out a laugh as you know you can’t believe him. Fights are unpredictable. You don’t know how the opponent has been training, what tricks they have up their sleeve, but you loved Jungkook’s positivity. That’s what kept you and him going. 
“So what do you say? I still have some left in me for another round, ____.” He smirks, as he starts to move his hips towards your area, letting yourself get under his heat. You begin to grind, as you feel the bulk on his pants get harder making contact with you. Your dress moves up exposing your lace thong. His large hands find their way to your ass, groping your cheeks, while a slight moan comes out of your mouth. The lips find their way to each other, leaving hot, weak, and wet kisses, as they are interrupted by the gentle sounds leaving your mouth. As you are straddling his lap, you stop kissing, both of you calming down. He stops groping your cheeks and you come to a stop from the smooth up and down movements your hips are making. Your hand goes from his neck to his cheek, rubbing your thumb against his jaw, looking at him, while he looks at you. 
“Get some rest, baby.” You gently smile at him and he smiles back. Your beating hearts and warmth of your skin prompts Jungkook to fall asleep on the couch by your side. You watch as his eyes close down, exhausted from the fight. You kiss his forehead, “I love you.”
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“So what do you want to eat, baby? There’s nachos, pizza, popcorn-,”
“Popcorn!” He exclaims, not letting you finish listing all the options. 
“Okay!” You laugh, “Can I get nachos, popcorn, and one water, please.” 
You and Min-Su sit on a bench that is available near the concession stands. It feels good to be away from the seeing the match and Jungkook. You notice, though, that Min-Su is tapping his leg and is acting quieter than always, so you ask if he’s alright. 
“Yeah, momma. It’s just that I don’t know if Jeon is going to win.” Min-Su would always get sad when Jungkook would lose matches. He really likes the feeling he gets when Jungkook wins fights, like if he, Min-Su, got him there. He enjoyed celebrating Jungkook’s success.“Even if he doesn’t win, we know who is the best, right?” You playfully muss his hair, giving Min-Su an assuring expression. 
“Momma! It’s 12:00! The fight! Cmon, let’s go check if Jeon won!” Min-Su exclaims, tugging at your arm to take you back to the arena. As you’re approaching the gate number, you see a big group of people hurdling around a certain someone. Photographers, bodyguards, press officers, medical staff, girls in short dresses, men in tuxedos, men in gold boxing jackets that read “GOLDEN BOY STAFF.” You know. You know who is the man in the center. It’s Jeon Jungkook. Unable to move or blink, you spot him with a beautiful girl with bold red lipstick by his side and a golden belt around his waist. His team chants “Champion! Champion! Champion!” Guess he won the fight. The chant quickly turns into “Happy New Year,” followed by hugs amongst themselves. You and your son are outsiders of his whole team, watching this all happened from solely a stranger perspective. Your hold on Min-Su’s hand tightens. You’re unable to feel anything at the sight of him. You’d think you feel a tad of anger, sadness, hell even happiness, but there is nothing. Rather, you feel coldness and numbness all over your body at the sight of Jungkook’s smile. A smile you haven’t seen in years. The face that once brought you warmth, now bring you nothing but a freezing feeling of insensibility. You don’t blink. You’re a statue. A cold, rigid statue, who is in a trance watching the father of your child have the time of his life, celebrating his win and New Years with his loved ones. It isn’t jealousy. It’s not like you wish he didn’t have happiness. You’ve wished this for him. That he could grow from the possible, perhaps non-existent, guilt he felt abandoning you and could forgive himself, again probably non-existent, for neglecting your child. 
Min-Su brings you out of the trance the sight of Jungkook has put you in when he lets go of your hand, running towards the big crowd of people. You’ve always been a nervous person, so when you see Min-Su go in between the crowd, you start to freak out, thinking of all the possibilities. Min-Su getting trapped under everyone. Someone pushing him causing him to fall down. Him getting kidnapped. You always let your imagination get the best of you. “Min-Su! Min-Su! Min-Su! Min-Su!” You exclaim walking around the big crowd, trying to get closer to the center to get a better view of Min-Su’s whereabouts. You bring your hands up to your forehead, on the verge of crying. You fight against the crowd, and land at almost the center, when you spot Min-Su. Min-su’s miniature body had gotten past everyone and is now right in the middle of the circle of people besides Jeon Jungkook, asking the Golden Boy for his autograph and taking a selfie with his iPad. Min-Su is looking at Jungkook in complete awe; he has his hero right in front of him. Seeing them side-by-side, it pulls at your heartstrings how much they look alike. The same nose. The same smile. Glossy eyes. Chubby cheeks, yet defined. And the same mole hidden under their bottom lip. Jungkook leans down to Min-Su’s height, making a pouty face and a fist. You note how it used to be the same pouty face joined by a peace sign. Min-Su had been carrying a pen and a notepad all night long to get an autograph from him, he’d say, “I promise you, I’ll get it mom!” Positivity. A thing he gets from someone else that isn’t his mother. You didn’t think there would be a chance for him to get it, and there he was, waiting as Jungkook wrote something on his notepad. 
“Can you sign this?!” Min-Su exclaims as he stands besides Jungkook. 
“Woah! Where’d you come from kiddo?” Jungkook chuckles as he grabs Min-Su’s notepad and pen. 
“I wanna be like you when I grow up! My mom doesn’t like that idea, though.” 
“You’re mom’s right. Be like you, kiddo. Not like me.” Jungkook winks and chuckles. 
“Look, that’s my mom, right there! Could you write a message for her, too? She’s also a big fan!” Min-Su exclaims with a bunny smile, pointing to you where you look frantic, being held back by a tall and thick bodyguard. 
As you try to find a way in, you are stopped by one of Jungkook’s bodyguards. You try to reason with him, that that’s your son and that you’re trying to get him, but he doesn’t care, ignoring what you plead for, repeating the same phrase,“No, ma’am. I can’t let you go through.” What is he a fucking robot? “Just let me in for god’s sake! Min-Su! Min-Su!” You yell at Min-Su trying to get his attention. 
“That’s your mom, kiddo? She looks mad worried. Why don’t we let her in? Hey, Joon! Let her through! She’s this kid’s mom!” Jungkook alerts him. The bodyguard drops his arm, letting you through. You desperately come running to the center where Min-Su is, crouching down, meeting Min-Su, anxiously checking his body to see if he’s all okay, “Don’t you ever run away from me like that! You almost gave me a heart-attack, Min-Su! Are you okay?” Min-Su nods, a frown on his face because of how he scared you. “Okay. Let’s go.” You grab Min-Su’s arm, and begin to walk into the big crowd again, when Jungkook calls him, “Hey kiddo! You’re autograph!” This causes Min-Su to break from your hold again and go retrieve his autograph. Through all this, you’ve been trying to avoid Jungkook’s eyes, looking down or never facing his way, however, as Min-Su goes back, you have no choice other than to turn back as well, as you don’t want to repeat the earlier incident. As you turn, Jungkook and you see each other in the eyes. The cold, numb feeling, is now overtaken by reminiscence. It’s not a warmth feeling, though. It’s something in between. It still feels strange. It’s the middle ground between cold and warm. There is a nostalgia his eyes bring you, simultaneously, though, there is a forgetfulness to it. You’re confused if the nostalgia you feel stems from solely the memories you had with him or if there is a part of you that continue to long for Jungkook. However, there is also that vagueness you feel. You’re unsure if that abstraction is due to the different, strange, gaze he now has after five years or if it’s you who has created that vagueness in spite of his abandonment. Jungkook’s look is not one of guilt or remorse, it’s simply a pleasant look. However, you, you look at him with millions of feelings, unsure of what they all mean. 
“Is that you? _____, it’s you! Oh my god! My old friend! How have you been?!” Jungkook exclaims, walking towards you with opened arms, pulling you into a tight hug. Min-Su snaps a picture of the hug, completely surprised and happy at the sight of his favorite boxer hugging his mom. You can’t deny to yourself that his hug feels like an old memory, a good old memory. His arms are bigger than ever. You feel his heart pounding through his chest. The sweat sticking to your blouse. 
Now you feel your heart fall to the ground. He’s hugging you. There’s even a smile when he hugs you. He abandoned you, and he’s doing all this. Does he not have any conscience? Does he not remember anything? Everything you went through together? How he promised you his future? How you promised him your future? The list you both made with all your “together dreams”. The fucking letter you sent him a year after he left you. Hell, this is the guy you lost your virginity, too! The same guy who knocked you up, and the same fucking guy who left you all alone caring for a child. And here he was, being the most nonchalant he could be. 
“Momma! You’re Jeon’s friend?! This is so coooooool!” Min-Su with open eyes, excitedly asks you. 
“What? I-uh- a I knew him a long time ago, baby.” You stutter as you respond to Min-Su, keeping your eyes on Jungkook’s. It’s true. You did know him. Now you don’t. And you don’t plan on knowing him ever again. Min-Su keeps a big smile, ignoring what you said, solely focused on how Jungkook hugged you and called you his friend. “This little guy is a big fan, huh? Y’all want to go backstage? The least I can do for a good friend and her son.” He chuckles, looking at the little guy. Did he say "the least”?! The least?! The least he could’ve done was respond to your letter in a decent and respectful manner, not with full-on degradation.  
“Min-Su, its getting late, your grandpa is waiting for us, cmon baby. We’ve got to go.” You see Min-Su’s smile literally turn upside down, and you know that’s when he’s about cry a river, and that’s when you agree to take the tour. You understand Min-Su’s desire to want to go. Min-su is completely unaware of the history between you and Jungkook. To him, he’s only the famous boxer he sees on TV and billboards. A person he has admired. Jungkook is the guy he’s been a fan of and now he is going backstage with him- of course this would bring genuine happiness to Min-Su. You’d never deny Min-su his happiness, even if it hurts you. 
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“Hey kiddo! Wanna try these on?” Jungkook lifts his gloves up with the same bunny smile you see every day on Min-Su’s. “Omg! Yessss!” Min-Su exclaims as he runs towards Jungkook after looking at all of Jungkook’s boxer shorts. 
“Hey, bring me some tape! Imma wrap this kid up.” Jungkook shouts at one of his assistants. He grabs Min-su’s arms and carries him on to the recovery couch to meet his height. Jungkook gently starts wrapping his hands and wrists up. You’re extremely attentive on how harsh Jungkook is tightening the tape. “Chill, Mom. I know not to put them too tight on him,” he chuckles turning to look at you,“After this kiddo, we put on the gloves. Here you can wear the ones that I just used. You can keep them too.” He chuckles. He always used new gloves every fight. Jungkook’s only superstition. “Oh kid, they’re bigger than your head. Alright, show me what you got.” Jungkook puts both of his palms up, signaling Min-Su to give him some punches. “Don’t do too much, baby. Take it easy.” You worry. 
It stirs your emotions seeing Jungkook and Min-Su looking so natural with each other. You can’t deny the fact that you like this feeling. You’d like for Min-Su to have a father by his side. He does have Seokjin, who is the closes he has to a father figure, however, he doesn’t have someone he can refer to as dad. As you see them playing around, a part of you wants to forget what the letter said and act as if nothing has happened, but you’re not that forgivable. You don’t even have the opportunity to be forgivable! Jungkook is acting like he has no idea that Min-Su is his child, while you clearly told him. His clueless acting is so believable, the thought of him completely forgetting about even seems plausible in your mind! But even if that was the case, what type of father forgets those kinds of news. 
“You’re pretty good at this, you know. Maybe a natural. Who knows?” Jungkook smirks at him, then looks up at you. You’re whole focus on Min-Su, smiling as he looks so happy. You feel Jungkook’s doe eyes piercing through your soul. “Hey Hyeon, take the kid to see all the belts.” 
Jungkook approaches you on the locker room bench you’re sitting on, taking a seat next to you. Being in such proximity, you feel an anger cloud build over your head. You try to keep the rain contained. “After all these years, you look great as always, _____.” Jungkook says. You don’t respond, just nod. 
“So you had a kid huh, never imagined you as a mom.” He laughs, clearly a sarcastic comment. You two would always joke about you being such a mom to him, as you always took care of him as one. You look straight to Min-Su, your smile disappearing . You’re very good at hiding your emotions. As he’s about to try to make more conversation, you get a phone-call from your dad. You place your phone on your ear, and he sees the Polaroid of you and Min-Su at the back of your clear phone case. He breaks a slight smile at the photo. He likes seeing that you had someone that brought you happiness all these years. “So the kid turned five last week,” You look at him confused. I am not about to have this conversation with you. “The photo.” He points at your phone. Oh. That stupid smirk. He still looks as handsome as you remember. No. Even more handsome. A more mature look to his child-like expressions. 
“Jungkook-ah!” A girl enters the room looking for Jungkook. It’s the same girl who Jungkook had under his arm when you saw him in the middle of the crowd. 
“Over here! Jiah, this ________.” She extends her arm for handshake and bows to you. She seems like a nice, sweet, yet powerful woman. “Nice to meet you.” You tell her.
“We were old-time buddies. I knew her when I first started boxing. She’s here cause her son is a big fan,” Jungkook basically gives her an explanation as to why he was sitting next to you. “We hadn’t seen each other in about - what?” He looks at you, expecting you to finish his sentence, he continues “in about six, five years.” He said that you hadn’t seen each other as it was a choice. He should rephrase that and say “I left her five years ago.”
“_______, this is my fiancé.” 
“Oh wow! Congratulations.” The most emotion you’ve shown Jungkook this night. 
“It was nice meeting you, Jiah. And yes, he turned five last week.” You say, reservedly. You bow to her and grab your coat and purse from the bench, “Let’s go Min-Su, grandpa has been waiting for us.” 
Seeing Jungkook with a fiancé hurts you. You’re not jealous but you feel insignificant. You obviously didn’t expect Jungkook to be hung up on you for five years. Here you see him moved on, looks extremely happy with Jiah by his side, but here you were all these five years, a part of you broken because your son would never know who his dad is. You feel neglected, as if he didn’t care about everything you did for him. When you stood by his side at his lowest. When he lost every fight after a surgery he had. When you managed him and his fights. When no one wanted to take him on a fight because they though he was “too easy.” It’s like you were just a girlfriend he broke up with. Maybe that’s really all you were to him. Maybe he’d be that way for you too if you didn’t have a kid that reminded you of him every day. You envy him for being able to love someone without any baggage or fear of being rejected. You’ve had one or two hookups all these years, but that’s all they were, insignificant one night stands because you’re too afraid to let them into your life. You’re afraid of rejection when they learn you’re a single mom. You’re afraid that if you ever get attached to someone, they will only come and leave. Maybe a part of you hasn’t healed. 
“Ma’am!” The assistant that was showing Jungkook’s belts to Min-Su, stops you before closing the door to the room, “Ma’am, Jungkook told me to get your details, so we can invite you to our events with VIP passes. For your kid, you know, since he’s a fan. Jungkook never really does this thing for anyone, but he said since you were really good old time friends!” Can I please get your phone number and address?” He cheerfully asks. Right. Really good old time friends. Without any doubt, you’re about to give a fake address and phone number, but Min-Su quickly catches on and interrupts you, “Momma! That’s not right.” 
“Hm, right, uh, it’s um,” You glance at Jungkook where he’s hugging Jiah, with her arms around his neck and his around her waist. You’re contemplating whether you want him at such a close distance to Min-Su, even if it’s temporary. He’s acting like the letter you sent him never happened. Doesn’t he feel embarrassed? Before you’re about to say anything else, Min-Su interrupts you telling him the accurate address and phone number. You don’t have any other of a choice to just leave it at that. “Okay, perfect. We’ll reach out to you.” 
As soon as you’re about to leave, you are once again interrupted from getting you and your son out of there. Now you’re stopped by the voice you once loved. Why does it still make your heart stop? “______, have an amazing New Year. And -,” he title his head at Min-Su with lines forming between his eyebrows, with a friendly smile, trying to catch Min-Su’s name. “Choi Min-Su.” Your son confidently replies with his chin up and a wide bunny smile. “And Happy New Year, Choi Min-Su.” Jungkook waves to him. 
The first person to wish you and your son a happy new year is Jeon Jungkook. 
The back drive home is everything but silent due to Min-Su’s excitement of what he just experienced. Min-su won’t stop telling Grandpa everything about Jungkook, his belts, and how big he is in person. Your dad stays with you at your apartment that night. It’s New Years; it’s good for your dad to spend it with you and Min-Su. And tomorrow, you have work, so your dad will stay to take care of Min-Su while you’re at your job. 
You finally put Min-Su to sleep, which took some time because he was still over-excited about the fight and the VIP treatment he received by Jungkook’s team. You return to the living room with your dad, where it’s silent. You don’t feel like talking, however your dad breaks the ice and asks you about him. 
“Friendly guy. Acted like there was no history between us.” Referring to the little boy sleeping in his room. It’s not like you expected anything from him, but perhaps some remorse from him would not make you feel like shit. Some guilt for completely disregarding what you said in that heart-felt letter you were not obliged to send, but still did anyway, for Jungkook’s sake. 
You stay in the couch, letting your dad take your bed since he has back problems. Unable to fall asleep, you make yourself a chamomile tea. You walk over to the balcony, with tea in your hand, trying to clear your head in the cold January air, when your thoughts are interrupted by a ringtone.
1 MSG from UNKNOWN NUMBER 
Rosemary Cafe. January 6th. 7:00PM. 
Who’s this? 
Kim Taehyung, Mr. Jeon’s manager. Just bring yourself. 
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It’s January 6th, the day you’ve been dreading is finally here. You haven’t been yourself the whole day at work today because of how exasperated you feel at the thought of the going to meet Jungkook’s manager.
You haven’t made a decision whether to go or not, since you’ve been furious that Jungkook has sent his manager over to talk to you, probably about Min-Su.
“Do I go or not Daeun?! Why do they want to talk to me?! And why send his damn manager!” Your voice gets higher and higher with every sentence, but then decreases when Min-Su turns to look at you. You send him a smile his way, and he turns around to return to play video games with Seokjin. You’re angry at how disrespected you feel by Jungkook. You think, if this is about his child, then can’t he show up himself? Why send a middle man! This is not a business meeting! It’s his son. 
“You don’t have to go, ____. It’s either money or he wants in. And I think you don’t want either.” 
“You’re right. I don’t. Too late. Not after 4 fucking years,” You whisper the “fucking”. “But I’m too heated up to just not show up.” That’s true. You want to go for the sole purpose of telling this “Kim Taehyung” off.
“Alright, you go girl! Go throw your fire and set your ground!” Daeun cheers you on as she rubs your shoulders, as if prepping you for a fight. 
“Yep, you’re coming with me, though.” Before giving her a chance to object, you’re heading off. 
“Babe you’re going to stay a little longer with Uncle Jin. Mom needs to run some errands, okay? Okay bye now!” 
“Bye, momma!” He says without giving you a glance, too focused on trying to beat Jin on Mario Kart. Jin had picked up Min-Su from school since you got out at 5:00 from work, and here you were now, heading over to the meeting, not feeling the exhaustion from work because of the fury you feel. 
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You arrive to Rosemary’s cafe and see a man in a beige tuxedo with gold chain sitting at the corner of the cafe. You’re confused if that’s him, since he looks a little too young to be a manager, however he raises his hand, waving over to you with a polite smirk. Take that stupid smirk of your face. As you make your way over to the table you see the envelope. You know he’s about to offer you money. 
“Nice to meet you, _____. I’m Kim Taehyung, please call me Tae. I’m Jungkook’s manager. I manage his finances, fights, all of that,” He says it with a tone that you don’t care about what he does, “Anyway, do you want anything to eat? I hear the carbonara here is amazing!” Is he seriously asking how you’ve been? If you want something to eat? Gosh, you just want to get this over with. 
“What do you want?” You dryly say with your arms crossed on your chest.
“______. We know why you went to that fight. Min-ho, Min-seok. Is that correct?. Well, who cares. Boy’s just a good actor as his mom.” Taehyung slides the envelope full of money to your side of the table, with that same smug smile that has been present since you entered the restaurant. You feel your blood boil at what he just said. He thinks that you and Min-Su went to that fight for the sole intention of leeching on to Jungkook for money. Is his team fucking stupid? 
“Excuse me? What did you just say?” You lean in closer to his face, with a distraught look on your face. You can’t believe they really think that you’d be capable of doing such thing. You can’t believe the almost same conversation you had through a letter is occurring again, four years later. 
“We all believe, including Jungkook, that you tried to sneak into his life, again. He was too tired to deal with you, so he sent me here instead,” He says this with the most relaxed expression on his face. You feel a knot in your throat forming, but you won’t let this asshole see you cry. He doesn’t deserve to fill his ego on knowing that he made you cry. “Why don’t you make this easier for all of us and just take the money, move cities, I don’t know, buy yourself some clothes,” he looks you up and down because of what you’re wearing- your work uniform, a smug laugh, “You decide, but just leave Jungkook alone.” 
“Keep your dirty money.” You scoff and stand up, but as you’re about to leave, you return to the table, furiously pointing at him, “You don’t know me or my son, so keep our name out of your damn mouth!” You’re walking towards the car, the rain is hitting you, and you don’t even caring to open the umbrella. Tears are streaming down your face. 
“Oh my god, _____! What the hell did that bastard tell you?” Daeun asks with an infuriated look on her face. “Drive Daeun. Let’s get out of here. Please.” You say with tears coming down your face. You both park in an empty parking lot, trying calm yourself down before going home to Min-Su. “Fuck Daeun! He just- He offered me money,” You sigh. “Okay, well we knew that.” Daeun still looks confused as to why you were crying so bad.
“But then, then he said that not only me! Min-Su! Min-Su too! That we acted our way into the locker room the day of the fight! To get Jungkook’s money,” You put your hand over your mouth and your shoulders begin to tense, feeling the knot in your throat gain strength again. “And the worse thing Daeun, is that Jungkook believes this as well. Did I not fucking mean anything to him that he thinks about me this way? I wish I could tell him this to his face!” The knot in your throat about to untie, but you’re interrupted with the numerous notifications on your phone. The notifications from Jungkook’s assistant sending you VIP passes for the autograph signing tonight at the Seoul International Hotel. You’re annoyed at the messages you’re still getting sent even if he wants nothing to do with you or Min-Su.
“Why do they keep sending me this shit?! I’m tired of this.” You turn your phone to show Daeun.
“Sis, you said you wish you could tell this to Jungkook’s face. Well this is your chance.” Daeun looks at you as if she got the most clever idea and she truly did. You were fired up and unlike Jungkook, you had some decency and weren’t a coward. You wanted to face Jungkook. You were angry and you wanted him to know that he’s been wrong about you and Min-Su all these years. Tell him with your own voice that you don’t want anything from him, especially his money. 
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Again, you’re met with the big and handsome bodyguard that stopped you in the crowd of people, a guy called “Joon” by Jungkook. Again, he won’t let you go into the back room. He seems to always be the one to try to stop you to come to close distance to Jungkook. 
“Look, I have this pass. I can’t meet him?” You plead to him to let you talk to Jungkook. 
“I’m sorry, ma’am. The passes are only to go to the front of the line. The event is over now. They have no use anymore.” 
“But-but you’re here. This means that he’s still here, right. Please, can’t you just let me, through?” 
“Wait here, ma’am. I’ll try to get you a leftover signed poster. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. We can sue you. Arrest you.” He says in a serious tone. None of his words register. You’re too fueled up right now to think of any consequences, and all you can think of is Jungkook’s face when he sees you. Fucking asshole. As soon as the bodyguard leaves his post, you sneak into the backroom where you find Jungkook changing into some sweatpants and pullover. 
He hears the close door behind him, facing away, “Hey Namjoon, is it all cleared? We good to go?” 
“No you’re not.” He finds you standing by the door, coming closer to him. 
“Oh. Namjoon let you in? Damn, he must like you. Where’s the kiddo? Too excited, you didn’t have time to change?” He chuckles as he shakes his head. You don’t say anything with an angered look on your face, which prompts him to say, “I’m kidding. You look great, even with that uniform.” He chuckles, again. He was always joking around. One of the things you liked about him. 
“So what? You’re just going to act like you don’t know? You fucking douche.” You scoff, shaking your head, looking at the floor, with fists on your hips. “I’m sorry,_____. Is this about leaving you five years ago? I didn’t know you still cared. I-i’m sorry.” Lines begin to form between his eyes. 
“Seriously?! It’s about today. Sending your manager. Money. Keep me and Min-Su away. Ring a bell?” 
“I'm sorry, what? No, it—”
You interrupt Jungkook, “What? You don’t have big enough balls to fucking admit it? You think we came to the fight because we wanted your money!? Trust me, I came because Min-Su wanted to see you fight, as a boxer! Not his fucking dad. He doesn’t even know, for fuck’s sake. And for you to insinuate that we, Me and Min-Su planned this for your money?! For money?! You know I’ve never cared about money!” You point your index finger at him.
“I have a kid?” Jungkook asks, his gaze going distant.
“We don’t want your money, okay?! We’re perfectly fine without you. Trust me, when you replied to that letter, I knew you were not meant to be part of our lives,” you chuckle, slowly shaking your head. “I sent that letter because of you! I thought I knew you. I thought that you’d like to know. But that-that response. That wasn’t you. You- you were a stranger.” Your fist coming up to your mouth as you can feel the knot in your throat. Every time, you think of the letter, you can’t help but get emotional. It’s a dark period of time that you wish you could forget. 
He begins to walk towards you, coming closer to you. Too close. He puts his hands on your shoulders. His head lowering to reach your height. You pull away from him, hand coming to your nose, shaking your head, and putting your hand in front of you to prompt him to go further back, “You continue to send me passes for these events. Then you offer us money to stay away? What messed-up games are these to you, Jungkook? This isn't a game! Just-just leave Min-su and I, alone. Please.” You cry with a defeated sigh and leave without wanting to say more. Jungkook finds himself frozen, opening and closing his mouth, with no words coming out.
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It’s 2 AM and you’re awake. You’ve been trying your hardest to sleep since 11:00 PM, but it’s hard as you keep replaying everything that happened that night. You feel perplexed because the look on Jungkook’s face when you told him everything was one of utter confusion. You’ve decided not to force your sleep, so you make some ramen and put on a baking show on Netflix, attempting to focus on something else. As you’re finally setting on the show, you hear a knock on the door. 
“Who is it?!” 
They don’t respond. “Who is it?” 
Again, no response. 
“I won’t open the door if you don’t say something.” 
“It’s me,” a voice you can barely hear, but you’re able to quickly recognize it. It’s clear to you who it is. What in the world is he doing at 2 AM in your doorstep when you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with him. 
“Please open the door, ______. I need to talk to you. We need to talk. Please.” He puts his forehead against your door. 
___________________________________________________________
☆ yayyyyyy!!! you just finished chapter 2!! it was angsty right? hehe, srry ♥️. i put some foreshadows in there! 😳 remember leave me your thoughts, theories, questions, anything here ✉ !!! thanks y'all! ♥️
☆taglist: @tazzi-baby @shaybeans @teresaisla @softiegukk @innerharmonybookworm @fan-ati--c @bbkissme99 @kookstj @xmochiloverx @kooliv
645 notes · View notes
lfklhp · 2 years
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Jungkook 🐰 Fic Rec (2)
Note.
💜 = personal favorites | ✓ = completed | ✐ = ongoing | ✗ = discontinued, on hiatus | strike through = deactivated, deleted
f = fluff | s = smut | a = angst
Oneshots/Drabbles
Supernatural / Fantasy / Magic/ Superhero AU
Bad Omega, Sweet Omega (10k) s, a, f | werewolf au, omega jungkook
Part of the Bad And Sweet Trilogy
Caught Inbetween (2k) s | hybrid au (*on ao3)
Bunny Adventures (13.6k) s | hybrid au
Courage (2k) f | hybrid au, pining (*on ao3)
Depend on Me (13.1k) s | hybrid au, childhood friends to lovers
Not a Creature was Stirring (10k) horror, s | hybrid au, fantasy au
Explorer (17.8k) f, s | alien au, strangers to friends to lovers + Drabble
Chronicles of My Witchy GF 💜 (31.8k) f, s, crack | witch au, established relationship
Suck It Up! (9.7k) f, s | vampire au, college au, friends-to-lovers
Lucifer (13.5K) s | demon au
Graceful Gods (26k) a, s, f, slight crack | greek god au, strangers to lovers, college au
Worshipers of the Sea (16.3k) f, a | god au
Part of The Worshiper Series
Roommate / Neighbor AU
Pencil Strokes & Paint Splatters (20.2k) f, s | best friends to lovers, roommate au
Part of the And They Were Roommates series
Piss Off Your Parents (16.4k) a, s | fake dating au, roommate au, bad boy au
Helping Hand (23.4k) s, f, a | roommate au, best friends to lovers
Red Carnations f | roommate au
In the Pool with the Neighbour 💜 s | neighbor au
Friends / FWB / Sibling’s Friend (vice versa) / Step-Sibling AU
Show Me Something 💜 (51.7k) heavy a, s | road trip, friends to enemies to lovers, first love
The Present (22.3k) a, s | friends to lovers
I Know I Kissed You Before, but I Didn’t Do It Right (28k) f, light a | fake dating au, best friends to lovers
The Favor ® (5.5k) s, f | idol au, actress reader, best friends to lovers
Holidating (12.8k) f, s, baby a, crack | best friends to lovers
Strictly Platonic (19.4k) f, a, s | best friends to lovers, college au, fake dating au
At the End of the Day (13.3k) f, s, little a | high school friends to lovers, ex-baseball player jungkook, beach/vacation au
Southpaw (30k) a, s | childhood friends to lovers, boxer jungkook, college/frat au
Gotcha f, a, s | childhood friends to lovers
Sister Story: The Days Without You a, f | (yoongi x reader)
Calla Lilies (6.2k) a | hanahaki au, friends to lovers
Part of the Flora & Fauna Series
My Dear Friend s, light a | friends to lovers, fuckboy, college au
Opposable (7.5k) crack, f, s, a | zookeeper, best friends to lovers
Part of the Zookeeper Bangtan Series
A Thousand Reasons Why 💜 (43.1k) f, a, s, crack | friends to lovers
A Night at the Mall (8.6k) s, f | friends to lovers
Can’t Be Without You (30.2k) a, f, s | best friends au, underground fighter au
Willow (23.7k) a, f, s | college au, best friends to lovers
Not Like You (28k) f, a | dilf au, boxer au, childhood enemies/friends
Golden 💜 (4k) s | brother's best friend (*on ao3)
Backseat Bickers (1.7k) f, crack | brother's best friend, enemies
College / High School AU
La Douleur Exquise (9.4k) a f | college au, unrequited love
The Spins (10.3k) s | college au, frat au
Falling (31.4k) a, f, s | soulmate/destiny au, college au, photographer jungkook
10 Things I Hate About You a, f | college au, enemies to lovers
You’ve Got Mail (12.9k) a, f | college au, exes to lovers
Calling You Mine (8.5k+) f | college au, strangers to friends to lovers
Heart Taping (3.3k) f, smidge of a | high school au, soccer player, enemies to lovers
Addiction (9k) s | high school au, yandere au
Artist / Idol / Band AU
A Date with Destiny (11k) f, s, comedy | idol au, strangers to lovers
Inked (5.3k) s | tattoo artist
Co-workers / Work / CEO AU
To All The Men I’ve Fucked Before (30.7k) s, f, a | fake dating au, co-workers to lovers
Bonus (4.7k) crack, f, s | co-workers to lovers, office au + Drabble
Other AUs
Anything for You (1k) f | established relationship
Exile (20.5k) f, a, s | established relationship (*on ao3)
Lover (2.1k) f, crack | established relationship
Mercy (1.3k) slight crack, f, s | established relationship
Good Girl (1.9k) f, s | established relationship
Ancient History (12.8k) a s f | exes to lovers, actor au
After I Left You (38.9k) a, f | exes au, fake dating au, enemies to lovers, unrequited feelings
We Belong Together (5.8k) a, s | soft yandere, toxic relationship
Take a Sip (9.4k) s, f | countryclub au (waiter jungkook x rich reader)
Spring Blooms 💜 (20k) f | florist au
Officially Yours (4k) f, s | arranged marriage, friends to lovers
Mugs & Kisses (6k) f | barista au, strangers to lovers
In the Night (2.3k) s, thriller | yandere au, stalking
Covert Affairs (4.3k) s, a | spy au, enemies to lovers
Go to Town (1.4k) s | pwp
Of Honey and Cinnamon (14k) f | slice of life, enemies to lovers
We Are All Dreamers (16.5k) s, a | soulmate au, enemies to lovers
Epilogue: A Touch of Fate (9.2k) s, a
(Road)tripping for You (31k) f, a bit a | roadtrip au, strangers to lovers, only-one-bed au, summer au
Jeon Jungkook Must Die (14.1k) s
Completed Series
Supernatural / Fantasy / Magic/ Superhero AU
Law of the Nature a f | hybrid au, shifter au, enemies to lovers (2 ch ✓)
With Glass Between Us 💜 a, f | merman au (3 ch + Drabble ✓)
Roommate / Neighbor AU
Caught f | roommate au, slice of life (11 ch ✓)
With a Sense of Innocence f, s | college au, neighbor au, friends to lovers, mutual pining (4 ch ✓)
Friends / FWB / Sibling’s Friend (vice versa) / Step-Sibling AU
Day by Day a, eventual f & s | dilf, best friends to lovers, unrequited love (12 ch ✓)
The Wishlist s, f, a | best friends to lovers, one sided love (6 ch ✓)
Our Little Private Love Affair f, a, crack/humor | (secret) established relationship, friends to lovers (series of drabbles)
Puzzle s, comedy, a | best friends to lovers, fwb au, college au (8 ch ✓)
Bad Boy Good Thing a, s | fwb au, college au, friends to lovers (18 ch ✓)
College / High School AU
Hands on Me f, mild a, s | college au, established relationship (2 ch ✓)
Take My Hands Now drama, a | college au, fuckboy (12 ch ✓)
Popular-ish f, s, a | college au, friends to lovers (14 ch ✓)
Salvage a, f | college au (ft. taehyung) (6 ch ✓)
Sugar and Coffee f, a | pâtisserie school au, enemies to friends to lovers (23 ch ✓)
Part of The Slice of Life Series
Co-workers / Work / CEO AU
Cardiovascular Palpitations f, a, s | fwb, doctor au, co-workers to lovers (2 ch ✓)
Spin-off: Cut Me Open a, s | married couple, doctor au, co-workers to lovers (2 ch ✓) (yoongi x reader)
From Home 💜 f, a, s | fake dating, co-workers to lovers, enemies to lovers, ceo au (12 ch ✓)
In Love with Love (with You) 💜 f | office au, frenemies/childhood friends to lovers (10 ch ✓)
Other AUs
Live Through This a, s | exes to frenemies to lovers, band au, punk au (2 ch ✓)
Red 💜 f, s, a | pregnancy au, exes to lovers (3 ch ✓)
Over The Odds s, a, f | ceo au, sugar daddy (14 ch ✓ + Drabbles)
On My Mind f, s | established relationship (2 ch ✓)
4-7-8 💜 semi-heavy a | established relationship (5 ch ✓)
Gone 💜 eventual s | best friends to enemies to lovers, high school au (10 ch ✓)
Incompleted Series
Always You f, a, possible s | second chances au (1 ch ✐ - Jan 27, 2022)
An Ode to a Broken Heart heavy a, future s | unrequited love, best friends (20 ch ✐ - Mar 13, 2024)
All I Want f, s | best friends to lovers, fuckboy au (5 ch ✐ - Oct 21, 2022)
Netflix & Chill s, f, a | (11 ch ✐ - Aug 23, 2021)
Dilf JK s f | (6 ch ✐ - Jan 8, 2023)
Colour Me In f, a, s | fake dating au (18 ch ✐ - Jan 7, 2024)
Against the Odds s, a, f | established relationship, love triangle au (8 ch + Drabbles ✐ - Nov 11, 2022)
Sequel to Over The Odds s, a, f | ceo au, sugar daddy (14 ch ✓ + Drabbles)
Most Undesirable a, eventual s | bridgerton au, regency era (1 ch ✐ - Jul 25, 2022)
Darknets a | yandere au (3 ch ✐ - June 27, 2022)
Vixen s | hybrid au (9 ch ✗ - Jul 4, 2022)
Like the Wind | hybrid au, strangers to lovers (3 ch ✗ - Jul 17, 2022)
*I'll try to update the list regularly, considering these recs also as my reading library ;) update: some of my fav authors are deactivated on tumblr but i'll try to update link to their ao3/wattpad etc. instead or simply just keep the list just in case they decide to reactivate again :D
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adore-laur · 5 months
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SUNSTRUCK
— a sensual addition to southpaw 🌞
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——
TODOS SANTOS, 1992
Palms slick with saltwater spread atop the surfboard floating in Mexico's turquoise ocean, its waxed surface scorching to the touch as it sparkles underneath the smoldering sun. Heaving himself up with taut and tanned arms, Harry switches out the cool engulfment for a beating heat that strikes his skin just right. Droplets cascade down the toned muscles of his back. Freckles that have come out of hiding dot his face in scattered clusters. The ultraviolet rays of June naturally bleach his tuft baby hairs blond.
He's unequivocally thriving, surrounded by a yellow aura gleaming brilliantly in the daylight.
Lying on his stomach, he manually paddles over to where Sawyer is supine on her pink inflatable raft. With a caramel-colored complexion and slim, silky legs that shimmer from the start of a sun-drenched summer, she resembles a solstitial vision for the ages. She has never looked more relaxed in all the years he's known her for. Her limbs that soak up splashes of Vitamin D are loose and not tense from working stationary hours at her office desk. There's no wrinkled crease of frustration between her eyebrows that needs to be smoothed out, nor is there a troubled frown pulling at her lips that needs to be lifted. She's in her own bubble of iridescent ecstasy.
This hush-hush getaway has rejuvenated their souls. The lush ocean breeze and visually flamboyant architecture lured them like they were a message in a bottle destined for the shoreline. Harry finally has uninterrupted time to spend with Sawyer in private in a nestled town where no one knows his name. Domesticity has already begun blooming in the desert bungalow where they're staying. Whispered confessions of love and gratitude spoken around the rims of coffee mugs. Waking up with her in his snuggly embrace is a luxury he's still getting used to. Kisses followed by wandering hands careen lazy mornings and sleepless nights. Their relationship is flourishing every day, and it feels like paradise.
As Sawyer tans like a sun goddess, Harry grows increasingly bored. The sluggish waves weren't nearly powerful enough to triumphantly catch, so he resorted to catching some rays instead. It didn't pan out too well because now his back is burning, and his girlfriend isn't paying attention to him. It's a deadly combination he needs to fix pronto.
"Sawyer," he says, peskily flicking water at her. "There's a shark behind you."
Opening her pretty brown irises shielded with cat-eye sunglasses, she flips him off and grouses, "You're not funny."
Harry smoothly straddles his surfboard and points past her. "I'm serious. Don't move, okay? I can see its fin circling."
It only takes a single second for her precious face to drop. She timidly shifts her sunglasses to the top of her head and stares at him in terror. "Is there really?" she whispers as if the non-existent shark is eavesdropping on the two lovers. "What do we do, Harry? Oh no, what do we do?"
To not crack a mischievous grin severely tests his might. "I'll grab you and take you to land. Don't worry, baby."
"We can't!" she tells him urgently, her voice rising to a whisper-shout. Thankfully, she doesn't dare turn around to see if they're actually in grave danger. "It'll follow us if we move. We have to be smart about this."
Harry dramatically looks off into the distance like he's in a film playing a determined survivor lost at sea. "If this is the last time we see each other," he declares with faux valor, "I want to die knowing I tried saving you."
Sawyer gawks at his morbid statement. He thought it was romantic. "Are you out of your mind? Don't say things like that!"
There's a slight growl to her tone, and she appears borderline petrified, so he abandons his silly prank. He's close enough to her raft to stretch his body forward and lift her, so he does, but not before humming the menacing Jaws theme and wiggling his fingers in her direction. She looks bewildered as he grips her waist and carefully transfers her to his surfboard. Once she's sat in front of him, he clings to her like a koala on a eucalyptus tree, his perspiring chest pressed flat against her back.
"Hi," he murmurs, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. "There's no shark. I just wanted to be near you."
Sawyer stills, then hastily unwinds his arms from around her. "You're so annoying," she whines, harmlessly slapping his thigh and grabbing her raft so it doesn't drift away.
Harry cups her jaw and tilts her head toward him. "You love me. I annoy the hell out of you, yet you can't get enough of me."
Glancing at his lips, she situates herself in his lap and smiles. "It's true. My sunray makes me happy even when he's a complete ditz."
Harry suddenly doesn't know how to speak, too enraptured by her natural beauty paired with a doe-eyed gaze that melts him like an ice cube on a sizzling driveway. Those brown eyes could get him to do anything she desired. Does she know that? Does she see the influence she has over him? Does she know nothing made sense in his life before he met her?
Unable to express his undying commitment to her without stumbling over his words, he utters a simple and sincere, "I love you."
Sawyer places her hand over his heart. "I know it."
Eventually, the rolling tide brings them back to the shore. The Baja California peninsula's tip possesses powdery sand grains that carry on for miles. This particular beach, Punta Lobos, is a hidden gem, and no tourists infest the area during the week. Rocky bluffs border the water, and the occasional hiker will admire the oceanic view from their advantage point before retreating down the trail behind the cliffs. Other than that, there's no one lurking around and disturbing the peace.
Harry and Sawyer lie side by side, sand sticking to their wet skin as the foamy waves barely reach their toes. Their fingers instinctively interlock, palms smoother due to being immersed in saltwater for hours, and something about it sends a firecracker shooting off in Harry's heart. Sawyer's skin after sunbathing is always gorgeous — golden, silken, and stamped with secret birthmarks only he knows the locations of.
He suddenly feels hot all over. Blazing sunbeams mixed with coursing dopamine are making him antsy. Trying to ignore his straying thoughts only worsens the constriction.
Looking over at his girl, Harry swallows and swipes his thumb across her chin to garner her undivided attention. She squints and beams angelically at him, a sheen of sweat gracing her cheekbones.
"Pretty girl," he says, his knuckles tracing the shape of her jaw. "What's on your mind?"
"I'm thinking about where our next destination should be."
"Nowhere. Let's stay here forever."
Sawyer ruffles his wavy hair. "And do what?"
A thousand scenarios whip around in his brain, and he ends up settling on asking his favorite question. "Wanna make out?"
Her plump lips instantly melt into a blissful smile. She rolls over on top of Harry's body, her syrupy skin adhering to his as she clasps his cheeks with her hands. She grants him his wish, coaxing warm and salty kisses from his mouth. His greedy hands roam the back of her thighs, trailing them up and down her sun-kissed flesh. Her ankles prop up and cross over each other, and she hums into his mouth as their craving kisses deepen. The pendant with his first initial that rests perfectly between her clavicles reminds him she's not going anywhere, as does the ring he gifted her that's settled on her finger, the cool metal neutralizing his flaming body temperature.
The unfortunate cause of their breakaway isn't because their love-filled lungs are deprived of oxygen. It's because, after all, they're on a public beach, and the sound of distant chatter has them pulling apart as quick as a zap of lightning.
Sawyer stands, briskly adjusting her bikini straps and glancing around like what they were doing was a scornful obscenity. She's adorably flustered. On the other hand, Harry sits up and nonchalantly adjusts himself while pinching his swollen bottom lip. He would be lying if he said he hasn't noticed excessive PDA isn't something Sawyer is necessarily comfortable with now that they're dating. She shies away from it, while he's quite the opposite. It's almost impossible to suppress the urge to touch and kiss her like there's no tomorrow, so he doesn't feel awkward about the innocuous disruption.
As he snatches his floral-patterned button-up that he left stranded on the sand and begins putting it back on, he spots his camcorder nearby. He brought it along to capture memories, which so far have mostly been of Sawyer in her feminine element—sunbathing on the poolside lounge chair with a magazine in her lap, curling her eyelashes in the bathroom mirror, dancing and singing to "Venus" by Bananarama on the bungalow sofa. 
She's the center of his universe. The summit of beauty and love.
His gaze flits between the device and Sawyer, who is now red in the face. It's amusing, so he brings the viewfinder up to his eye and presses the record button. He purses his lips to hide his growing smirk as he zooms in on the small group of people strolling to the coastline and then on her rattled reaction. 
It doesn't take long for her to notice. She jogs over to block the lens with her hands, fretting, "Stop it! This is so humiliating."
Harry laughs, lifting the camcorder to a height she can't reach. Sawyer is looking at him unimpressed, her arms crossed, and her head tilted to the side. The people most definitely saw them being handsy and smitten out in the open, but what's there to be sheepish about? Love is meant to be shown to the world.
"Are you embarrassed?" he teases, dragging out the last word.
She raises her eyebrows and nods. A hint of a smile plays at her lips, but it doesn't seem genuine. It appears insistent, one of hidden discomfort. 
Harry isn't a total space cadet, so he takes it as a cue to quit messing around and acknowledge her unspoken signals. He stops recording and drops the camera in the striped beach bag slung over her shoulder. He then tucks his surfboard under his armpit and offers Sawyer his free hand. The energy between them has shifted by a smidge, and he doesn't like it one bit. The grains of sand beneath his soles have somehow turned into eggshells within minutes.
"Ready to leave?" he asks. Sawyer nods again, still ominously silent, as she ignores his hand and fetches her deflating raft. "'Kay. Let's hit the road, then."
They arrive at the rental car, a vintage orange convertible that made his pockets hurt. Sawyer wanted it, and he couldn't refuse her. The hood is up in case of unpredictable weather, so Harry straps and fastens his surfboard to the top while Sawyer hops in the passenger seat, throws her raft in the backseat, and shimmies back into her daisy dukes.
Harry sits behind the steering wheel, his lanky limbs struggling to comfortably fit in the restricted space. The engine rumbles to life when he turns the key in the ignition, and he rolls the windows down before reversing out of the vacant parking lot. He peeks at Sawyer a few times as he merges onto the highway winding along the coast. She's staring at the desert landscape ahead that's saturated with a golden haze from the forthcoming sunset. Cacti and dead brush sizzle under the evening sun. Mountains tower over the feathery clouds. Vultures circle in the sky as roadrunners scurry along the pavement. It's stark scenery but nonetheless transcendent.
None of his surroundings matter, though, when his favorite person to talk to is overtly ignoring him. He tries to convince himself that maybe she's just tired. No, that can't be right. He knows her. She's affectionate when she hits a wall and cuddles up to him sweetly, clinging to his arm like a sloth on its beloved branch.
The truth is that he messed up.
Before he can dwell on every misstep he took in the past ten minutes, an earsplitting BOOM cuts through the atmosphere, followed by a rapid whooshing sound. Harry firmly clutches the wheel as the vehicle suddenly loses equilibrium. Without outwardly panicking, he takes his foot off the gas pedal and lets the car naturally slow down before pulling it off to the side of the road and braking lightly.
"Shit," he hisses under his breath, heart thumping erratically. "Goddamnit. I think one of the tires just blew out."
Poor Sawyer has her eyes pinched shut and a death grip on his bicep. Harry snaps back to reality and kills the engine, listening for any odd sounds. Before he steps out, he gives the top of Sawyer's head a gentle, comforting noogie and murmurs, "It's okay. We're okay."
She shakily gets out with him and leans against the passenger side door, anxiously biting her polished fingernails while Harry perplexedly settles a hand on his hip and assesses the external damage. The front right tire looks like one of the clocks in Salvador Dalí's The Persistence of Memory — sad, melted, and a surreal depiction of an unfavorable outcome.
He looks up and down the highway, finding no signs of any buildings, vehicles, or humans. Something he does see, however, is a broken beer bottle a couple of yards behind where they were driving a mere minute ago. Most of the shards of green glass are scattered along the edge of the road, yet a few stray pieces are lying in just the right place for any vehicle that comes racing down the highway. It's the perfect puncture for a not-so-perfect boyfriend already on thin ice. Karma must have a vendetta against him today, but he won't let it clip his wings. When life gives him lemons, he knows how to make a delectable pitcher of lemonade.
So, Harry does what he's best at: distracting his girlfriend. He can quickly turn this misfortune into something fun and make Sawyer forget about how sour the day has turned.
Swiping his sweaty forehead with his wrist, he huffs and gets to work. He's changed a few tires in his life, so it should be done in no time. First, he takes his shirt off so he doesn't get heatstroke. The humidity outside is brutal, causing sweat to bead by his hairline and on his back. He makes a show of slowly unbuttoning it and slinging the fabric over his shoulder. It's obvious Sawyer's gaze is locked on him. He's willing to admit he possesses vanity over his physicality, and it doesn't help that the girl watching him constantly feeds his ego.
Next, Harry takes his sweet time and saunters to the trunk, where the rental agency told him the spare tire is located. Lifting the trunk and flexing his arms, he opens the well to reveal the tire. There's also a jack and lug wrench that'll come in handy.
After gathering everything, he kneels on the blistering road, loosens the tire's lug nuts with the wrench, and then places the jack under the vehicle's frame. He stretches his arms above his head before using the jack to slightly lift the car off the ground. After removing the lug nuts, he removes the ruined tire, momentarily glancing at Sawyer as he breathes heavily from his body's exertion in the unbearable heat. She's in front of the car now, looking at the sunset that paints elegant splashes of pink and orange across the horizon.
Harry grunts as he tosses the tire aside. Sawyer glances back, and he doesn't miss how her eyes flick down to his abdomen, now slick with a sheen of sweat. 
"Wanna learn how to do this?" he calls out, grunting again when he picks up the pristine spare.
He's given no response as he lines up the holes and pushes the tire into the wheelbase. His biceps flex with soreness, and when he peers up again, Sawyer still looks at him, her eyes communicating something obscure. They have a little stare-down until he can't take it anymore and begins replacing the lug nuts. His jaw is clenched as he works quickly to try to get to the bungalow as soon as possible so they can untangle this yarn of bizarre tension.
Once the tire is secure, the old one is thrown in the trunk, and the tools are all put away. Harry walks over to Sawyer. She's perched herself on the car's hood, picking at her cuticles. Standing in front of her, he places his hands on either side of her thighs, his shoulders taut as he watches her eyes dance over the sky behind him. He kisses the tender spot below her jawbone, tasting and smelling residual coconut tanning lotion left there. Goosebumps rise across the expanse of her neck like a swelling tidal wave, and Harry can't help but bury his face in it and whimper pitifully. He's like a needy puppy when she ignores him, pawing for the tiniest bit of love and attention.
"It's so hot out," he complains before sighing dramatically. "Let's head back."
Sawyer doesn't push him away, which counts as progress. "I want to watch the sun go down," she says, lost in thought. "Who knows the next time we'll be able to on an abandoned desert highway."
He won't argue with that. He doesn't need to nor necessarily want to. If Sawyer wants to soak in the sunset, he'll endure the feverish weather if it makes her happy. Besides, she's right; little precious moments, such as experiencing the sun dip below the horizon, leaving behind a new, wispy portrait of captivating colors each day, are worth pausing life from time to time.
Sealing a kiss on her forehead, Harry hops on the hood and settles beside her. "I'll never learn how to say no to you."
☼ ☼ ☼
Back at the secluded bungalow, an unorthodox band of tension is still waiting to be snapped.
Sawyer has started cooking dinner with the miscellaneous ingredients she purchased from the downtown market yesterday morning. Canola oil is popping and sizzling in a frying pan, and julienned bell peppers of various colors are ready to be sautéed. Harry took a quick shower to wash the ocean and sweat from his sunburnt skin and has since changed into a white long-sleeved button-up tucked into teal trousers. He also has a pair of sunglasses over his eyes to help relieve spending hours in saltwater and squinting under the blinding sun.
Sawyer is in a tight, cropped blue camisole with low-waisted silk pajama pants. Her hair is down, golden beach waves reaching the middle of her back as she maneuvers around the kitchen area. Harry observes her from the dining room table, not quite knowing how to initiate a conversation without stretching the metaphorical elastic too far. Or worse, past the point of no return.
He watches Sawyer tilt the cutting board over the pan so the peppers fall into it. They immediately crackle when introduced to the heat. She then takes a wooden spoon and stirs the vibrant vegetables, turning on the overhead stove fan so the smoke doesn't set any detectors off. She's still ignoring him, entirely focused on one task and pretending there's not an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed before the night concludes. Harry knows if he brings it up, she'll shut it down, say everything is fine, and insist she's not angry. She's a terrible liar, so he'll save that tactic for another argument.
As he stares at the back of her head, he realizes he doesn't like her version of the silent treatment. It's okay if she won't talk to him, but acting like he doesn't exist is ruthless. So, he walks over to her and wraps his arms around her slim waist. She tenses but continues mixing the peppers in silence. 
Okay, that's definitely not the reaction he wanted. Not even an ounce of acknowledgment when he begins kissing her neck, taking his time loving on the beautiful ridges carved there.
"Slow dance with me," he murmurs pleadingly, squeezing her.
"I'm busy right now."
Now, don't get him wrong; he likes her stubbornness. He even finds it incredibly endearing to a degree. But when it's directed toward something he's clueless about, he finds himself having to coax an answer past her adamant walls of defense. Being candid doesn't always end well, so choosing the proper approach is crucial if he wants to crawl out of the hole he's dug himself into.
Harry reaches around her preoccupied figure to flick the stove's heat off. The blue flame vanishes, and the sizzling ceases, causing Sawyer to sigh heavily as she sets the wooden spoon off to the side. She still doesn't turn around, even when Harry moves her thick hair over her left shoulder and starts planting warm kisses further down her skin, slower and more intentionally. She smells like the ocean breeze at the height of summer, sweepingly refreshing and pure. He doesn't know how he went so long without touching her like this.
Light from a dying yet persistent sunset pours through the slanted ceiling window. The nearby radio quietly plays a mariachi song that doesn't fit the fraught mood. Upbeat and punchy, the music is supposed to evoke happiness and camaraderie. It falls short this time, but like before, lemons can always be turned into lemonade.
"Do you know how to Salsa?" Harry pipes up while stepping away, giving her room to breathe.
"How to make salsa?" Sawyer replies distractedly. She's begun garnishing the semi-cooked peppers with fresh oregano.
"No, how to dance the Salsa."
She drizzles more oil into the pan. Her hand hovers over the stove's knob to light the flame again, but she retracts and mutters, "Um, not really."
Harry rolls his sleeves to his elbows and tosses his sunglasses onto the counter. "It's all in the hips, isn't it?"
She glances back at him for a split second before leisurely spinning around and crossing her arms over her chest. "Did you need something?"
"Sí, muñeca."
The almost invisible twitch of her lips doesn't go unnoticed by his attentive nature. "What is it?" she asks impatiently. "I'm trying to make dinner. You know, I've realized you always decide to be a pest when I'm not paying enough attention to you."
Busted. Well, at least she's talking to him now.
Harry begins clapping his hands to the song's rhythm in the background and swinging his hips in a terrible presentation of what's supposed to be salsa dancing. Sawyer arches her eyebrow and blankly stares at his uncoordinated movements. He's making an absolute fool of himself, but honestly, he just wants to see her smile. He'll go to the greatest lengths.
Shuffling closer to her, he caresses her limp hands and tries to get her to loosen up. "Let's dance."
“I'm not in the mood to dance."
He frowns dramatically, widening his feet to be the same height as her. "What's going on right now, hmm? We were having so much fun earlier."
Sawyer slides away from the stove and leans against the adjacent kitchen wall. A psychedelic painting of a gecko in the desert hangs above her. "It's not that hard to figure out," she says, looking everywhere but at him. It stings just a tad.
One of Harry's hands rests flat on the wall beside her, his thumb faintly yet purposefully touching the shell of her ear. He leans in and murmurs, "Are you still upset with me?"
The stubborn girl he knows and loves dearly steadily nods her head. "I'm furious. My body is on fire."
He bites his bottom lip with his front teeth as his piercingly intimidating gaze hungrily travels downward and lands on her exposed stomach. The silver bellybutton ring shining against her golden skin sets him on fire in an entirely different way. She's a delectable feast for the eyes.
Harry doesn't believe that her blood is boiling to the extent of fury, but he'll entertain her flair for dramatics. He says, "I'm sorry for shoving a camcorder in your face when you got embarrassed."
Sawyer gives him a puzzled look. "Huh? Oh, I don't care about that. I'm over it."
"Okay, then tell me why you're so furious." He's being thrown for a loop, and it's making him dizzy.
It's clear she's internally contemplating her response based on how her posture becomes less stiff. After rubbing her arm awkwardly, she says, "Because you're not nice."
Harry blinks slowly. Once, then twice. "What?"
"You were being a jerk by teasing me while fixing the tire."
It takes a while to realize his plan totally backfired. His innocuous teasing wasn't supposed to make her even more mad at him, and now he's stuck in a maze of figuring out exactly what he did wrong. Girls are so complicated!
Unless…
"Is that what this is about?" he asks, his lips quirking in amusement and slow realization. Perhaps the little show he put on for her had the intended effect after all.
Sawyer scoffs. "Stop smiling!"
He grins like a lovesick fool. "I'm not smiling."
"Yes, you are! Your eyes smile before your mouth does." She goes to tuck her stray baby hairs behind her ears, and when she does, Harry traps her fidgeting fingers with his hand still resting beside her head. 
"Yeah?" he goads, his pulse throbbing faster. "When did you notice that about me?"
"I've always noticed it. It's so easy to tell when you're about to smile. Your eyes glimmer, and then you scrunch your nose."
"You like watching me?"
"Cállate. We're not finished with this argument."
"Go on, then."
Sawyer waves her free hand around as incomplete sentences get caught in her throat. "I— you— we can't keep doing this!"
Harry's heart falters at the vagueness of her confession. "What are you saying? Be gentle with me."
She gathers her crumbling composure, then carefully says, "What I mean is... we can't keep fueling this fire if we're not going to do anything about it."
The fire she speaks of has been wildly swirling in his stomach for a long time. He's managed to tame the carnal flames by waiting for Sawyer to declare her desires first since her comfort level is always his top priority. The opportunity has now risen, and he's lucky she has opened up this much so that he can jump in and kickstart the colloquy they've been hesitantly dancing around for months.
"Is this about sex?"
Pink spiderwebs of heat spread across her face. Harry's thumb presses down on the apple of her blushing cheek, her skin delightfully warm. It's nice to know a little fire has also been burning in her stomach. It's just a matter of tending to both of them. Kindle the flames until they roar with lust.
"Sort of," Sawyer mumbles, her eyebrows plunging with an unknown emotion. "Maybe. Yes. I don't know. All I know is that I don't want to tiptoe around it anymore." Her hand reaches out to rest on his neck, her pleading body language igniting the embers again. "Harry, it's killing me. I can't hide it."
He cups the side of her head. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, baby?" His voice has stooped to a deep, gentle rumble that shelters her with compassion.
"I didn't want to rush into things." She drapes her arms over his shoulders and plays with the outgrown curls at the nape of his neck. "I want to take my time with you and soak you in day by day. Take slow sips of your sunshine."
Knees weak, Harry whispers, "Don't. Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"With those eyes, Sawyer. Don't look all innocent when your words are the opposite."
She's completely clueless about how her imploring brown eyes can hold such seductiveness. Amber flecks swim in her irises, which are the color of dark chocolate. Rich. Exquisite. Tempting. Harry wants to break her off between his teeth like peppermint bark and swallow her silky, revivifying sweetness.
The tip of Sawyer's nose trails along his jaw, her lips brushing a path against his hot skin and setting fire to his loins. "I'm just tired of being patient. Does that make sense?"
Harry gives her a slight, truthful nod, then slumps his forehead against hers. "Tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you. There's no need to be shy around me. I'm your boyfriend."
"What if you don't want the same thing? That'd be so embarrassing."
"Sawyer Alejandra, you are so goddamn stubborn. Do you want me to just give it to you straight? Because I will." He takes a deep breath before blurting, "I want to have sex with—"
She clamps her hands over his entirely-too-bold mouth. "Shush!" Pinching her eyes shut, she whines and grumbles, "Forget I said anything. I have to finish cooking dinner."
If there's one thing he knows about Sawyer's personality, it's that the second she feels an ounce of mortification, she immediately backtracks. He'd usually let it slide, but this topic of conversation is a tricky one to simply forget about and move on from like nothing happened.
Harry unwinds her hands from around his neck and keeps them cradled in his grasp. Then, while staring into her devastatingly gorgeous eyes, he says, "This tension between us isn't going to just magically disappear. Either we do something about it, or ignore it. Your choice."
Sawyer swallows thickly. "I want to, so badly. But I'm scared."
"Why?" he asks, trying to open her blooming petals. They're singed with uncertainty.
"It's an incredibly vulnerable act, dufus." She cutely wrinkles her nose.
"And we're incredibly vulnerable lovers, so what's the sitch?"
She brings their conjoined hands up to her lips and kisses his knuckles. Against his skin, she mumbles, "How do we even go about this? I've made it awkward."
He shakes his head in disagreement. "You didn't. Do you trust me to take the reins?"
"Of course."
"Then follow me to the bedroom."
Sawyer points to the stove. "But what about dinner?"
Harry pinches her cheek and starts dragging her down the hallway. "I know just the cure for an appetite."
☼ ☼ ☼
The queen-sized bed has sheer canopy curtains draped around it. They were too lazy to make it this morning, so the sheets are still crumpled, and pillows are strewn about. Sunlight streams through the open bay window, making the room glow a tender hue of honey. 
It's alluring and also equally terrifying.
Harry went into the master bathroom to mentally prepare himself, even though he told Sawyer he was just freshening up. His reflection in the mirror peered back at him pensively. He fixed his hair about ten times, swiped another layer of deodorant across his armpits, and then gave himself a hushed pep talk before swinging the door open and putting on a cool, calm, and collected face.
Yet the butterflies in his stomach currently contradict everything he's trying to convey, especially when he finds his sweet Sawyer sitting against the headboard, the puffy duvet covering her bare breasts. The sun casts light on her stunning face and accentuates her apprehensive features. She's innocently staring at him as if she didn't knowingly climb into bed without any clothes on and sat there patiently waiting for him like the good girl she is.
And... he's hard already. Well, that's one less thing to worry about.
Harry clears his throat and strips down to his boxers, then slides into the space next to her, waiting with bated breath. Neither of them looks at each other, too hesitant to make the first move. They've both had sex with different people before, so it's not like they're blind leading the blind, but now that they're actually in the bedroom, all confidence has apparently flown out the window.
"We could start with, like, kissing or something." So much for saying he'd take the reins. He can't even speak properly right now.
In his peripheral, he sees Sawyer nod hastily. "Sure," she says, quieter than ever.
"Okay. Are you comfortable doing it naked since you're already... naked?" She laughs, and Harry smacks his forehead. "Sorry. God, I'm so nervous. You're making me feel like a teenager all over again."
Silence lingers long enough for him to finally gain the courage to glance at Sawyer. She locks eyes with him, then slowly, almost teasingly, lets the duvet drop and pool around her waist. Harry's mouth goes dry as he takes in skin he's never fully seen before. She's soft, shapely, and undeniably tempting.
Sawyer crawls on her hands and knees until she's straddling his lap. She still has her underwear on, lace boy shorts that hug her hips deliciously well. With blood rushing to his brain (and other places), his reaction is a bit delayed until his hands eventually find their place on her waist. He's breathing deeply, nostrils flaring as he ravenously wonders how she will look naked underneath him, pleasure etched on her face.
"You're divine," Harry whispers while toying with the flimsy hem of her underwear.
"So are you," she replies, rubbing a coquettish hand down his chest. "Hey, let's maybe skip the kissing part? I'm kind of impatient."
"Damn, all right. We're diving straight in?"
She presses her body against his torso and hooks her arms around his neck. "I want to feel you. I've dreamed about it."
A desperate groan sounds in his throat. "You're lying."
"I'm not. Then I'd wake up, and you'd be kissing me like you knew exactly what I needed. And your hands would get so close to where they were in my dream but never close enough."
"Yeah? Where were my hands in your dream?"
Her eyes flutter shut as if she's recalling the fantasy. "Mm... everywhere. Warm and heavy between my thighs. Sliding up my stomach." A lazy, sensual smile creeps onto her lips as she adds, "Around my neck."
Harry is tired of waiting a second longer. He flips her over so he's on top, his silver necklace with the 'S' pendant swinging over her collarbones like a pendulum. "Let me make you feel good. I'll give you the real deal."
Sawyer twists the chain around her pointer finger and tugs him closer. "Please. I want it more than anything."
"Dig your heels into my back," he instructs before shuffling down her body until his head is lined up with her thighs.
She complies, and the pressure on his shoulder blades makes him choke on a moan. Her bent legs effortlessly fall open, granting him access to the single layer of fabric that comes between him and paradise. He stares at her from his position, his hands hooking around her knees. She stares back at him, a vehement fire in her eyes.
"It's all yours."
Her readiness is enough for him to lose his last shred of self-control. He leaves a suckling love bite on her inner thigh, then murmurs, "Lift your hips for me."
She raises the lower half of her body, and Harry slides her underwear off. She assists him when it reaches her ankles by kicking it across the bedroom. He focuses back on the inviting sight before him. A shiver trails down his spine when he takes two of his fingers and circles them around her entrance. She's dripping wet.
Sawyer's jaw goes slack as she scratches her nails across the expanse of Harry's sturdy back. He hisses past his clenched teeth, loving the luxurious burn. Tingling and tantalizing sensations course through his system as he tests the waters, slowly sinking his middle finger past her drenched opening. He vigilantly gazes into Sawyer's eyes the entire time, gauging her expressions for the faintest flicker of pain or unease.
"Talk to me," he says.
"It stings a little, but keep going."
"You're doing so good. So, so good. Tell me if it's too much, okay?"
She nods with a raspy whine, so he adds another finger, then uses his thumb to press against her clit and rub halo shapes onto it. Her thighs tremble and tighten around his head, tiny gasps escaping past her lips. He leaves bruising, biting kisses on her skin as he skillfully works his fingers, which are now soaked with her arousal. Filthy thoughts invade his fuzzy brain, thoughts of dreams he's had himself. Vivid images of doing what he's doing right now, except they'd always be cruelly cut short by the breaking of dawn.
Harry grinds his hips into the mattress, alleviating the ache while his kisses move closer to where his fingers are. Sawyer's panted breaths motivate him to ask: "Do you want my mouth?"
"Yes, please. Eres tan bueno conmigo."
The foreign praise rolling off her tongue enchants him to dive into her sweet, sticky heat. He laps up her wetness like its melted candy, the taste dangerously addictive. He hums insatiably, palms spreading on her lower stomach as he swirls his tongue inside of her. His cheeks are ablaze with sex drive as his eyes train themselves on Sawyer's face. Soft, sensual sounds trickle out of her mouth, fueling the intensity with which he pleasures her.
Pulling away for air, Harry whispers, "I can't get enough of you," before replacing his mouth with his fingers. They slide past her clenching walls so enticingly, so perfectly.
"Harry," Sawyer moans, fisting his hair and tugging at the strands. "I-I'm almost there. It's so strong."
He removes all body contact while sucking his fingers clean, then catapults off the bed to quickly grab a condom before she loses her approaching climax. He sifts through his duffel bag, finding the box he secretly packed in case something happened on this trip. 
Maybe he manifested it. Or perhaps his girlfriend is simply braver than him.
Making his way over to the bed again (tripping on Sawyer's unplugged curling iron in the process), he bounces back on the mattress and hands her the foil package. Her skin is glowing with an angelic radiance, but sinfulness cracks through when she pushes on his chest to get him to lay back. She straddles him and rips open the package with her teeth. The arch of her back, the excitement in her movements, and the slickness of her arousal are all he sees. She has no idea how heavenly she looks.
Sawyer's fingertips walk down his abdomen and brush over his length, which is straining against his boxers. "Can I?" she asks politely, her eyes wondrous.
"Go ahead, sweetheart." Harry cradles her head and brings it down for a fond kiss, her hair tickling his face. "Feeling okay? Not in pain or anything, are you?"
She shakes her head. "No. I feel like I'm floating."
"Same here." He breaks into an aching smile, coming to the realization of how special this moment is. "I love you so much. I'm gonna remember this forever."
"Me too." Sawyer slides his boxers off, their harmonious breathing mixing together. Harry's cock breaks loose and rests against his happy trail, reddened and throbbing. "Woah."
He laughs at her reaction. "Don't act so surprised. It's all your fault, baby."
She blushes and carefully rolls the condom on while Harry stifles moans by biting his knuckles. He won't last very long, but he'll make it worthwhile for her. He'll take his time, just how she likes it. Soak her presence in. Slow sips.
He sits on his knees, then motions for Sawyer to recline and spread her legs. Once she's in position, he settles an arm on either side of her body and hovers over her. He tucks her hair behind her ears and leaves a hungry kiss on her lips. "Ready?"
"Yeah," she exhales. "You?"
"Totally."
"Change my life, sunray."
Grabbing the base of his cock, he lines it up with her entrance. He reminds himself to go slow as his tip sinks into her, and he keeps it there as he watches Sawyer's face. Her shiny lips are parted, eyebrows pushed together. Her legs squeeze him while her hands hold onto his biceps. The muscles of her cheekbones twitch. God, she's an angel.
"I've got you," Harry says, a thrilling knot forming in the pit of his stomach. "Fuck, you were made for me."
He sinks further into her wet warmth, one hand grasping her leg to bend it more. She's tight, yet he's able to fit himself all the way in. Gasps leave both of their mouths at the feeling of him bottoming out, and it's like everything is moving in slow motion, the golden haze in the room adding to the delicacy of the moment.
"Mierda. Oh my God, Harry. Oh my..." Her fragile voice, leaking with whispery weeps, shatters his poise as he begins thrusting in and out. Sawyer's limbs become weak, her feet slipping down to the dip of his spine. It's all hot breath and swallowing each other's noises with sloppy kisses. Being inside her is a level of intimacy that electrifies every part of his soul. It's unfamiliar territory that binds him closer to the girl he wants forever. The orange flames they stepped around for years are now a cool, sapphire-blue.
Their hips reconnect with each thrust, a beautiful sound fused with their satisfied moans. Harry's pendant sways forward, his neck straining. Sawyer's nails pierce crescent moons onto his back, followed by more scratches that make him shudder.
"Goddamn," he chokes out, his cheek pressed against hers. "You feel stellar. I'm close. Give me... Christ, give me something to dream about."
"I'm there," she says. "I love you. I can't hold it any longer."
"Let it go, Sawyer. C'mon."
Arching her back off the mattress, she orgasms with a cry of release, and the vision of her has Harry immediately spilling out into the condom. It's powerful, otherworldly, and absolutely life-changing. He pulls out and lays on top of her, embracing her in a hold of overwhelming adoration as he whimpers into the pillow beside her head. They both melt into each other, sweaty and happy, coming down from their individual climaxes.
Every minute that passes, the room grows darker due to the moon painting the sky black with stars. Only the wind and their breathing fill the space, cool and heated gusts reciprocating. Harry can feel Sawyer's lips against his temple, curving up with a smile every so often. He's got a permanent smile as his fatigued gaze stares at the ring on her finger. He feels like sunshine is bursting from his pores and serotonin is being absorbed.
Sawyer is the first to move. She uses her remaining strength to get up and tightly wrap the sheets around her naked body before stepping out onto the balcony. With the door open, he can see the full moon illuminate the expanse of the flat desert, cacti and palm trees looming as far as the eye can see. The lack of humidity at night causes a balmy breeze to encircle her body, whipping her tousled hair.
"Can I tell you a secret now that we've had sex?" Harry asks from his place on the bed. His voice is sore and hoarse.
Sawyer turns around and bites her lip with a giddy grin. "Shoot."
He disposes of his condom, then puts his boxers back on and joins her, not caring about the chilliness. He still feels warm inside and out. "Do you remember our phone call last September when I was in South Carolina with a broken wrist?"
A flash of remembrance crosses her moonlit face. "Yeah. I was so worried about you."
He cradles her cheeks and pertly kisses her nose. "You took such good care of me when I got back."
It's the absolute truth. All the tagalongs to physical therapy, icing his wrist while cuddled on the couch, being a shoulder to cry on when he got frustrated—he couldn't have done it without her.
"I hated seeing you in pain," she says, looping her arms around his torso. "It hurt my heart."
"Never mind that." He inhales deeply and pushes forth his confession. "You... when you said you missed me during that call, a feeling came over me. Something in your voice made me weak. And something happened to me that had never happened before. I don't even know why I'm telling you—"
"Spit it out, Harry."
His head tilts back as far as it can go. "Fuck's sake. I got hard, Sawyer. Your voice made me hard."
Her mouth hangs wide open. A well-timed gust of wind passes like an awkward moment in a cartoon. "Um, wow. I'm not really sure how to respond to that."
"You don't have to say anything. Just thought you should know now that we've done the deed."
Sawyer giggles, hiding her face in the space between his pecs. "First off, please don't call it that." She looks at him and continues, "Secondly, you thought I should know that you got hard in South Carolina?"
He starts laughing too. It's contagious around her. "I should also probably tell you that I jerked it out in a crummy Holiday Inn shower. It was quite pathetic and sad."
She sputters out a boisterous cackle that echoes across the barren desert. Harry's cheeks flush instantaneously. "I appreciate your honesty."
"On a more serious note," Harry starts, gripping the balcony railing with one hand, the other on her hip, "I appreciate how you forced a confession out of me the next day. Don't know if I've ever told you that."
Her expression turns sorrowful. "I didn't mean to pressure you. It had been building up inside me for so long, and you looked so beautiful that night. My heart spoke for me and—"
Harry cups her jaw and kisses her unexpectedly, making her squeak. It reminds him of that night in the rain when his blue raspberry lips collided with hers for the first time. He pulls away slowly, fitting his nose over her own and swaying her slightly. "You did everything right. I was a coward who was frightened of rejection. The thought of ruining what we already had was nauseating."
"You thought I would've rejected you?"
"I never really know what you're thinking. That pretty brain of yours holds so many secrets."
Sawyer steals a ripe kiss. "Can I tell you one right now?"
"Always."
She kisses him again before saying, "I see forever with you. I want to wake up in your arms every day. I want to laugh with you until our sides ache. I want to kiss you until I get dizzy."
"Sawyer," Harry whispers, his eyes softening.
"I mean it. No one will ever make me feel this type of love again."
"I feel the same. You're all I need."
"Te quiero. Mi alma es tuya."
He nips her neck, slow and tender. "If you keep speaking Spanish to me, we're not getting any sleep tonight."
"Sí? Quieres más rasguños en la espalda?"
"Gonna tell me what that means?"
She gracefully traces the tattoo on his abdomen and says, "I can show you instead."
Harry's stomach suddenly grumbles with hunger, ruining the intimate moment. He peers at the twinkling sky above and laughs at the inconvenient interruption. "I would love that, but I'm absolutely starving right now. We skipped dinner."
"There's cold peppers on the stove."
"Delicious," he says sarcastically, shifting his gaze to her again. A few seconds pass before something he wants to mention pops into his thoughts. "Hey, did you know this month marks five years since we first met?"
Sawyer gapes at him, genuinely surprised. "No way. Five years?"
"Crazy, right? Five years since you almost gave me a concussion."
"I still feel terrible about that," she admits with a pout.
Harry remembers everything about that day, even when his brain got jolted by a killer volleyball serve by the prettiest girl on Cocoa Beach. Her brown eyes up close, holding gentle concern for a stranger. That sassy hand on her hip thing she still does today. Clementine fabric against caramel skin. Orange juice in a bottle. Summerboy.
"But if that never happened," he says quietly, "then we might've never spoken to each other."
Her dreamy hum tells him she's musing about it too. "That's true. Isn't it mind-blowing how the tiniest of decisions can affect the entire course of your life? I like to think that every past choice of mine led me to you."
He admires the way her voice gets wispy when her mind wanders. "Word. Does post-sex make you all philosophical and shit?"
She shrugs. "Maybe."
"Cool." Harry backs away while holding her hands until their fingers eventually slip from each other's grasp. "Well, while you brood about Plato's teachings, I'm going to snack on your world-famous half-cooked peppers."
"Have fun with that."
"I will. Love you." Halfway through the doorway, he suddenly stops and rushes forward, giving her a suffocating hug, his lungs breathing everything about her. "All jokes aside," he murmurs, "I also believe everything I did brought me to you. And it just makes sense to be in love with you. Okay, bye."
He's off and running toward the kitchen before she can say anything else, not even the shadows of night on the floor being able to darken the natural luminescence he leaves behind.
——
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misspoetree · 1 year
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The fact that I have to go on and be in the office and pretend to be a normal person on a regular old Wednesday.
The fact that I have to pretend that I didn't just get hit by a truck called chapter 7 of Five-Star Southpaw.
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kitkatpancakestack · 4 months
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K my beloved!!! 7, 10, & 17 please 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Kj <333
7. line from a fic that's haunted you?
Oh I have soooo many screenshots of fic quotes but one I remember from this year bc I'm like yeah yep me rn fr is from like lightning to the abyss by @evcndiaz :
Time.
There is, always, an entire lifetime buried within those four letters. Somehow, he and Derek always seemed to miss each other in the space between seconds, the held breath before the minute hand ticks, even when they were standing right in front of each other with hands outstretched and arms open wide.
Whoowee!!!!
10. A fic that made you laugh?
I don't read much 9-1-1 fic anymore (perhaps that will change!!) But I DO religiously reread @henswilsons LAFD updates man when I need a good laugh it's priceless like if you haven't read it what r u doing
17. A fic that felt like a warm blanket?
One of my faveeee series is southpaw (tw/sterek) by @elisela I had a minor stroke earlier this year when I saw it updated it's such a comfort read, im sure half the hits belong to me
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theanticool · 7 months
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Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko fight to a split draw. Grasso retains!
First off, what a tremendous fight. Grasso and Shevchenko were forced to their absolute limits and put on a tremendous show.
Secondly, I would be cool with a decision either way but the one judge that scored the 5th round a 10-8 is legit crazy. Grasso spent the first half of that round getting flustered by the jab.
Now for the fight. First round went to Val as she got her offense going quickly. Grasso came out orthodox and that was all Val needed to feel comfortable being aggressive. Found success blitzing with the short combos and landed a hard as hell body kick to Grasso from open guard. Grasso went southpaw and immediately started having more success. But a takedown slows the fight down and lets Shevchenko take the early lead on rounds.
Grasso did a good job of stuffing the takedowns in the early part of round 2 as she got back to the pocket behind her jab. She was forcing Val to exchange in the pocket and ended up dropping Shevchenko on a MEAN right hook. Val got up but in her haste to finish Grasso got taken down. But she proceeded to outwork Shevchenko from the bottom. Landed some shots on her back as Val struggled to gather herself after getting hurt. Then Grasso landed a nice upkick that really hurt. Grasso round.
Val was on point in the 3rd. Got the jab working. Got on top and almost submitted Grasso with a guillotine. I think this is also the round where she almost got a RNC. I believe this is also the round Val opened up Grasso with a nice elbow along the fence.
Fourth round started off strong for Val. Finally completely adjusted to southpaw and landing with a nice stiff jab as Grasso was too concerned with the takedown to come forward to often. Shevchenko eventually does shoot but gets stuffed and Grasso uses that opportunity to knee her head like 6-7 times. Hard. Then she pinned Shevchenko to the cage and landed a series of hard left hands. Shevchenko gave up her back and Grasso tried to hop it for the RNC but got shaken off the top and Val spent most of the rest of the round chilling in top position.
Crazy fifth round as Shevchenko comes out again, jabbing at Grasso. Grasso is so scared of the takedown that she's just chilling at the end of range trying to figure out what to do to get to the pocket. They eventually do tie up and Val goes for a head and arm choke. She falls down and Grasso gets to her back. From there Grasso took her back and just starting going HAM. GnP to Val as Val turtles up. She tries to lock up another RNC but Val manages to defend and the fight ends with Grasso going for a neck crank.
Again, you could make a decent argument for either fighter winning this. I don't think there's an argument for a 10-8. Poor Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield are probably not getting a title fight. Likely going to have to fight one another.
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a-3racha-household · 1 year
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One.
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The following works will be sorted by alphabetical order of their authors and/or blogs they were originally posted from. 
Please be aware that some works may contain content that may be triggering and/or nsfw, reader discretion is advised. Minors please do not interact with works labeled 18+ nor works containing content that is labeled 18+. 
Happy reading.
Clarification of how the description section is formatted/structured: {Genre, Idol’s profession or other details, Reader or OC’s profession or other details, Relationship type if mentioned, any other details contributing majorly to the plot}
Series, complete: o
Series, incomplete: ပ
It’s been brought to my attention that some authors and readers are not comfortable with works involving yandere content. I will be separating all yandere content to different posts. I’m very sorry to have made anyone uncomfortable and apologize deeply for not considering this before posting.
@amethystwritesbts:  
The Wait | JJK | [pining over reader]
@aquagustd​:
 Hell Is Empty | KTH, JJK | {Love Triangle, CEO, Mafia, Single Parent}
@bangtanstanst​:
  Double Trouble | JJK, CY | {Poly, F2L}
@bishuthot​:
  Hidden | JJK | {Hybrid, S2L}
@boulevardk​:
  Summer Solstice | JJK | {Mythology, God}
@bratkook​:
  Deep Six | JJK | {Biker,Series o}
Queen Of Broken Hearts | JJK | {Fuck Girl, Series o)
Rough Hands | JJK | {F/E2L}
Tempo | JJK | {Drummer}
@carameloveskook​: 
You Know Better Than That | JJK | {F2L, Basketball Player, Nerd}
@dayinseoul​: 
An Honest Lie | JJK | {College, F2L, Fake Dating} 
@gimmesumsuga:
Concealed Weapon | JJK | {Established Relationship, Married}
@gukslut:
Rattled | JJK | {Single Dad, Neighbor, E2L, F2L}
@gukyi:
Do You Want Me (Dead)? | JJK | {E2L, Hogwarts)
The Millionaire And His Lover | JJK | {F2L, Fake Dating, CEO}
The Wedding Planners | JJK | {E2L}
@hansolmates:
The Proposal | JJK | {Boss, Proposal, Fake Dating, E2F, F2L} 
@hollyhomburg:
Love Starved | JJK, OT7 | {Headcanon/Drabble}
@inkedtae:
Crema | JJK | {Brothers Best Friend, Curvy}
Eros | JJK | {Greek God}
@jigglyjeon:
Cake | JJK | {F2L} 
Stagnant | JJK | {Hybrid}
@jjungkookislife:
Mr. Jeon | JJK | {Chauffer,  CEO, Series o}
@jungk0oksthighs:
Over The Odds  | JJK | {Sugar DDY, S2L} (there’s a sequel y’all and it’s incredible)
@jungshookz:
lifeguard hours | JJK | {Lifeguard, Drabble/Headcanon}
@junqkook:
Not Quite Lovers | JJK | {Assistant, CEO,}
@kimnjss:
Banana Milk | JJK | {S2L}
Having It All | JJK, PJM, MYG | {Established Relationship, Poly}
Secret Crime | JJK | {College, FWB2L}
Strawberry Kisses | JJK | {Social Media, Rapper, Photographer, Brother’s Best Friend, Series o}
@kinktae:
Bitchin’ | JJK | {1980s, College, E2L}
Knot Today | JJK | {Werewolf, Alpha, Omega, F2L, Roommates}
@kkookies:
Silk | KTH, JJK | {Love Triangle, Series}
@kookiecrumb:
Burn | JJK | {Firefighter}
Needy | JJK | {Hybrid, Alpha, Omega}
@kookiesjoonies:
Terrible Idea | JJK | {Established Relationship}
@kookiestarlight:
My Lucky Stars | JJK | {Established Relationship, Parents}
@kpopfanfictrash:
Friendly Fire | JHS, JJK | {College, F2L}
The Art Of War More | JJK | {College, E2L}
@lemonjoonah:
Shoulder On Which You Cry | JJK, KNJ, MYG | {F2L}
@Masterninjacow
Rivers Over Stones | JJK | {E2L, Roommates, God Parents}
@nochueso:
Rich People Shit | JJK | {Rich Kid, College, S2L}
@pasteljeon:
Shadows | JJK | {Venom}
@personasintro:
Bloody Hell | JJK | {Established Relationship}
@Plummiechim
Soft Alpha | JJK | {Halloween, Werewolf}
@pradaksj:
Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored | JJK | {1920s, Singer}
@praisemyrelijin-blog
Benevolent | JJK | {Venom, Series}
@rosedtae:
Home | JJK | {Fluff, Short Fic}  
@smaubts
Soulmates | JJK | {Social Media, Soulmates, S2L, Series}
@starshapedkookie:
Falling | JJK | {Soulmate, College, Photographer}
Southpaw | JJK | {F2L, College, Childhood Friends, Boxer}
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elliehopaunt · 6 months
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By Matt Grobar
EXCLUSIVE: Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Timothy V. Murphy (Appaloosa) and Bruce Greenwood (The Fall of the House of Usher) have boarded The Fabulous Four, a new comedy from Bleecker Street, which has entered production in Georgia under an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA.
The actors join an ensemble that also includes Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, and Megan Mullally, as previously announced. Ralph takes over the role of Sissy Spacek, who was attached as of last fall but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Bleecker Street nabbed North American rights to the pic last October and will release the film in U.S. theaters in 2024. UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance arranged the financing and brokered the deal for U.S. rights, with Sierra/Affinity repping international sales.
Written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, the Cannes prize-winner best known for her Kate Winslet pic The Dressmaker, the film follows three life-long friends (Sarandon, Mullally, and Ralph) who travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there are enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected.
Richard Barton Lewis’ Southpaw Entertainment is producing alongside Lauren Hantz of Hantz Motion Pictures.
An icon of stage and screen, Ralph has won an Emmy and numerous other accolades for her portrayal of kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary, the ABC mockumentary that has emerged as one the most popular scripted series on linear. The show, created by and starring Quinta Brunson, was renewed for a third season in January but only recently returned to the writers’ room, following the conclusion of the WGA strike. Otherwise perhaps best known for her Tony-nominated turn as Deena Jones in Broadway’s Dreamgirls, Ralph has also been seen in Mistress with Robert de Niro, To Sleep with Anger with Danny Glover, The Distinguished Gentlemen with Eddie Murphy, and Sister Act 2 with Whoopi Goldberg, along with such series as Moesha and Ray Donovan.
Most recently recurring on Law & Order: Organized Crime and ABC’s The Company You Keep, Murphy previously reprised his role in Uni’s comedy MacGruber on the same-name Peacock series. Other recent credits for the actor on the TV side include S.W.A.T., Snowpiercer, Westworld, and True Detective, to name just a few. Additional feature credits include In Full Bloom, The Lone Ranger, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
Greenwood puts in a stellar turn as Fortunato Pharmaceuticals CEO Roderick Usher in Netflix’s Edgar Allen Poe-inspired miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher from Mike Flanagan, which bowed on the platform earlier this month. He also recently starred in the Fox medical drama The Resident, which ran for six seasons, and will soon appear in fantasy pic The Invisibles with Tim Blake Nelson and Gretchen Mol, among other projects.
At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, Bleecker Street nabbed U.S. rights to James Hawes’ One Life, starring Anthony Hopkins, and the starry British comedy Fackham Hall, which goes into production next year. The company also locked down UK rights, alongside Elysian Film Group and Anonymous Content, to Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. Upcoming releases include the Meg Ryan-helmed rom-com What Happens Later, coming to theaters November 3, which she leads with David Duchovny, and Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s Waitress: The Musical, out December 7 with Fathom Events.
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devilcat3d · 6 months
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fuck marry kill
emily kaldwin dishonored 2
the doll bloodborne
southpaw fortnite
this is an insanely hard one im stuck between marry on emily and southpaw so they could go either way but i would....
marry southpaw (tentatively)
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this is one of my favorite fortnite skins hence why it was in the ask. i prefer the white color scheme personally. the reason id marry her is mostly because it is also my gfs favorite fortnite skin and also because it reminds me of her. i think i would get along so well with her just like i do with my girlfriend so shes an easy marry. and she is handy with robotics which is hot. plus look at her, shes very pretty and has fucking robot arms. her hands are bound up as well and she is gagged and she fights in an arena she is the whole package she's also capable of doing emotes to express her thoughts which is very funny
i would fuck emily kaldwin (can i just marry both of them??)
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i fucking love dishonored and it is one of my favorite game series ever so emily from the second game is really special to me. the reason i put her in fuck and not marry is purely because i know id get along with southpaw. idk if me and emily would hit it off that well but tbh id kill to spend at least a night with her. i love her design and like id love to have sex with her in the middle of the night while shes in her assassin clothes i think thatd go so hard. i want to marry her too but i honestly don't think shed have enough time for me. but i do like her a lot
id kill the doll (crying)
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i love bloodborne one of the best games ever and the doll is so fucking cool and cute and sweet. but i think shed be a little too boring personality wise for me to want to marry her. and shed be an interesting fuck (i think shed be very robot core as a sex experience) but i just prefer the personality the other two offer more so therefore i sadly have to kill her 😔
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