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nikki-writes-stuff · 1 year

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Beauty In the Blood - Part 6

Summary: One day your friend convinces you to join a dating website that matches people based on their search histories, and when you match with Loki Odinson, a handsome, intelligent coroner who’s a fan of your murder mysteries, you’re absolutely thrilled. But there’s something off about Loki, and as your relationship progresses, you discover that his dark side is even darker than you could ever have imagined…

Pairing: Serial Killer!Loki x Writer!Reader

Read part 5 here!

A/N: I’m really sorry for how long this update took. Life has been crazy and I’ve been crazier, but I did my best! Please let me know if you’re still enjoying the story. :) And thank you, truly, to anyone still interested in my writing! It means a lot more than y’all realize. :) (Also, WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SMUT!)

Moving was never easy, especially in a city like New York. When you’d first moved into your quaint little brownstone, you’d hired a team of movers for this very reason, but even then, you hadn’t been able to escape the ordeal without a massive headache and a stubbed toe from a dropped box full of books.

So it shouldn’t have been such a surprise to see your partner in his current state – dressed the most casually you’d ever seen him, sweating through his simple white t-shirt, breathing heavily as he lugged box after box into his home with his hair pulled back in a man bun that he’d given you a death-glare for giggling at.

“I didn’t take you for such a hipster,” you’d joked, laughter only growing louder when Loki levelled you with a stare as cold as ice.

“If I catch you taking any photos of my current hair style,” he’d grumbled, “I’ll not only steal your phone but leave you to move all of this in by yourself.”

You’d felt your face heat up, knowing that a candid photo from that morning was already saved to your phone’s gallery and hoping he wouldn’t ever find it. With a smile, you’d leaned up to peck his cheek before grabbing one of the last boxes left.

“I would never take your picture in such a state of vulnerability.”

“Oh, come now, love. You know I can always tell when I’m being lied to.”

Despite the tedium of moving box after box into your new home, though, you were able to finish things up fairly quickly. You’d already stored your biggest items of furniture in a storage unit not too far away, so once the boxes were all inside and delegated to the rooms their contents would be going in, you found yourself sitting on the kitchen floor with Loki by early afternoon, enjoying the cool tile beneath you as you sipped tall glasses of ice water.

“Well,” he finally smiled, setting his empty glass on the counter behind him, “I suppose now I can officially welcome you home.”

You paused mid-sip, suddenly realizing that you were, in fact, home now. Looking around, you took in the space that you’d be sharing with the man who’d entered your life so unexpectedly, feeling a mix of apprehension and excitement that you’d since become familiar with. When you’d told your friends and family that you’d be moving in with Loki, you hadn’t been surprised by the warnings you’d received.

You knew it was fast; you’d agreed to move in with Loki just two months ago, making it only half a year since having first met him. But none of them could understand – you had never felt this way with anyone before, and after looking for so long, you didn’t want to waste any time sharing your life with him. And, miraculously, he felt the same way. You’d never once had doubts that you were the only one between the two of you to feel so strongly, and while you knew there would be arguments and stressors that every relationship would encounter at some point, you had complete trust in Loki. The two of you would work it out, no matter what came up.

“I know that look,” you suddenly heard from beside you, and you jolted upon realizing you’d been staring into space for the last several moments. Loki had scooted closer to you on the floor, and you gave him a small smile as his eyes searched your features.

“You’re not having second thoughts, now, are you love?”

“No,” you were quick to reassure him. His eyebrows were furrowed, a line forming between them as he considered you, and you leaned in to press a kiss to his lips.

“I promise,” you sighed, setting your hand on his. “I’m right where I want to be. But it’s still so fast, you know? Six months ago I sincerely thought that I’d never find someone I wanted to be with. And now, here I am.”

“Here you are,” he echoed.

A pale hand reached out to grab yours, entwining your fingers as he leaned forward for a kiss deeper than the last. Shivers ran up your spine as you felt a cool tongue glide over your lower lip, and you opened up to him readily, drinking in his kiss eagerly as you pressed yourself against him.

It wasn’t long before you found yourself laid out on your back, skin naked and chilled against the floor as Loki’s tongue found another home between your legs. Fingers clenched in his hair, head thrown back in pleasure, you ground your hips upwards, the entire house filling with your moans and cries as you got closer and closer to your peak.

Until he pulled away, lips glistening with your juices, leaving you right on the precipice. A loud groan escaped your chest, frustration making you clench your teeth as your orgasm evaded you. Looking down, you saw Loki smirking as he watched your chest heave with gasping breaths; you knew he loved teasing you.

Ever since that first night together, it was like Loki had made it his personal mission to know your body inside out. It hadn’t taken him long, either, to be able to read you just like the books you wrote. He knew what it meant when your thighs clenched together, could hear how close you were in every breathy sigh you released. And he used that knowledge against you at every chance he got.

He would make you cum – he always made you cum – but he took his time getting there, especially when all you wanted was that sweet, blissful release you knew only he could give you. And most days, you would play right along, begging him the way you knew he liked, pleading with your words and eyes for his cock, his fingers, his tongue – anything that could give you what you wanted.

But for some reason, today was different. Maybe it was the exhaustion from moving, maybe it was from residual agitation from thinking about the doubts your loved ones had had about your relationship. But whatever the reason, the part of you that always submitted to him was replaced by the same part that had gripped his throat and rode his cock the very first time you had sex.

When you saw him smirking from between your legs, you moved quicker than your thoughts could, hands pressing at Loki’s shoulders until he fell backwards on the floor. Straddling him, your lips twisted upwards at the surprised expression on his face as you crawled up his body.

“No, Loki,” you purred, knees bracketing his chest as it began to rise and fall faster. “You’re gonna give me what I want today.”

His eyes narrowed immediately, studying you with a calculating stare that would have made you immediately stop and question what you were doing were it not for how his posture slowly began to relax. Laying back flat, he arched an eyebrow and set his hands on your thighs, wrapping his fingers around them to tug you closer by the back of your knees.

“Is that so, darling?” He licked his lips, eyes trailing up and down your naked form as you shifted your weight to come closer. “And just how do you plan to do that?”

With a grin, you grabbed his hair and tilted his head back, admiring his handsome features for a second before speaking.

“I’m going to ride that mouth so you can’t take it away from me again,” you purred, and god, did that elicit a reaction you weren’t expecting.

His pupils dilated as soon as you spoke those words, and with a growl he lunged upwards, greedily lapping once again at your pussy, focusing directly on your clit. You let out a surprised cry as your hips stuttered forwards, pressing down so he wouldn’t have to lean up as his tongue traced patterns against your bud that had your thoughts turning into white noise.

Gripping the lip of the counter behind him, you rocked your hips and closed your eyes, moaning his name over and over as you quickly reached that peak once again.

“Right there, right there- fuck, Loki, yes, yes, yes-!”

Your orgasm took you off guard, washing over you from head to toe as you screamed his name one last time, hips slowing gradually. His tongue, though, was still insistent as it moved against you, making the muscles in your legs jump as you tried to pull away.

“Oh, no. I don’t think so, love.”

You heard a growl from beneath you before the entire world was spinning, and you found yourself pushed down onto all fours as Loki positioned your knees apart, pressing down between your shoulder blades until you were resting your weight on your elbows.

“You wanted my mouth, and now you’re doing to get it.”

Holding your hips firmly in place, you glanced over your shoulder to watch as he leaned in again, making you jolt and try to press your thighs together as his tongue once more assaulted your sensitive clit. With a high-pitched wail, you grit your teeth and squirmed, the pleasure both intoxicating and too much all at once. You couldn’t decide if you wanted to pull away or press back against him, though you weren’t left with much of a choice with the way his hands were gripping your hips hard enough to leave bruises.

It didn’t take long, though, before your overstimulated mewls became moans of pleasure once more, feeling another wave about to crest as he teased your cunt relentlessly. When two long fingers were abruptly pushed inside of your drenched pussy, you clamped around them tightly, rocking your hips back once, twice, before your body stiffened again. You felt your toes curl and your back arch as you came again, biting the back of your hand to muffle the scream that you let out.

“That’s it,” Loki cooed, finally relenting with his tongue but keeping his fingers inside of you. “My girl wanted to be greedy, didn’t she? But what was that old saying about getting exactly what you wish for?”

You didn’t have the presence of mind to answer him, and you heard a tsk before a hand came down hard against your ass. He spanked your other cheek for good measure, and a whimper escaped you as you glanced over your shoulder at him.

The look in Loki’s eyes was absolutely feral as he met your gaze, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he rose up onto his knees. As he unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock out, you realized for the first time that you were the only one between the two of you that was naked, and another hot wave of lust came over you at the thought.

“As much as I adore those brave little moments where you take what you want, love,” he murmured, leaning down to plant a kiss to your spine, “I need you to know, at the end of the day, that you’re mine.”

At that, he gripped his shaft and guided his cock into your cunt, both of you letting out a groan at the sensation. Even after cumming twice, your pussy gripped him tightly, almost like it was trying to pull him in. Never once had Loki felt so much pleasure while having sex; never once had he felt such a possessive need to claim and mark and own before, but he’d learned a while ago that there was no comparing you to any past partner or experience he’d ever had.

Setting out with a fast pace, he squeezed your hip in one hand and used the other to wrap around your throat, pulling until you were up on your knees, back pressed to his front as he desperately sank into your wet heat over and over again. You cried out when you felt teeth biting into your shoulder, but the pain mixed with the pleasure in an addictive way that you couldn’t get enough of. Loki was typically respectful of where he left marks on you, keeping them in places where they could be easily covered up, but now you felt his lips getting closer and closer to your neck, leaving a purple trail of hickeys across your collarbone that you were already proud of.

You knew he was getting close when he moved his hand from your throat to your clit, tracing tight, fast circles until your head spun, leaning back against his shoulder as your third orgasm rose up.

“Are you going to cum again, greedy little thing?” His voice was a breathless purr against your ear, and you whined, only able to nod in response. “Good girl; cum again for me. And scream my name to let the neighbors know who you belong to.”

Your eyes rolled back into your head as you wailed his name, repeating it over and over with every surge of pleasure you felt as your orgasm left you boneless and limp in his grip. It didn’t take long for him to follow, stilling inside of you as his cum filled your pussy. You were grateful for your birth control as your head lolled back against his shoulder, enjoying the claiming warmth of his seed as it spread inside of you, a smile coming to your lips when he pressed a kiss to your cheek.

Both of his arms came up to hold you against him, pulling out slowly before leaning back against the cabinets behind his back. You laid with him, not caring that you were naked and leaking cum out onto the kitchen floor. There would be plenty of time to clean up later. For now, you looked up to find blue eyes already studying you, and your chest ached with how much you loved him in that moment.

His thoughts must have been straying in a similar direction, because when he kissed you, it was slow, and languid, and you could swear you felt him pouring all his love for you into it. You were both smiling when you parted, and you just sat there enjoying the quiet, intimate moment until Loki broke the silence.

“I suppose we can count the kitchen as christened, then.”

Your giggles turned into a surprised gasp when he suddenly stood up, carrying you with him bridal style as he turned towards the stairs.

“Next up, I think, is the shower.”

____________________

Humans are remarkably adaptable creatures, but it still surprised you how quickly you settled into living with Loki. On his work days, he would leave early to go to the gym first, always leaving you with a kiss and a promise to text you when he got to the hospital. You would spend your days either working on the edits to your newest novel or unpacking your boxes, though that task was completed after the first week of being there.

Lovecraft was a surprisingly sweet little companion. Loki had been afraid it would take her some time to get used to sharing him, but she seemed to enjoy your company. She still didn’t want to sit in your lap and cuddle like she did with Loki, but she would twine around your ankles as you typed at your computer, letting you pet her and lending a listening ear when you needed to talk out what you were working on.

The only thing that you missed about your old home was your office. Loki had offered to convert his spare bedroom into one for you, but you’d felt bad at the thought of Thor having to get a hotel when he came by to visit. You’d asked about maybe setting up an office in Loki’s basement, but he’d quickly waved off the idea, saying that it was too cluttered with storage to be feasible. You’d thought it odd at first, considering that all you would need to do was some rearranging to make space for a desk and office chair down there, but after spending just a few minutes in the room and finding the cold, dark space even creepier than the morgue your partner worked in, you’d agreed and set up your computer on the dining room table instead.

You didn’t want to seem spoiled, and lots of people could only ever dream of getting to be a full-time writer, so you swore up and down that you didn’t miss your office and that you were perfectly fine with your current setup, thank you very much. And you did get used to it after just a few days, continuing to make great progress with your novel at a personal record-breaking pace.

Only a month into your new life living with Loki, you found yourself meeting with your publisher to see the first rough-draft, bound copy of your book, finally tangible and printed out in paper-back. It wasn’t the final edition; there were still small grammatical errors and the cover art to sort out, but it would at least show a rough idea of what the final product would be. Several of the rough copies would be shipped out to various authors, literary magazines, and bookstore owners to get feedback on the story and to gather some complimentary quotes for the back of the final cover, but for once, you didn’t find yourself nervous about the feedback that would be coming your way from other professionals.

No, as you walked up to your new home, palms growing sweaty as they held your book to your chest, you were only nervous about your biggest fan’s thoughts as you quietly unlocked your front door. You hadn’t told him that you were getting the advanced copy today, and since it was one of his rare days off during the week, you’d wanted to surprise him with it, knowing he’d immediately want to drop everything he had planned for the evening to devour your words. He’d been trying to sneak glances over your shoulder as you wrote for months, intensely curious about the story of Olivia the killer coroner, growing as impatient as any of your other dedicated readers to see what your story held.

And now, as you crept silently through your house to find and surprise him, you could only hope his wait would be worth it. But, as you made your way from the first floor to the second, your nervous smile was quickly replaced by a frown. He was nowhere to be seen – the first floor was completely empty, save for Lovecraft as she snoozed in Loki’s favorite armchair. And the second floor was similarly vacant.

“Loki?” you called out, knocking on the guest bedroom door before opening it to find…nothing.

There was one last place to look – the basement. As much as you didn’t particularly enjoy the room, you knew there was nothing to actually be afraid of down there. And so you held your head high as you climbed down the stairs, quickly flicking on the overhead fluorescent lights as you stepped into the cold concrete space.

…and promptly found nothing. Not a single black hair to be seen. Letting out a huff, you put your hands on your hips and turned the light back off, once more ascending to the first floor and peaking out the window. His car was right out front in its usual spot; maybe he’d gone for a walk in the neighborhood? It was possible; there was a bougie specialty tea shop a few blocks down that he got his earl grey from. Or he might have decided to go for a jog; he’d mentioned wanting to get back into running a few days ago.

Shrugging it off, you sent him a quick text asking where he was before heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, setting your book down on the counter as you did. However, before you could even take a sip, you heard the unmistakable sound of a door being opened downstairs, followed by a familiar set of footsteps heading your way. Nearly spilling your water, you quickly grabbed the book and held it behind your back just in time to see Loki appear in the doorway, pale cheeks flushed from running up the stairs.

“Oh, hello, darling,” he smiled, stepping closer to peck your cheek. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Blinking rapidly, you looked from him to the space behind him, not understanding where he’d appeared from.

“Where were you?”

“In the basement,” he answered. “Just moving some stuff around, sorting through old boxes. How did-“

“Wait,” you interrupted, letting out a huff of laughter. “Are you pranking me or something? I just checked the basement, and you weren’t in there. The lights were off and everything.”

Without missing a beat, he shrugged, reaching past you to take a sip from your water.

“You mean you don’t ever get the urge to arrange storage in the dark?”

You let out another awkward laugh at his joke, not buying it for a second. He could see your skepticism, evidently, because he smiled and leaned back against the fridge, boxing you in against the counter.

“It’s a surprise, love. Trust me. And try not to wander down there too much until your surprise is ready. Now, are you going to tell me what you’ve got behind your back, or do I need to guess?”

You’d momentarily forgotten the reason why you’d wanted to find him in the first place, and with a jolt you straightened up, scooting away from him when he tried to peak over your shoulder.

“I think if you’re keeping surprises from me, it’s only fair you need to guess,” you sassed, lifting your chin defiantly.

“Ohhh, I see,” he chuckled. “Alright. Is it-“

But before he could begin his question, he suddenly lunged forward, grabbing your waist and spinning you around, fingers tickling up your sides until your grip on the book slipped. Letting out a shrieking gasp, you pulled away and turned back around, but not before feeling a strong grip grab the book and pull it from your hands in surprise.

“Hey!” you shouted. “That’s cheating!”

“Yes, it is,” he agreed, “but you never listed the rules, so how…”

He trailed off as he finally saw what he was holding in his hands. The temporary cover art would change with the final, published edition, but for now there was a simple picture of a dagger slicing a human heart clean through the center resting on top of a steel examination table like the ones he used at work. The title you’d finally settled on was The Killing Coroner, and it was sprawled across the top in bold black font, your name printed just below it in smaller letters. You didn’t like the initial look of it, but if the first draft of the final cover art that your publicist had sent you was anything to go by, it would look much more gothic and refined before hitting shelves.

Loki, though, seemed enthralled with it, tracing the letters of your name with a slender digit before reverently opening to the first few pages. When he saw the dedication, though, you watched his breath get caught in his throat, and for the first time you saw tears spring to his eyes as he read the words on that page out loud.

“’For Loki, with all my love. You inspired every word.’”

He bit his lip, closing his eyes for a moment before meeting yours. You couldn’t even begin to describe the depths of the emotions swirling inside of them, but you knew that above all else, there was love. Strong and scary and deep as the ocean, you saw how much he loved you in that moment and knew you’d made the right choice to dedicate your book to him. Really, you couldn’t picture it being anyone else. He’d believed in you and your writing since before you’d even met, and though you couldn’t tell who reached for who first, soon you were standing in the middle of the kitchen, clutching each other close and kissing one another breathless.

“I wish I could go back and show this to my past self,” he sighed, cupping your cheeks. “You have no idea how much this means to me, love.”

“If I didn’t have some kind of idea, I wouldn’t have dedicated it to you,” you assured him. “I know my writing has meant a lot to you, but you don’t realize how much you reading my stories has meant to me. We were helping and supporting each other even before we met; isn’t that strange to think about?”

A small, genuine smile crossed his face, and he let out a sigh as he held you to him.

“Strange, yes, but in the best possible way.”

You were content to simply stand there, holding each other and reveling in having found someone so perfect. But even when Loki pulled away and declared that he was taking you out for a celebratory dinner, even when, later, he laid you down on the bed and showed you exactly how much your gift had meant to him, you still couldn’t help but come back to the same nagging question that stuck out in your brain like a sore thumb.

What had he been doing in the basement?

_________________

A week had gone by, and yet here you were, stood in the middle of the basement with your hands on your hips and your bottom lip between your teeth. Despite what Loki had said about spoiling your surprise, you couldn’t help but wander back down to the lowest level of your new home, pulling your cardigan tighter around your body to ward off the chill.

You’d obsessed over it quietly for the past several days, wondering where he could have been and what he could have been doing. Though the space was much more cluttered than the rest of the house, there weren’t any obvious places he could have been hiding. You peaked behind the tallest stacks of cardboard boxes just to make sure, but no, you were positive there wasn’t any other place he could have been hiding.

Unless.

As crazy as you knew it was to suspect, a passing thought had come to you late last night that, maybe, there was a hatch you hadn’t seen – some sort of trap door or crawl space. There were plenty of basements that had one, especially in older buildings like the brownstone you now resided in, and as unlikely as it was, your curiosity wouldn’t rest until you could figure it out.

And so that was how you found yourself walking slowly through the basement that evening while Loki was at work – creeping along with your eyes glued to the floor to find some sort of irregularity that might hint at a secret room. You didn’t really know why it was so important to you; you truly didn’t want to ruin any surprise Loki might be trying to set up, but the child in you couldn’t help but feel intrigued at the prospect of finding a secret, extra space inside your new home. You were reminded of Harry Potter’s cupboard beneath the stairs, and you felt like it was some sort of adventure, trying to find the hidden compartment that may or may not be there.

Though, as you did a second sweep over the space, you were beginning to lean towards the latter option. The entire floor was one smooth slab of concrete, and you couldn’t find any blemishes or cracks in it whatsoever. With a sigh, you leaned back against one of the bookcases pressed against the back wall, turning your head to the side to absently read the spines. They were all pretty dusty, since they weren’t the sort of books one would revisit and read for pleasure. Most of them were medical journals or textbooks from Loki’s time in college.

But you perked up when you saw one spine that was less dusty than those around it. Actually, as you straightened up and examined it closer, you realized that it was an edition of Shakespeare, and it hardly had any dust at all on it. With a frown, you reached out and slid it off the shelf, turning the heavy volume over in your hands curiously. Opening the front cover, you smiled when you saw Loki’s handwriting along the top of the first page, though it was written in a much clumsier hand than that of the man you knew today.

“Property of Loki Odinson, age 12”

With a grin, you went to return it to its place when, suddenly, your eyes caught on something along the inner wall of the shelf. Something that looked like a keyhole…

“I take it you never read the story of Bluebeard’s wife as a cautionary tale.”

A shriek escaped your lips as you spun around, finding Loki standing directly behind you with an arched eyebrow and his hands in his pockets. Pressing a hand against your suddenly-pounding heart, you gave him a sheepish smile as you held the volume of Shakespeare against your stomach.

“Jeez, Loki, you scared me half to death,” you chuckled, though his lips didn’t so much as twitch as he watched you. Recalling what he’d just said, you licked your lips and shifted your feet, for some reason feeling inexplicably nervous. “And I don’t think I’m familiar with that one. Bluebeard, you said?”

“Bluebeard,” he nodded. Taking his right hand out of his pocket, he revealed a small, black key, holding it out to you until you took it with shaking fingers.

“Bluebeard was an old retired sailor who lived in a quiet town, and rumors swirled for years about him and how he might have come into his fortune,” Loki recalled, taking a step towards you. You, in turn, went to step back as well but found your back pressed against the shelf, trapped between him and its hard edges.

“Eventually, despite the rumors, a young lady from the town agreed to marry him,” he pressed on. “And she found herself thrust into the lap of luxury, wanting for nothing as her husband granted her every wish. Her first day as mistress of his estate, he gave her a ring with all the keys to his home on it, but he showed her one specifically, saying it went to the basement, but that she was to never open it.”

He nodded towards the key you now held, and the buzzing anxiety in your chest grew louder in your ears as he gripped your shoulders and turned you around to face the shelf.

“But, of course, curiosity got the best of his little wife sooner rather than later. It wasn’t enough that she had a beautiful new home, a loving new husband… No, she wanted to see. She wanted to look. And so she took that key,” he continued, guiding your hand that held the key and manipulating your fingers until it was held outstretched between them, “and she opened that basement door. And do you know what she found inside?”

You shook your head, suddenly unable to speak as he made your hand slide the key into the secret lock. His breath was warm against the back of your head as he slowly, slowly twisted your hand, and you gulped when you felt the lock click away.

“Loki-“

“Do you have any guesses as to what Bluebeard’s wife saw, love?”

Once more, you shook your head, and you held your breath as his other hand came up to grip the shelf and pull, revealing a hidden door on secret hinges that began slowly opening outwards…

“She saw what had happened to his other wives, who had also been too curious to leave well enough alone. Or, rather, what was left of them.”

Your anxiety bloomed into outright fear as the door was opened fully, revealing-

“BOO!”

You yelped, stumbling as Loki’s hands seized your sides, squeezing them so suddenly that you jumped forward, into…

Into the most perfect office you’d ever seen.

Your previous nerves died, and you let your lips turn upwards into a grin as Loki laughed behind you. Soon enough, you were laughing too, spinning around to take in the entire room. The walls and floor, like the rest of the basement, were concrete, but Loki had set up a few floor lamps that cast warm light on the space. A plush rug was laid out on the floor and tasteful artwork of old books and typewriters had been hung up at various points along the walls. One entire wall had a bunch of pegs in it, and you imagined that it used to be home to various power tools that had once hung on them. Now, though, there were small potted succulents attached to them, adding a fresh touch of green to the space that brightened everything around it.

And in the center of it all was the most beautiful, antique writing desk you’d ever seen. It was made from dark wood, and a cozy rolling chair was stationed dutifully in front of it. There was even a small plastic mat on top of the plush area rug that would allow you to roll the chair as you pleased without losing traction against the carpet. All of it was complete with two armchairs and an empty bookshelf in the far corner, and as you took the space in, you felt Loki come up behind you to wrap his arms around your middle.

“Do you like your surprise, love?” he murmured, and you were quick to turn around and fling your arms around his neck.

“I love it!” you exclaimed. “Loki, this is… You are… I can’t thank you enough!”

He laughed, taking in with pride in how happy you were.

“Enough to forgive me for giving you a bit of a scare just now?”

“Just barely, but don’t do that again,” you giggled. “You really had me convinced I was gonna open that door to a pile of corpses.”

He laughed particularly hard at that one, shaking his head as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Never, love. This is your space now, to write or read or do anything you see fit in.”

Warmth blossomed in your chest, and you leaned up to press a lingering kiss to his smiling lips. The scare he’d given you melted away into something else entirely as you thought of everything he’d done for you, and so when you pulled away, you grabbed the tie hanging from his neck and tugged on it, walking backwards towards one of the armchairs.

“I think,” you grinned, “I should show you just how grateful I am.”

There was no mistaking the lust that entered his gaze upon hearing your words, and he allowed you to turn him around and push him down into the chair. His eyes never left yours as you sunk down onto your knees, placing a hand on each to spread his legs wide enough for you to kneel between them.

And for his part? Loki closed his eyes and let you unzip his pants, surrendering control to you as he basked in the situation he found himself in.

He’d known as soon as you’d agreed to move in with him that he would need to take his “hobbies” elsewhere, and when you’d refused to take Thor’s guest room (despite his secret hopes that you would, solely to force the big blonde oaf into a hotel during his stays), he’d known the perfect space for your new office. After all, how delicious was it that your stories of gruesome murders would be created in the very room where he’d crafted his own? He thought back to the barista and abusive mother that had met their demise not so far from where you now knelt before him, pleasuring the very killer who’d taken inspiration from your words without you even knowing, and he let a wide grin spread over his features.

It had been hard to part with his “murder room”, as Thor had termed it, but right now? He couldn’t find it in him to regret his decision in the slightest.

#loki x reader #dark!loki x reader #serial killer!loki #beauty in the blood #loki odinson #Loki Laufeyson #loki fanfic #dark!loki #loki odinson x reader

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risingsunresistance · 2 years

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Revolution

this is one of techno’s “fanfics” he posted to the hypixel forums. i’ve kept the formatting exactly as it was written, but there may be a few accidental double spaces or enter bars as i had to do those myself when i pasted them to tumblr

originally i didn’t want to share, but i think sharing them now is a good thing to do. i want to share anything i can, because i love everything he did. this is easily his most popular one, most of you have probably seen it, but if you haven’t then here it is. it’s a story about simon hypixel fighting a revolution against the other staff members in blitz. here it is to save if you’d like

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links to the other fics:

civil war

faced with kings

demons

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(wayback archive of this fic on the forums)

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CH.1 Betrayal

Hello, my name is Hypixel. And today is not my day.

Some people think they're having a bad day when they wake up late and arrive to work 15 minutes off schedule. Others think a bad day is when they have a minor disagreement with a friend. Some even consider a bad day when they only grind 60,000 coins in eight hours.

Today I'm standing here, surrounded on all sides by my most trusted friends, all of whom are armed and about to execute me.

So yeah, I guess could you say I was having a bad day.

I didn't bother to draw my sword. It would have been a futile attempt. I'd be thoroughly feathered in arrows by the time I completed the action, and even if I dodged, I'd still have to fight my way through the ten strongest staff members on the server; my fellow Admins. All of whom came prepared; level X's all around, already prepared to use their operator powers to finish me swiftly. So I decided to be diplomatic.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" I yelled at Kevinkool.

Perhaps not so diplomatic. Heh.

Kevinkool glanced at his comrades; all 9 of the other admins were there, ready to fight, although NoxyD appeared to be reluctant. He then responded:

"I think we're kicking you out. We're tired of you bossing us around. It's time for a new leader."

He signaled with his hand, and the small army of lower-ranked staff with archer 8, 9 and 10 drew their bows back.

"Goodbye, old friend." Kevin said.

But I had a backup plan.

As thirty or so arrows were released from their bows, I yanked a device out of my pocket and slammed down on the button. Everything turned purple, and I was teleported out of there.

I finished the teleportation and promptly fell ten feet flat onto my face. Not the smoothest execution- I hadn't remembered that the lobby had been revamped since I originally made the device. But I was alive, so that was good. I was now in a hidden lair underneath the blitz lobby. It was fairly damp, and not the most ideal secret base, but it would serve. I quickly connected to the network. I still had access to the server console, which was good; they could never take that away from me. I tried the most obvious initial command;

Console: Deopping Kevinkool. Console: Error. Console: Not enough permissions for that command.

Hmm. It wouldn't be that easy. After trying several other commands, I realized just how limited my power was. I couldn't directly tamper with any of the admin's powers, nor could I eliminate any of them from the equation. Each of the 10 other admins had permanently linked themselves to the Server Console as I had.

I checked the Console to see if any major changes had occurred recently... and noticed something huge.

(11/1/14 21:35 PST) Console: Enabling Hardcore Mode.

Uh-oh. That wasn't good. They were already making their move. With Hardcore, the blitz players won't be able to respawn. They won't last long... but this does give me a chance to defeat them. I just have to kill all 10 of the other admins, and then I will have uncontested control over the Server Console.

But I'll need some help.

Console: Whispering to MAJESTICxWALRUS "Gather every blitz player you can find... and no matter what, stay alive."

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CH.2 Swapping Sides

I stood there in front of nearly a hundred players.

"Wow. Good job!" I said, turning to MAJESTICxWALRUS. "No problem." He responded. "These players are almost all level 10s and 9s." "Seriously? How many of them are level 10?" "Uh... maybe 40?" "WHAT?" "Yeah..." "When we take back the network, I am seriously reevaluating how network boosters work."

I turned to the small army of players, and made my speech.

"Today, the staff team overthrew me. I'm currently in hiding, and they're taking over the network as we speak. They've already set it into Hardcore Mode, meaning that if any of you die... that's the end of it for you. I need you all to fight back, and retake control of the server. Quite simply, you need to eliminate the 10 other Admins for me to regain complete control of the server. You can't stay here, the admins will locate you quickly enough. I'm using my power to protect you from being wiped off directly by the Console, but we need to act quickly. I'll teleport you all out of here, and communicate what to do using the Console."

I snapped my fingers, just for the style points, and they all disappeared in a massive flash of purple.

I glanced at the Console to check on the recent activity of the other admins. No players had been banned outright; that would be an unnecessary use of the Console's energy, which did have its limits. It was much cheaper and convenient to simply let the players kill themselves; most would not realize their mortality until it was too late. They didn't even need to send out staff members; the player base would almost completely disappear soon enough, tearing itself apart as they were expected to do, as it was the hunger games.

I tried pinging the location of each admin. None of them worked... except NoxyD. I could pinpoint his location. He was in the Winter sector, perhaps fifty blocks from the Cornucopia. I couldn't use the Console to affect him... but I could certainly send in my own troops.

I went back to communications, and started broadcasting my message.

"I've spotted NoxyD, and he's in the Winter sector. I'm going to send in several of you after him. Don't make any hasty decisions, first scout out the situation and then report back to me."

I needed a decent sized force. I didn't have the ability to send that many people in at the same time (limitations of my Server Console power), but I didn't want to; no need to show my full power early on in the war.

I quickly selected 11 of the names (OrangeScraggy, supergriefer, puzzlemaster3, warriorfox123, Kastrealm, Gamebuster101, vivien_roland, Cr33p3rBoy112, DocteurKe, DoctorGokado, Peanutbutter911) and sent them in.

They all materialized in the Winter sector.

"He's around 80 blocks, due north east. Go past the ice lake!"

I sat back and waited, thinking of the times gone by. Noxy had been one of my oldest friends on the team... but why did he betray me? Thinking back on it, he did seem reluctant when they all tried to kill me.

Suddenly I started getting feedback from the squad I had sent in. Suddenly I heard Kastrealm going: "We've spotted Noxy... as well as a few others! Mods and helpers! He appears to be... a hostage?"

Strange. Why would they be escorting him as a hostage, in Winter of all places? Unless...

Of course!

For years, there'd been an anomaly on the Winter map; a random hole in an obscure part of the map, which fell all the way into the void. They were headed straight for it. And if NoxyD was their hostage... they couldn't have good intentions. I'm not sure what the effects the void has on the player; ordinarily, they'd simply be ejected from the game, but in hardcore mode?

"They're trying to dispose of Noxy... stop them, quickly!"

I quickly identified the four members around NoxyD; GuruGamers, Cecer1, SirElite and Mythyryn. Each of them appeared to have had their kits modified, and each was a whole lot stronger than they had any right to be. But I had a few level 10s of my own.

Peanutbutter911 and supergriefer initiated the fight, sending arrows towards SirElite's back. But they didn't catch him by surprise. He spun around, throwing a slime egg at the ground, and their arrows bounced off the slime with little effect. The staff turned and pulled out their weapons. GuruGamers was a full fledged Horse 10 with a few extra iron axes clipped to his belt; Cecer1 was a Blaze 10 with a flaming iron sword. Mythyryn was a snow 9. Although they appeared to be those kits... they appeared to have upgrades as well.

The fight didn't start out well. Cecer1 spawned 3 blazes, which quickly sent a volley of fireballs towards the group. OrangeScraggy was already charging forward with his Horse 8, and attempted to have his horse leap over the volley of fire, but took a fireball to the chest and went flying off. SirElite barreled into him, sending him flying with a swing of his knockback 2 sword. He crashed into a tree and exploded into a mist of pixels. Dematerialized. Gone. GuruGamers threw an iron axe at Kastrealm, who quickly threw a magma cube egg in front of him. The Magma Cube blocked the axe, but exploded at the impact.

Puzzlemaster3, Cr33p3rBoy112 and vivien_roland rushed forward. SirElite's slime quickly bounced, crushing Cr33p3rBoy112 beneath it (not fatal, but not comfortable either), but an arrow flew above it and took SirElite in the elbow, knocking him off balance for long enough for Puzzle's pickaxe to greet his face. Cecer1's magma cubes sent forward another volley, and one fireball took Peanutbutter911 in the chest.

Cecer1 stepped forward, but Sir Elite was already dead. As the fight continued, I checked the server console- and noticed something surprising. No one was regenerating any health lost.

"Guys! Health regeneration isn't working! Any damage you take now will last for as long as it takes this war to finish!"

A blaze was shot down by one of supergriefer's arrows. Guru threw another iron axe, which slammed into puzzlemaster3 and sent him to the ground with only 30% of his health left. Mythyryn spawned snowmen, and in response Gamebuster101 spawned all of his. The two remaining blazes quickly scattered Gamebuster101's snowmen, but another pair of arrows from their archers hit Cecer1 and gave Kastrealm the opportunity to run in.

GuruGamers ran off with NoxyD, and warriorfox123 ran after him, closely followed by DocteurKe and DoctorGokado.

The rest of the fight was brief. Mythyryn's iron axe finished off Cr33p3rBoy112, but Kastrealm jumped in and finished him off. Cecer1 didn't die so easily; his blazes fired another volley before both being taken down by Peanutbutter911 and supergriefer's arrows, and fireballs hit Gamebuster101 and vivien_roland, leaving them wounded. Puzzlemaster3 charged, but Cecer1 dodged his pickaxe and cut him down in a fireball of scattered pixels. He got taken down, thanks to the combined power of Vivien_roland and Gamebuster101's kits.

Meanwhile, GuruGamers was battling the three knights who had followed him. Warriorfox123 was ahead of the others, but ended up being disarmed, and taken out by GuruGamer's diamond axe. DoctorGokado and DocteurKe showed up right after. Meanwhile, the rest of the surviving squad approached behind. GuruGamers realized the hopelessness of the situation, and spawned his horse.

"You win this round." He said, speeding off into the distance.

His horse appears to be extremely fast; they must've enhanced his horse as well as his kit. They couldn't stop his escape, but at least they had rescued NoxyD. They had taken 4 casualties, and 3 more of them had been wounded, but they had taken down three staff members and freed NoxyD from whatever fate they intended.

"Good job. Gamebuster, Vivien and Peanutbutter are a little wounded, but you all did well. We took some casualties, but we've also rescued Noxy. I'm teleporting you all back to the others... and I'll send Noxy to my location."

I did as I said, and quickly shielded Noxy so that he could not be found by the other admins- no need to have my secret base discovered. I turned to face him as he materialized in the room.

"Thank you. They were going to throw me into the void." he said. "No problem. What does being thrown into the void do?" "It completely erases your memory on the server. Total wipe. They were going to get rid of me; I was uncomfortable removing you from power, and they knew it. They removed my operator powers, but they needed the void to erase me completely. But that's not important." "Oh? What is important?" "They're about to launch Project November."

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CH.3 intervention

That wasn't good. Project November was a project that Noxy and I had been working on for a while... but we hadn't finished it off yet. It was meant to be a simple way to make the staffs' lives easier, but something told me that wasn't exactly what they had in mind. That sort of thing was pretty powerful, and undoubtedly they were repurposing it to further their own ends.

They might have their suspicions, but they couldn't have known for sure that I was waging war on them. I still had the element of surprise... but not for long. Soon they'd figure out what I was doing, and try to track me down. If I died, they'd have complete control of the network... and nothing would be able to stand in their way.

But even if they didn't know what I was doing... Project November had to be stopped.

"Where are they launching it from?" I asked Noxy. "Somewhere in the Rainforest sector. You managed to transport several players into Winter, can you pull off something similar there?" "Yes. I can inject them into the server and they'll automatically be spawned normally, and they can move from there." "We don't have much time." "I'll send in horsetamers."

Undoubtedly there'd be a reasonably large force present at the project. A quick scan of Rainforest showed 7 players present, but surely there'd be some admins under the radar. This wouldn't be a clean fight.

I turned back to the computer, and connected to the Console. I broadcasted a message to the troops.

"Emergency situation in the Rainforest sector. I'm sending in a large amount of Horsetamers. AidenRK, Pr0lin3, xHascox, VorteXx3, Meyp, JerryCannn, lastikodezil, Frizer13, omwesolp, RumbleCrumble, MacManiacMC and GlitchyShell, prepare for the warp."

They materialized in the sector, and I sent them the coordinates of the located staff members. There appeared to be a mass of them along the east bridge. They all spawned their horses and sped off in that direction.

The first staff to spot them were Fatcake24 and Freylise80. Freylise drew an arrow to his archer 10 bow, and Fatcake24 spawned his necromancer mobs.

"If you can, get past them without hesitation. You don't have time to kill them all... you need to stop them from launching Project November."

It mostly worked. The majority of them managed to jump over and avoid the fight. But not all of them. An arrow from freylise80 knocked omwesolp flying off of his saddle, and he desperately ate his golden apple as he got up. RumbleCrumble threw his axe at Freylise80, and hit him squarely in the shoulder, knocking Frey off of his feet. But as Rumble jumped his horse to stample Frey, Fatcake shot an arrow into the side of his horse. Rumble's horse flew over the edge of the bridge, and he frantically jumped off, barely managing to catch hold of the edge. He hung there, dangling above a very large drop.

JerryCannn tried to evade the monsters, but a skeleton shot his horse and another zombie smacked him off of it. He quickly recovered, chopping off a zombie's head and knocking an arrow away with his axe. Omwesolp ran in and started trading axe bows with Fatcake24. JerryCannn turned in time to see Freylise80 standing above RumbleCrumble, drawing back the arrow to send him flying off the bridge. Without hesitation, he threw his axe, and it smashed into Freylise80's back, sending him off the edge. JerryCannn ran and helped RumbleCrumble up.

As this was happening, omwesolp was shot in the stomach by a skeleton, giving Fatcake24 the opportunity to slam him to the ground with his axe. He quickly turned, drew back an arrow, and fired it at JerryCannn's back. JerryCannn turned from helping Rumble just in time to get hit in the chest by the arrow and fly off the bridge, smashing into the ground far below and exploding into a spray of pixels.

Meanwhile, the rest of the horse riders were dodging the remaining staff with much more luck than before. They began approaching what appeared to be a portal, with two men in front of it.

The Console quickly identified them as AgentKid and Kevinkool. But Kevinkool had some strange readings on the Console...

"Uh-oh." said Noxy. "What is it?" "I think they transferred my operator power to Kevin." "What does that mean?" "He's a lot more powerful than any of us were before."

That couldn't be good. Not only that, but they had just completed a portal. A portal would usually be completely worthless, but now that the server had changed, it would serve as the perfect means of deploying a code... undoubtedly, Project November. But they hadn't coded it in yet.

AgentKid turned to KevinKool, but KevinKool had already turned around to face them. "Keep finishing the Project. I'll deal with them." He drew two iron swords and ran forward to meet the incoming rush of horsetamers.

What followed was, simply put, a massacre.

Frizer13 met him first, slashing forward with his axe, but Kevin jumped to the side and slashed him off of his horse with his iron sword. He threw his hands up, deflecting xHascox's axe, and slammed his sword right into AidenRK's horse as it rode by, throwing Aiden flying. But Kevin was already recovering, moving at incredible speeds, dispatching Meyp, then VorteXx3, then Glitchyshell. He was completely surrounded, and yet managed to block and parry every axe blow with his two swords. He jumped into the air, slamming his foot into lastikodezil's face, hurling him off the saddle and to the ground at alarming speed. He spun, and with his left hand threw his sword, which buried itself in MacManiacMC's arm with an explosion of pixels.

With most of his enemies unhorsed, Kevin made short work of the rest of the battle. He leapt forward, finishing off Frizer13, and grabbed his axe as he turned to face the rest. He blocked AidenRK's axe with his sword and swung his own axe into Aiden's side, which was met with another burst of particles as Aiden dematerialized. He spun, ducking under xHascox's diamond axe, and jumped forward, burying his sword into xHascox's stomach. He spun around, knocking lastikodezil's axe out of his hand with his own and cutting off his head with his sword.

Kevin turned to face his final opponent, who remained on horseback. Pr0lin3's horse reared. Kevin drew his hand back and threw his iron axe. Pr0lin3's horse leapt frantically to the left, but exploded into pixels as the hatchet buried itself into its flank. Pr0lin3 leapt off his horse as it exploded, and charged with his axe. Kevin dashed forward, and they exchanged a quick series of slashes, but then Kevin quickly slashed upward, and while Pr0lin3 blocked with his axe, it threw him off balance.

"Tell Hypixel we're coming for him next." Kevin said. And then he was a blur, slamming into Pr0lin3 at a hundred miles an hour, sending him twenty meters over the edge of the bridge.

I stared at the Console in shock, and Pr0lin3's point of view disappeared as he hit the ground.

"It would appear that they've figured out how to use their operator powers to enhance their own fighting ability." Noxy noted.

Suddenly, the Console went on full alert. A message blared across in all caps.

Console: LAUNCHING PROJECT NOVEMBER

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CH.4 Project November

I went back to RumbleCrumble's point of view, getting the very last glimpse of the battle as he beheaded Fatcake24.

"Rumble and Omwesolp. Everyone else got killed. I need you guys to go in there and see what's going on."

They approached the portal. I knew the basic layouts of Project November, having designed it myself, but I didn't know how they would modify it to their own needs.

They got within range, and I got a clear visual. The portal was activated, and AgentKid was in front of it. He started pouring his console power into the portal, and suddenly players started pouring out of the portal by the dozen. By the time he was done, 72 players had emerged.

AgentKid then spawned gear; wood swords falling from the sky, gold chestplates, bows, arrows, and speed potions. The army picked them up, and equipped themselves.

"I don't think they're using the Jr. Helper program for its original purpose." Noxy noted. "Me neither." I replied.

KevinKool turned, and spotted RumbleCrumble peaking from a distance.

Uh-oh.

Kevin turned, said something, and suddenly there was a massive swarm of Jr Helpers sprinting across the bridge, weapons drawn.

"Rumble! Omwesolp! Get out of there! I'll try to dematerialize you guys before they get you!"

They didn't need my suggestion; both had gotten out of there pretty quickly when the army started rushing towards them. I started the coding sequence needed to take them out of there.

The army surged forward, headed by the five that had drunk speed potions. I dematerialized Omwesolp, and then started the sequence for Rumble. Rumble tripped and fell to the ground. The sequence finished, with less than a second to spare as a Jr Helper's sword slashed through the pocket of air where Rumble had just been.

Suddenly, the Console put forward a notification.

Console: Removing Rainforest from the map queue.

"What?" Noxy asked. "They've removed Rainforest from the map queue... it means that we don't have direct access to it anymore. We can't just teleport men in." I responded. "Is there a way to undo that?" "Yes... but hacking the system takes time, which we have precious little of. I was hoping they wouldn't start removing maps from the map pool." "What happens when all the maps are removed?" "We lose. Game over. We won't have any ground to wage our war on. But that's not the end of it... if they keep shutting down maps, they'll find out where our forces are. If they shut down that map... we've just lost every man."

The Console went on alert. Three maps were being invaded by the staff. Thorin, Mithril and Docks V1.

"How are they attacking multiple maps at the same time?" Noxy asked. "There's 9 other admins. Every one of them can lead an attack. And when they're not leading an attack, they're designing more codes to enhance their own powers. Not all of them are gifted at coding, but most of them are. AgentKid will be preoccupied supplying Project November, but this means they have all the forces they need to attack multiple maps at the same time. And we can't fight that many attacks. It's 1 against 9..." "Hey, that's 2 against 9." Noxy said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Regardless, we're going to have to up our game. We're getting slaughtered... it's time for us to launch our own projects."

I handed him a sketch of what I had in mind.

"Can it be done?" I asked. "Definitely. Just give me a while, and I'll have the code ready." He said, and walked off.

I turned to the computer. I might not be able to fight off all the attacks, but I could certainly slow them down. I opened a direct link with the remaining player base.

"Troops? We are going to save Thorin."

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CH.5 Thorin

Cameron7276, Troy_K, SebiWins, foolahoop, Wicketlol, Supertroll1999, Shadowblade827, Monkey36, Neanderthalis, ksctdd, MouseGaming, katnissjul, DocteurKe and Jytheguy1 materialized at the spawnpoint of Thorin.

I sent a brief message over the console. "They're approaching from the lava lake, prepare for the battle."

They didn't wait long. Soon the horde was upon them. Roughly 20 players, most of them jr helpers in modest amounts of gear. Behind them was cheetahpet, SpiderDiclonii, SgtVault, MusicalGamerGirl, and Thorlon, diamond sword in hand.

The Jr Helpers all drank speed potions, and charged in. Two charged towards katnissjul, who's blazes opened fire. One got caught in the chest, bursting into flames and falling to the ground. The other lunged forward, but got parried, and Katniss's fire aspect sword broke in the process of finishing him off. The other was dispatched quickly.

Others weren't so fortunate. An arrow from MusicalGamerGirl's Archer 9 bow knocked foolahoop off balance, leaving him only time to say "ur trash" before a Jr Helpers sword took him out. Monkey36 and Ksctdd both drank astronaut potions and charged forward, taking out Jr Helpers left and right, but soon both had been overwhelmed and killed.

SebiWins spawned all his snowmen, drew out his axe, and met the onslaught of Jr Helpers. A snowball knocked the first off balance, and SebiWins quickly ended his life. His diamond axe quickly cleared through several more, easily defeating them with the assistance of his snowmen. Suddenly, SgtVault's horse was jumping over him, SgtVault's axe already drawn back to finish him off.

Troy_K's axe smashed into the side of SgtVault, sending him flying off the saddle and to the ground, dead. Troy_K ran to retrieve his diamond axe as Sebi finished off the last of the Jr Helpers. Cheetahpet was fighting Neanderthalis and Supertroll1999. An arrow from MusicalGamerGirl took Super in the shoulder, and Cheetah's horse 10 diamond axe quickly followed, taking him out. Neanderthalis took advantage of the distraction to stab her, his Tim stone sword cutting through the leather horsetamer armor.

SpiderDiclonii didn't die quite as easily. He gulped down an Astronaut X potion and charged forward, cutting Wicketlol's axe off by the handle. Wicket's wolves pounced on Spider, who dispatched them each without missing a step. MouseGaming appeared, spawning snowmen, and charged forward. His iron axe slammed into Spider's chain chestplate, getting stuck in the chains. He tried to pull his axe out, failed, and Spider's stone sword slashed forward, ending his life. Shadowblade827 and Jytheguy1 appeared, spawning wolves and spiders, all of which heaped onto SpiderDiclonii. His sword slashed left and right, dispatching several spiders as well as Shadowblade827, but eventually Wicket's stone axe crashed into his chest, and Jytheguy1's iron sword finished him off.

DocteurKe and Cameron7276 killed MusicalGamerGirl and rushed towards Thorlon, who simply gave them a warm smile.

I quickly relayed what information I could.

"Thorlon was never one to spend time mastering the coding of the server... he was always more fascinated in using it. He's definitely a fighter, and he's very, well, showy about."

Suddenly, Thorlon's hand shot forward, a lightning bolt crashing into DocteurKe. The electricity, easily conducted by DocteurKe's knight 8 armor, pulsed through him and left him lying on the ground. Suddenly Thorlon was charging forward himself, and Cameron7276's stone axe was cut clean through by his diamond sword, which soon entered Cameron's chestplate as well, slicing through the chainmail folds.

Lightning bolts. Typical. Extremely powerful, but just as wasteful a use of his operator power; lightning bolts were extremely inefficient at taking down foes. But I wasn't complaining.

Katnissjul ran forward, and another lightning bolt shot out of Thorlon's hands. Katniss threw her sword up, blocking the bolt, and DocteurKe ran forward, weak but still alive. DocteurKe's stone sword slashed forward, but Thorlon ducked, and punched Docteur into the wall at around 30 miles per hour, killing him. Katniss was there in a flash, but Thorlon's diamond sword was already swinging to parry, and he quickly killed her as well.

The rest of the survivors grouped together and stood facing him. Only 5 remained; Troy_K, SebiWins, Wicketlol, Neanderthalis and Jytheguy1, but that still left 3 level 10s. Thorlon looked up, and appeared to have second thoughts. Sure, Kevinkool might have easily won that fight, but Kevin had twice the amount of operator power as Thorlon, and Thorlon had already spent a great deal of his.

Suddenly, Thorlon dematerialized. He had escaped. But that was to be expected; there was no use fighting a losing battle. Because of his Console power he could send himself anywhere on the network at will to recover; my guess was they were all holed up in Rainforest, plotting and creating even more programs to defeat me. We'd saved Thorin, but at a great cost. 9 of our own had died, taking only 4 staff as well as many Jr Helpers down with them. The Console confirmed what I had expected:

Console: Removing Mithril from the map queue. Console: Removing Docks V1 from the map queue.

Two maps down... but that was better than 3. Noxy would be back soon with the new-

My thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sound of something hitting the floor behind me. I turned my chair, and suddenly the tip of an iron sword was inches away from my nose.

"Hello, Hypixel." Rezzus said, sword drawn and ready to kill.

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CH.6 Rezzus

"How did you find me?!" I demanded, very mindful of the blade inches away from my nose.

"It was simple." Rezzus said. "Every time you used the console, it leaves a bit of data regarding the sender. I just created a plugin to track where the commands were coming from, and then teleported myself in here."

"But... why? Why did you guys do all of this... just to take control of the server?"

"You may not have realized it yet, Hypixel. But this server is a lot more powerful than you know."

I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. Rezzus turned, saying "Huh?", just in time to witness NoxyD's fist crashing into his face. He was thrown off his feet onto the ground, and Noxy jumped on him. I jumped out of my chair, running to the spare sword I had kept at the side of the room. I retrieved it, turning just in time to see Rezzus knocking NoxyD back and grabbing his sword.

"No!" I shouted, running forward.

I was too late. As NoxyD was unbalanced, Rezzus lunged forward, stabbing him through the chest with the full length of his sword. I swung, slicing through Rezzus's side, and both fell to the ground in a pool of blood. I kicked Rezzus's sword out of his hands and across the room, and turned to NoxyD.

"Noxy..." I whispered.

He was barely alive. He coughed out blood, and said

"I finished the code."

"That's not important! We need to get you to a hospital!"

"It's too late for that," he said. "Rezzus... still has operator powers... you can... take them..." he finished, and closed his eyes.

"Noo!!!" I yelled, as he died. I turned to Rezzus, who was barely breathing.

"You are going to die for this. But first... I will take something from you."

I went to the console, and quickly typed in the commands necessary to take away Rezzus's control of the Console.

Console: ERROR. ACCESS DENIED.

I turned to Rezzus.

"No..." he gasped, before my sword went through his chest. I turned back to the console. Now that Rezzus wasn't alive, there was nothing to stop me from claiming his share of the Console power. A death in the virtual world would only make that Console power disappear, but since Rezzus had entered the real world, the rules were different. I typed in the command again.

Console: Access granted. Allocating power to PLAYER_HYPIXEL.

...

It took a few hours to clean the room and bury the bodies. I gave them both a proper burial. Rezzus may have betrayed me... but he was still an old friend. Noxy... I would avenge him. I took the code that he had finished before his death. I glanced over it, and it was spotless. Noxy was not the kind of code developer to make mistakes. I wiped the tears out of my eyes and turned to the computer.

The war hadn't been paused while I was gone. The console had faithfully reported the casualties:

Console: Removing Docks V2 from the map queue. Console: Removing Despair V2 from the map queue. Console: Removing Caelum V1 from the map queue.

Three more maps gone. And Citadel already had an operator on it, accompanied by a small army of players.

I ran the code NoxyD had given me. It was time to turn the war around.

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CH.7 Saving Citadel pt1

This new code would change the tide of the war. It involved a bit of a loophole in the system database. The server was kicking everyone who died, but I had discovered a workaround- by cataloging every player with multiple kits under a different UUID, they would have a different life for each high level kit they possessed. This would nearly double the amount of lives we had to spend, especially for the more experienced players.

But would it be enough?

No time to think about that. I had to save Citadel. The rogue admins had begun eliminating maps from the map pool, and if all the maps were eliminated, I would be unable to contact the players. I'd lose contact with my entire army. They hadn't guessed the map where I had hidden them, but it was only a matter of time.

I opened a chat with MAJESTICxWALRUS.

"Dude. Citadel's under attack-" I began, quickly getting cut off by his interjection-

"Where have you been?! It's been nearly a day!"

"We had some... trouble on the other side. Things are secure now. Citadel is under attack. I'm pulling 18 people into the fight, mainly Astronauts."

I began warping the players in. Troy_K, Technoblade, Minechaos2713, Maphia_Ace, mrnamol4, lastikodezil, dedew84, MacManiacMC, purelycraft, blukid8, Loiyd_Irving, bballnick123, SpiderTheBite, Labron1975, supergriefer, Kastrealm, TennisFTW and link_2012 began materializing at the base of one of the towers.

I didn't wait. I quickly launched another code, which would shield my location in the real world from any unauthorized attempts to teleport into it. Hopefully, this would prevent another person from attempting what Rezzus had.

The players had finished materializing, and they had already spotted their opponents.

Thorlon. I wasn't surprised- He was the second best fighter, right after Kevinkool, that the admin team had at their disposal. The other admins were exceedingly cunning and much better with the code, but Thorlon's ability in battle made him a primary candidate to send in to neutralize maps. He was flanked by Cygerus, Fontzzzzzz, Skydeli, SylentbutDedly and envyrose.

They had spotted my guys as well. Thorlon threw his hand out, opening a portal. Jr. Helpers by the dozen started spewing out of it, all half-clad in gold armor with a various assortment of swords and axes. They all charged headlong towards the players.

With the sudden appearance of the Jr. Helpers, we were greatly outnumbered. But numbers aren't everything.

"Guys! Run up the citadel tower! You can use it as a choke-point to slow down their advance!"

Due to the cramped nature of the Citadel tower, their superior numbers would be a lot less effective. And because of the amount of Astronauts on our side, an emergency exit was always available... although not for the rest of them. It wasn't ideal. I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

They fled up the tower, closely followed by what was quickly becoming a hundred Jr. Helpers. They wouldn't gain much time if they didn't find a way to slow them down...

"Link!" I said, messaging the Necromancer of the squad. "Yes?" he responded, slightly winded from the rapid stair climb. "You need to slow them down."

He stopped, realizing what I had just told him. I had essentially just asked him to commit suicide for the team. But if the Jr. Helpers weren't slowed... the rest of the team wasn't going to fare much better.

He sighed, turned, and threw down every mob spawn egg he had.

The Jr. Helper wave hit the first zombie and chaos ensued. Link's punch bow quickly sent arrows slamming into the heads of Jr. Helpers, throwing them off their feet and crashing into the Jr. Helpers below. The few who avoided being knocked down by their peers were quickly shot by a skeleton or taken down by a zombie. This defense was successful for nearly thirty seconds, until suddenly envyrose appeared.

She cut through Jr. Helper after Jr. Helper, not allowing their fallen bodies to get in her way. Her Pigman 9 sword met the first zombie and it nearly evaporated under its enchantments. She quickly cut through the other zombies and, blocking a shot from a skeleton, disposed of the other two skeletons with two quick swipes. She turned to Link, just in time to catch an arrow into the chest.

She stumbled backwards, but bounced off the wall and was back on balance before Link could draw back another arrow. She quickly flung two splash potions into his face, causing him to get knocked backwards, and she quickly followed through with her sword, stabbing him through the chest. Link dematerialized, and the horde flowed forth. But he had bought them some time.

The others were busy setting up a defense. They'd have to have defenders on both sides of the bridge to prevent themselves from being surrounded. The right bridge was the more loosely defended, featuring only three astronaut 9s, an Archer 10 and a few snowmen. The left side was a tight group of Astronauts, side by side, backed up by a solitary Loiyd_Irving, arrow already drawn.

The Jr. Helper horde reached the surface. Thorlon had disabled the portal on the surface, but as he reached the top, he activated another one. No need to waste his troop's energy storming up stairs. Jr. Helpers swarmed across the bridge, and the barricade of players rose up to stop them.

At first the battle seemed to be going fine. On the left bridge, the shield wall of Astronauts calmly and efficiently took out dozen after dozen of Jr. Helpers, while on the right side the Jr. Helpers were pushed back by the 10 snowmen from Troy_K, Labron1975 and SpiderTheBite as bballnick123 shot them down. It appeared like we could actually sustain ourselves in battle... but that was relying on the fact that they would eventually run out of Jr. Helpers. Right?

AgentKid surely couldn't power that many of them... but there was always the possibility that Kevinkool was lending some of his power. Because Kevin had stolen Noxy's share of the operator power, he was twice as powerful as the other admins. He could easily support the energy needed to create endless Jr. Helpers while commanding the rest of their operations at base. I couldn't rely on the Jr. Helper wave stopping any time soon.

Of course, that wasn't hard enough. A surprise arrow from Cygerus flew across the bridge and slammed into mrnamol4, an Astronaut on the left bridge, and knocked him backwards, breaking the shield wall. Suddenly, Skydeli spawned three blazes, who began launching fireballs at the snowmen on the right bridge. Bballnick frantically fired at the blazes, but by the time he had killed all 3 of them, only one snowmen remained. Even that snowmen was quickly shot by Fontzzzzz's Necromancer bow. The Jr. Helpers surged forward, desperately being repelled by the weaker defense on the right bridge.

Our defense was breaking.

Time for a new strategy.

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CH.8 Saving Citadel pt2

We weren't going to win at this rate. We were holding them off, but we couldn't do that forever, and slaughtering Jr. Helpers gained us nothing. Furthermore, the volley of arrows by the helpers and moderators was going to prove a problem. It was time for a new plan.

I opened a chat connection to them.

"Guys. We need to turn this around, and we're not going to be able to do that by just standing there. The astronauts will be able to get down most quickly, so I'm sending five of you guys down. Blukid8, Technoblade, Minechaos2713, Kastrealm and Purelycraft, you guys need to back out and jump off the tower out of sight. Head for the cornucopia. I have a plan."

The five selected astronauts backed off and did as told. But that was five astronauts being taken out of the shield wall. While the bridge wasn't wide enough for that to have an immediate impact on their defense of the bridge, it would hurt in the long run due to them being unable to replace fallen defenders.

"Guys! There are 12 of you left defending the bridge. You need to hold off their attack for as long as it takes the other 5 to return with backup."

Arrows flashed across the bridge, sent by the moderators and helpers alongside Thorlon, but none hit their mark. Supergriefer, Loiyd_Irving and bballnick123 fired shots right back at them, and one arrow knocked skydeli to the ground, hurting him but not enough to kill.

I began typing a quick program. It wasn't the most... complicated thing I'd ever written. Ok, maybe it was just a gigantic laser beam. Don't judge. I finished the code- it wasn't that long- and turned back to the defense. The code would help us win the battle... if we managed to figure out how to use it. Just having the code wasn't enough- we'd need a way to deploy the code, and a power source.

The defense was holding, but it wouldn't last for long. The left bridge had taken casualties, as both Labron1975 and SpiderTheBite fell to the swarm of Jr. Helpers. On the right side, an arrow from Cygerus smashed into dedew84's chestplate, throwing him backwards into his teammates. Two Jr. Helpers jumped through, but lastikodezil cut them off. His sword flew out, taking out one of the Jr. Helpers, but the other Jr. Helper stabbed him before he could back out. Before the Jr. Helper could finish the kill, an arrow from Loiyd_Irving entered his skull, and he dematerialized.

The five that I had sent to the surface had reached the cornucopia. Suddenly, an alert flashed across the map:

Console: The blitz star has been hidden in a chest! Find it to activate your Blitz!

Perfect. The five instantly dived into the cornucopia chests, not even needing to be told what to do.

Console: Minechaos2713 found the Blitz Star!

"Quick! You five need to get to the base of the tower."

I checked back on the defense. It wasn't going as well as I had hoped. Mrnamol4 had fallen, leaving the right side of the bridge with only 3 people left. The astronauts on the left side weren't doing much better. MacmaniacMC chugged down a resistance potion and leapt into the horde of Jr. Helpers, his sword slashing left and right, eventually succumbing to the horde after downing several of them. TennisFTW and Maphia_Ace both chugged potions and ran forward, Troy_K close behind them, swiftly chopping with his diamond axe whenever the opportunity showed itself.

The right side of the bridge was in bad shape. They were starting to lose ground, being pressed back by the onslaught of Jr. Helpers. They were almost pushed back to the last third of the bridge when Thorlon's hand shot out, firing a lightning bolt across the bridge. Instead of hitting the defenders as expected, it flew over their heads, crashing into the doorway at the other side of the bridge. The doorway crumbled, and the exit was overflown with debris. They were trapped on the bridge, and they didn't have much more room to give. Envyrose and Fontzzzz both began running across the bridge.

The five got to the base of the tower. We had to act quickly.

"Minechaos! I'm transferring Rezzus's operator power to you. I've inserted a special code into the blitz star. Use it on the top of the tower."

He took out the Blitz star, pointed his hand at the top of the tower, and activated the code.

A massive beam of energy, around 3 meters in diameter, shot out of his hand. It hit the top of the tower, caving the walls in as the tower shook under the blast. The entire map shook as if there was an earthquake.

I didn't pity the staff team inside of it. Thorlon's head snapped to the left at the sound of the noise, just in time to see the wall cave in and get thrown violently against the wall by the force of the laser beam. He crumpled to the ground in a heap, barely conscious, and got to see the entire upper part of the tower collapsing. The portal that had been spawning Jr. Helpers suddenly disappeared as a large piece of stone brick flew threw it. Skydeli and SylentbutDedly were already dead. Thorlon saw Cygerus run for the exit, hoping to get onto the bridge, and saw the floor collapse beneath him as he fell to his death.

The bridge shook, and suddenly one side of the bridge snapped. The bridge began to crumble. Thorlon got back up, and threw his arms in front of him, creating a bubble shield around him, just in time to save himself from a giant piece of debris slamming into him. He was shielded, but that didn't stop the rock from smashing his shield- with him inside it- right through the wall of the citadel. He smashed into the ground, his shield cushioning the fall.

"Guys! Thorlon's going to escape. His power is only a fraction of what it was before, he's spent most of it keeping himself alive. You guys need to get him. Minechaos, you still have around 70% of Rezzus's operator power- use it."

The five astronauts ceased their slack-jawed staring at the crumbling tower and ran around it- giving it a wide berth to avoid the massive pieces of rock hitting the ground around it. I turned to the bridge situation.

Half the bridge had already fallen. Lastikodezil and Dedew84 were both dead, leaving Loiyd_Irving the only one remaining on his side of the bridge. He still had around 6 Jr. Helpers and Envyrose charging towards him. The left side wasn't faring much better- Maphia_Ace and Tennis had both died, leaving Troy_K and the two archers supergriefer and bballnick alone to defeat the remaining 10 Jr. Helpers- and Fontzzzz. The bridges were still collapsing, and only around half of the bridge was still intact.

Loiyd_Irving didn't have anywhere to run. The doorway had collapsed. The first Jr. Helper, who had been well ahead of the others. swung his stone sword. Loiyd_Irving ducked under it, rolled, and stood up behind him, sending an arrow through his back. He jumped forward, catching the stone sword as it fell out of his hands and quickly stored it for later. He turned, firing two more arrows, taking down two more Jr. Helpers. He then saw envyrose, only fifteen feet away, charging.

He fired an arrow, but envyrose threw her pigman egg, which spawned in the air and took the arrow through the chest. The pigman flew backwards as she dived to the ground, crashing into two Jr. Helpers. The bridge dissolved beneath them and all three fell. Envyrose was already recovering, rolling from the ground and throwing herself at Loiyd. Loiyd quickly drew his sword, and they begun slashing at eachother.

The left side of the bridge had similar problems. Troy_K dispatched two Jr. Helpers with his axe, and another arrow flew over his shoulder, eliminating a third. But he was backing up. Fontzzzz was charging. He swept his axe in an overhand swing, taking out another Jr. Helper, and quickly grabbed his sword, throwing it behind him.

"Supergriefer! Take this." "But I'm an archer!" "We might need it."

They retreated back, stopping at the inside of the tower to make their final stand. Two Jr. Helpers ran through the doorway, both quickly eating arrows as they flew backwards from the force of their bows. But the rest were right behind them, Fontzzzz leading the charge. bballnick123 and supergriefer both fired arrows, but both arrows simply bounced off of Fontzzzz's Necromancer chainmail armor. Troy_K stepped forward and they began swinging at eachother.

The five astronauts on the ground had found Thorlon. They all charged. Thorlon glanced at them, rage in his eyes. Kastrealm was the first to meet him. Thorlon's sword swung at unbelievable speeds, smashing into Kastrealm's chain chestplate and sending him flying into the Citadel tower, instantly killing him. He then turned, throwing out his arm, and Purelycraft was vaporized in lightning.

"I thought you said he was at a fraction of his original power!" Technoblade yelled over the relay. "He is!" I yelled back.

Thorlon turned to the 3 survivors. His hand shot out, and a lightning bolt flew towards Minechaos. Minechaos threw a hand in front of him, and a shield formed in the air in front of him, deflecting the bolt. Thorlon was visibly surprised.

"Operator powers?" He said.

Minechaos didn't respond, instead throwing himself at Thorlon. Their swords met, and Thorlon was thrown backwards. He threw his arm out, sending another lightning bolt, but Minechaos stepped to the side. Minechaos's arm blurred forward and suddenly Thorlon was engulfed in lightning. The lightning bolt threw him off of his feet and he smashed into a wall.

He started to get up, but Minechaos was already there. He was a blur, closing the distance at inhuman speeds, and Thorlon gasped as Minechaos's stone sword went through his chest. He fell to the ground and dematerialized.

Meanwhile, Loiyd Irving was in the fight of his life. He stepped backwards, avoiding a slash from envyrose, and suddenly was backed up against the side of the bridge. A Jr. Helper lunged, but he spun to the side, and turning in a full circle slammed his foot into the back of the Jr. Helpers head, throwing him off the bridge. He quickly sliced through the last Jr. Helper and turned to face envyrose. She slashed at him, and he blocked. There was a quick series of slashes and parries before Loiyd_Irving had backed envyrose against the bridge.

The bridge was still collapsing. A segment of it under envyrose's foot fell, and for half a second she was off balance. Loiyd_Irving threw himself forward, slamming his foot into her and sending her off the bridge. He began backing up as the bridge continued to fall apart. He only had a few meters left.

He backed up against the pile of debris blocking the doorway. The bridge continued to collapse. The drop got closer... four meters... three meters.... two... and then stopped. The bridge had stabilized. Loiyd let out a sigh of relief, only having been seconds away from certain death moments ago.

The other side of the bridge- no longer on the bridge, having retreated inside the room- wasn't doing well. Supergriefer stabbed one Jr. Helper, but three more ran towards him. An arrow from bballnick123 took out one, and Fontzzzz turned to him. Troy_K tried to stop him, but Fontzzzz threw out his Necromancer mob eggs, and suddenly Troy_K was facing a shield wall of zombies and skeletons.

Troy_K ran towards supergriefer, but he was too late. One Jr. Helper slashed at him, and as he drew his sword up to block it the other lunged forward, his sword running through Supergriefer's leather chestplate. He dematerialized, but Troy_K quickly avenged him, dispatching both the remaining Jr. Helpers. He turned to the undead horde and began taking out zombies.

BBallnick123 tried to back away, but Fontzzzz was too fast. He fired an arrow at him, but it simply bounced off of Fontzzzz's necromancer armor. He turned to run, but his life was quickly ended as Fontzzzz cut him down.

Troy_K had just finished killing the zombies. He took out two skeletons, but before he could kill the third Fontzzzz was there. Fontzzzz's sword flew forward, and Troy_K blocked it with his axe, leaving his side open. The remaining skeleton fired, hitting Troy_K in the chest. He stumbled, and despite blocking Fontzzzz's next attack, was knocked to the ground.

Fontzzzz approached him slowly, ready to finish him off. Suddenly, Troy_K sat up, throwing his diamond axe as hard as he could. It slammed through Fontzzzz's chestplate, and he flew backwards, knocking over the skeleton as well. Troy_K jumped up, grabbing the fallen stone sword of a Jr. Helper, and ran forward. He deflected an arrow from the skeleton and killed it. Fontzzzz stumbled up, yanking the diamond axe out of his chestplate, but before he could pull his sword up to block Troy_K had ran him through the chest with his sword. He dematerialized.

Citadel was saved.

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[end]

#tw death #(i mentioned it. better tag it just to be safe)#the other ones arent this long. they wont take nearly as long to format #but they might take a bit bc i do need to get them on my desktop. this is the only one i had at the ready to copy-paste #the others are on my ipad and i dont have the tumblr app. too difficult #the list #<- to find easily later

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chilihere · 2 years

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Since I was a child I always loved the idea of living in a little cabin in the woods. Birds greet you in the morning, you boil water over the fire, smell the moss, maybe you catch a glimpse of what you think could have maybe been a faerie?! But as I grew older I was taught that magic isn’t real, that cabin in the woods isn’t reality and that there isn’t that much green in my world.

I started working the jobs I was given and grinding, trying to climb those ladders. I’ve gone from the “garbage girl” to “manager” and something was always lacking. That’s when I decided to take a journey into the past. I decided to start my own homesteading expedition, in the city. I may not get my cabin in the woods but I am going to ensure I have my little patch of green. Here is what I have found helpful to start out with so far:

It seems overwhelming at first but don’t fret! No investment type purchases necessary yet. Figure out what you want to cut down on financially, transitioning to homesteading is smoothest when you don’t have huge bills to cover. I suggest starting with streaming services, cable, phone bills, internet usage and any other monthly plans.

While you’re doing your planning, you’ll still need to shop and feed yourself. Start looking for reusable items to replace things you consistently go to the store for. Parchment paper, baking sheets, paper plates etc. Finish using and replace as many single use items as possible. Bonus if they don’t use electricity (ex: hand grinder for coffee, non electric kettle etc). If you have a local market or farm stands nearby, get to know them and their prices. You may be shocked to discover a ton of savings and good info about the growing climate.

This one sounds odd but I feel like it is a big step in moving from a very hands off technology based lifestyle to one that is more self sufficient – take time to reflect “spiritually” (whatever that is for you) and address any addictions or negative traits that revolve around your industrial upbringing. For me the biggest are: overworking myself, mindlessly scrolling the phone, caffeine and refined sugar. This is the hardest part of the entire journey because it involves creating a habit that goes against societal norms/what is exceptionally easy to access and relies on setting boundaries for myself. Addiction isn’t easy that is for sure!

Gather information about the things you are most interested in. For me, that is growing my own veggies and alternative herbal remedies. The city I live in does not allow livestock or chickens, but there are tons of cities in Canada that do! Shelter building, water purification, fire starting and tying knots are always interesting research topics. Pinterest is also fairly handy for this stuff, funny enough! Search “survival tips” and you’ll find quite a bit on there, as well as the “homesteading” tag. The library is a great resource for herbal remedies, medicinal, all sorts of books about psychology etc. Spend some time researching things you believe will help, and stuff that gets you excited, too!

Set some realistic goals and work towards those projects. For example, I had very low funds so I started growing herbs in the window. Chives, green onion, parsley and mint all grow fairly quickly and can be kept through winter if properly maintained. Pick something you use a lot or do a lot – let’s say cleaning; and slowly swap all of your products to home made solutions.

Lastly, because these are just starter tips, find some people with similar interests. If you aren’t able to connect locally (check your cities Reddit board for keywords like garden or the cities website for local greenhouses) there are a number of groups online that promote this kind of lifestyle. I’m sure if you’ve found this post though, you are well aware. But if not there are tons of blogs under “homesteading” or “natural solutions”.

Although I am nowhere close to the “end goal” I imagined and haven’t become completely self sustainable; I can definitely say I am a lot happier, feeling more positive about the future and have no fear as compared to where I started. I think if this journey is all for “nothing”, at least I have some peace.

Do you have any tips? Tricks? Disagree entirely? I’d love to hear from you!

✨Thanks for existing👋✨

Chili Here

#blog #homesteading #tips #list

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skye-huntress · 2 years

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RWBY Ice Queendom Reaction

Episode 5 “Awaken in a Dream”

Because I was behind on finishing up the last one, I was also behind on even starting this post, so it’s not quite a true reaction but I’ll try to go off memory.

It hasn’t been clarified yet whether Lucid Dreamers are in any physical danger. All this is technically happening in Weiss’ head, but the dream is like its own little world as either a creation of the Grimm or the Semblance. Seems like Zaiden has the means to pull Dreamers out in an emergency if they’re fast enough but I wonder if there is a catch.

I like that they are trying to distinguish between “Negative Weiss” and the real Weiss, making it clear that the “Nightmare” is trying to turn Team RWBY against each other. It’s effective, too, since Nightmare Weiss is exceptional powerful by design and is probably the Grimm’s best defender.

Team JNPR have made another cameo. Probably just a reminder that they had it easy because Jaune was weak and therefore his own “Nightmare” was as well. Not sure there is anything they could do anyway. Zaiden would burn through their aura too quickly if they sent too many people at once.

On that note, I also wonder what would happen if Zaiden runs out of aura while Dreamers are still inside. Would their consciousness get trapped inside Weiss’ mind? Would they just wake up? Does Zaiden even know or do they always pull Dreamers out before they have to find out?

Ruby, just let your team go with you. You suck at stealth anyway, and you used up your coins way too quickly.

As I figured, all the weapons work a little different based on Weiss’ perception. Of course, Blake’s ribbon stretches to even more impossible distances. And Yang’s gauntlets have even more power than normal. Basically the weapons all have their most absurd qualities exaggerated to new levels.

So after a little while, it seems clear that the dream appears to be in a sort of loop, certain events repeat themselves. The White Fang attack plays out much the same way, then Weiss enters that central chamber and asks Klein for a report. The exchange is also fairly similar, although Weiss asks about Ruby and Yang. Seems after the real Ruby disappeared, Nightmare Weiss tracked down her Dream version and locked her up in the tower along with Dream Yang. Knowing what Weiss thinks about the sisters’ relationship, it’s likely their Dream versions are perhaps literally inseparable.

Despite the threat of the White Fang outside the wall, the city itself is still considered to have a chance at peace and without any interruptions this time Weiss is praying or meditating?

And there’s a glass coffin! It even has an image of an apple with a bite in it! Just, why?! I do not want to think about what would happen if Nightmare Weiss enters that coffin. It seems to be what the “Nightmare” is trying make Weiss believe going inside is what she wants, using her drive to reclaim the honour of her family name against her. I don’t think we want to know what happens to Weiss if her Nightmare version does go inside.

So, Pyrrha sings Weiss’ song and wear Weiss’ clothes. Is Weiss, the real one, perhaps trying to send a message to Ruby. The dream actors for the rest of Team JNPR look like they are waiting to respond to Ruby. They’ve made enough of an impression on Weiss to exist in the dream, but not enough that the “Nightmare” has any role for them to play, so perhaps Weiss on at least some subconscious level may be trying to take advantage of that. Time will tell.

Blake played the role of decoy so Ruby and Yang should not have been spotter, but Weiss still knew they were gone pretty quickly. Either they were spotted, or as soon as “the girl in black” popped up in the city, Weiss checked on Ruby and Yang almost immediately.

So, most of this dream has been the more negative stuff from Weiss’ life, but here we have a room where Weiss apparently keeps all of her favourite things, and also Yang. And of course, the bunkbeds from RWBY’s dorm are there, as if they weren’t brought up enough in the past two episodes.

Now, for the part that makes my WhiteRose heart giddy with joy. Weiss left the Knight chess piece that’s in Ruby’s colour on her bunk. The key to waking Weiss up (or at least one of them) and she left it where Ruby would definitely find it.

Also the strange sign. Honestly girls, you think this is about Weiss telling you to do a bunch of things but it’s clearly a reflection of how she is being pushed and pulled in many different directions, by her family, by society, even by her own heart and mind. It’s Weiss’ dream space, literally everything there is about her. That said, the fact the exact same sign popped at twice at points of interest would suggest the signs are important, not because of what they say but where they are placed. The first one was right by where the White Fang ambush happens, and the second one is placed on Ruby’s bunk with a key to the depths of Weiss’ mind. It’s like Weiss has left them as landmarks to guide her team.

Now, they assume the other chess piece is with Blake, but we saw a white chess piece in the glass coffin. Red for Ruby, white for Weiss. So unless there is a yellow and a black one somewhere, odds are this might be a sign that Ruby is the key to waking Weiss up. It makes a sort of sense, the Relics are part of a pair, and so are Ruby and Weiss. Of course, either way they still have to find a way deeper into the tower to find the Grimm and if that coffin is so important, it will probably be well guarded.

So Sleepy Klein is in charge of keeping Weiss’ little treasure trove locked up. He’s neither the most attentive jailer, nor is his lock hard to get through. It’s almost like he’s not actually meant to keep Ruby and Yang inside. It could be a happy coincidence that Weiss doesn’t dream up complex locks, or perhaps the part of her resisting the Nightmare intentionally made it easy for Ruby and Yang to break out.

Speaking of Sleepy Klein, I did a check and we’ve already seen 6 of Klein’s personalities. Doc Klein is the candle, Sneezy is the dog, Grumpy is the General, Happy is the factory supervisor, Dopey locks up the “Dummies”, and Sleepy guards Weiss’ favourite things. That just leaves Bashful Klein.

So Yang’s staying behind while Ruby and Blake head deeper in, although the place should still be on alert if security are looking for Blake.

A room of infinite chairs? I’m not sure what that’s supposed to be about.

Doesn’t seem like they are going to get much further though since Weiss has found them again.

If I counted right, they used three coins, two waypoints and a call to Zaiden, so they should still have nine coins, three each. That’s the good news.

The bad news, even two on one, I don’t think they’re a match for Nightmare Weiss, and she might be even more aggressive this time thanks to Blake’s presence.

Speaking of, Blake’s name has not been mentioned by anyone in the Dream once, even though it seems implied Nightmare Weiss has encountered her multiple times before. The thing is, when Weiss found out Blake was White Fang, she was conflicted because Blake is someone she is actually familiar with. Maybe not close enough to really call friends, but they fought together and got on well enough when they don’t bring up the SDC or White Fang. In order to cast Dream Blake as a villain, it seems the Nightmare did away with that familiarity and camaraderie that made Weiss want to give Blake a chance.

So I have a new crazy prediction. It is nearly impossible to move about in the dream without being noticed, and when they are, Nightmare Weiss is soon to show. She’s too powerful to face head on, and it’s nearly impossible to slip away because there are literally eyes everywhere. What they need is a distraction, big enough to occupy Nightmare Weiss long enough for the team to infiltrate into the deepest parts of the tower. If in the dream, Blake is still part of the White Fang, perhaps she can lead them into an attack on the city. That should be enough to get Nightmare Weiss’ attention. Conveniently, there is a handy landmark, likely placed by Weiss herself, where the team knows they can find the White Fang.

Either way, I’m getting the impression there might be more to the White Fang and Dream Blake, that the team will end up investigating. If they assume Blake has the other chess piece, perhaps Ruby and Yang will try to track down her Dream version. I also wonder, despite her hatred for the White Fang, Weiss isn’t some simple minded bigot that some people make her out to be. As I keep saying, her feelings are not without merit, and she’s also smart. Even though she avoids acknowledging it, Weiss is well aware of what her father made her grandfather’s company into, and that’s why she is so driven to change it. If she can understand that, then she knows full well why the White Fang became what they are, and why they attack her family and their company, even if she still hates them for it. It’s just that if it came down to a choice between siding with the Faunus or the SDC, the Weiss that didn’t get to befriend a Faunus would pick her grandfather’s company every time since she has a very personal stake there.

#RWBY #RWBY IQ #RWBY IQ spoilers

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f1 · 2 years

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Home hero Perez expects tough Mexico City qualifying battle after tricky tricky day

Home favourite Sergio Perez said his first runs at the high altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez were tough as he expects Ferrari and Mercedes to give Red Bull a run for their money in Mexico City. Perez enters his home race having enjoyed his most successful season in F1, the Mexican driver having won the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix and scored seven other podiums – all second-place finishes – in 2022. But Friday running, which saw him finish third in FP1 and then fifth in the FP2 Pirelli test, wasn’t easy. FP2: Russell heads second practice in Mexico City as Leclerc crashes out “Yeah, it was a tricky, tricky day as usual in Mexico with the altitude, everything is floating around so fairly easy to make mistakes in these conditions,” he said. “So, overall, I think obviously FP2 was mainly for Pirelli but [in] FP1 we got a good base, and we seem to be there. “Ferrari seem to be strong, also Mercedes, so it’s going to be a tough battle tomorrow,” added Perez. “I think we got up to speed fairly quickly [in FP1] so should be straightforward tomorrow hopefully. But you can always expect different things tomorrow.” 2022 Mexico City GP FP1: Max Verstappen spins at Turn 10 in first practice Team mate Max Verstappen, who spun on his way to P4 in FP1 (above), said the track was as slippery as ever. “Yeah, just had a moment: as soon as I came a bit off line it was like ice, so I was just drifting left, drifting right, and at one point when it goes, you just have to hold the brakes and it just hits the wall.” The two-time Formula 1 champion added that he’s heading into the unknown after just one run on the soft tyres, in FP1, before he took P6 on the prototype Pirellis in FP2. READ MORE: Horner on why he feels Red Bull’s Cost Cap breach penalties were 'draconian' – and why his team have accepted them “I mean on the soft [compound] everything was alright, but we only had one run on them, and then in FP2 we had to do the tyre testing again. That makes it a little bit more difficult and a bit more unknown again like last weekend, for everyone, but the harder compounds are a bit more tricky,” explained the Dutchman. Red Bull entered Mexico City having wrapped up both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships for the first time since 2013. Now Perez aims to deliver a historic home win in front of a capacity crowd. Who’s going to score in the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix? Pick your dream team before qualifying and take on the world to win huge prizes with the Official Formula 1 Fantasy game. Sign up, join leagues and manage your squad here. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #Home hero Perez expects ‘tough’ Mexico City qualifying battle after ‘tricky #tricky day’#Formula 1

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honeycuttross7 · 2 years

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Ninety Six Dior Handbags Concepts

Its easy form serves as a clean canvas for closely embroidered textiles that includes the Dior emblem, the home toile, and even a personal monogram. Sizes range from mini to giant, and there’s even a vertical shape for, say, carrying around a journal or two. phoenet.tw dior replica Even the classic Dior Saddle luggage are promoting for a premium on the preloved market. Let’s jump proper into the primary bag on the list of the most effective Dior luggage worth investing in. Christian Dior handbags typically characteristic the brand’s letter bag charm with a leather backing. The metal circle which holds the charms ought to be fairly sturdy on an actual bag, representing the quality of the model. The Dior charms can transfer around somewhat, but should not be shaking about excessively when you carry the bag. On the reverse facet, authentic cards have two small areas and one large rectangular area for retailer particulars and the date to be stamped. Your first e-mail shall be delivered to your inbox shortly. Thank you for registering to ArtFixDaily's Email Newsletter. Following Miami's frenzied week of art sales and a parallel race to capitalize on the NFT craze, Japanese pop artist ... As our magnificence routines evolve, it’s only pure that our make-up luggage do as well—calling Dior’s Vanity Case. Fresh from Dior’s Spring/Summer capsule collection , this bag is the epitome of sun-soaked vacation days, ones that can quickly be a actuality. The vainness case’s multicolor striped embroidery is paying homage to sand dunes and unique adventures, the sort of places the place our greatest selves rise to the surface. Its wide interior means you don’t should compromise in your beauty necessities and the colorful design will make you want to unpack it the second you step inside your villa. Dior luggage have to be worthy of carrying the name of its design house. And the Queen is rarely seen with out one of her hundreds of Launer bags – the same style Margaret Thatcher used as a political weapon (transforming the word ‘handbag’ right into a verb). Impossible to search out collectors saddle bag - a stylists dream ! Tiny spot in front and a few bends in leather-based Comes with authenticity card and dirt bag A... The bag comes in an opulent coated canvas and leather-based Cannage exterior with silver-tone hardware and Dior letter charms. The color of the fabric lining will not all the time be similar to the skin shade of the bag, despite of the popular belief. For example, you might often discover purple cannage lining inside of Lady Diors with black exterior. Flip the bag over and you should see five or four steel studs in the form of a tapered dome. You should find 4 ft on the Medium, Small and the Mini sized Lady Diors and five toes on the Large one. Please note that the shape of feet on the Mini Lady Dior is extra tapered or flatter than on different sizes. Please observe that many trendy Lady Dior luggage wouldn't have a zippered closure, but somewhat have a leather-based flap covering the opening to the bag. This flap bag has a gold-finish ‘CD’ clasp, paying homage to the Saddle bag. This was a tough list to create as a end result of there are so many unimaginable Dior bags which would possibly be worth investing in. Dior bags are basic, use high quality leather-based, and face up to the test of time. If you would possibly be on the fence about buying a Dior bag or determining which Dior handbag to purchase, then I hope this text helps provide some perception. wikipedia handbags The bag’s defining function was its shape, and Galliano had a ball swathing it in every little thing from an Oblique monogram coloured in child pink to Japanese-inspired floral embroideries. Soon after its introduction, the purse earned It bag status with recurring resurgences. Since then we’ve all been very a lot back within the saddle. I was studying a couple of reviews of the Caro bag and many individuals complained about how the Caro bag loses its shape and the bottom of the bag begins to sag. Another deserving Dior bag to make the record of the highest 5 Dior luggage price investing in is the Dior Saddle Bag. Designed in 1999, it made its debut on the runway in 2000. Every item that passes by way of our doors is checked via numerous protocols for quality and authenticity. A relatively new Dior handbag that's worth investing in is the Dior Book tote bag. Launched by Maria Grazia Chiuri in 2018 the Dior e-book tote bag drew inspiration from a drawing discovered in the Dior archives by Marc Bohan. It appears to me the 2021s are starting to resemble the early 2000s in phrases of designer handbags. The Dior Saddle bag was everywhere in the early 2000s.

#dior replica #replica dior saddle bag #fake dior bag #dior sauvage fake #dior saddle bag fake

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spilledkauffie · 3 years

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Dating Bruce Wayne HCs 🦇

xFemale!Reader // I just really love my batbaby, I wrote this for comfort at 3am. Sorry, it’s a little long!

Penthouse / The Mansion — when Bruce starts dating you he very quickly offers you a key to his penthouse and the mansion. While he means it out of trust and care for you, he also means it as a form of safety. Knowing that you can find a refuge in one of his safe houses makes him feel a little more at ease when things get seriously dangerous in the city. Once or twice he’s even sent you specifically to the mansion since it’s farther away from the inner city and he knows you’ll be safest there. || “you’re sure about this?” You question, amazed that Gotham’s richest Just handed over the keys to his house, “I mean I’m absolutely flattered, but I not allowed to just come over anytime-“ // “yes, you are,” Bruce assures you, “Wayne manor is as good as yours,” he shrugs with a half smile, seeing your face, “you know Alfred always likes company too.”

↳ he also explains that he really wouldn’t mind if you spent most of you time at his place. “Are you asking me to move in?” You smile, heart racing afraid he’d say no. “I don’t mean to impose, but here’s plenty of room, I’d love to have you there, after all the place could use a woman’s touch,” he blinks lovingly. “And so could you, Master Wayne,” Alfred comments walking by.

Driving the Lamborghini — you were shocked when he let you drive after you commented how much you loved his car. “Really?” You smiled, eyebrows raised, “but what if something happens- I- I won’t try to cause anything, but just what if-“ Bruce just smiles, looking over to you from the passenger seat, “if anything goes wrong, I’ll buy a new one, okay? Don’t worry, just have some fun.”

When You Found Out — Gotham isn’t a hard place to find yourself endangered in. Therefore when the Dark Knight showed up in the nick of time you found it curious that of all the crime situations he’d save you. It all made sense however when he dropped the gravely voice to quietly ask you, “are you okay?” // it took you a moment, looking over what you could see of his face, meeting his eyes you knew exactly who it was “Bruce?!” You say shocked, but he just repeats the question softly, “y-yeah, I’m okay, a little shook up, but-” // “I’m taking you back to stay with Alfred for the rest of the night. I promise I’ll explain everything in the morning.”

Falling asleep — since Bruce is usually up all night and still manages to make himself available for any Wayne company meetings, he is tired! More often than not he’ll fall asleep during the daytime hours. || frequently, you’ll be reading on the couch and he’ll come rest his head in your lap, hooking an arm under your knee and using your thighs as a pillow, before questioning what you’re reading. When you tell him he asks you to read aloud, naturally doing so, you stroke your free hand through his hair, gently fluffing it every now and then. Eventually, you hear him softly breathing, sound asleep. Typically you’ll stop reading aloud and just let him sleep in quiet.

↳ sometimes when you had plans for a day, you opt to cancel them based on how tired he is when he gets back. Finding him in his study, practically falling asleep at his desk, you let him know you’ll be staying home. Standing next to his chair, you tenderly reach your hand across his shoulders, rubbing them, when he stirs you tell him, “What? No, but you really wanted to go-“ he starts, sitting up a little more, looking up at you sweetly. “Bruce, I just want to spend time with you,” you almost laugh at how determined he is to wear himself out, “I don’t want to exhaust you, I really don’t mind staying home, as long as you’re home.” With that he pulls you into his lap; you reach your arms around his shoulders and he nuzzles against your chest, arms snug around your waist. You don’t mind one bit that he falls asleep, you just play with the tops of his hair stroking the back of his neck, hugging him a little closer, simply glad that he’s home & safe.

Hyper-protective — naturally, Bruce is extremely protective of you. Bruce has a really good understanding of independence, but he also knows the kind of guys in the elite society of Gotham (aka the people you’ll meet at parties he’s invited to). He’s always at your side, and loves to have you at his side at all times. Someone gets a little too friendly and Bruce is phenomenal at shutting them down. Typically they’ll only verbally address you, but should they ever try anything it’s a comfort knowing Bruce could, well, kick their ass if they laid so much as a finger on you.

Parties — Bruce can always tell when you’re feeling uncomfortable in the high-class society, you start leaning into him more and more, getting gradually more clingy as the night goes on. Bruce is a master as getting out of situations with easy excuses, so when he gives ones without you having to ask you fall in love just a little bit more.

Long Nights in the Batcave — after you found out, there are some nights you just can’t sleep knowing Bruce is out there getting into Heaven knows what kind of danger. Alfred often finds you sitting up in the Batcave with a hot cup of tea or sometimes coffee, so you can stay awake. Alfred’s become you buddy at staying up, most of the time, rarely he calls it a night, but when he does it’s usually because Bruce told him it was going to be an easy mission or it was just investigative. Alfred asks if you’re going to retire as well, “I know he would want me to just go to bed and not worry,” you admit, pulling your knees into yourself more, “but I just can’t help but worry about him.” Alfred watches you keeping a keen eye on the the tracking screen, “I know what you mean, I’m glad he’ll have someone much prettier to come back to now though.”

↳ when Bruce finds you sitting alone in the Batcave upon his return, he’s both relieved to see you and mildly frustrated that you didn’t get any sleep all thanks to him. “I thought you said you were going to try and get some sleep,” he calls to you, slipping off the mask as he makes his way over to you. “I was just worried,” you say in a small voice, sniffling, pressing the tea cup closer to your chest, in an attempt for some warmth in the cave. Sighing quietly, Bruce looked you over, “you should head upstairs, you’re freezing, I can tell.” Despite his efforts, you tell him you’ll wait until he’s ready too. So, Bruce wraps the heavy velvet cape around your shoulder in the meantime.

Aftercare — unlike some heroes, Bruce has the scars to prove it. He comes home bruised, bleeding, sometimes worse. You do everything you can to help with his injuries, even if that means just holding an icepack to the middle of his back. // Sitting on the edge of the bed, Bruce rests his forearms on his thighs, bending over slightly as you gently press the ice filled bag to his raspberry tinted shoulder. When he grumbles at the cold, you whisper "sorry" stroking up and down his bicep with your free hand as you pepper kisses across his back. Bruce takes your hand in his, turns to kiss your knuckles, and whispers against your skin, "thank you, somehow it feels better with you."

Aftermath — Bruce is usually a little more clingy after a serious fight with some injuries. He's thinking about what he could have lost, you, and if you'd lost him how guilty he would feel knowing he left you alone. Typically he also takes a night or two off, to recover, in which you can actually have some normalcy (save for him going down to the Batcave) in life. You stay with him in bed while he sleeps in, cuddling him until he wakes up and even then. You also help Alfred make him breakfast in bed, so he can take it easy for just a little while longer. // When it's really bad, you even take off work to stay with him. Combing his hair out of his face, you're the first thing Bruce wakes up to, "hey,. . .aren't you supposed to be downtown?" he asks, still groggy. "I took a few days off," you explain. "Did you tell him you were nursing Batman back to health?" He laughs. "No," you sigh, "I told him Bruce Wayne would buy out his business if he didn't give me two days off," you smile. "Oh, that makes things much easier then," Bruce kisses your wrist smiles up at you.

Batman voice — it has definitely happened once or twice, where Bruce will accidentally use the "Batman voice" on you, not even in arguments, but just in everyday things. Smiling widely after he address you with it, you turn with your hands on your hips, "did you just use your batman voice on me?" you nearly laugh, "what. . . no," he tries to cover up. "You totally did!" You laugh this time. "No-" but before he can finish his sentence you're already mimicking his batman voice standing in your most macho stance, walking towards him between giggles, "alright, alright," Bruce grabs you by the waist, pulling you close, "it just slipped out."

Daytime Sex — since he's preoccupied during the night (or at least most nights), Bruce usually manages to steal you away from whatever you're doing for awhile. He starts out fairly subtle, coming up behind you whilst you're working on your laptop, he moves your hair to one side and begins kissing the side of your neck softly. "Mmm, hi," you giggle, biting in your lower lip. "Hi," he noses your hair, "how busy are you?" You smile, looking over your shoulder as his hands slip down your sides, "how busy do you want me to be?" He pulls back, "with work? Not very. With me? Very." Naturally he sweeps you off your feet to the bedroom, or at least a bedroom when you're at the manor.

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chocosvt · 3 years

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love café

⚬ pairing: jeonghan x fem!reader ⚬ word count: 17.6K ⚬ warnings: some vulgar language, i guess! ⚬ genres: big time nsfw, dirty talk, lap dances, quickies, bath shenanigans, exhibitionism, overstim - you get what i mean. big ole romance, angst, fluff, jeonghan is very rich and very hot, joshua has a not so subtle crush on you.

✧✎ synopsis: while you’ve spent the last few months pretending the love café doesn’t exist, you realize you need its services now more than ever. this brings you face to face with jeonghan, the son of a luxury fashion designer who’s got money to burn. your exchanges are strictly business. until they’re not.

✧✎ a/n: YES, ANOTHER REWRITE. the original love café was just so unsalvageable that i almost fully wiped its plot, minus the actual concept of the café. so, this should read as fairly new! I HOPE U ENJOY IT !!

It’s not that you were desperate. Because you weren’t.

You were actually more than desperate at this point, and no longer could you sit on that uneven couch with the broken leg, staring at the chipped paint, listening to your neighbours’ screams, believing you should continue like this. More than anything, you were shortchanging yourself. There was no point in holding onto that little string of hope in which those employers might phone you back. It would be impossible to contact your family when you had affirmatively cut ties with them ages ago. And, it was becoming increasingly foolish to ignore your one saving grace, just a street over from your rundown complex.

But, could you really commit to it? Would anyone even be able to look at you and think you were someone desirable enough to reward?

Those thoughts often hung over you like a dark cloud, and poured down so heavily that you were metaphorically drenched, in your own pessimism. However, on that day, you were beyond patience with the cards you’d been dealt. Such a despairing apartment, with all its bugs and drafts and horrible neighbours, could not be your brightest and most fortunate future. There had to be something you could do.

Even if it meant going to the Love Café.

In other words, an easy gig to financial heaven, in exchange for sexual pleasures of course. You walked into your bedroom and sat down in front of the wooden vanity, clicking on a dim, flickering bulb to help illuminate your face as well as its lifeless expression which stared back at you. It didn’t take more than ten minutes to pat your skin with some emptying makeup and thinning pans of eyeshadow. Then, you fixed up your hair and chose a simple, mute-coloured dress from your closet, immediately swallowed by the large winter coat you cozied into.

You hurried quickly down the corridor, ignoring the muffled shouts from your argumentative neighbours bleeding through the nickel-thin walls, past the barking dog which jumped against the door, scratching its nails whenever you waited for the elevator, and you didn’t even spare one glance at the very strange man who always hovered in the central lobby and watched you ignore his coos every single day. By the time you arrived outside the Love Café, you were breathing like a marathon runner. Despite the cold weather, you felt a sweat run like a breeze down your temple as you wiped your face before heading inside.

The space felt warm. Everything was red, pink, or white. And when you inhaled, the air smelled like a note of rose petals and candy. It was surprisingly easy to sign up for a ‘Love Card’ at the front desk.

“This card has twelve punches per service with your partner. If, by the end of the twelfth punch, you’re not looking to pursue something serious with this individual, you can pay for another Love Card. If you do manage to find, ‘the one’, then congratulations, and well wishes. Since you’re a first-time client, you get twenty-five percent off your first card.”

Whoever the lady was, she seemed less than enthusiastic as she pushed a cherry-red paper across the counter with a finely manicured nail. You thought she must have given this spiel so many times, the script probably haunted her in her sleep. Nonetheless, you thanked her, and heeded her direction when she advised you to choose any of the free tables, marked with a pale rose. For some reason, you picked the very last table amongst the row and slid yourself onto the uncomfortable, white chair, the metal back moulded into the shape of a heart.

Whoever reserved the table wasn’t exactly punctual. About half an hour after being seated, ordering yourself a tea, and examining the different clients who filtered in and out the café, you were beginning to assume the worst. That they cancelled. Flaked. Decided to pull from the service and direct their affluence elsewhere. As you titled the last few droplets of tea around the base of the cup, feeling utterly depressed and bored, you heard the little bells clink above the door, followed by a gasp from the employee at the front desk. Considering her microscopic range of emotion, you figured whoever entered must be some flawless rarity.

“Jeonghan!” She fixed her slouched position. “I wasn’t aware you made a reservation today. I haven’t seen your name in the system.”

“No worries. I set an anonymous appointment the night before. After all the chaos I caused last time, I figured it’s best to stay under the radar. I know I’m late. I was finishing up a term paper.”

“That’s quite all right. Here, I’ll just quickly renew your information. One moment… Okay, Yoon Jeonghan, you’re all set.”

At that, your eyes practically bulged right into the teacup. You’d heard his name in some conversations with a few university friends, before you had dropped your program. His father was an inventive in the fashion industry for nearly a decade, and his brand was considered high-end luxury, with people forking up the big bucks just to wear a piece from the collection. His mother recently begun a perfume company. In fact, you had a bottle from her Sunrise series sitting on your vanity, though you used each spritz very sparingly considering its outrageous price point. According to the most recent gossip, Jeonghan had ended his relationship with a model who’d been strutting his father’s cloths.

You couldn’t believe he was here.

No – even worse, you couldn’t believe he was making his way toward your table. It had to be some sort of mistake. How could it be that you chose to sit here? Was the universe attempting another cruel joke?

His visual seemed even more daunting outside his photographs in the magazines. Beyond a glossy page, he was softer. Thick hair, shiny and dark brown, which swooped beneath his ears and parted smoothly at the forehead. His lips were the same shade as the windowsill roses, as well as the high arches in his cheeks. But then, he was sharper too, with a trim, angular jaw and such a defined yet judgemental brow. You had expected anyone else but him. And now, this esteemed, much too beautiful man had come to the very last table, wearing an expression of waning curiosity. Or, as you interpreted it, clear-glass disappointment.

Before Jeonghan seated himself, he untucked his phone from his coat pocket and clicked a side button to check the time. He then sniffled, looked straight at the wall, and sighed. Despite your now devoted wish to disappear, you attempted to begin a conversation that wouldn’t backfire.

“Yoon Jeonghan. I’ve heard the name. It’s nice to meet you.”

He settled one arm on the table, tapping his fingernails.

“Yeah. I’m guessing you’re not a regular here—” he then peered over at your bright red Love Card placed by the teacup to say your name.

Bouncing your leg underneath the table, you nodded. “No, not really. I’ve been debating for a while if this was a choice I should make, but I can’t seem to have ends meet doing anything else. So, I came here.”

Already, Jeonghan looked painfully bored. He stopped tapping his fingers and leaned his chin against the hand instead. You knew it was the insecurity barking. Unnecessarily, you apologized to him.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m probably not the woman you’re expecting and I get that. I wouldn’t be all that offended if you wanted to save the Love Card for someone else or—”

Out of the blue, Jeonghan laughed, though he attempted to mute the sound by digging the bend of his index finger between his teeth. Your sentence trailed off with an awkward, dying breath. He suddenly leaned back in his metal seat, shaking his head apologetically and pulling back some of the soft hairs from his eyes. You felt utterly confused.

“Sorry, sorry,” he smiled, “didn’t mean to discourage you there, sweetheart. I’ve just never had someone apologize for—well, their looks.”

“I-I don’t know,” you lunged for damage control, “I just thought you seemed disappointed and I… Well, I haven’t done this before, so I don’t really know all that well how it works. I… I should stop talking…”

It felt as though someone had swatted both your cheeks in an iron-slap, because the skin was stinging hot like never before. You knew he was staring at you, probably thinking to himself that you were a train wreck waiting to happen. Afterward, an employee visited the table to collect your emptied teacup, and asked Jeonghan if he’d like anything to drink. Refusing to look elsewhere but the clenched fists in your lap, you waited for the employee to leave once Jeonghan rejected the offer. He’d pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket. Uncapping the pen with his teeth, you watched him sloppily scribble something down.

“My number.” He said, sliding it across the table. “Listen, I’ve gotta go home and proofread that term paper before I submit it. Just send me a text, okay? I won’t be free for a few days, anyways.”

“Oh, okay.” You sniffled.

Quite frankly, you couldn’t comprehend that he was still interested in pursuing something venereal, even when you had embarrassed yourself like a circus act. He rose quickly from the table and wrapped the waistband of his coat tight around his small waist.

Staring down at the paper, you blurted out, “are you sure?”

Jeonghan titled his head. “Am I sure of what?”

“Never mind.” You answered. “I’ll text you later.”

“Okay.” He nodded, on the verge of walking away when he abruptly stopped himself. “Are you always this nervous?”

Caught off guard by his question, your elbow whacked the edge of the table and you meekly stuttered, “I-I don’t know…”

You were more than positive he was going to ghost all your texts.

To a degree, you were correct.

Over the course of the following week, you sent Jeonghan at least three texts, each on separate days, only to be rewarded with a demotivating lack of responses. You knew he was a busy individual who probably didn’t have much time to waste on promiscuous affairs, let alone a committed relationship. So, you tried very earnestly to not feel upset or unimportant at his methods – even despite the series of required payments glaring you down from those white envelopes scattered atop the kitchen table.

And then, during the black, late hours of a snowy Friday, you received a reply. A surprisingly urgent one which detailed that you make it to the downtown Opal Studio before eleven o’clock, as there would be a backdoor entrance left unlocked for your access. He mentioned a storage closet underneath a staircase, worded very sternly as: … Wait inside, and do not make yourself known. I’ll see you there shortly, and ensure you leave without being spotted. Uncertain of what the situation would entail, you phoned a cab and payed the driver using some remaining funds from a paper note purse. The studio’s front was a smooth, velvet black, with a wide window which illuminated several mannequins wearing Mr. Yoon’s newest issue. Each outfit cost a pretty penny.

Like you anticipated, Jeonghan was late to meet you in the storage closet; however, you were at no point going to scold his blatant disregard for scheduling when he’d pressed you tight against the door looking the way he did. Buttons popped down the chest of his unwrinkled dress shirt, sleeves cuffed to his elbows, and his neat, styled hair beginning to dishevel around those intense eyes. He braced his hand beside your head, studying your lips as though they were glittering.

“Can I kiss you?” Jeonghan asked. The question seemed to rumble from deep in his throat and you felt your knees weaken.

You nodded immediately, allowing his hand to frame the side of your cheek as his warm, soft mouth nudged against yours. It was gentle for a fleeting touch, and then there was pressure, teeth, a slick tongue running across your bottom lip and leaving you in such a sensual daze that you just stood there with a parted mouth. Jeonghan definitely knew what he wanted from you in that moment. And he wanted it quick. You were flipped around, chest pushed against the door, skirt hiked up impatiently as the fabric ruffled around your hips. His hand slid between your thighs to rub you through the thin pair of underwear, pressing firmly enough that you could feel the cold, thick rings on his fingers.

Eagerly, you began a slow gyration of grinding against Jeonghan’s touch while simultaneously biting down hard on your bottom lip, knowing embarrassingly well that you were already sticky and soaking and ready for him to use you like a designated fucktoy. He was rather flush to your backside as he dug the heel of his palm against your clit, so much yet not enough between the cotton. Something about his scent was beyond arousing, and it gripped to him like a web. An expensive cologne no doubt, mature, raw, and ocean-fresh. You heard the sound of his belt being whipped open, followed by a zipper.

“Alright,” Jeonghan hummed, passing a hand up his length, “let’s make this quick. Gotta be back upstairs in five to finish the measurements and tapering and all that boring shit. Now, just be a good, quiet little girl for me, sweetheart, and this’ll be a cake walk.”

Your mouth stretched into a low, whiny groan as Jeonghan held your underwear aside and began to sink inside of you, his hips stalled against your skin. His light breath then fluttered at your ear, “bet you’d make such a perfect toy to keep my cock nice and warm. Feels so perfect, being this deep inside you, sweetheart.” He shuddered against you, thrusting once, twice, slowly and teasingly dragging himself out before ramming right back in to pinch you against the door.

“Fuck,” he cursed between his teeth, “life would be so much easier if I could just keep you right here on my cock, wouldn’t it, baby?”.

Undoubtedly, that smooth-talking tongue of his was going to be an impending problem. You don’t know where he got off exactly on such scandalous thoughts, but you were too consumed in your own lust to care. The way he fucked you against that door with one hand scraping at your hip and the other wrapped up your throat, fingers pressing hot into your drooling mouth to keep you quiet, it was more bliss than a one-way ticket to Eden. Jeonghan timed his orgasm appropriately, slipping himself from your warmth at the last second and finishing himself off using the hand which had been maintaining your silence. His breaths were slow but husky in the aftermath, his fingers painted in cum.

“You wouldn’t want to use that pretty mouth of yours to clean this, would you?” He laughed.

Before you could respond, Jeonghan had grabbed some paper towels left to sit on a shelf and cleaned the mess himself. Then, as though nothing had happened, he asked if you were carrying that damn Love Card before you could even flatten down the wrinkles in your skirt. You grabbed the small note purse you set down next to the paper towels and revealed the obnoxiously coloured card. Jeonghan smiled.

“That’s the one.” He took a dry erase marker from the shelf and wrote his initials in the first circle.

“Here,” Jeonghan proceeded to offer back the card, “one session down. I need to scram. The hall should be clear at this hour, but have a cab ready just in case you need to bolt fast. Oh—before I go, you got the money to pay the driver? It’s no problem if you’re short. I can cover.”

“N-No, I should have enough.” You answered.

“Cool. I’ll transact you tonight.” Jeonghan nodded, tucking in his shirt rather poorly before slipping past you to exit the storage closet.

One week later, you were at the entrance to the library, pulling open the door with a big, cold huff. It was much warmer inside. You were beginning to feel the tips of your stiff fingers again.

Despite your service at the Love Café, you wanted one last time to test your luck on a receptionist position at the downtown hair salon, simply because you would think better of yourself if you weren’t relying chiefly on Jeonghan to pay your bills. His last transaction had been more than you anticipated. Finally, you were able to erase that huge electricity bill, and you still had enough of the money left over to supply some warm meals for the next few days. If you could just submit your newest resume to the salon, then you might be able to permanently cover the groceries.

Except, you needed access to a computer.

Ever since you tipped over a glass of water onto your old laptop, it had stopped working properly, and the library was the only place close by which let you use the computer room without fees. However, as you peered in through the backroom window to find an open space, you realized just how crammed full it was. Judging by everyone’s intense typing and unblinking eyes, you weren’t going to steal a seat anytime soon, which pulled out a frustrated sigh as you fiddled with the USB in your pocket. You thought about heading home, until you saw Jeonghan.

He was seated at the distant left corner, leaned back comfortably in the chair while he examined something on his laptop. A gym bag was slid underneath the table, and he was dressed as though he had some sort of sports practice; quite the contrary to his usual crisp, ironed shirts and heavy winter coats courtesy of brands you couldn’t pronounce. He seemed concentrated, chewing on his thumb nail while he tapped the touch pad. In fact, he didn’t notice that you had approached him until you said his name quietly from across the table and his eyes flickered.

“Uh, hey.” Jeonghan replied, sounding bothered while he pushed his thumb harshly against his bottom lip. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“And I didn’t expect to see you.”

He shrugged, maintaining his uninterested glance on the laptop screen. “Well, I’m looking over some notes. Last minute stuff.”

You nodded. “What’s with the duffle bag?”

“My friend Joshua – he’s been making me coach this Peewee soccer team with him at the Greenfield Dome.” Jeonghan puffed out his chest, letting an arm fall loosely to his side. “Those kids are insane. They have too much energy. I shouldn’t have let that bastard sweet talk me.”

At that, you giggled, though immediately hushed yourself when the librarian came by with a metal cart, filled with books to shelve. You stepped around the table to move out of her way. Jeonghan pulled out the chair beside him using his foot and nodded that you take a seat.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

You reached into your pocket and pulled out the USB.

“I need to upload my new resume. I mean, I probably won’t hear anything back from this place, ‘cause that’s how it usually goes. But, whatever. Thing is, I busted my laptop, and now the computer room is filled up. I’ll just come back later and hope it’s cleared out.” Staring down at your shoes, you avoided Jeonghan’s gaze. “I know I’m doing this Love Café stuff, but it would still be nice to have my own income, you know?”

“I get that.” He replied, scratching at his collarbone. “I’ve already got my laptop here and everything. You can use it, if you want.”

“Really?” You smiled wide. “Thanks.”

Jeonghan closed a few tabs that he’d been rotating between before sliding his laptop over to you. Wriggling the memory stick into the small slot at the side, you logged into your email account through the main search engine. As long as you could send your resume to the salon before they closed their application deadline, then you would hope for the absolute best, even if it was an unstimulating, lacklustre gig answering phones and scheduling hair appointments all day. Just as you went to drag the file into your email, Jeonghan’s laptop froze.

“Uh, Jeonghan,” you whispered, “nothing’s moving. Do I just wait? Does this normally happen? Did I screw something up?”

He shook his head and laughed. “Relax, relax. It’s been doing that a lot recently. I figured out if you hold down these keys—” Jeonghan suddenly scooted his chair in very close, his thigh pressing against yours as he reached a hand underneath your arm, the other lightly nudging your fingers off the keyboard, “then it goes back to normal. See?”

“O-Oh, yeah. It’s working.” You stuttered, not all staring at the specific keys he clicked because the side of his face was much too pretty.

Granting you access to the keyboard again, Jeonghan leaned away, though he didn’t move his thigh from yours even an inch. It was almost concerning how flustered you felt. Jeonghan had literally pinned you against a closet door and fucked his own hand right in front of you, and yet, your heart was fluttering tenfold. In a much different way. And it lit this spark of fear and adrenaline at the core of your chest like gasoline hitting a wicked flame. You detached the USB stick, logged yourself out from the email account, and moved quickly off the seat.

In a hurried breath, you said, “thanks so much!” and proceeded to leave the library as though someone were trailing you with a pitchfork.

While it was embarrassing, you knew it was necessary. There was no way you were going to crush on that boy. It was strictly business.

Tired. Aching.

Uncomfortable moisture covering the slopes and divots of your body. You didn’t think there was anything left inside you for him to so commandingly take, like his name were inked to your each and every limb. And yet, Jeonghan wasn’t ready to let you rest. The mattress dipped behind you, the heat of his chest sticking to your back, the weight of his erection pressed right at your tailbone. While his lips kissed softly up your neck, Jeonghan slid his hand in between your thighs to continue pleasuring you, ignoring the responsive whimpers attached to your sensitivity. He’d already brought you to two orgasms, though you were sensing the overbearing rush of a third.

An index and middle finger slid down to your entrance, the contact beyond slippery, a sort of wet velvet, and you hardly recognized the sensation unlike the first time he’d touched you. Jeonghan hooked the digits deep, using the heel of his palm to rub a thorough friction against your clit. Working faster and faster, his laboured breaths fanned hot across your neck while he sharply concentrated on making you starry-eyed. It was pain. It was bliss. It was exactly what you wanted most and everything you couldn’t endure at the same time. You came heavily, screamed as the pulsation at your core felt almost violent.

Unable to fully ride out the pleasure, you attempted to curl away from Jeonghan, hiding your face in the pillows and further tilting your hips. However, the boy followed your movement. He stayed snug to your back, practically leaned over top you with the latter arm braced next to your head while his hand pounded and pounded. The amount of liquid gushing onto his fingers and spilling down his wrist felt almost comical, and you were certain that you had never orgasmed so intensely in your life. To make matters worse, it seemed as though he’d taken that little memory box in your head filled with all your language and tossed it right out the damn window. You couldn’t form one word other than sobs.

Jeonghan breathed a light, shaky chuckle beside your ear. “Trying to run from me, sweetheart? When I can make you feel so good? Look at how much you can take, honey. Such a good girl when you cum so fucking hard ‘round my fingers I can barely move them.”

The sound of his digits sliding out from your entrance was the most impure, salacious noise you didn’t know could exist. Rolling slowly onto your back, you saw the immediate coating on Jeonghan’s hand and the drops beading down his wrist. He caught one with his tongue, licking all the way back up like he was cleaning the juice from a melted popsicle, and you almost couldn’t watch him. In fact, you were exhausted. There wasn’t anything left for you to offer, and the thought of moving from his bed when your core felt this utterly sore and your muscles this tight set a perfectly timed cue for your eyes to fall shut. It was heavenly.

Nonetheless, Jeonghan had a very specific rule. There was no staying past your session, and he was often strikingly clear about it. But this was the first time you’d been pushed to such a degree. He must be able to recognize that it was only a short nap you needed, and perhaps a quick minute under the shower to rid your skin of the sticky sweat.

Out of the blue, something was tossed onto your face. It was your t-shirt earlier stripped and thrown to the floor by Jeonghan. Cracking an eye open and peeling away the fabric to hang loosely from your grip, you sighed. He had already slipped back into his exercise pants.

“Seriously? I’m exhausted.”

He threw a loose flannel over the long, beaming red scrapes that you had clawed down his back, shaking his head with a huff.

“I’m not saying you need to get out right now. I’ve got a dinner with the parents at eight.” Jeonghan proceeded to drop the rest of your undergarments onto bed. “So, you gotta be gone by a quarter to, alright?”

Swallowing dryly, you nodded.

“Alright.”

The next morning, you were seated on the edge of your bed, staring with bleary eyes at the smooth, red Love Card that was initialed to its fifth circle, leaving only eight more sessions with Jeonghan. Though you approached the café with nothing more than an intention to earn money (even if the sex would be inexplicably dull), you were beginning to presume that there was more to this business than you thought. Because the sex wasn’t dull. It was concerningly amazing. And the very man who you had sworn to maintain a no-strings-attached type relationship with was throwing you for a loop. But he was boundary driven.

Be ready to go by this time. No sparkly clothes. Leave nothing in the washroom. Don’t show up here. Don’t show up there. Don’t text me unless this. Don’t call me unless that. Jeonghan knew very explicitly that you were a simple trick to relieving his stress and fulfilling his sexual desires, yet, anything further than that was laughably impossible. And, besides, it’s not like you needed to be in love or have this dazzling, perfect boyfriend. There was too much on your plate already.

You had gone to bed in a thick wool sweater, layered with the heaviest comforter you had due to the broken heating. Ignoring the cold, your next-door neighbours had found themselves in another drunken argument, forcing you to hear the unnerving crack of beer bottles and an outrageous number of insults, ranging from the very straightforward, ‘ridiculous bitch” to the audacious, “go fuck yourself, narcissistic prick.”

Thankfully, the dramatics ended just before three am.

You set the Love Card back on your nightstand. After you splashed mild water onto your face from the sink, you started multitasking, attempting to brush your teeth and remove your pyjama bottoms at the same time. Then, there was a knock at your door. You spared a glance through the peephole while the toothbrush hung from the corner of your mouth and the frigid air hit your bare legs. Upon recognizing the face reflected through the fisheye lens, you nearly choked on the mint-flavoured spit collected at the back of your throat, which forced you to unpleasantly compose yourself at the kitchen sink.

He knocked again, and you pulled the door open almost immediately, probably appearing as though you just hiked through the wilderness. Jeonghan’s eyes widened as he smiled at you.

“Damn. Sleep well?” He remarked, looking you up and down.

You were in the midst of a yawn as you answered. “Um, yes. I-I mean no. Wait, I don’t know what I’m saying. What was the question?”

Jeonghan nodded. “I’ll take that as a no.” He then reached into the pocket on his flannel coat. “Anyways, I have your phone. You left it on my bedside table the other night. Figured it’s kind of useful, I guess.”

“Oh my god. I did that?” You winced, realizing you must have been so tired and discombobulated from Jeonghan blowing your brains out that you forgot. “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

Leaning your temple against the door, you sighed. “How was that dinner thing with your parents? Was it any fun?”

The boy shook his head, pulling out his car keys and tossing them from hand to hand. “No. It was all business bullshit. What they want me to do with my future after I graduate uni. How to be responsible with my money since they think I’m gonna blow it in a few years. Trying to structure my life around stuff I don’t really give a damn about.”

“O-Oh…” You frowned, “well, was there at least good food?”

Jeonghan stopped playing with his keys and titled his head at you. “Yeah,” he said, his eyes gentle, “they had great red velvet cake.”

Unfortunately, your neighbours must have woken up and decided it was a little too peaceful at such an hour, because you heard a loud, clanging thump echo from the room beside yours, like someone had dropped a metal pot or pan on the ground. Of course, the yelling started.

It didn’t last nearly as long compared to the night before, just a few scolding comments which were ultimately muffled. You wondered what Jeonghan was thinking as he blinked at the neighbour’s door and realized how despairing the narrow, dimly-lit hallway looked. After visiting his high-end apartment numerous times based in the luxury core of the city, with its beautiful architecture and sparkle, you were frankly a bit humiliated he was witnessing this drab part of your life – the reason you were seeking his service in the first place. You apologized through your teeth for the commotion, though Jeonghan merely shrugged.

“It’s better than nothing, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true. But those two next door can be a handful sometimes. I don’t get it. If they hate each other, then just break up. Get divorced. It’s like they want to be miserable on purpose.”

“Bet you wish you could get the hell outta here, huh?”

“All the time.” You replied wistfully. “I’m thinking of going to the mall today, actually. I need a new bath towel. Whatever gets me away.”

“You want a ride there?” Jeonghan asked, shaking his keys.

At that, you smiled a little too wide. “Maybe.”

Carefully, you picked up a thin, glass bottle of pink perfume from the display counter, tilting the liquid back and forth as the lights gleamed off the gold nozzle. Everything inside the store was diamond bright and almost blinding, while the air smelled strongly of expensive floral. The employees were tailored in smooth, sophisticated suits, which made you more petrified than usual to touch anything, hence your very delicate inspection of the perfume as you waited for Jeonghan to finish his conversation with the front clerk. Since his father’s collection was sold at the boutique, Jeonghan seemed to have a cordial relationship with the staff, and they had recognized him almost immediately.

As most of their merchandise was quite expensive, you always ignored the boutique until Jeonghan suggested you stop by. It didn’t help that there was actually some cute clothing begging to be bought, though you knew one swift glance at the price tag would change your mind. You brought the perfume bottle close to your nose and inhaled lightly.

“What does it smell like?” Jeonghan asked.

You sniffed again. “It’s sweet, though it’s not strong.”

“Let me smell.” He said, and so you raised the bottle up to his nose. Jeonghan wrapped his hand around yours as he took a breath, shaking his head in disapproval. “That’s all wrong. I don’t like it.”

“It is kind of high schoolish.” You told him, setting the test bottle back onto the counter as though you were laying down a jewel. “I just need a new scent, you know? I actually love that one bottle your mom did, the summer tropic one. It’s so peachy but mild. I’m running out.”

“For real?” Jeonghan laughed, his eyes skipping over the different shaped containers. “You use one of my mom’s perfumes?”

“Um, yeah. Have you even smelled the tropic one? It’s amazing.”

“I don’t hang around her laboratory too often.” He replied. “It gives me a big fucking headache. Smells like this place times a hundred.”

You shrugged. “I guess that’s understandable.”

Suddenly, Jeonghan had latched his hand around your elbow, pulling you around to the opposite side of the counter. He grabbed a tall, slim bottle that was made from foggy glass and a chrome silver pump.

“C’mon, give me your wrist for a second.” He said. “Try this scent. I don’t know why, but it reminds me of you.”

Pulling up your sleeve, you stuck out your wrist and allowed him to spray a thin layer against the skin. Then, you sniffed the area. At first, your forehead crinkled as you attempted to decipher its concoction of notes. There was something a little fresh and cool, but then there was this oddly mature hint of a distinguished floral scent. You couldn’t pinpoint the flower, but it was certainly addictive and very intriguing.

“It’s called Orchid Night. Smells great, right?”

“Yeah,” you smiled, rolling your sleeve back down “just don’t tell me what it costs. It has to be at least fifty bucks.”

“Try sixty-nine,” Jeonghan corrected, “plus tax, don’t forget.”

Immediately, you grabbed the bottle from his hand and returned the perfume to its small podium on the countertop.

“Well, let’s put it back before we break it.”

Jeonghan smirked. “I could buy it for you.”

For a split second, you were tempted to succumb, though you snapped from the thought at the last second and shook your head.

“No way. I wouldn’t let you, anyways.”

He buried his hands in his pockets, rolling those gold-copper eyes of his. Jeonghan made sure to purposefully bump into you as he walked down the bright aisle toward the clothes. “Honestly, you’re so boring, man. That scent, on you? It would be sexy.” The boy then turned around to smother you with a burning gaze. “But, fine. Have it your way.”

You hurried after him, scoffing lightheartedly to camouflage the fact your heart was beating like a broken pendulum. Jeonghan had stopped at a rack of neatly pressed clothing to sort through the hangers.

“My way is the better way,” you smiled, “always.”

Jeonghan moved the long-sleeved button-up he’d been eyeing back onto the rack, merely blowing out a puff of air.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Besides, I still need to get my bath towel.”

“We can find it on the bottom floor. At the new essentials store that just opened up. The Shower Duck, I think.”

“The Shower what?”

He couldn’t help but cackle while repeating himself. “The Shower Duck. You thought I said something else, didn’t you?”

When you were too tongue-twisted to reply, Jeonghan decided to place his fingers softly on your chin, holding your head still as he leaned in very closely to whisper, “you’re such a dirty girl, you know that?” You almost hated how casually he pulled away and continued to examine the clothing, as though he hadn’t just murmured a lascivious comment into your ear while the employees were standing a mere few meters across the store. More than anything, you desired the courage to deservingly tease him in return, to break that relaxed little shtick of his. Except, you weren’t confident nor subtle enough to attempt anything in public.

But when your eyes landed on that brand-new lingerie set wrapped primly on the nearest mannequin, you had a wonderful idea.

“No, are you being serious? Why? Why?”

His blunt fingernails sunk into the leather arms of the desk chair, scraping upward, as equally frustrated with your cruel antics as he was aroused and impatient. Maybe it was somewhat meanspirited to strut the thin, beautiful lace and ribbons curled around your body in a baby pink, and indeed, there was a moment where you pondered leniency, though, you severed the thought, because Jeonghan would surely tear each garter and bow from your outfit like it hadn’t cost anything at all. Pursing your bottom lip, you smiled, sinister and cold.

“I am being serious,” you stated firmly, nearing closer to his desk chair, “your hands won’t touch a single part of me, Jeonghan.”

He glared up at you with a dark, flickering fire in his eyes, as if he were already weighing the consequence to breaking such rules. You began to sit comfortably on the boy’s lap, curling your arms around his neck while maintaining the intensity of the stare.

“And, if you do, I’ll grab my things and leave. It’ll just be you and your hand, for the rest of the night.” Purposefully, you brushed delicate lips, featherlight, along his warm, red-tinged ear, to which you could practically feel him harden underneath you upon the whisper, “and there’ll be nothing you can do other than remembering how good it felt when I was in your lap, grinding down on you, baby boy, just like this.”

Slowly and with focus, you rolled your hips in a deep, smooth gyration, ensuring Jeonghan felt the heavy pressure against all the right places. His hands keened for your waist, so you immediately reminded him of your unnegotiable rules, forcing them to settle on the arms of the chair. He drew in a sharp breath. And then, he started to laugh, like a beaten protagonist receiving their first, acrid taste of defeat. Jeonghan titled his head back to smile very lazily at you.

“Evil.” He said. “You’re fucking evil.”

“Mmhm,” you agreed, continuing the unhurried, steadfast pace of your hips rolling back and forth, observing with poorly hidden glee as the boy lost his smile, “but you’ll still cum, won’t you, Jeonghan?”

Before he could sneak in a clever rebuttal, you adjusted yourself even lower onto his lap, digging your nails down the back of his neck as you circled a thorough motion against his erection. Admittedly, it was difficult to maintain the domineering act. Even through the black material of the slacks, his cock was managing to create a friction with your lace underwear, a friction so rough yet fruitless that you were already tempted to take him, full and aching inside you. In order to distract yourself, you licked the tender side to Jeonghan’s neck, looping your tongue in a messy, warm pattern overtop a sensitive vein.

“Ff-fuck,” Jeonghan stuttered, scraping harshly along the chair, “you devilish little girl, c-can’t believe you’re g’nna make me cum like this—b-but it feels so damn good the way you’re moving, baby.”

You suckled until you’d drawn a shiny, wine-coloured hue to the surface of Jeonghan’s skin, to mark a dark bruise as a keepsake. He kept breathing through a parted mouth, each exhale shakier and more erratic than the last, his knuckles hard like stone while they gratingly tensed and betrayed his frustration at not being able to touch you. With slow, teasing hands, you began to drag them down his chest, nails clawing at the expensive fabric of his dress shirt. Jeonghan squirmed. He clenched his jaw and cursed rough under his breath. You focused on where his cock was poking you to apply the most dizzying pressure thus far, rolling your hips until something inside Jeonghan snapped and you felt him cum.

“Jesus—fuck!” He shouted, the loudest you had ever heard the boy, and there was a notable tear in his usually soft voice. “Keep going, keep going,” Jeonghan panted, squeezing his eyes shut, “keep fucking moving just like that, sweetheart. A-Ahh, ff-fuck, feels s-so good—"

At the pulsating sensation right beneath your core, you submitted to Jeonghan’s wish and continued grinding down, even if you were beginning to tire at your lack of stamina. However, there came a point where you were too breathless to maintain such a pace, so you trickled to a halt and steadied your hands on his firm shoulders. He tossed his head back, neck leaned against the edge of the chair. The hazy, glass look to his brown eyes and the rose glow smeared on each cheek made it appear as though he’d just touched down from heaven. As you shifted slightly in Jeonghan’s lap, you noticed the white stream of cum that had soaked through his pants, and that somehow, he was still hard.

“I didn’t know you could beg, Jeonghan.” You remarked, grinning, meanwhile attempting to catch your breath.

He shook his head. “Don’t expect it too much.”

“Well, I can tell you’re satisfied, either way.”

He chuckled, brushing some of the loose hairs from his face. You felt his hands settle upon your waist’s bare skin, warm and squeezing. In that moment, you just didn’t possess the same acuteness to scold him.

“Almost,” Jeonghan huffed, “but, what do you suppose you’ll do to please yourself, sweetheart?” He leaned forward, until his forehead was just a sliver away from bumping yours, the boy sliding a hand down your abdomen and beneath the lace underwear. As he stroked the tips of his fingers along your slit, he smirked. “I’ve never felt someone so wet before, dripping all over my fingers and I’m barely touching you. Did it turn you on that much, sweetheart? Feeling my hard cock right underneath this needy pussy of yours?” Jeonghan teased with a smirk and a low, calm tone. You couldn’t tell if you wanted to duct tape his mouth shut or allow him to keep talking, as there was something about his honeyed voice which wound you up like clockwork.

Yet, before you could even start the syllable of a response, Jeonghan pushed you strongly from his lap, his hands glued to your waist as he guided you to stumble against the bed. Your back hit the mattress, the sheets puffing up around you. And then, Jeonghan was kissing you, lips clashing messily while he took advantage of the switched power dynamic to run his hands over your every inch. One second, they were cupping your breasts overtop the baby pink bralette. Another second, they were grabbing at your ass and kneading so desperately. You were being ravaged. It was overwhelming, it was gratifying, it was needed beyond belief.

“Hey,” Jeonghan said, separating his mouth from the side of your throat to stare at you with an oddly sentimental eye, “before I get all up in your guts and everything— you look beautiful. Even if you did choose this outfit to be a big fucking tease.” His fingers brushed down the edge of your jaw, and he smiled at you in a way that wasn’t clever or teetering on sarcasm. Your heart leapt like a little frog in your chest.

“Really?” You questioned him, not because you didn’t believe the lingerie suited your figure, but rather, you weren’t expecting this sweetness from someone who was always so quick to get rid of you.

He nodded, raising a suspecting eyebrow. “Yeah, really. What, you think I’m lying to you or something?”

“No, I don’t think that,” you answered quickly, curling your fingers into the bedsheets, “I just—I wasn’t… Uh, never mind.”

“Alright,” Jeonghan laughed, lowering his head to delicately kiss your cheek, and then your neck, “you’re a bit strange sometimes, you know that?” He mumbled against the sensitive skin, even daring to dig his knee between your thighs to make you increasingly pliable.

“I-I know,” you stuttered, unable to help your embarrassing voice crack. But you still smiled, letting Jeonghan explore and pleasure your body with an uncharacteristic tenderness for the remainder of the night.

Twelve am.

Usually, at this time, you’d be at the bottom floor of his apartment complex, seated by the lobby water fountain. You’d be examining your face with a pocket mirror, awaiting the yellow taxi cab, and trying to avoid eye contact with the wealthy businesspeople filtering from the elevators in glamourous congregation.

However, tonight was different.

Tonight, you were in Jeonghan’s bed, with a white sheet covering the lower half of your bodies, an ear pressed to his bare, warm chest while you breathed him in like the wind on a bright summer’s day. You felt his fingertips trace long figure eights down your spine and then dance back up to the subtle curve of your shoulder blades. Sometimes it tickled, other times it was a touch so soft it was hardly there, and in between you thought he might have been tracing words. The room was quiet. But good quiet— the comfortable quiet. And then you heard Jeonghan speak into the crown of your head while his hand stilled at your waist.

“Did that salon ever call you back?” He asked.

You sighed, focusing on your thumb which brushed a small freckle on his pectoral muscle. “They emailed me, and said their position was already filled, but that they’ll try to look for another opening.”

Jeonghan rubbed your hip. “That’s good, right? I mean, they didn’t just flat out reject you. They’re gonna keep you in mind.”

“It’s better than what I’m used to getting,” you answered, pressing your lips together and tilting your head up at him.

And, that’s when it struck you, like someone had just clanged a bell right beside your head. You were still in Jeonghan’s bed. You were still in Jeonghan’s apartment. You were still with Jeonghan. Feeling as though you’d broken some vastly significant cardinal rule, you operated on a strange basis of panic and autopilot, already seated at the edge of the mattress while you tucked your underwear back on.

“I’m sorry,” you spewed, reaching for your shirt next and straightening it out frantically in your lap, “the time escaped me. I-I know I have to go. And, my Love Card, I think it’s in my purse or—”

“Can you slow down?” Jeonghan laughed, casting a hand through his loose, disarrayed hair which you had admittedly tugged earlier in the night like your life depended on it. The boy’s arms circled around your midframe, hugging your back to his chest. “I don’t care about that stupid card right now,” Jeonghan hummed into your ear, “stay.”

At that, you almost choked. “Stay? You want me to stay?” You repeated dumbly, dropping the inside-out shirt back onto your lap.

The coldest shiver split down your spine as Jeonghan buried his face against your neck, taking a breath of your scent, kissing your skin.

“Yeah,” he purred, now pecking the soft spot behind your ear, “I want you to stay. Or, if you really want to go home, I won’t stop you.”

“No,” you replied almost immediately, melting into his voice, his touch, his body, “trust me, I’d rather be here.”

Jeonghan’s arms relaxed their snug grip.

“I figured that.”

Even though you had strongly protested the idea, Jeonghan succeeded at wearing you down akin to an ocean tide forming whorls into rock, and now you were seated before your vanity with an array of makeup scattered at your fingertips as you prepared for a dinner. His parents were going to be there, in addition to some business partners and close friends, which sounded like something from a hellish nightmare. In fact, Jeonghan himself didn’t seem all that eager to attend. He’d been sprawled across your bed for the past half hour, with the long drapes of his coat fanned around him, as he flipped through an old magazine. You were certain he just didn’t want to tough another dinner alone.

After focusing a spritz of perfume to your neck (the orchid one, bought by Jeonghan, because he was very insistent that you not smell like his mother) you shut off the vanity lights and sighed.

“I think I’m ready… Physically though, not mentally.”

Jeonghan yawned, tossing the magazine aside before he pushed himself to sit upright on the bed. He rubbed at his eye.

“Trust me, it’s not going to be the big, royal midnight ball that you’re picturing. My parents have these dinners all the time. You’ll be the centre of attention for a few minutes, and then it’s pretty much just business central from there. You’ll be lucky if you can even get a word in. I stopped trying months ago.”

You smiled at him, feeling slightly better about the situation, and took one last, scrutinizing glance in the mirror. The dress was simple yet elegant, a mute shade of dark blue with a beaded, crystal belt that you had forgotten about, as you discovered it laying behind a stool shoved in your closet. The fabric had an elastic tightness to it and was hemmed shorter than you remembered, just above your fingertips. You tried not to judge or overthink the figure which reflected in the vanity glass, or what Jeonghan’s parents might assume upon their first introduction to someone who was so clueless on their accolades. It was merely a dinner.

“Stop worrying so much,” Jeonghan hummed, sensing that you were at the forefront of a spiral. His hands settled to your hips and he caught your eye through the mirror. “No one is going to judge you, or poke fun at you, or say anything mean. I promise.” He then grabbed your winter coat off the bed, helping you slide into the arms, and even doing up the buttons. “You’re gorgeous.” Jeonghan said, tapping your chin.

It didn’t help that he could fluster you so easily.

Joshua wasn’t at all who you expected him to be, while simultaneously encompassing everything you would indeed expect from the position of Jeonghan’s closest friend. He was a juxtaposition personified. Slick, ash blonde hair combed into a handsome wave, eyes which twinkled like the restaurant’s diamond chandelier, and a soothing voice which could be a cup of warm milk on a frosty day, though his interactions with Jeonghan portrayed him as childlike and frivolous. He greeted you, at first with a quick hug. You heard him exhale deeply.

“Wow,” Joshua commented, retreating to shake your hand, “you smell amazing! I mean—well, I hope that doesn’t sound weird.”

You laughed, and wondered how someone could smile with such a prettiness. “Thank you! I’d be upset if you didn’t notice, actually.”

Joshua continued to shake your hand. “Oh, yeah, agree. It’s wonderful to meet you. Jeonghan’s been trying to hide you, it seems.”

“Go shove a break stick in your mouth,” Jeonghan scoffed, blowing a loose piece of hair from his eyes, “and stop shaking her hand like that. You’re gonna snap her whole arm off.”

Finally, Joshua released his grip, and your arm fell back to your side like a limp noodle. His cheeks were starting to turn pink.

“I was not. Anyways—” he nodded at you, “like I said, nice to meet you. I hope we’ll talk more tonight and I’ll pick your brain.”

“Sure thing,” you answered, waving the boy off as he returned to the dinner table before facing Jeonghan. “He seems nice.”

“And totally into you. I haven’t seen him shake someone’s hand like that since I introduced him to Elouise from France. He’s gonna turn into a lost puppy all over again. Bet he’ll try to sweet talk you later.”

“Can’t wait.” You grinned, already giggling through your teeth.

Jeonghan c0nsquently thwapped your forehead with his finger.

However, meeting Jeonghan’s parents was starkly different than the good-humoured Joshua. They both appeared cross, and firm, and before you had even shaken their hands you were forced to wipe yours against your dress. The father was a bit softer around the edges, showing you a pleased smile that reminded you instantaneously of Jeonghan, while the mother was stone-faced and seemed as though she hadn’t slouched since birth. Even when she complimented your fragrance, there was a tartness to her voice which made it sound disingenuous.

“Well, Jeonghan,” she said, clasping her hands together, “I’m glad to finally see you with a lovely lady on your arm. I didn’t think it was possible that you could settle for someone after being with Baejin.”

“Oh?” The father piped up, “you’re my son’s girlfriend?”

Before you could respond, Jeonghan had beaten you to it.

“No, she’s…” he bit his lip hard, “she’s just a friend. Mom kept nagging that I always come to these dinners alone, and she was down.”

For some reason, it felt like someone had pierced a pin straight through your heart – a very tiny hole which shouldn’t hurt all that much, yet stung like flesh to orange, glowing metal. In fact, there was a visible shift in your countenance, from a nervous smile to a sunken frown, but you were able to veil it very quickly and pretend nothing was wrong. Why should you feel so disappointed that Jeonghan had introduced you as a friend? The promiscuous nature of your relationship didn’t immediately loop you two together as soulmates, or lovers, or even the mildest beginnings of boyfriend and girlfriend. You tried to refocus yourself.

Jeonghan’s mother nodded. “Even if she isn’t your next Baejin, it’s nice to meet a new face. The dinner talk might bore you no doubt.”

“No, not at all—” you forced a smile, “I’m just excited to be here.”

It was easier to endure the night than you thought, because true to Jeonghan’s word, the conversation was a bunch of business lingo that you didn’t exactly understand, with the occasional question flitted to you by Joshua who sat across the table. You had completely emptied your glass of ice water, and were halfway through your wine when two fancy, tuxedoed servers stopped by the table to collect everyone’s dishes. A distant relative was seated to Jeonghan’s right, and they had swept him into a discussion of whether or not he was interested in pursuing his current degree or if he would abandon it to work fulltime for his father’s brand. Meanwhile, Joshua had whisper-shouted your name.

You raised an eyebrow, “what?”

“Are you getting dessert?” The blonde asked, already shoving a small, plastic menu to his face. “I can’t decide what I want.”

“I guess so,” you picked up an extra menu sitting by a purple wine bottle and started to browse the list of decadent food.

Joshua sighed, “I usually get the cheesecake… but, I’m torn. What if I want the caramel apple baked pudding with black truffles?”

“The caramel apple baked what?” You questioned, laughing from the absolute mouthful that Joshua just worded so effortlessly.

“I know, I know. It’s a jumble. But my family and I come here all the time so I’ve gotten these names down pat. What are you thinking?”

“Um, I’m not sure. I’ve never been here before, actually.”

His eyes, glistering and delighted, locked with yours. “Can I recommend you something, then?” Joshua said while smiling. “Red velvet cake. It’s right at the bottom. Not to mention the slice is huge so there’s always leftovers for the next day. It’s a favourite here.”

The relative responsible for dragging Jeonghan into another trite conversation concerning his future had excused themselves from the table. He was finally able to return his attention to you, and you slid over the dessert menu so he could pick something. You noted that Jeonghan’s hand had fallen onto your thigh, right at the hem of your dress, and you could only surmise that trouble was brewing. Joshua took a sip from his water glass, then settled it back on the table while subtly eyeing you.

“So, I’ve never seen you around before. Are you in school?”

You tapped your nails against the white table cloth, shaking your head, “no—I had to drop my program. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be and, well, I took a huge hit financially. So, no school.”

“Not everything is going to be a bullseye,” Joshua said, “I’m sure there’ll be more opportunity down the road. This other friend of mine, his name is Mingyu, he does this thing called the Love Café—” the boy then gestured to Jeonghan, “and I know he’s done it once before. Have you heard of it? Maybe it’s not up your alley, but I hear it’s good money.”

The suggestion had quite visibly stunned you. It seemed that Jeonghan was intent to keep the foundation of your relationship as covert as possible, which prompted his ‘friends’ comment before dinner, therefore you had no choice but to follow the rouse, even if the boy was currently sliding his hand further up the inside of your thigh, pushing inch by inch under your dress. Jeonghan didn’t contribute a single word.

“Um, the name sounds familiar. I’ll have to look it up.” You then glanced at him, hanging his head over the menu like a child who forgot their glasses, probably hiding some million-watt smirk.

“Are you having dessert?” Joshua asked his friend.

Jeonghan sat up straight, nodding, “I am.”

“The red velvet cake?”

“Vanilla ice cream. The one that comes on the skillet.”

“Oh, that one’s seriously good,” Joshua groaned, “ask them to put a chocolate chip cookie on the side. It gets all warm and—”

“Joshua,” the young lady beside him, probably in her late twenties, with petal-shaped, twinkling eyes similar to his and ice-like smooth skin, suddenly wrapped her hand around his arm, “can you come outside with me for a few minutes? I think I left my wallet in the car.”

He pushed out his chair. “Sure thing—guys, I’ll be back in a few. I need to help my cousin. If the waiter comes, order for me please.”

While you might have promised Joshua to follow through on his unnecessarily complicated apple pudding, such thoughts were quick to be discarded the moment he’d left the table, as Jeonghan had given you much more to think about. The boy’s hand was wedged between the apex of your thighs with two fingers pressed flat against your underwear. You felt heat, and the faintest burning of pleasure, one that yearned for you to start a gentle undulation against his hand because your unruly body was already eager for stimulation. Jeonghan picked up his wine glass.

“What are you doing?” You tried to shelter the whisper from the table’s guests, hoping the business speech was too engrossing.

As laid back as an ironing board, Jeonghan took a long gulp from his drink, swishing the wine from cheek to cheek before he swallowed. He set the wide-rimmed glass back down and wiped his mouth.

“What do you mean, ‘what am I doing?’” He said, raising an eyebrow at you as though you’d conjured a make-believe tale. However, the instant he started to slide up his index finger so it could push firmly against your clit, a smirk penetrated that complacent expression.

You grabbed his wrist, stared him dead in those honey-brown eyes. “Are you insane?” the whisper was harsh, “we’re in public.”

He tilted his head indifferently. “What’s your point, love? I get to play with your pussy whenever I want. It’s mine now. Remember?”

The dirty-mouthed comment split a fire beneath your cheeks like a flint cracking steel. Not only that, but Jeonghan studied each minor contort of your face as he slipped two digits beneath your underwear, brushing his fingertips ever so softly around your sensitive clit. You gulped, dry and gritty, hating that your thighs were starting to spread.

“Jeonghan!” A voice called his name from down the table.

Fear gripped your poor heart like latex glove. It was an older relative, asking him to pass down the remaining bottle full of wine.

“Oh, such a nice boy!” She chirped.

You nearly gawked at the remark considering the immoral placement of his hand and what he was doing. On the contrary – as much as you wanted to be embarrassed for allowing Jeonghan to touch you in public viewing– he knew his talents much too well, and the manner in which he used your own arousal to lubricate the massaging motion of his finger to your clit was an astounding bliss. Your legs fell wider apart, inviting him to explore a more rigorous touch, and that’s when Jeonghan curled his two fingers inside of you until his knuckles couldn’t fit.

Before your pinched expression could be caught by anyone at the table, you looked straight down at your lap, watching his wrist work beneath the navy-blue fabric. In fact, very faintly, you could hear the squelch from his digits pumping deep and slow into your warmth. Your bottom lip was quivering as he drew them out, now running the long length of his fingers upward to graze beneath the hood of your clit. He repeated a stroking gesture. It triggered the nerves to swell and pulse.

“I see Joshua walking back,” Jeonghan murmured, an arrogance thick in his voice, “and you don’t want him to find out about this, do you? Or, maybe I’m wrong.” He slid his entire hand beneath your underwear and cupped your centre, squeezing like he owned it. “Maybe you want him to know you’re such a whore of a girl that you’ll take my fingers anywhere. I mean, look at how much you’ve opened your legs, and I didn’t even ask you to. I love when you behave just for me, honey.”

Joshua collapsed back at the table with a huff, combing some snow flurries from his hair. “We found the wallet.” He said.

Yet, you couldn’t even bring yourself to face him. Jeonghan had spread your lips with his index and ring finger, using his middle digit to make rhythmic, deep circles around the bud. An erotic whine escaped your teeth and Joshua’s eyes widened; his face tinged with concern.

“Are you alright?” He questioned. “Did you get a Charlie horse?”

“N-No, I’m fine, really.” You composed yourself with a weak smile, and took a sip from your wine. “I got one of those rib pains.”

The blonde boy winced. “Ouch, those hurt big time.”

Honestly, you didn’t think it was possible to endure dessert without revealing to some degree that you were being, well, stretched open by Jeonghan. It was sheer torture staring at the waiter while he took your order, knowing the boy was lazily pumping his fingers inside you with a half-smirk seated so comfortably to his face. When that huge, delicious slice of cream red velvet cake was placed before you on the table, you could only fork a few pathetic bites, and when Joshua offered you to try a spoonful from his warm apple pudding, you nearly squealed the word no as Jeonghan rolled your sore clit between his fingertips. The most egregious aspect to the entire daubable was that the boy stripped your orgasm from you at the very last second, like stopping a rollercoaster just before it tips over the downhill plummet.

“How was the ice cream?” Joshua asked him innocently.

You observed with horror as Jeonghan brought that sinful hand to his mouth, lapping his tongue against his two fingertips as though he were actually savouring a sweet and flavourful vanilla.

“Delicious.” He grinned, catching your mortified stupor from the corner of his eye. “I’d taste it again in a heartbeat, Shua.”

Dropping the slice of bread into a shallow bowl, you used the spatula to submerge it underneath the milk, egg and cinnamon mixture until it was completely coated. Then, you slid the bread onto your buttered frying pan to let its surfaces crisp and brown. Since you began utilizing the service granted by the Love Café, life at your depressing excuse for an apartment was becoming more bearable, though your ultimate goal would be to ditch the paper-thin walls and insult-spewing neighbours once money was no longer a prevalent issue. You were still insistent on supporting yourself too, if you could ever score a job.

You flipped the bread onto its opposite face, pressing it down with the spatula as the pan sizzled and the butter popped. A few days had passed since your last intimacy with Jeonghan, and the proof would have been stamped to your Love Card if the boy had actually written his initials like usual. The thing was, Jeonghan – who had always been so firm and unwavering on the rules of the café – was now skirting about the regulations as though they were optional. There were days when he didn’t even initial the card, but still delivered his transactions. In fact, you were almost positive that sex had happened more than twelve times and that you could be renewing your card if wanted (you didn’t).

As silly and cliché as it sounded, you liked Jeonghan. You constantly thought about him and missed him and wondered what he was doing while you were trapped in bed listening to another argument between your spiteful neighbours. There was always a deep, electric pounding in your chest upon weaving the tips of your fingers along his skin, touching him, exploring him. Yet, when he held you close, tucked your body tight against his like there was nothing surrounding you but ice, comfort found a home in your belly like a warm, homecooked meal.

After spilling some icing sugar and strawberries across the toast, now fried a delicious shade of golden-brown, you took a seat at the counter and dug in. There had been an occasion where Jeonghan brought you breakfast after warping your legs into complete gelatine (you had no idea that kitchen table sex could be so fiery and passionate), which proved to be a pleasant morning, where you could still feel the softness of his thumb as he kindly brushed some whipped cream from your bottom lip. You sighed, sticking a strawberry into your mouth. How foolish it might be to fall this far and this devotedly for someone like him.

But you didn’t want to stop yourself.

In fact, you reached for your phone across the counter, swiped into your messages, and decided to be bold. You texted him.

[ 9:29 AM ]: Hey! I know that I’m not supposed to send you anything unrelated to our business lol, but

[9:29 AM ]: Just wondering if you’re available to grab a coffee with me or something along those lines?

Setting the phone down and turning it over so you wouldn’t be tempted to helplessly wait for a notification, you continued eating. After scraping the last few pieces of toast and syrup around the plate, there was a vibration and a quick, ding! Strangely, you were starting to sweat.

[ Jeonghan | 9:34 AM ]: Sorry. In a lecture rn.

Of course, your surge of bravery immediately dehydrated, and you decided it was best to pretend that you hadn’t asked him anything at all – for your confidence’s sake. The next two hours were spent cleaning the kitchen, taking a short walk outside the complex to feel the Northern air refresh your face, and finally, a long bath, in which you nearly fell asleep and drowned as the steam lulled your eyes shut. While wrapping your body snug in that new, hot pink bath towel, you heard a knock at the door. You assumed it was the painter who occupied the room directly below yours, as you had borrowed his vacuum the night before, though you weren’t exactly raving at the thought of answering him in a towel.

However, by squinting through the fisheye lens, you were shocked (and greatly relieved) to discover that it wasn’t the middle-aged painter dressed in his splattered, dirty overalls, but Jeonghan.

And he was holding a drink.

You unlocked the door.

“Uh, hello after all. What are you doing here?”

He smiled at you and held up the cardboard cup, “my lecture ended, and I thought I’d do you a solid. Couldn’t remember if it was two sugars-one cream, or two creams-one sugar. So I tossed a coin.”

“What exactly was the result?” You giggled.

“Heads,” Jeonghan answered, “two sugars-one cream it is.”

“You’re lucky that’s correct.”

Accepting the warm cup from his hand, you set it carefully on the kitchen counter. When you returned to the door, Jeonghan was evidently ogling you. He really suited the image of a casual university student when he wasn’t dressed to gems and jewels in his sumptuous clothing.

“I knew the hot pink towel would look good on you.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m not dropping it, so forget it.”

“Whoa,” he chuckled, shaking his head, “I didn’t ask you to drop it, sweetheart. I’d rather you not actually, with this door wide open and everything.”

“Did I really just hear that from you, Mr, Dinner Table?” Folding your arms, you stared him down with an accusing expression.

He held up one finger in defense. “First of all, that was under the table, so unless someone bumped their fork or something, then we were pretty much safe. This is you dropping your whole towel right in the doorway like there isn’t a weirdo probably peeping you across the hall as we speak. And I’m not letting anyone look at you like that, ever.”

“Fine,” you sighed, hoping he couldn’t spot the flustered heart pumping your chest beneath the towel, “you’ve made your point.”

Jeonghan checked his silver wrist watch, “fuck. I gotta get going, need to be at the studio so I can be a taper dummy again.”

“Oh, okay,” you nodded, “talk to y—”

Suddenly, the boy was cupping each side of your face in his hands, and his lips pressed soft but quick to your forehead. Jeonghan then pinched your thigh under the towel, a gesture which felt oddly endearing rather than sexual, before he left the corridor.

“Later!” He’d called.

Shutting the door, you returned to your seat at the counter, holding the coffee cup up to your mouth as you took a small, nervous sip.

How could you let yourself fall this easily for him?

Jeonghan’s washroom was somehow nicer than your entire apartment, and you were fairly certain that your eyes had never seen so much white-grey marble, all squeaky-clean and aglow with lights. He’d shot you a text roughly an hour ago, right after he was released from the painful effort required to keep Joshua’s peewee soccer players in check, wondering if you were available to come over. Of course, the innocence to the term ‘come over’ was nothing more than a euphemism, a means of sugar coating what Jeonghan actually intended: to be inside you no doubt. And since the boy was so drained and unwilling to instigate any work himself, Jeonghan decided that a steaming, hot bath should do.

Well – a bath which involved you seated on his dick. The tub was dark grey tile, square-shaped, and practically the size of a small jacuzzi. It even had a bench to sit on. While it had been difficult at first to simply cockwarm the boy – when all you could feel was how deeply he spearheaded into your sensitive spot and how this shock would ripple from your abdomen at even his gentlest movement– you knew he wasn’t looking to make things quick and temporary. Therefore, you settled into his lap, wrapping your arms around Jeonghan’s neck while his circled your waist beneath the water. Both of you were starting to fall asleep.

“Jeonghan,” you whispered, lifting your head from his shoulder, only to remember that you were indeed naked and this heat lapping around you was definitely not a blanket, “can I tell you something?”

With his eyes still shut, he nodded, his fingers digging appreciatively at your hips. “Of course you can, baby.” He replied, his voice sounding deeper than usual as he orientated on the edges of sleep.

Smiling, you combed through the damp hairs at his nape, your voice reverberating like a musical instrument off the marble. “Remember the salon place? They called me two days ago, said they had an opening for me and that I could start next Monday. I… I wanted to text you about it, like, as soon as it happened. But I wasn’t sure if I should.”

“What? Really?” Jeonghan was staring at you now, his head straightened from its leisurely position against the edge of the tub and cocked with interest. The fact he seemed so intrigued, that you could read the genuine excitement building up in those brown eyes, had almost made you happier than the salon’s phone call. “Congratulations!” He leaned forward to kiss you, pecking your lips chastely the first time, and then slower come the second, his hands squeezing your thighs.

After a tiny laugh, you sighed contentedly. “Thank you. It’s going to be so nice having my own cashflow and everything. And if I can work my way up and become like, a kickass hair stylist? Can you imagine?”

“Should I grow my hair out more so you can practice cutting it? You’ve got a steady hand, don’t you?” Jeonghan asked, mostly teasing, as you could imagine his parents harping him during his next session at Opal Studio if he looked as though he’d ran through some hedge clippers.

Returning the affection, you kissed the rosy tip of his nose. “I think my hands are pretty steady. We’ll find out I guess, and we’ll know for sure if a huge chunk of your hair falls to the floor.”

Your laughter immediately mingled, and you hid your smile against the boy’s neck, a very moonstruck, loopy smile which felt like riding a blazing comet between the stars. If you were legitimately able to climb higher amongst the business, then you could picture a life in which you didn’t need to lean on Jeonghan and the Love Café for financial support. In fact, there were moments where you felt rather dirty using his money even when he was completely insistent on such matters, like buying food and paying off bills. You held tight to a certain hope, that you could become independent again, and maybe, just maybe, be able to keep this beautiful boy whom you once thought would hate you.

His fingers tapped up your spine, urging you to face him.

“Seriously,” Jeonghan said, “I’m happy for you.”

“I know,” you answered, so quietly he could hardly hear it.

And then, you decided to kiss Jeonghan, placing your damp hand upon his cheek while your mouths slotted together. The contact had lost its grace almost instantly, and the kiss turned from a sweet gesture to a sensuality so thick you could feel it swelter the air and pool between your legs. He offered his tongue for you to suckle by sliding it smoothly into your mouth, and from there, Jeonghan’s intended relaxation had vanished. His hands grazed to the front of your body, reaching up and sliding back and forth over each breast. It wasn’t until Jeonghan began massaging his thumbs in circular motions around your nipples that you moaned into his mouth, a sound which flicked a smirk to his face.

Once his lips were shiny and slick with your saliva, he moved each kiss down the side of your neck, now pinching at your nipples, even twisting gently and making sure to ease the dull throb by rubbing them afterward. It was becoming unbearable. You needed to move. However, the second you started a rhythm in Jeonghan’s lap, he shook his head.

“Be still,” he told you, lightly gripping your chin.

The desperation in your whine was horribly apparent, almost soaking each word. “No Jeonghan, I-I can’t do that anymore—” ignoring him, you continued to grind your hips and move the water around you, feeling his engorged head tick against that one spot of insane pleasure, “I need t’cum now, all over your cock.” With every bounce in his lap, you begged, “please, please, please.” This prompted Jeonghan to grab your waist much tighter than usual and slam you down, holding you still.

“No, not like that,” he grunted, and you wondered if his control was simply otherworldly or if he was just that talented at hiding how good he felt. “I’ll make you cum, sweetheart,” Jeonghan nodded, “but you can’t move. I just want you to sit there, all the way down.”

He then leaned in close to your face, nearly pressing his forehead to yours, and that’s when you felt his thumb brush with a featherlight, fleeting touch across your clit. The sudden stimulation jerked your body. Jeonghan bit his lip and grinned while continuing the sensitive touch, the pressure becoming heavier with each minute that passed. Your thighs started to tremble, and your moans were echoing around the washroom.

The honeyed dirty talk crawled up Jeonghan’s throat. “You’re such a cute little cocksleeve, sweetheart,” he purred, titling his head as he rubbed his thumb faster, “oh, look at you, baby. Shaking and crying and taking it like it’s the only thing you’re good for—” a messy kiss to calm you down, thin strings of saliva hanging in the air each time your mouths separated, “I bet you’re gonna cum for me soon, right?” The boy encouraged, keeping his forehead flush to yours so he could observe with utmost clarity the beautiful contortions of your face. “I know you are, sweetheart. Because it feels so good, right?” You nodded frantically, digging your fingers into his neck like a cat sinking in its claws. Jeonghan’s thumb pushed beneath the hood of your clit, directly massaging the soft bud, and the pleasure inside you leapt to a new high which made you dumbly lose all sense.

“Cum.” Jeonghan commanded so gently, his gaze burning against your eyes, squeezed shut. At the straightforward word, you allowed the sensation to swallow you like a current, and the hot, teary cry you mewled had been quickly snuffed as the boy pushed his lips to yours.

“Can feel you clenching so fucking tight around my cock,” he chuckled, digging his nose into your hair and speaking warmly beside your ear, “and how much you’re throbbing right under my thumb. Must feel so good, sweetheart, cumming all over me like such a good girl.”

You slumped against him, overwhelmed, emptied, and breathing so heavy that you were afraid the oxygen might dwindle completely from your lungs. The fact Jeonghan could remain so composed while buried to the hilt in your heat was something else that frightened you, though, in the moment, you preferred not to think about it, instead concentrating on the distant sensation of Jeonghan drawing galactic shapes to each your shoulder blades.

Hopefully, he’d let you stay the night.

Once you started the receptionist job at the hair salon, you had bumped into Joshua on a Friday evening. While his platinum blonde look was indeed enchanting and princely, he complained that it was difficult to maintain the roots, and that he often found himself back in the stylist’s chair for a touch up. He’d come in on a whim. Luckily – due to the late hour – there was an open seat, and Joshua puffed a great sigh of relief as he hooked his jacket onto the salon coat hanger. Curious if there was more behind the reason to his abrupt appearance, you conversed with him while he waited for the stylist to tidy up her work area.

That’s when Joshua informed you of the Opal’s Galleria Night, a fashion exhibition which would display Mr. Yoon’s newest edition for his upcoming Spring line. Joshua seemed surprised that you hadn’t known about the Galleria, or, that Jeonghan hadn’t mentioned it to you. Oddly enough, Jeonghan had been radio silent the past three days; not a phone call, or a voice memo, or even a text. Yesterday you had hoped to catch him stuck in the books at the library, but the area where he usually sat was occupied by a study group of freshman. It concerned you a little.

An ungraceful quickie in the washroom after his three-hour lecture ended on Tuesday was your last encounter. Not to mention, there was only one more opening left on your Love Card.

“He didn’t say anything,” you told Joshua, pretending to act indifferent “so… I don’t think he wants me there. It’s not a big deal.”

Yet, that’s not how you truly felt. There had to be some reason for the boy’s keeping you in the dark. Did he not want to explain the ‘friends’ trope to all the Galleria members, like at the dinner? Or, was he thinking that you wouldn’t be interested? It wasn’t easy to seem unphased.

“Jeonghan doesn’t need to invite you,” Joshua had said, “cause I’ll invite you myself. Mr. Yoon said it was more than fine if I brought someone along. So, why not you? It’ll make the night more fun.”

At first, you vehemently rejected the invite, no matter how sweetly Joshua attempted to rope you into a night of free perfume samples, delicious catering food and a chocolate fountain perfect for dipping strawberries. However, when the hair stylist pulled Joshua away to fix his darkening roots, you had much time to mull over the offer, and even the fact you felt poignant about dismissing it. As you tapped a pen against the desk, staring out the window into the grey, dulling sky, you convinced yourself there could be no harm in attending the Opal’s Galleria Night. Besides, you and Jeonghan weren’t cast in stone. He probably wouldn’t bat any eyelash anyways, knowing his eased nature.

And so, you caught Joshua just before he left.

You told him you’d changed your mind.

When Jeonghan first saw you at the Opal Galleria, it was from across the ballroom that had been temporarily converted into an exhibition space, stood next to a mannequin draped in a cherub-pink slip dress. Almost comically, he gagged on some sparkling champagne held in a thin and tall glass, though he recovered smoothly as to not interrupt the conversation his father was sharing with the dense crowd. You waved at him, not too noticeably of course, but he either didn’t catch it or had decided to ignore the gesture. Shrugging, you tried not to overthink it.

Mannequins were lined up along both sides of the ballroom, adorned in the mild tones baring semblance to Spring, with the blips of baby blues, clementine oranges, and cream violets transforming the Galleria into an acrylic painting. Jeonghan’s mother took the opportunity to offer some spritzes from her most recent line, which had both you and Joshua smelling like a tulip garden. While exploring the room with the blonde boy, you stopped to examine a mannequin dressed in a relaxed, high-waisted pant and a lace camisole that seemed breezy and flowing. This collection was definitely tamer compared to the usual extravagance you had always seen through the store windows and in magazines.

“Would you wear it?” Joshua asked, chewing on a strawberry that he might as well have plucked from thin air.

Tilting your head and squinting, you took a moment to contemplate. “If it was my size I might, if I could find a price hanging off somewhere. But I don’t want to even touch it. Mannequins are weird.”

“No prices are usually displayed at the Gallerias,” Joshua informed you, “though, I will agree. It’s probably a Toy Story thing where they all start moving at night when no one’s here. Spooky, huh?”

You sighed at him, “thanks for the nightmare material.”

Suddenly, there was a tap to your bare shoulder, and you nearly yelped like a cat with a stepped-on tail as Joshua laughed between bites from his juicy strawberry. Turning around, you were met with Jeonghan, who had this flat-lined, unenthusiastic smile hardly touching the corners of his mouth. He looked rather agitated in fact, and you felt cold inside.

“Hey!” Joshua exclaimed, punching his friend’s arm. “Finally escape your dad’s novella-length speech on the pink slip?”

The crowd once gathered around the mannequin had started to disperse, with the visitors now exploring the rest of the outfits.

Jeonghan hardly payed any mind to his friend, throwing out an impatient, “yeah, it was whatever,” before he began questioning you. He started with a rather inhospitable, “why are you here?”

“I invited her,” Joshua announced, “since I ran into her at that salon place. I thought it would be nice and everything. The Gallerias can get pretty stiff if you come alone. Plus, there’s chocolate fountains.”

He appeared nettled, like he’d woken up and spilled coffee on his favourite shirt. You couldn’t place the exact emotion, nor could you identify the reason behind Jeonghan acting as though there were one-hundred choice words waiting to zap off the tip of his tongue. For an instant, you wondered if it would be worthwhile to question him, though there was a shout of the boy’s name and you spotted his parents beckoning him over from across the exhibition. Jeonghan merely rolled his eyes, disappearing just as quickly as he’d arrived to accompany them.

You folded your arms concerningly. “Do you know if something’s wrong? I haven’t seen him like that before.”

Joshua dropped the rest of the strawberry into his mouth. “He’s probably stressing over something. I wouldn’t worry too much. He’s not really one to blow up or get all in your face. I’ll talk to him later.”

Seeing as there were others who wanted to examine the camisole mannequin, you and Joshua seated yourselves at a tiny table right beside the chocolate fountain and catering foods. Though, you were unable to quell the curiosity at what Jeonghan was needed for, prompting your eyes to wander as unnaturally as possible in his direction. He’d just pulled a young woman into a hug, and she was positively gorgeous, dressed in a silk-fabric dress, form fitting and ruby red, with an elegant slit parting up to her right thigh. Her ponytail was slicked shiny as though her hair had been styled professionally, and she flaunted a dreamy smile that reminded you of a vintage female heroine.

And then, like a slap to the face, you realized she must be the woman whom Jeonghan’s parents seemed to be obsessed over.

Baejin, his ex-girlfriend.

She mentioned something into his ear, and they became giggly, the two pulling in again for another short hug. Jeonghan’s father gestured back to the pink slip mannequin, and the four walked over to discuss it for the umpteenth time. You wondered if she was going to be modeling some of the clothing. The assumption felt correct as Baejin touched the dress’ delicate fabric and the beaded, glimmering string tied around the tiny waist. Quickly, Jeonghan fetched the girl a champagne glass, the two drinking together while the father appeared to be entering another in-depth explanation. And, perhaps dignifiedly so, you were feeling mislead and upset. You speculated if this could be the reason for him to keep the Opal Galleria a secret – Jeonghan didn’t want you to catch even a glimpse of him reuniting with Baejin.

They hardly portrayed two ex’s who were now settled on different chapters to their lives. The longer you stared, the angrier, yet, more confused you felt. As you thought before, the odd relationship between you and Jeonghan was not set in stone, and it certainly didn’t ignite with the intention of actual love taking a blossom to your doorstep. It could be that you were jumping to conclusions, misreading things, or disillusioned by your tendency to wishfully think. Nonetheless, the sight still hurt.

Joshua bumped your elbow.

“Are you hungry at all? The scent from the catering tables is getting to me. I can grab a plate for you, if you want.”

With a sigh and a fragile smile, you shook your head. “No, I’ll come with you. Besides, you don’t know what I like anyways.”

“Fair enough.” Joshua agreed.

He stuck out his hand for you to take while rising from the chair.

Grabbing a small plate, you started at the end of the catering table and began making your way down, using the plastic tongs to serve yourself some spring rolls. Joshua filed after you, instead taking a bowl and scooping up some of the fresh zucchini pasta. Admittedly, you had lost your appetite after watching Jeonghan act so cordially with Baejin, though you were determined to not let the plight sour the otherwise enjoyable night you were having with Joshua. Once you reached the chocolate fountain, you swore a sparkle jumped into his eye.

“Why are you so obsessed with the fountain?” You had tried not to laugh as you asked the question.

The blonde boy looked aghast. “Because, it’s beautiful!” He picked up a strawberry arranged neatly around the base, dipping the edge briefly beneath the chocolate. “I mean, how can they make it so delicious and velvety? When I came to my first Galleria, I spent like, half my night just standing by the fountain, eating the fruit.”

You couldn’t help but think Joshua was adorable, and you grinned at him, “well, maybe I don’t have as much of a sweet tooth.”

“Just shush up and try this.”

He held out the strawberry, inviting you for a taste. At first, you paused, wondering if there was some flirtatious intention behind the gesture or if Joshua was just being his overtly kind self. And then, you held onto his wrist and took a bite from the strawberry, the warmth of the melted chocolate satin-smooth against your tongue.

Wiping the edge of your mouth, you nodded. “It is pretty tasty, actually. Let me try dipping it. You make it look weirdly fun.”

After setting down the catering plate, you took Joshua’s strawberry while he picked up a new one. Together, you pushed your fruits beneath the streaming chocolate, twisting it at the green leaf to fully coat the sides. So it wouldn’t drip, you immediately took a huge bite with a hand placed just below your mouth, humming contentedly.

“Okay,” you mumbled, still chewing, “I can see why you like this so much. I think I could get addicted to chocolate strawberry dipping.”

“Me too,” Joshua chuckled, “oh! Look, there’s whipped cream here and I didn’t even see it!” He set down his plate beside yours and grabbed the bottle like an eager little child. Popping off the cap, Joshua shook the can and pressed his fingertip against the nozzle, spraying a white-frosted peak onto the top of another strawberry. You copied him, though you had accidently sprayed too much. Once you licked the cream off your finger, you poked the entire fruit into your mouth like a funfetti-sized cupcake. For some reason, Joshua started giggling at you.

“What?” You glared at him playfully. “What’s wrong?”

Rosy tinges flushed to the arch of Joshua’s cheeks. “Uhm… Well, l-let me just—” he stuttered, cupping his hand gently to your face, his thumb brushing at a spot right below your bottom lip. “You had some whipped cream on your… chin slash lip. Sorry about that.”

“O-Oh, it’s okay.” You were stumbling yourself, tongue darting out instinctively to ensure there wasn’t anything still there.

At random, you felt this prickle tiptoe up the back of your neck, a sensation that was hardly perceptible yet singeing enough for you to notice it. Gulping, you peered toward that faceless mannequin draped in its pink slip dress, toward Jeonghan, Baejin, and his parents who were enthralled in a conversation with her. Jeonghan was glaring so blatantly at Joshua that you’d forgotten how to speak, and you couldn’t even pronounce a single word of warning as the boy started storming his way across the ballroom.

His grip was on your elbow like a viper’s teeth.

“Geez, where’d you come from?” Joshua said, though he was able to note the tension this time, and Jeonghan’s surly behaviour.

“I need to talk to you,” Jeonghan murmured by your ear, ignoring Joshua yet again, “in the hall just outside the exhibition.”

You didn’t want to agree. Strangely enough, you felt this urge balloon inside you, an urge to cause a gigantic scene with screaming and thick tears and unnecessary curses, because as much as you wanted to dismiss your anger, there were jealous, wronged feelings inside, on fire and itching to escape from your gut. Miraculously, you held your composure, and announced to Joshua that you’d talk to him later.

Jeonghan then tore you into the empty hallway.

It was like a lightning bolt, how quickly he exploded.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jeonghan ranted, pacing back and forth as the distant echo of music bled through the wall. “Seriously, I don’t text you back for like, three days, and you’re already going on a date with my best friend—” he softened his voice in a purposefully mocking way, “letting him get all delicate with you, feeding you all lovey-dovey style and wiping that cream off your lip. Did you think I wouldn’t see it?”

“Excuse me?” Your brow instantly creased like a folded map, and you felt an intense ache hit the front of your skull. “Um, you’re one to talk! How come you didn’t tell me about the Galleria? Because you didn’t want me to see you with your arm around your ex’s waist? Because you don’t think I’m good enough to show off to your parents?”

Jeonghan gawked at you. “Baejin? For real? You think I’ve been secretly dating her behind your back or something?”

“How am I supposed to know?” You barked, tucking your arms defensively across the chest. And, while it might have been too early into the argument to pit such a statement, you had already started bubbling, and you knew there was nothing to snuff your fire. “Besides, you hardly ever get back to me apart from when you want to fuck!”

At that, the boy was momentarily stumped. What sounded like a rebuttal fizzled at the back of his throat, though it faded away. The silence worried you, because it echoed a confirmation that Jeonghan might’ve actually never seen as you as anything more than an outlet to alleviate his carnality. That, once the Love Café ordeal was finally over with, he could forget you had ever existed like erasing a mistake of smudged lead. The thought made you glassy-eyed and thus, terribly vulnerable. However, you also craved the truth to your relationship.

“Just admit it,” you beseeched him, “admit that you want me only for sex and nothing else. Is that why you didn’t bring up the Galleria? Because you think it’s easier to shove me in the dark when it’s convenient for you? Is that why you were acting so mad?”

He skimmed a hand exasperatedly through his hair. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not dating Baejin behind your back, I have never once thought you weren’t good enough to show off to my parents, and I didn’t purposefully hide the Galleria from you.”

“Right,” you scoffed, “but you’re fine with labelling me as a friend and pretending like we don’t hook up every week.”

“It’s…” he clenched his teeth and growled in frustration, “it’s complicated, alright? Can’t you just accept that?”

“Complicated?” A shudder coursed down your spine at having to repeat the boy, and the tears sprung from your eyes with such a sharp sting that it became impossible to hold them back. You felt each drop, cold and runny, drip along your face. “That’s the word you’re going to use? You’re going to look straight at me, after the entire span of our relationship since the Love Café, and tell me we’re summed up best as complicated?” Again, the word struck you like a stiff punch. If he was going to regard your connection so trivially, then you didn’t care whether or not he knew the verity of your heart. Like it would affect him anyways.

“I would’ve said we were in love,” you shrugged, watching his expression drop in a mere instant, “but—sure, let’s call it complicated.”

And, with the tears shining like salt stars on your face, you stalked out the building into the softening winter weather.

You didn’t know it could be so difficult to ignore someone, especially when you were supposed to hate them. The effect Jeonghan had on you was almost phantom-like; a constant lingering, even if the boy himself wasn’t palpable and poised right before your eyes.

It had been three days since the outburst at the Galleria. That night, you cried, and wept, and broke out the amber bottle stored beneath your sink which was only sipped from in occasions of complete misery – very well suited to the situation at hand. You had questioned calling the Love Café’s customer service desk to issue a termination of your card, and, at one point, you were standing drunkenly by the toilet contemplating your decision to rip up the red paper and flush it. Though, nothing ever came of either idea. Instead, you faceplanted onto your bed and allowed the intoxicated dizziness to fade black. The next morning, you were faced with multiple texts from Jeonghan, missed phone calls, voice notes. But you didn’t listen or respond to anything.

Complicated. That was the word you kept hearing.

Absolutely not, you had thought that morning, you weren’t ready to speak with him, even if the temptation seemed like it could be promising. The air was still too bitter. And you couldn’t handle another argument.

On the second day after the outburst, you were seated at the receptionist desk in the salon, flicking through a magazine while you became increasingly mindless to the humming of the blow dryer and the potent fragrance of the hair products. When you glanced out the window, you nearly combusted, as both Joshua and Jeonghan were about to enter the salon together, hurrying in from the melted snow and winter’s final downpour. You hid in the breakroom until they left, forcing your co-worker to take your position at the desk. Joshua was apparently getting his hair trimmed while Jeonghan had asked about you at the reception.

“He’s gorgeous!” Your co-worker had immediately gushed to you in the breakroom. “Why are you avoiding someone like that?”

“It’s complicated.” You’d phrased it simply.

Dang it. You hated the fact you’d used that stupid word.

But, on the third day, most of your bitterness was gone.

After breakfast, you were back at the vanity mirror to prepare for work, and while you buffed some makeup to sit seamlessly on the skin with your puffy foundation brush, there was a knock at your door. This time, you didn’t bother peeping through the fisheye lens, because you knew exactly who it was – damn his persistence. Jeonghan’s brown hair had been slightly mused in the wind, and there was a glow as soft as a peach to each his cheeks. But that easygoing, relaxed smile was by far the most heart fluttering. He extended a coffee cup to you. When you reached out, Jeonghan suddenly pulled the coffee away with a tsking sound.

“You can have it only if—” he held up his finger, “you agree to let me in so I can explain myself. Yes, I’m bribing you. And yes, I’m an asshole from time to time. But five minutes at least. That’s all I need.”

For a moment, you wavered, only to mutter a resounding, “fine.”

Despite Jeonghan’s company, you still had work to get ready for, so the boy followed you into the bedroom. He took a seat on the edge of your mattress while you settled back into the vanity chair. Picking through your jar of makeup brushes, you plucked a round, oval-tipped one to apply your eyeshadow. Jeonghan was silent at first, watching you through the mirror as you hurried about the look. It wasn’t perfect, in fact it was a bit sloppy and rushed and there was already some fallout sitting like a glittered dust on your cheeks, though Jeonghan was staring at you with such fondness, you wondered if the mirror was reflecting the same image. Of course, the Love Card was sitting on your desk too.

“Well,” you spun around in the chair, pressing your lips together, “I’m waiting for you to explain, y’know. Like you said you would. Technically, you’ve lost a couple minutes, and I should really try to be at the salon early, but I’m still going to give you full time since—"

“I love you.”

“… What?”

“I love you,” Jeonghan repeated himself casually, a slow smile spilling from each corner of his mouth, “I’m in love with you, as deep as I could be, I think. Anyways, you want me to keep saying it? I love you.”

It felt like someone had taken a picture with the blinding glare of its flash, a picture you couldn’t be more unprepared for, the dots still dancing and fumbling across your vision. The moment was disorienting, but you experienced a very fulgurant warmth take shape inside you. It was comforting yet daunting, a sugar rush and a hangover, something so alive you knew you wanted it more than anything else in the world.

Yet, “you… are in love with me?” was all that you could express.

Jeonghan fiddled with the coffee cup in his hands. “You’re a funny girl, you know that? But I can say it a fifth time if you want.”

“N-No, I—I just, I wasn’t expecting—”

“Yeah, I can see that, “ he’d laughed, though it quickly fell into a sigh and suddenly Jeonghan’s temperament had shifted. “Look, I know that night wasn’t pretty. I know I ghosted you. I know I didn’t tell you about the stupid Galleria,” the boy glanced up, catching your eye, “but… I didn’t say anything because I was confused. I knew your Love Card only had one signature left, and just like that… you could be in my bed for the last time. If we’re really gonna get sentimental about it,”

Jeonghan chuckled, scratching his chin a bit shyly, “it could be my last time holding you, and kissing you… I just, I didn’t want it to be like that. But I didn’t know how to confront you about it, so I hid. And I stressed myself out, and I got so stupidly jealous and angry when I saw you with Joshua. That was my bad. I should’ve been upfront.”

Tucking your hands together anxiously in your lap, you nodded, beginning to understand the missing pieces.

“Thank you for saying that.” You murmured, tapping your feet in a nervous rhythm against the floor. “I… I was being unreasonable and jealous too,” you subsequently admitted, “I was assuming things about you and Baejin when I shouldn’t have. I don’t know what I was expecting anyways, that you act like she doesn’t exist? It was dumb, and I was adding pressure. I’m sorry too.” Wanting to lighten the tone, you smiled at him, “I guess we both have our flaws, huh?”

He returned the tender glance and held out the coffee cup.

“I guess we do.”

You grabbed it politely.

Turning around in the chair, you grabbed the bright red Love Card off the vanity, initialed until its last circle, “what should we do with this? I mean, we kind of messed up their rules, fooling around more than twelve times. And, well, I’m not gonna renew it.”

“Oh, let me see.” Jeonghan said.

As soon as you passed the card to him, he ripped it clean in half, crumpled each piece, balled them together in his hands and tossed the shreds into the trash can sat in the corner.

“Well, that was fucking easy,” he smiled, getting up from the mattress, “aren’t you late for work? Do you need a drive?”

You looked at your alarm clock.

“If you can get me there in the next ten minutes, that’d be great.”

Jeonghan headed to the front door while you hurriedly grabbed your coat from the closet and snatched your bag off the floor, resting the strap over your shoulder. With the coffee still in hand, you headed into the living area, looking around in one final swoop to make sure you had everything packed for the day. A sheet of sunlight spilt into the room from outside the window, pale, like the morning sky, yet filling every crevice of the cheap apartment with a dull shine. And for a very fleeting moment, you thought this place wasn’t so abhorrent. It had been your home, your stepping stone, a thumbprint which identified a period of hardship and growth. But, despite this bittersweet taste on your tongue, you couldn’t envision yourself staying.

“Come on,” Jeonghan pinched your hip, “at this rate I’ll get a speeding ticket trying to get you to work on time.”

Turning around, you stuck a kiss to the boy’s cheek, just catching the cool beginning of a smirk on that dazzling face of his as you interlaced your fingers and pulled him into the corridor.

No, you could not stay here.

Not when your future was with Jeonghan.

✧✎ a/n: yeah, so this was clearly A LOT longer than the original love café teehee. i remembered the plot vaguely therefore i refused to reread my first version weufhewif PLS IT MAKES ME CONVULSE SO BAD !! i just had to rewrite the plot and do it some actual justice! i hope this version is a lot better and that you rly enjoyed it! i wish yjh would give me money but i guess we can’t all live in a fantasy world!! thx for reading!!

#caratwritersclub #jeonghan scenarios #seventeen scenarios #svt fanfic #jeonghan fanfic #seventeen smut #jeonghan smut #seventeen jeonghan #svt smut #yoon jeonghan #svt x reader #jeonghan x reader

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drarrily-we-row-along · 3 years

Text

Day 121: Record

"I found some weird box full of muggle stuff," Ron called, carrying said weird box out into the open living room that Hermione and Draco were working in since they had mandatory cleaning on Saturday mornings for everyone who lived in Grimmauld. "I don't even know what these are," he added, holding up flat, black circles with holes in the middle.

"They're records," Hermione replied, glancing up from the cabinet she was working on cleaning out. "They play music," she elaborated.

Ron made a face, "They're probably junk," he replied.

"What are?" Harry asked as he emerged from the creepy closet off of the kitchen, covered in spider webs.

"These records," Ron said, kicking the box with his toe.

"Oh," Harry said, making his way over, "Were they Sirius', do you reckon?"

"It says 'Lily Evans' on the side," Draco pointed out.

"Probably junk either way," Ron said.

Draco Malfoy had spent more than half of his life in love with Harry Potter. He might not have called it love when he was young but the older he got, the more clear it became that he had been a lovesick idiot for most of his life. He'd spent a lifetime memorizing every detail of that face. So he couldn't really be blamed for noticing the split second of hurt that flashed across Harry's face before he nodded, "Yeah. You're probably right. I'll just run them out to the bin."

"Let me," he said before he'd really formed a plan. "I've got all this to take out anyway," he said, gesturing to the box of junk that he'd weeded out this morning. "And we all know that Kreacher has less of a problem with it when I do it."

Harry gave him a little smile that Draco wondered if anyone believed was genuine. "Thanks," he said.

Draco levitated his box and the box of records and headed down toward the kitchen. When he was out of ear shot he murmured, "Kreacher," and the elf appeared.

"Yes, Master Draco?"

"Hi," he said, giving him a little nod, "Could you help me with something?"

"Anything!" he replied, nodding hard enough that his ears flapped.

"Could you hold onto this box for me?" he asked, gesturing to the box with the records.

"Of course," he said, immediately taking the box and disappearing.

Draco nodded in satisfaction and started plotting how he'd learn enough about records that he could help Harry use his mother's.

(Read more below the cut)

Two weeks later, on another Saturday morning cleaning day, he still hadn't made much progress. Luna had actually been the most helpful but he hadn't any idea where to find a record player.

But as luck would have it, one turned up in the library, tucked in a cabinet behind some very dusty potion vials and a rusted old cauldron. "Kreacher," he whispered.

When he appeared he held out the record player and asked him to keep it with the records.

He felt quite pleased with himself now that he'd found the record player; he was certain that he'd be able to play records for Harry in no time.

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

It took a couple more weeks. Figuring out how to get electricity into the house was no easy feat (but it was easier once he found out that someone, Sirius he suspected, had done it before).

When Harry arrived home that evening, Draco dragged him into the living room, "Draco, what is going on?" he asked, laughing at him as he tried to get him to hurry up.

"I have something for you," he said, nudging him into the room and presenting the record player. "Ta da!"

"Err," Harry said, looking more closely at it, "What is it?"

"It's a record player," he said.

Harry's head whipped around so fast that it made Draco feel dizzy, "What?" he whispered.

"I found it," Draco said, "when I was cleaning in the library. And I thought you might," he shrugged and reached for the box of records, holding it out to Harry, "I thought you might want to listen to them."

The other man looked at him then down at the box in his hands, eyes wide as he reached out a trembling hand to brush his fingers over the spot where 'Lily Evans' was inscribed on the cardboard box. "You," he started before breaking off and covering his mouth with his hand. "I don't know what to say," he whispered.

His heart was full to bursting and he was pretty sure he'd never done anything as good as this in his life. "Would you like to listen to one?"

Harry looked up at him and nodded.

Carefully, he took out the record on the top and slipped it out of it's jacket, "Ella Fitzgerald," he said. "I've no idea who that is."

"Me either," Harry replied, coming closer to watch over Draco's shoulder as he set the record on the plate, turned the player on, and set the needle.

Music spilled forth entrancing them both, It's not the pale moon that excites me, that thrills and delights me, oh no, it's just the nearness of you.

"Wow," Harry murmured, watching the record spin. He turned to Draco, "I can't tell you what this means to me," he whispered. "Thank you."

He shrugged but couldn't quite keep the pleased smile from his face. "You're welcome."

Harry looked back at the record player before looking over at Draco again, "Do you want to sit and listen with me?"

He nodded, "I'd like that very much."

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

It became something that the two of them did together fairly regularly after that. Sometimes they'd sit together and read while they listened to records, sometimes they'd talk while they listened, or catch up on work, or just listen together but it quickly became Draco's favorite pastime.

One Friday night while Ron and Hermione were out on a date, Ginny was away for a tournament, and Luna was working late, the two of them put on a record and ate dinner in the living room, continuing to drink wine while they talked and laughed long after their pasta was gone.

As the Bob Marley album, Exodus, came to an end, Draco stood up and made his way over to the box. "Etta James," he read, "At Last." He smiled and showed it to Harry, "look, she drew little hearts next to the song titles."

Harry smiled that melancholy sort of smile that made Draco ache inside. "Let's hear it, then."

Draco put it on for them and plopped back down on the floor in front of the sofa, his side mere inches away from Harry's, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"I like this one," Harry sighed thirty seconds in as he leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. "Do you think they used to dance to this one?" he murmured wistfully.

Draco's heart clenched painfully as he was overwhelmed by the sense of loss that Harry must feel constantly. He had to take a slow deep breath before he responded. "Maybe," he whispered back.

The corner of Harry's mouth curled up in a soft smile, "I think they liked to dance," he murmured. "Hagrid gave me a picture of the two of them dancing together when I was at Hogwarts."

"Yeah?" he asked, hoping Harry would say more about that.

Harry nodded, "They looked really happy, you know?" he said. "Like they were the only two people in the world, like they weren't in the middle of a war," he sighed. "I like to imagine both of them dancing with me when I was a baby," he confessed in a whisper, "when I was crying or something. I like to imagine that the love that saved my life was tangible all the time, you know?" he murmured.

"I'm sure it was," Draco said softly.

He leaned over and rested his head on Draco's shoulder and Draco hardly dared to breathe. After a moment Harry said, "Would you dance with me?"

"Yes," he breathed immediately. "Yeah, of course I would."

"Yeah?" Harry asked, sitting up slightly to look at him.

Draco nodded and stood up, reaching for Harry's hand and tugging him up after him. He kept Harry left hand in his right and wrapped his left arm around Harry's shoulder, leaving space for Harry's right arm around his waist.

The other man hummed softly, drawing Draco in a little closer and closing his eyes as they swayed around the room. Draco couldn't stop staring; at the way Harry's eyelashes were long enough that they brushed his glasses, at the tiny nearly invisible freckles that dusted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, at the barely visible wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, at his lovely full lips, and the way his stubble looked against his skin.

I love you he couldn't help but think, over and over like it was a personal mantra, like it was the only thing that could keep him alive; he ached with it, with the desire to hold him, to kiss him, to tell him what he really thought of him, to build a life with him, to give him everything that he deserved to have.

Harry's eyes blinked open as the song came to an end, his brows furrowing slightly as he brought his hand up to cup Draco's cheek, "Are you alright?" he asked softly, wiping a tear that had slipped out.

"Merlin, sorry," Draco said, taking a step back to wipe his eyes. "Sorry. It's just your life has been so unfair and when I think about you not really knowing your parents and having to live with your shitty relatives, and-" he choked on the tears.

"Hey," Harry murmured, pulling Draco back into his arms and rubbing his back, "Hey, it's alright."

"It's not alright," he managed.

"Well, no," Harry agreed, "I suppose it isn't. But it's all past now," he said. "Now I have my friends and I live with people who love me and whom I love," he carded his fingers through the hair at the base of Draco's neck. "Ron and Hermione, Luna and Ginny," he swallowed, "you."

"I just wish," he started before breaking off because finishing that sentence would be showing far too much of his hand.

Harry drew back slightly to look at him, "What?"

His eyes were so open, so earnest that Draco couldn't help himself. "I wish you'd let me love you the way you deserve to be loved."

The other man blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Promise me that nothing changes if you don't like what I have to say," he said, clenching his fingers in Harry's t-shirt.

"I promise. You're one of my best friends, Draco," he assured.

He took a deep breath, "I'm in love with you," he finally managed. "And I just want to love you, all the time. I want to hold your hand, and dance with you, and make you laugh, and surprise you. I want so many things for you-"

"Me too," Harry interrupted. "I'm in love with you, too, I mean."

"Really?" he whispered, hardly daring to believe it, his eyes welling up with tears again.

"Oh, love," Harry said with a little smile, wiping Draco's eyes with his thumbs, "Yes, really. Come here," he said, pulling him in closer and swaying to the music, letting Draco cling to him as they moved together.

As they continued to dance, Harry started to tell him all of the things that he dreamed about for the future together. Painting a picture of the beautiful life they could have and after a few minutes, Draco joined in, adding bits of his hopes as well.

They stayed up late into the night, talking and dreaming of the life they wanted to give each other. And every time they fought after that, one of them would get out the record player and they'd dance together and remind each other of the lives they wanted to build.

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

Day 120: Tough | Day 122: Moon

#100 drabbles in 100 days #one year of drarry drabbles #drarry #drarry ficlets #drarry drabbles #fluff #pining #like a lot of pining #boys in love #love confessions #acts of love #this one got away from me #but I sort of love it #getting together #friends to lovers

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moonlitceleste · 2 years

Text

souvenir

New team, new crush, new year—it's time for new beginnings, and for Marinette to stop falling head-over-heels for people who will never like her back.

ao3

A/N: This fic is based on Souvenir by Selena Gomez! A little background for anyone unfamiliar with Young Justice: Wally likes to keep souvenirs from missions that he later puts into a display case, so I thought it was fitting. Wally is 19 and Mari is 17—ages aren’t really relevant in this but I thought I’d mention it anyway. I did write this entire thing at an ungodly hour, so it has not been proofread in the slightest, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

New York back in August, tenth floor balcony Smoke is floating over Jane and Greenwich street Goosebumps from your wild eyes when they're watching me Shivers dance down my spine, head down to my feet

“Team, meet Ladybug.”

Marinette stood tall next to her older brother as his voice projected across the room, trying not to fidget with the yo-yo at her side. The four-year anniversary of her becoming Ladybug was quickly approaching, and many things had changed since the fateful day she came home to find that hexagonal box on her desk. From a lost 13-year-old to a more assured Guardian, she had grown more than she could possibly imagine, but this was an entirely different conquest. For one, it was uncharted territory—she would be joining an already-established team of heroes who had gone through hell and back together, and she would be the rookie; most significantly, she wouldn’t be the leader. As someone who had been raised as a fairly independent individual and thrived in leadership positions, it was staggering, like being able to navigate the treacherous terrain of one world, only to be unceremoniously dumped into an unfamiliar sea of carnivorous, slavering creatures that were eager to rip her apart limb-by-limb. Of course, her situation wasn’t quite as gruesome, but it could quickly become so if she didn’t learn to adapt.

Despite her catastrophizing, it had been entirely Marinette’s decision to join the Young Justice team after spending her summers training with the Order in Tibet. Her parents sent her to visit Bruce that time of year, which made it easy for her to get away and complete the necessary training to become Grand Guardian. Even with Hawkmoth defeated, though, it hadn’t felt right to let the Miraculous sit in disuse, so she followed her instinct and figured joining another superhero team was the best she could do. She had an in, with Batman being her biological father and all, but the prospect was still daunting. She was joining the big leagues now, and she had to act the part.

Speaking of, it was interesting to see the way Dick interacted with his teammates. She had seen her family in action in Gotham—even joined them on patrol more than a few times—but something about the gloomy city put an extra mask on all of them, enough to damper any good mood. Here, her brother was different. Brighter, almost. She only ever saw him like that around his school friends, though she supposed Wally did count. She could feel the redhead’s gaze on her as Dick continued to talk, and she let her eyes drift over the lineup until they landed on him. She hadn’t seen him in over a year thanks to her trip to Tibet, but there he was: Kid Flash, in all his mustard-and-ketchup glory. His hair was windswept, enhancing the exhilarated look that all speedsters seemed to share. Considering that she and everyone else in the immediate vicinity had heard him super-speeding into the room a minute ago, his disheveled appearance wasn’t surprising. There was a dorky, wide-toothed grin on his face that was ever-present and currently directed at her. The corners of her mouth instinctively tugged up in response, but she quickly quelled the smile to adopt a more stoic look, a habit she chalked up to being inherited from Bruce. Regardless, she pushed all extraneous thoughts away until the introduction was finished, after which she found herself being swept away by her brother to talk to Zatanna. According to him, the magician was excited to meet another magic user, especially a Miraculous wielder. Marinette was similarly delighted, letting herself be pulled along, but as Dick tugged her hand, she spared a glance behind her to acknowledge a certain red-haired speedster and wave.

Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes Egyptian blue Something I've never had without you

“Nice job out there.”

Marinette yelped as a smooth voice spoke right into her ear, the accompanying warm breath sending a chill down her spine. Wally narrowly dodged the offending punch she sent, ducking before she could slug him in the face. She hadn’t expected anyone to come into the room, and she certainly hadn’t heard anyone come inside. Talk about warning a girl. Her palms came to rest on her chest as if they would slow her racing heart. “Kwami, you scared me.”

“Still on the adrenaline rush?” he chuckled.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted.

“Well, you did great out there, especially since it was your first time against Klarion. Two weeks in and you’re already better than me!”

Marinette flushed, feeling her cheeks warm. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s just because I have magic.” She wiggled her fingers, which made her look more like a poor imitation of a ghost than anything. “Besides, you did really great too! That last maneuver was pretty cool.”

“Ah, well, you know me! Cool.” He puffed his chest out, leaning back with crossed arms only to miss the counter behind him and go flailing backward. He landed on the floor gracelessly, looking very put-out at the fall. Marinette burst into laughter at his expression, and a few seconds later, he followed in suit. She laughed until her lungs were gasping for air and her cheeks hurt from smiling, and when it died down into a comfortable silence, she chanced a look at his face.

Wally was beaming, wild and untethered and free. It reached his eyes, endless fields of lush grass and emeralds that pulled her in like an unstoppable force. It was like the sensation of falling, of tumbling head-over-heels into his ardent gaze—but perhaps she had been falling all along. It sent a thrill through her, the zap of a lightning bolt not unlike the one on his uniform. It left her breathless.

“Oh! Um… I got this for you.” She didn’t know why she chose that moment to speak up, but she had to do something, anything to break the clamoring of voices in her head. Reaching behind her, she grasped the object she had kept from the earlier fight and held it up. “Teekl’s collar. It got torn off during the fight, and I figured you’d want to keep it. Dick told me you liked keeping things from missions.”

Her words became more unsure the more she spoke, but her worries were swept away as Wally practically bounced up, a delighted expression taking hold. He took it from her hands in an almost reverent manner, and she tried to ignore the tingling she felt when his fingers brushed hers.

“Souvenir!” he whooped, waving it over his head. “Oh man, I can’t wait to show everyone how cool this is.” He was almost vibrating out the door with excitement, and Marinette smiled at his antics. Just as she expected him to leave, he turned back, and in the blink of an eye she found her arms full of a hyper speedster. “Thanks, M. You’re the best!”

“You’re welcome,” she laughed. He bounded out, leaving her in the bathroom alone. Marinette turned to the mirror and sighed, hoping her face hadn’t shown anything more than she wanted it to. At the end of the day, Wally was… well, him, and she was just his best friend’s little sister.

You're giving me chills at a hundred degrees It's better than pills how you put me to sleep Calling your name, the only language I can speak Taking my breath, a souvenir that you can keep Giving me chills

Marinette threw the covers off her bed and stood with a frustrated growl. The fact that it was 2 in the morning was the only thing keeping her from ranting her frustration aloud. For some reason or another, she just couldn’t sleep. She had tried everything from meditation to pills, but it had eluded her the last two weeks. She could already feel it taking a toll, her movements groggier and her brain obscured with fog—not exactly ideal for someone meant to be in peak condition. But trying to sleep had done nothing but make her frustrated and more tired, so she made the executive decision to go downstairs. To do what, she didn’t know, but anything would be better than lying in bed, listening to every little creak and mechanical bump.

She grabbed her sunglasses from the counter, sliding them over her nose. She doubted anyone was awake, but better to be safe than sorry. Besides Wally, no one knew her identity or the fact that she was related to Dick. She wasn’t keeping it under wraps the way she had when Hawkmoth was still active, but she was still the Grand Guardian, and the less people who knew, the better. Still, any of their teammates could connect the dots given their closeness to Dick. Her identity was implied, surely.

Marinette tiptoed her way out of her room, making sure to slide her door carefully shut behind her, before sneaking out to the kitchen. Mount Justice was normally completely dark after everyone went to bed—she wasn’t going to lie, it was a little spooky at night—but she could see a faint light alongside muffled talking noises which she concluded came from the lounge. Someone had probably left the TV on by accident. She decided to turn it off after grabbing a glass of water, switching the stove light to its lowest setting before standing on her tiptoes, reaching overhead to grab a glass from the wooden cabinet. Just as she wrapped her hand around the cool mug, she heard a voice. “Hey, Mari!”

The glass nearly dropped from her hands as she nearly jumped out of her skin, barely saving it from meeting its doom and shattering all over the counter. Before she could shriek out of sheer shock, a hand slapped across her mouth and pulled her close. Well, if she wasn’t awake before, she certainly was now. “Calm down! It’s me, Wally.” Oh. Now that appeased her annoyance the tiniest bit, if only because she couldn’t think of anything other than the way her back was pressed flush again his body. “I’m going to take my hand off. Please don’t scream.” His hand left her face, and as soon as the warmth on her back disappeared she whirled around, glaring.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” he joked. Marinette was not amused.

“What on Earth possessed you to think that was a good idea?” she seethed through gritted teeth. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, sorry!” the redhead winced. “I just heard someone come downstairs and wanted to see who it was.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, making her way to the sink to fill the glass still in her hand. “But why are you awake at this hour, anyway?” Wally raised an eyebrow and gestured to her, a silent et tu? “Touché.” They both stood, listening to the quiet chatter of the television and the burbling of water. She could feel him searching her face all the while.

“Hey, you ok?” The ambiance was broken; Marinette had no choice but to face him, that low voice now unnaturally solemn. He was still looking at her, his eyes piercing yet soft in that hypnotic way, and she guessed he had noticed the bags under her own.

“I’m just tired. Can’t sleep and all that.” She shot him a rueful smile.

“Me neither,” he replied. “I’ve tried, but it only makes me more… ” he paused, as if racking his brain for the right word.

“Restless,” they finished in tandem. Wally gave her a surprised smile that stole the breath from her lungs, and she let out a quiet exhale.

“Anyway, I’ve been watching TV ever since.” Ah. Marinette eyed the bags on chips laid out on the counter. “It would be nice to have some company,” he continued, “and I heard there’s some leftover cake in the fridge.” He drifted closer to her as he talked, until she only needed to shift an inch to bump her leg to his.

“Are you suggesting we raid the fridge?”

“Well, if you insist,” he grinned.

Half an hour and a slice of chocolate cake later, Marinette was fast asleep, wrapped in a burrito blanket with her head resting on Wally’s shoulder. He tilted his chin to look down at her. Her bangs fluttered with each soft exhale, and the light from the television illuminated the delicate curves of her face. Wally slowly reached for the remote and turned it off, taking care to reduce his movements so as to not wake her up.

As gently as he could, he let her head rest on the couch before lifting her blanket-swathed body into a bridal carry. As a speedster, he liked to use his abilities whenever they could convenience him, but he refrained this time in fear of jostling the sleeping girl. The weight of her in his arms was grounding, the journey to her room seeming much shorter than he recalled.

Wally pushed her door open and set her down on her bed, pulling up the covers with care. Even in sleep she looked ethereal, hair fanning across her pillow in a way that should have been messy but instead looked radiant. He placed the sunglasses she had removed earlier on her dresser and gave her one last glance that lasted a beat longer than it should have. He tore his gaze away and slowly crept to the door, but right as he touched the handle, he heard a mumbled, “Wally.”

He turned on his heel, expecting Marinette to be awake, only to be met with that same peaceful expression. He frowned, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. Maybe he really did need sleep. He was starting to imagine things.

Sunset Tower lobby, waiting there for me In the elevator, fumble for your key Kissed in every corner, Presidential Suite Opened that Bordeaux from 1993

“What the hell was that?”

“Excuse me?”

Wally was leaning on the wall left of the medical bay, arms crossed and an irate look on his face. Marinette looked around, bewildered. Did she miss something? She had been getting her wounds tended to for the last hour alongside the majority of their team. They had taken a large blow from the strange new villain they had been up against, one that had no name and was unusually strong. Luckily, her suit was impenetrable and indestructible. Not-so-luckily, as she discovered today, it was not so impervious to brute force. She had been thrown around Paris more times than she could count and flung from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but apparently getting tossed around by a hulking monster was too much. Still, she wasn’t sure why Wally was acting like this. She had only seen him truly angry every once in a blue moon, and his righteous fury was only directed at villains. So what was it now?

“What happened?” Marinette asked, walking over to him with a concerned frown.

“What happened?” he mocked derisively. She recoiled at the harsh tone. “You don’t even know what you did, do you?”

“No, so tell me.” She was starting to get annoyed at his accusation, anger rising to combat his, but she used the technique she frequently employed during Hawkmoth’s reign and took a deep breath.

“You put yourself in danger out there when you called that monster’s name,” he said as he stalked closer to her. “It was reckless and really, it was stupid.”

Stupid? Oh, she so was not letting this go. “You’re right.”

“Really?” his face quickly morphed into one of surprise.

“Yeah, I guess I should have just let it kill our teammates and crush Kon under its sasquatch feet.” Frustration again.

“You know what I meant!” he ground out. “You don’t need to go throwing yourself into danger for no reason.”

“Wow!” she laughed. “For no reason, he says. Is that what you really think about your team?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why does it matter to you?”

“Because you can’t just do stuff like that without thinking of the consequences!”

“Don’t you dare treat me like I’m stupid. I did what I did because our team was in danger. Like I said, it was about to go after Kon!” She could hear her voice starting to rise in correspondence with his.

“Kon is invulnerable!”

“So am I!”

Her shout rang through the silence, giving way to her heaving breath.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be needing that,” he nodded to her cast. Marinette closed her eyes, steeling herself.

“You know what? I’m done here. Clearly it’s not me you’re really mad at.” She motioned to leave, but as she reached the door, a hand caught her wrist.

“Wait.” Marinette turned, looking at him expectantly. “I’m sorry.” Wally’s apology seemed genuine from the way he was staring at the ground, like if he looked hard enough he would gain Superman’s x-ray vision and burn a hole through it. After a moment he looked at her, which really wasn’t fair. It was hard to stay mad at him when his eyes transfixed her like a siren. “You’re right. It wasn’t okay for me to get mad at you like that. I just…” He took a deep breath. “I care about you. A lot. And seeing that monster go after you like that…I was scared you would get hurt.”

Marinette felt herself soften at his explanation. Curse her inability to stay mad at people she cared about. “I can protect myself, you know,” she started. “I’ve been a hero for years, and I’ve led my own team. You don’t need to look after me just because I’m Dick’s little sister.”

Wally frowned, looking some variation of hurt. “You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me.”

Marinette didn’t have time to think about what that meant as she felt herself leaning in, in, in, pulled by his magnetic gaze like a moth to a flame. She was sure he felt it too, that undeniable tug in his chest. But then Kaldur walked out of the medbay, and all she felt was doubt and hesitation as Wally pulled away. Kaldur sent a polite nod their way, but the look he gave her was almost knowing. Marinette waved back, face hot.

“I should go,” she told Wally hesitantly. “Unwind and all that.”

“Yeah, me too. I got a new souvenir to add to the case. See you later?” She nodded and they split ways amicably. But on the trek to her room, she couldn’t help but feel like something had changed.

Swimming in your eyes, in your eyes, in your eyes Egyptian blue Something I've never had without you

If something had changed, maybe she was the only one who felt it. Marinette spent longer than she’d like to admit dissecting what he’d said. You’re not just Dick’s little sister to me. But what did that mean?

She knew what she wanted it to mean. Somewhere along the way, she had stopped seeing Wally as Dick’s goofy best friend—if she ever had in the first place. She wondered if he meant it the same way. When she saw him, it was a chorus of Wally, Wally, Wally, haunting green eyes and a brilliant smile. Every wayward glance he sent her during meetings made her heart skip a beat, every grin made her feel like Ladybug, soaring through the sky.

Maybe it would be simple infatuation if things were how they had been a few years ago. But they now lived in the same mountain, shared a team, shared moments hidden in the blanket of night. She knew it was more than a simple crush on her end. She wasn’t sure if there was anything at all on the other, because if Marinette knew one thing about Wally West, it was that he was an incorrigible flirt. He was notorious for it—between seeing it for herself and hearing Dick talk about his flirting fails, it was something you could count on, yet she’d never been on the receiving end. In fact, she hadn’t heard any of his one-liners in the months since she’d joined the Young Justice team.

Maybe it was the simple case of growing up. Maybe he just didn’t like her. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, because the unwritten rules went like this: even if the world is ending, know that Wally West is still a flirt, and even if the world is ending, know that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is still in love with Wally West.

Take my, take-take my breath away just like Take my breath away just like a souvenir Take my, take-take my breath away just like Take my breath away just like a souvenir

New Year’s: catalyst of stupid who will be your midnight kiss? billboards, soon-to-be-broken resolutions, posts of happy couples, and most importantly, a reminder that Marinette would be forever alone. Apparently even villains took New Year’s off, because the day had been punctuated by a startling lack of crime. And it wasn’t like she wanted the team to get an urgent call, but anything would be preferable to the party they had planned later. Watching other people make out while she was stranded alone wasn’t exactly her idea of a fun time. Alas, the universe hated her, which was ironic considering the whole purpose of being Grand Guardian was to maintain its balance. Or maybe it was just telling her she was doing a bad job at it. Either way, she was fighting a losing battle, but she would go down in style.

Marinette had a particular inclination to design showy clothing. Perhaps it was a side effect of being around Jagged Stone for so long, surrounded by the likes of Audrey Bourgeois and having so many formal dress commissions. These factors all translated into the inordinate amount of non-casual attire she had in her closet, most if not all by her own design. She had a particularly flamboyant dress perfect for New Year’s, one that had taken painstaking experimentation but resulted in her dream fringe dress—not too understated nor gaudy. She paired it with low strappy heels and minimal makeup, glancing in the mirror on her way out to make sure there was nothing that could become an embarrassing faux pas.

When she arrived, the party was in full swing—well, as full swing as a party with a dozen or some people could be. Most of her teammates were gathered in the kitchen, where there was a variety of food laid on the counter. There was a tiered cake in the center, a combined effort of the girls. Marinette and M'gann had come up with the idea somewhat last-minute, but she enjoyed spending the day with her friends. Watching their almost disastrous baking fails was quite amusing.

She weaved her way through her teammates, waving at each person she passed by. Her first stop was with Dick and Wally, who were engaged in an intense debate about which Justice League member would be the last survivor in a zombie apocalypse. She gave her brother a welcoming hug, reveling in the comfort of his warmth. Wally stood to the side; she could feel him watching from the chills that erupted along the trail of his stare. She greeted him similarly but didn’t linger as long, both for her own sake and due to Dick’s presence. Their conversation resumed with a third party, and Marinette wouldn’t deny stirring the pot with her own thoughts. It seemed as if Plagg had worn off on her more than she thought.

After causing a fair amount of chaos, she conversed with a few different groups, joining in on the chatter and games. Her spirits were significantly lifted, though she couldn’t quite forget the prospect of the midnight kiss hanging over her head like mistletoe. Mistletoe might’ve been preferable, actually, because at least she would have someone. For now, though, she tried to ignore the way her eyes always seemed to drift over to Wally and instead focus on the present, which was filled with the laughter of her newfound family.

As it approached midnight, the volume in their abode waned. Marinette had instinctively stuck by the core group of girls, but everyone was starting to converge in the lounge for the countdown. There was a fireworks countdown displayed on the television, and she could already see people drifting off towards their chosen person: M’gann with Conner, Dick with Zatanna…she quickly decided that the best course of action was to temporarily relocate somewhere farther or to go back to her room entirely. Everyone was so engaged with their partner of choice, she was sure no one would notice if she slipped away. Her mind made up, Marinette slinked away, about to exit by way of the kitchen. Before she could even make it out of the lounge, a voice stopped her in her tracks. “Where are you headed?” Okay, she really needed to speak to the universe. Someone clearly had it out for her.

“I was just going to my room. Uhm, wardrobe malfunction.” Lie. Wally looked her up and down, and pressed her lips together nervously. He wasn’t checking her out, she scolded her straying mind.

“You look more than fine to me. Did you make that yourself?” he nodded to her ensemble.

“Yeah, I did. Last year, actually.”

“Well, it looks great on you.” A pause. Marinette took the opportunity to fake a yawn, wincing behind her palm at how fake it sounded. Wally wasn’t as easy to fool as the people back in Paris.

“Oh, I’m so tired. Guess I’ll head upstairs—”

“Aren’t you gonna stay for the countdown?” he interrupted “There are only…what,” he checked his watch, “two minutes left.”

“I’d rather not be the only single person on the team at midnight, but thanks,” she crossed her arms.

“You wouldn’t be the only single person,” he said, stepping closer. “You don’t have to be single at all,” he murmured, almost too quiet for her to catch.

“What was that?”

“I said, you don’t have to be single at all. I could be your midnight kiss…if you want.” Marinettte’s lips parted in shock, trying to make sense of the offer. “I’m not asking out of pity,” he clarified.

“Then why?” She needed to hear him say it.

“I like you, Marinette.” It was like a dream, the haze of late-night partying and New Year’s festivities and his face right there, green eyes looking at her like she was the only person in the world.

“Okay,” she breathed.

“Okay?”

“I like you, too.” And she had seen him grin a million times, but this one was more brilliant than any firework. Dick raised a brow when they entered the room hand-in-hand, right in time for the countdown’s start. At the shouted “10!” Wally’s calloused hands came to rest on her waist. At “8!” she hooked her arms around his neck, carving the planes of his face into her mind. At “6!” he brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and his face drew near. She lost track of the seconds after that, the only thing in her thoughts being the boy in front of her and his intoxicating presence. The cheers came, and so did the whoosh of fireworks, and then it was the warmth of lips against lips, his body against hers and the stirring in her chest that could be nothing else but love. She could have kissed him for hours, maybe even longer, but she soon became acutely aware of the dying noise and her surrounding teammates. Marinette pulled back hesitantly, and Wally looked at her, brows ticked up in concern.

“You okay?” She didn’t answer right away, looking around the room at her friends, but they all seemed to be absorbed in their own dream world, oblivious to whatever was happening around them. Maybe it was her turn to do the same.

“I’m doing better than okay,” she smiled, then pulled him in by the collar for a searing kiss. She was choosing to start the New Year right.

PERMANENT TAGLIST

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#maribat #wallynette #marinette x wally #bio!dad bruce wayne

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youryanderedaddy · 3 years

Text

Love Fuel

Summary: You were Jason’s first love before you broke his heart and rejected him. It’s all your fault that he can’t move on.

Tw: female reader, obsessive behavior, incel behavior, nice guy behavior, self - hatred, threats of non-con, implied non - con, implied masturbation, bullying based on appearance (not reader), deregatory language, kidnapping, misogyny, generalizations, stalking

this is a hot mess but its 1 am and i am tired, ik that incels are bad irl (obviously), but this is fiction and I kinda wanted to explore the dynamic and shit.

Everyone used to call him JJ or The-Big-Jay back in high school. Well, most of the time his classmates weren’t really calling out to him or even talking to him, the names were whispered behind his back, after he had just passed the hallway, or on bad days - right to his face. The jocks, these dumb motherfuckers, would beat him up, mock him for whatever stupid reasons they had chosen to use as an excuse to torment the smaller and weaker. The popular girls would giggle like brainless bimbos as Kyle or Brad or any other football player stole his glasses or continuously punched him in the guts until he threw up all over the floor. Even the nerds, the kids at the bottom of the school hierarchy, messed with Jason from time to time when they wanted to feel the oh - so desired rush of power they so rarely managed to experience.

Looking back, Jason could see why his classmates hated him so much - he was everything that society deemed as wrong and unattractive. He was thin, pale, “scrawny” as the others called him, on the shorter side, and on top of that the teen was terribly shy and introverted, never having the guts to stand up to his bullies or even tell someone about the abuse. The male spent most of his free time at home, playing hours upon hours of video games, watching anime and reading books he was simply too young to understand or look critically at. As he grew older, the man began to view the world as it trully was - a dark, miserable place that ate up sore losers like him. Men were primitive and foolish, which somehow managed to soften their faults. Women, on the other hand, were calculative and manipulative, greedy and sinful. His whole life they had done nothing but reject him when he needed love and support the most. Of course, there were many other reason why the brunette detested the weaker sex. In his eyes women were evil two - faced sluts, showing off their bodies yet acting innocent and hurt once someone finally decided to use them for the only thing they were actually good for.

But you Jason hated the most. You reminded him that no matter how much he hated the outside world, he would always hate himself the most. He had to admit you were pretty, painfully so, with a perfect little body to match your looks and a sweet sugary smile that almost deceived him years ago. As much as the man regretted his weakness, he had fallen right into your trap at the time.

You weren’t the most popular girl, but you had your fair share of friends, all nice and loyal like puppies. You weren’t the smartest either, but unlike the other stupid giggling sluts you always tried to do your best. You were beautiful just like them but you were actually kind to the pathetic bullied kid no one else bothered to acknowledge even existed outside of being a punching bag. You always asked him whether he was alright and often took him to the infirmary when he looked paler and sicker than usual. You talked to him as if he was a normal human being and despite the initial doubt, Jason appreciated it.

It was the last day of your senior year when the teen finally gained the courage to confess. He was shaking the whole time and by the end of his little speech there were small tears in the corner of his eye. You were the first girl the male cared about, the first one to show him kindness, to offer him friendship without asking for something in return. You were the only one who could make him feel deserving of love, worthy of affection. And then you took it all away in a matter of seconds.

“I am sorry, bud.” You had said that day after giving him a half - hearted hug and an apologetic smile, that started to seem more and more like a mocking grin the longer the teen started at you. “I already have a boyfriend, but I am really flattered. I am sure that you will find a lovely girl once you start college.” You had added quickly, cheerfully, rubbing the salt all over his wounds, honey dripping from your plump red lips. He had wanted to kiss them, bruise them, bite them until your stupid lying mouth was filled with blood. Obviously you didn’t have a boyfriend or he would have known by now, he stalked your social media religiously after all. Even if you had one, he probably treated you like shit. And how could you even suggest him finding another woman? As if he wanted any of the stupid money - grabbing sluts out there. As if some of them could replace you.

The boy was too furious to form a proper response besides “Fuck you, bitch”. His cheeks turned red and he didn’t realise that the bitter words had escaped his lips before he could stop them, then his legs took him far away from that shithole of a school. He didn’t manage to see your reaction before running away but it didn’t matter anymore. You were just like the others.

***

That day Jason swore to show you just how small and insignificant you had made him feel. He wanted to see you crumble, cry and beg for forgiveness, desperate for his love but never good enough to get it. The man formed a plan to change himself and come back for you once he had erased each and every trace of his past. The brunette came to terms with his terrible social anxiety and decided that he needed to gain social abilities more than anything. That’s why, as much as he dreamt of working from home as a boring programmer with an even more boring, but flexible working schelude, the male chose to study something that involved a lot more human interactions. The next step was to hit the gym for the first time and get a monthly subscription. It wasn’t hard to see that females nowadays liked brain - dead athletes with defined jawline and cheekbones, toned chests and strong muscled bodies, so if he wanted to impress you, he had to look his best. It wasn’t easy at first - it felt like everyone in the fitness salon had their eyes on his weak frame, laughing and pointing their fingers at his imperfections, but things gradually got better as time went on. The trainings became easier to get through and from time to time they even helped the man forget about his loneliness and nihilism.

Jason soon returned to his old habbit of spending hours looking through your accounts - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, he knew all of your usernames, each post, every picture and text. He couldn’t believe how much of a desperate attention whore you had become over the years. The male remembered you in your long brown skirts, cozy sweatshirts and pure-white shirts, all the gray buttons closed to the very top, blushing, laughing, smiling like the adorable Goody-two-shoes you were. Now you were smirking seductively in every photo, overconfident and vibrant, flaunting your tits for every man to see and wearing tight little dresses that barelly covered your ass combined with heels so high and sharp they could be used as a weapon. You were such a stupid slut it was disgusting, and he couldn’t stop himself from jerking off every single time he saw your pretty little face on the screen. He wanted to cum down your throat so badly it was ridiculous, and even after knowing that you had probably already had hundreds of cocks shoved deep inside your pussy, the brunette still wished to see you split open on his, taking his lenght like a good little cocksleeve.

***

The moment when he could see you again finally came. How many years had passed since graduation - five, ten, fifthteen? It hardly mattered. Jason was successful, at last. The male had his own business that was doing surprisingly well, there were some guys from the gym he could call friends and the best thing, he looked absolutely unrecognizable. There was nothing left of the tiny scrawny kid with quiet voice that everyone stepped over, he was now replaced by a strong capable man, determined to get what was rightfully his and his alone.

It wasn’t hard to find you since the brunette knew everything about you - where your job was, what time you finished, how long it took you to go home and what path you took. You lived alone and worked as a barista in a small local cafe even now that you had finished your studies in your dream faculty. Turns out the princess wasn’t so great and smart after all, having to resort to working a minimal - wage job day and night just to be able to pay her rent. Jason was absolutely delighted though, he loved your stupid dead - end job and your endless struggles to survive in the materialistic world honestly and fairly without selling yourself like a common whore. On one hand the male was happy that you had clung onto your last bit of innocence and on the other your pitiful lifestyle gave him the chance to snatch you away much easier. And that’s exactly what he did.

***

You woke up confused just like he had expected, bombarding him with questions, asking him who he was was, begging him to let you go, to at least explain what’s happening. You were so dumb, but God, you were still so pretty, if not prettier than before. You cried so beautifully when Jason told you you belonged to him now and you cried even more when he slammed his cold rough lips over yours in a deep wet kiss. You whimpered and whined while the male sucked on your lower lip and bit down, good, he wanted it to hurt. The stalker couldn’t wait to be inside you, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

He climbed on top of you and pinned your wrists to the floor before tying them up with delicate red rope and tightening it. It wasn’t like the man was scared of you slipping away and hurting him, you were too weak and tiny to stand a chance against his years of power - lifting and muscle - training anyways, he just wanted you to be as uncomfortable and squirmish as possible. Your tormentor wished for you to be in worse pain than he had been during his youthful years, and he knew exactly what to do. Next thing you knew Jason had ripped your dress apart, leaving you vulnerable and exposed in just your plain old panties and bra. Cold shivers ran down your spine when the chilly air hit your naked flesh and you finally realized there wasn’t getting away from this. You had to stay there, limbs bound together, unable to move or fight back, the stranger’s hands caressing your neck before moving dangerously close to your clothed breasts. You felt so sick you were going to throw up for sure if your abductor didn’t step back so you decided to use your last resort.

“Jason, please stop!” You screamed out of the blue, forcing the brunette to freeze instantly at the use of his birth name. You had already called him a pervert and a psycho which didn’t seem to faze him, but the name clearly caught him off guard. This only seemed to prove your theory further - the man really was your former classmate, despite the only similarity between them being the dark distant look in his eyes. “I beg you, don’t hurt me!” You continued, hoping to at least buy yourself more time before the assault took place.

He gulped loudly and stared at your quivering form. The impossible had happened, you had recognized him and now together with fear, there was also pity in your gaze, the one emotion your captor absolutely despised. You used to be the only one who pitied him, and even now that he was bigger, better and stronger than before, you still had the guts to pity him. It drove him insane but any attempt to hurt or touch you was fruitless now - your soft skin was suddenly burning his fingers like hellfire.

“You must be thinking that I am a monster.” Jason started out dryly, chuckling bitterly, humorlessly even. He clenched his fists unconsciously and brought them to the floor in a fit of rage, missing your head by mere inches. Your heart was beating like crazy and you only hoped the mandman couldn’t hear it. “A freak.” The man spat out the word like it was a curse and for a split second his eyes softened before turning into two spinning torches. “Right?” You were sure that if looks could kill, his would have you dead by the end of the night so you quickly nodded your head no.

“You are lying to me again, pretty girl.” The brunette replied feisty, "pretty” rolling off his tongue like an insult. Then he broke into hoarse maniac laugher and lowered his head so his face leveled up with yours, so close you could feel his warm breath on your tear - stained cheek. “When I am done with you, you wouldn’t be so pretty anymore, darling.” Your captor growled and attacked your neck, sinking his teeth deep into the flesh. “You will see exaclty how ugly my love is.”

#yandere #yandere oneshot #male yandere x reader #male yandere #yandere oc #yancore #yandere male x reader #yandere oc x reader #yandere smut #yandere x you

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tumbling-darkling · 3 years

Text

Midnight Hang-Outs

This is a small crossover between Danny Phantom and DC! (Specifically Danny and Harley Quinn!) Following the prompts from Day 11 and 12 - Midnight and Scars (more of mentioned than revolving around it) Harley might be slightly ooc because I don’t read a lot of DC comics but maybe consider it more of like AU Harley Quinn. Mother hen. She feeds the vigilantes of Gotham on slow nights.

Harley glanced over to the boy sitting next to her on the rooftop of the Gotham Bank, she had been planning to break into it to draw out some fun with any nearby vigilantes but instead she had spotted the scrawniest looking glowing teen she’d ever seen. Well he was the only glowing teen she’d ever seen, but the poor kid was struggling against some freak in a white suit.

He had already devoured about 10 of the breakfast sandwiches she bought from a nearby 24 hour fast food joint, she couldn’t remember the name but her pal, Jeremy, always worked late shifts and gave her most of the grease filled wraps for free. Which she got a total of 20 and was beginning to worry that it wasn’t enough for this endless void. She thought she could calculate this kind of thing better based on Batsy’s kids, then again none of them had powers. That must be the factor throwing her off.

She glanced over him again, taking in his features for probably the hundredth time since she spotted him. White hair that gently wisped around his face like he was constantly underwater, pale blue-green skin with neon green freckles that sparkled like stars in the night, toxic green eyes that matched the freckles, flecks of blue hidden within the irises that shone in the right light. He hand pointed ears and little baby fangs, and his suit itself reminded her of the superheroes she’s faced before, but the material seemed all wrong when she got a closer look. It wasn’t spandex, or that thick armour like fibre that Batsy likes to use. She didn’t know what it was made out of. That flaming looking D was enough to hint at a superhero gig, like Superman and that ‘S’ on his chest. She didn’t care that it was supposed to be a symbol for hope, his name was Superman and that thing was an S, end of conversation.

The kid had taken off those gloves in order to eat, she didn’t blame him though, eating with gloves on was weird, and those white gloves would stain like a motherfucker. What caught her attention about it was the scars. Little one littered this kid's hands, and then there was a ligament scar coating his left hand. It was the brightest of all the scars, glowing slightly a wicked green as if he was still being electrocuted.

She turned her gaze back to the streets below, “So, what are you doing out this late?” She asked, avoiding sensitive topics like the scar. “It has to be way past midnight at this point.”

The kid glanced over to her, then shrugged, “had to chase Boxy all the way out here, the dude flies fast for a ghost obsessed in boxes.”

Harley glanced back over, noticing the kid now had finished the last of the sandwiches as he looked in the bag for more, shoving the garbage into it once he confirmed there was nothing left, “Boxy? Was that the freak in white?”

The kid shook his head, “nah, that was a government agent. G.I.W, or the Guys in White. Must’ve followed me, cornered me after I was already exhausted from chasing Boxy all over town. Boxy is the Box Ghost, blue ghost dude in overalls, fairly harmless but he can be a pain in the ass when he wants to be.”

“Want me to blow the rest of those agents up for you?” Harley asked, leaning closer while flashing a sinister grin.

The kid jerked back, “no! No it’s fine, just caught me off guard! I can handle them just fine, you don’t need to blow anyone up!” He squeaked out quickly, wildly waving his hands around. Harley couldn’t help but grin at the display, he reminded her a lot of Batsy’s kids. Energetic, good hearts (most of the time), think they can handle the world.

“So are you one of Batsy’s kids? Harley voiced her thoughts.

The kid blinked owlishly at her, “Batsy’s… you mean Batman? The Batman?”

Harley shrugged, “yeah, Batsy. He has quite a lot of them so I like to try and stay updated when he gets a new kid. You almost fit the bill, young teen, dark past, though the powers would be new.”

“How do you know I have a dark past?”

“Well, you said you were a ghost, right? Meaning you died and judging by your age, died before you even finished high school. I’d call that a dark past,” she kept out the lingering question of how he died, that wasn’t something you exactly ask someone when you first meet them. “So you aren’t one of Batsy’s kids?”

The kid shook his head, “nope,” he popped the p, “never even met the dark knight before. I barely visit Gotham, well anywhere if I can help it, I try to keep my problems in my home turf.”

“I see, you know what, I should’ve known better. Batsy would never let his kids run around this late anyway,” she hummed. “I did once see him chew a Robin out for fighting crime past his curfew, it got me arrested for sticking around to watch but boy was it worth it!” She laughed. She was surprised that Batman hadn’t gotten to this kid yet, anyhow. He didn’t always stick around Gotham ever since he joined that hero club, but that just meant that this dude had even more of a chance to find this kid. Must be dumb luck or something.

“Batman puts curfews on his sidekicks?” The kid asked, mouth agape.

“Well duh, the guy is all about the well-being of his kids. He has a no killing rule but he gets close to breaking it when one of his kids gets almost killed. He keeps them well fed, makes sure they sleep, I know because I can hear him from across rooftops at times and I fight enough of his kids to notice they aren’t skin and bones like you.”

The kid looked down at his ungloved hands, and she noticed him tracing the pattern of the ligament scar lightly with his other hand. His expression changed as he seemed to run through a series of thoughts before he spoke again, “why did you help me?” He asked, not looking up to meet her eyes, “you are a villain, right? You fight Batman and Robin, and other superheroes too if they face you. You know I’m not a villain, you said so yourself. So why help me? Wouldn’t it be better to just let a vigilante kid get knocked off so you don’t have to deal with him in future crimes?”

Harley felt her heart shatter, who the fuck hurt this kid like this? “I’m not some heartless bitch,” she said in a matter of fact tone, “you and all the teen sidekicks or vigilantes out there are still fucking kids. I have morals, and some villains don’t have the same morals as me, but seeing you getting kicked around by some freak in an alley where no one could see you? That kind of shit rubs me the wrong way. I fight teen heroes from time to time because I know they can handle it, they can fight back and I myself won’t stoop so low as to kill them if I manage to get in a few lucky hits.” She lightly nudged his shoulder, “and it’s not like you’ve personally wronged me or anything. I felt like being nice, helping out. You seem like a good kid, so why not help you out? Maybe one day I can call a favour and you can distract Bats while I kidnap the president?” She joked.

The kid looked up suddenly, sending his hair in rippling waves as he was giving her a wide eyed and the most worried look imaginable. She couldn’t help but let out another laugh, “I’m joking!” She clarified. “But I think we could have some pretty interesting game nights with Ivy. Not illegal game night, more like Uno or something. Maybe just a little gambling.”

The kid relaxed again, “well… uh… thanks. For helping me. And the food. And talking,” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking up at the sky.

“No problem, be sure to come visit again. Hey, maybe I can even introduce you to Bats at some point! Make a big show and pretend you are a villain and then BAM! Just kidding he’s just a glowing vigilante I helped out once!” She stood up, stretching her arms a little, “be sure to take it easy on your way to your home by the way, maybe take a nap or something on the way there.”

The kid nodded with a smile and stood up with her, then paused as shock filled his eyes and he spun quickly towards Harley, “Wait- how do you know I sleep-?”

Harley laughed, “well, I don’t think ghosts normally eat, so I’m assuming you sleep too,” she offered a soft smile, “just take it easy, and hey, if you ever find yourself in trouble.” Harley then pulled out a business card she usually kept for shits and giggles, handing over the poorly designed card to the kid, “know that you have a friend in Gotham who’s ready to help. And who knows how to get Batsy’s attention the fastest.” She winked.

The kid took the card, a confused grin tugging at his lips, “thanks. Hey, uh. I go by Phantom. Since I never really introduced myself.”

“Well Phantom, nice to meet you,” Harley grinned back.

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deathwishy · 3 years

Text

x MARVEL CROSSOVER x

Marinette knew that Tom Dupain wasn't her biological father. Nonetheless, she loved him and he loved her. He married her mother when she was two and have been inseparable ever since.

On the other side, her biological father was a prick.

He first came to visit her after she developed a ... rather interesting set of abilities. She was five when that happened. Her mother had somehow contacted him and, even though he doubted it, he came.

It is safe to say that he was beyond shocked when he saw that Marinette was his spitting image, not counting the blue eyes. She had a mischievous smile and sharp eyes, carrying herself like royalty, worthy of the title of the daughter of the god of mischief.

That day, Loki found out he had a demigoddess daughter.

While he was reluctant at first, the little girl grew on him. He visited at least twice a month, mainly to help her control her powers but also to let her know that he actually cared about her, to ensure that he wasn't with her like his father was with him. No other Asgardian knew about Marinette and he would like to keep it that way. There was no need for his brother of father to swoop in and ruin everything.

As the years passed their bond became unbreakable. Marinette still thought that Loki was a prick and an idiot at times but she wouldn't have it any other way. Life was boring anyway, why not sprinkle it with a little bit of mischief?

When she became Ladybug, he knew. He called out Tikki as soon as he stepped in her room and her parents were out of hearing range.

"Tikki, you can come out. You should know better by now."

Marinette was dumbfounded when the goddess came out from behind some books, with a pout and with her arms crossed.

"I knew it. Trixx did say that you came to Midgard and Marinette looks like a miniature female version of yourself."

"I'm actually surprised the guardian gave her the Ladybug miraculous. I would've guessed she would have been a better fox."

"She is a very good match for me too. Her soul is a creative one, but yes, she would be a perfect fox."

"Um... Can I get in the loop too?"

The two gods turned to her. Marinette had her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the floor. Loki gave her a sheepish smile.

"I am a God, Marigold, I do know the other gods too."

The day passed talking with the two deities about all sorts of things, Tikki especially scolding him for the New York disaster, Marinette joining her. It happened before she was born so even if he changed it was still a horrible thing

"Look, daddy issues are a pain to deal with. I was very angry."

"Dad, it's no excuse to be an asshole."

"I know." Loki rolled his eyes then grinned. "But what's this I'm hearing about from Tikki about a boy?"

Marinette flushed, glaring at the offender, now munching on a cookie, her eyes sparkling with laughter. She was shaking her head and vigorously gesturing with her hands.

"Nope. I'm not talking with you about this and, Odin forbid, if I see you around him I'll cut your macaron supply."

Loki only raised his hands in surrender, laughing heartedly. He wouldn't dare cross his daughter, so he swore, between tears of laughter, that he would keep his distance.

"But if he breaks your heart I'll throw him in Jotunheim."

...

A few years later, when Lila came around he knew. There was no mistaking the dimming of the fire in her soul. He could see that she didn't want to talk about it by the way she was dodging the subject so he had to take the matter in his own hands.

He shapeshifted into a horsefly and flew after her when she went to school. It took a lot of his power to hide from Marinette's sight but if was worth it. Now he knew why she started closing in on herself.

Loki could admire a good lie. After all he was the god of trickery, lies and deceit. But this girl spouting off the worst lies he ever heard. Not only were they ridiculous, they were also completely devoid of any drop of truth. That was the base of any good lie, and she was lacking it entirely. What confused him more what that some of her classmates believed her. Only a handful others didn't seem to believe her, one of which was a blond boy that looked at the leech, glued to his hand, with disgust. By his aura Loki assumed he was the holder of the Black Cat.

He confronted Marinette when she came back from school. Some of the lies were concerning, they were hurting his daughter and he couldn't let it fly. He assumed the harpy was set on Marinette because she wouldn't buy her lies. That was not surprising, she could see even though his best lies.

"I know, Marigold."

Marinette knew what he meant. She inhaled deeply and looked around.

"Can we go somewhere else, outside of Paris?"

The furrowed his brows, getting more concerned by the second. He couldn't read her in that moment. He could read most people like an open book, but that was his daughter. She knew how to hide things from him.

"Yes. Tell your parents, we don't want to concern them."

After she told her parents that she would go with Loki on a short trip, he opened a portal to a high rooftop over a city. She could feel the darkness of it, potent and corrupting. She figured that was why her father would bring her there, no one would notice them. As soon as the portal closed, she broke down. She hugged him, crying into his chest.

"I'm so tired, dad. The responsibility of Ladybug, Lila and her lies, half of my class turned against me, Hawkmoth just sending out akuma after akuma, it's just so much."

He let her cry, hugging her closely and patting her head. Even after all these years he didn't know how to properly comfort his daughter but it was something he actively was working for.

"But I assume you still don't want me to help?"

"The Avengers or The Justice League would notice if you do something. I managed to keep them away, for the time being, but I doubt they would hesitate coming if they heard that you came into a highschool, knives flying after a teenage girl or if you burnt down half of Paris searching for Hawkmoth."

She sighed, sitting on the edge of roof.

"I can handle it, I think. It's hard but I can manage it. I have Chat Noir and the others, we will succeed."

"You know that I will always be by your side if you need me, right?"

"Of course, dad." She hugged him once more, not letting go for some time.

When she calmed down, she asked him to get them to Paris.

"Dad, where was that? I've never felt a more malicious feeling to a place in my entire life."

"Gotham City. That place holds a centuries long curse."

Marinette nodded then hugged her father one more time before he left. She then went on her balcony, sketchbook and laptop in her hands. The afternoon sun was providing perfect lighting for sketching. She set aside the sketchbook for the moment, opening the laptop. She heard about Gotham from Alya when she was gushing about the vigilantes. She wasn't especially interested about them so she listened politely but forgot everything the next day.

Gotham was dubbed the Crime Capital, which was not surprising. The maliciousness surrounding the city was overwhelming, even if she was there for only a few minutes short of an hour. She could only imagine what that could do to the locals. A meeting with Fu after her patrol that night was mandatory.

Apparently he knew about the situation in Gotham. An old friend kept him updated. He confessed that he wanted to talk with her about it but decided to tell her when she was prepared. Fighting that kind of corruption would be hard and it would take years. They decided to put a pin in it and deal with it after they defeated Hawkmoth. Marinette did NOT need this on her plate now.

...

Things got a little complicated when Wonder Woman decided to drop by. It was night, just a few hours after an akuma attack. Ladybug had to patrol on her own, Chat Noir was held back in his civilian life. She caught Ladybug on the Eiffel Tower, just when she was finishing her round.

"Ladybug."

"Wonder Woman. I wasn't aware that you would be coming by."

"I apologize, but this is important. Your presence is required at a summit between The Avengers and The Justice League. Some discussions will be about the situation in Paris and as the city is in your jurisdiction, you are invited to attend."

Marinette felt like she didn't tell the whole truth but agreed, under the condition to bring Chat Noir too. They were a team.

Loki wanted to come along but Marinette shot the idea down quickly. The was a chance that Thor would notice and everything would go south very quickly. She didn't need an international incident on her hands. The others didn't trust Loki but they were civil with each other after the brothers made amends and he helped them a couple of times. Still, she didn't think they would appreciate Marinette bringing an unauthorized guest.

...

A few weeks later they were in a secret base in the Alps. After she got the coordinates of the location she used the horse miraculous to get there. They were fairly early, only a few members of both teams being present. Batman with his team, Thor, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Winter Soldier and Green Arrow.

Batman was the first one to greet her, soon after she closed the portal.

"Tikki, Kaalki, divide."

The horse kwami landed in her hand, where a sugar cube was waiting for her. She then nestled on top of her head. She slid the glasses there too, for easy access, just in case.

"Ladybug, glad you could come." Batman greeted her cordially. She shook his outstretched hand.

"Of course. After all, I was said this was concerning us."

Before Batman could say anything, a man dressed in black, with a blue bird symbol on his chest jumped in front of her, grinning like a child.

"I can't believe it, you are a real magical girl!"

Ladybug took a step back, blinking, a little shocked by the grown man's reaction.

"Tt. Nightwing, be professional."

"Yeah Wingman, you're going to scare the little Pixie."

"Ignore them, they are idiots." Said one of them, coming beside her. She identified him as Red Robin, one of Batman's... Associates? It felt wrong to call him a sidekick. That would be Robin.

"Red Robin. The idiots there are Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin."

"Pleasure meeting you." She smiled to them warmly. Robin narrowed his eyes, looking at her head.

"What is that?" He asked, taking a step closer to take a better look. Kaalki flew in his face, indignated.

"I'm a goddess, you oaf." Robin took a step back, hands on his katana, shocked by the little goddesses reaction. She narrowed her eyes, suddenly tamer. "Are you famous?" Robin was sputtering, clearly not prepared for the change in her demeanor.

Red Hood burst out laughing.

"Fucking hell, his face. I've never been more grateful for the camera in my helmet."

"Kwami don't show up on camera, but his face definitely will." Chat Noir pointed out. He went beside Ladybug, up until then scanning the compound. "I'm Chat Noir, the fabulous purr-tner of Ladybug, at your service." He made a mock bow, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Ladybug, Red Robin, Red Hood and Robin groaned.

"Not ANOTHER ONE!"

"Tt. I can't handle two of them. I'll inevitably going to break the no killing rule."

"Um, what's going on?" Ladybug turned to Red Robin, who was grimacing.

"Nightwing." He said, giving her a pitying look.

"Oh, come on, it can't be that claw-ful." Retorted Nightwing. Chat Noir lit up like a Christmas tree.

"My lady, see. I was sure I was feline a fellow paw-nner nearby."

"Kill me." Ladybug and Red Robin said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

As more heroes were arriving, Ladybug introduced herself to each of them. She tensed a bit when Thor came beaming at her.

"Ah! I haven't seen the miraculous for centuries! I am not really that familiar with the Chinese Miracle Box but I did encounter a wielder of Trixx."

She smiled tightly listening to his encounter with Fylja. She knows from her father about her, a trickster just like him, who managed to seduce Thor and steal Mjolnir and hide it. Thor decided to omit that detail. He liked the young hero but something seemed oddly familiar about her.

When Aquaman came, he looked very uncomfortable with his proximity to Chat Noir. He was cordial but kept his distance after finishing introductions. Chat Noir did tell her once that Plagg said that he was the one who sank Atlantis. It was a real story, apparently.

Ladybug preferred the company of Red Robin. They had a lot of things in common, from mutual interests to similar experiences as heroes. He asked a lot of questions without being invasive or trying to find out things about her civilian life and actually seemed interested about her answers. She actually blushed when Nightwing called them cute. She could see with the corner of her eyes how Chat Noir was wiggling his eyebrows but swooped up the other boys when they started teasing them.

"Everyone is here. Only the official members of the Justice League and the Avengers are allowed, as well as Ladybug and Chat Noir. The rest will stay here." Wonder Woman announced, leaving the rest of the young heroes pouting and protesting.

Ladybug turned to Red Robin and gave him a wave.

"See you after."

"Definitely." He grinned, making her blush.

Chat Noir came beside her, smiling knowingly.

"At least you're not a stuttering mess this time."

"Shut up you alley cat, that was four years ago."

"So you do like him." He smiled even wider. Ladybug blushed furiously, punching him in the ribs. He only giggled.

"Nightwing and Red Hood owe me 50 dollars."

"You're unbelievable."

All the heroes were seated at a circular table, everyone having an assigned seat. Even Ladybug and Chat Noir, their symbols gleaming brand new on the backs of the black chairs.

"The summit begins. We are now gathered here to discuss the Paris situation." Superman began, opening a slide on the projector.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. It became obvious that they called the summit just for this. They were trying to take control. She clenched her fists, but didn't say anything. She hoped this wasn't what it looked like. She put her hand on Chat Noir's shoulder when he looked like he wanted to say something. She squeezed twice. ' I got this.'

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, it's been four and a half years since Hawkmoth has been active and so far we haven't seen much progress. The akumas seem to become more powerful and aggressive and the damage to Paris greater each time. We think you might be over your heads."

"What we are trying to say," Batman stood up, glaring at Superman for his lack of tact, "is that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult and we feel the need to intervene. We know that you are young, let us help you."

"You are kids, we can tell. We thought that because of the nature of the miraculous you will be able to neutralize the threat in due time, seeing as it's the same type of magic." Added Captain America.

"We trusted that you could handle it, as you said, but some of us already have doubts." Iron Man said, crossing his arms.

"Your miraculous might not be enough this time. But that's ok. We want this to end as much as you do." Professor Banner added, looking at them like he was explaining to children why they couldn't cross the street when the traffic light was red.

Most of the heroes didn't notice the way the two young heroes narrowed their eyes, faces darkening, but some, mostly those who knew the power of the miraculous, did. Aquaman was uneasy, a sense of foreboding dawning over him, Wonder Woman looked like she didn't know what her peers were going to say. She stood still, but tense, like preparing for an attack. She knew they were somewhat right, but that wasn't the way to help them. Green Lantern was leaning in his seat like he wanted it to eat him. Thor looked around the table, damning every one of them present. They were going to get them killed. Black Widow was glaring at Banner, knowing what his words did to the Parisians by their increasing straining to say nothing and stay in place. Batman was following them carefully. Something about the two of them screamed danger.

Then Superman dropped the bomb.

"So, effective immediately, we take jurisdiction of the city of..."

He was cut off by a sudden boom reverberating through the room. All heroes jumped in a battle stance. When there was no threat in sight, they looked at Ladybug, who had made a dent in the table with her fist. Her eyes were entirely blue. But it was not her usual color, it was an icy blue, that could freeze the fires of hell. Thor held his breath. They looked exactly like frost giant eyes. And familiar ones.

"How. Dare. You."

She didn't yell but the heroes could feel the ice in their veins.

"For four years we've been tirelessly fighting an emotional prying bastard, while controlling our own to the point where it seems that we have none, handling our civilian lives at the same time, trying to minimize the destruction of Paris even though we new the cure with bring everything back to normal, tending to our citizens after they've been akumatized, ensuring they would get therapy and support, even stopping minor crimes around the city and you have the balls to say that we are in over our heads?! We may be but we are handling it way better than any of you do! You are not one to speak, Superman. Metropolis gets trashed every other week with you're messy fights, and there is no cure. You obviously have no regard of the destruction or the victims most of the time. The rest of you are mostly the same. But there is no one getting in your way saying that you're doing a horrible job and trying to replace you. And if there is, gods forbid, you just send them to prison or in a mental asylum. You have NO right to criticize our ways when yours are statistically worse!"

Both the Justice League and the Avengers were silent and wide eyed. Thor was the first to recover. Her eyes went back to normal after she finished but there was no mistake. The girl wasn't human.

"Who are you?" He pointed his hammer at Ladybug. She rolled her eyes.

"Put that down, you're not intimidating anyone."

"Those were frost giant eyes. Answer me or perish."

"Dad would not appreciate the perish part, you know."

The Avengers and the Leaguers were now exchanging confused looks. What were they supposed to do? What was that about? After exchanging glances, they remained silent, watching the exchange curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Thor retorted, now gripping Mjolnir tighter.

"I guess this is as a bad time as any but... Hello uncle."

It wasn't ideal but she couldn't have both the Justice League and the Avengers trying to arrest her. She took the yo-yo from her hip and slid it open. She scrolled through her contacts and tapped the one named 'The God of Bullshit'. After a few beeps, during which the heroes were recovering from their stupor, Loki's face appeared on the screen.

"Daughter dearest. What's the matter, are the others bothering you?" He said in a sarcastic sweet voice. She rolled her eyes then pointed the screen towards Thor.

"L'Oréal blond knows."

After a few seconds Loki starts laughing like a maniac.

"This is the best way they could've found out. This is PERFECT."

Thor walks in wide strides to an unimpressed Ladybug and takes the yo-yo from her hand.

"I have a niece and you didn't TELL ME!"

"Of course not. You pieces of shit are not worthy of the presence of my daughter. I don't know why she even agreed to come to the meeting. She is doing a wonderful job in Paris and does not need any interference. Beware, brother, if you upset her I'll come for your heads. I have to go now, see you soon, daughter."

Ladybug closed her yo-yo and looked around the room.

"I don't care what you decided. Paris is my city. You don't come barging just because you think you can do a better job. And yes, I'm the daughter of Loki but that doesn't mean that I have bad intentions. I'm a hero as much as you are. Now, have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Ladybug." Wonder Woman was the first to respond. Even if she was a daughter of Loki, the young hero earned her respect. She stood her ground against them and made her point crystal clear.

The rest of the heroes agree, though some reluctantly.

"Now, I agreed to come here mainly because I wanted to say that I have a strong lead. Hawkmoth may soon fall."

After some other arguments with some of the reluctant heroes and a few protests that were quickly shot down by Ladybug and her supporters, the heroes dispersed. She and Chat Noir were between the last ones to leave, having a shushed conversation while the others left.

"We will discuss it back in Paris. But yes, it's true."

"So you're a half goddess?"

"Demigoddess, but yes."

"That is awesome."

When they entered the hall, they saw it was almost empty. She was disappointed that maybe Red Robin left until he was in front of her. He gripped her shoulders and looked in her eyes.

"I think I'm in love with you. That was the greatest hero smack down in history."

She was a blushing mess by the time the other boys and Batman came around. They were all snickering, even Batman and Robin.

"How did you..."

"Father turned his com on when he saw that you looked like you were ready to kill someone."

"B, you are not allowed to adopt her under any circumstances, do you understand me? We do not need another sister."

"Yeah Bats, don't ruin your only chance at grandkids."

Now Red Robin was blushing too.

"So... You don't care about the Loki thing?"

"We noticed that he toned down a few years ago. We didn't know why. Now it makes sense."

"Yeah, trust me, you're not the only one with a villainous parent 'round here." Red Rood pointed, putting his elbow on Robin's shoulder. The latter looked like he wanted to rip it off.

"And you are clearly taking your job seriously. Even father respects your efforts."

"I didn't intend to make you feel like you are not good enough. We wanted to help you, but it got out of hand. I apologize."

"Apology accepted. I understand where you're coming from, but trust me. This is coming to an end. Soon."

When the Bats were going to the zeta tubes and Ladybug was merging the horse miraculous with her own, Red Robin stayed behind. He handed her a phone.

"It's a non traceable phone. Of you ever want to talk, my number is programmed in there. I really enjoyed our conversation"

She took the phone, smiling brightly.

"I did too. Thank you."

She pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back, kissing her on the cheek then running to the zeta tubes. Her cheeks were as red as her suit. She touched the place where he kissed her, smiling like an idiot.

"Aww, I'm going to die of fluff. I ship it."

"Shut up." She grumbled but still smiling.

...

A few months later Hawkmoth’s reign of terror came to an end. It was messy and heartbreaking but they were finally free. Adrien was exonerated by both the Justice League and the Avengers when accusations started to appear in the media. Not wanting to live with the Graham de Vanily’s, Adrien was taken in by Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman. It was quite fitting.

They have revealed their identities during the battle when they had to recharge and barely found one place to detransform. When they had the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous secured and Gabriel and Nathalie in police custody, they swung to the Eiffel Tower and collapsed there on each other, crying their hearts out for the first time in five years. Loki got there at some point but he kept his distance, understanding that it was their time. That was how they were found by the Justice League and the Avengers. Huddled together on the railing, not talking, with Loki next to them, smiling serenely. Thor almost had a heart attack. When she noticed that Red Robin came too, she ran to him and kissed him like the world almost ended, which almost actually did.

Fu passed guardianship to Marinette not long after, deeming her ready.

After everything was solved in Paris and the trials of Gabriel, Nathalie and Lila, for her aiding Hawkmoth, were done, Marinette began her first mission as Guardian. Cleanse Gotham.

Soon, a new vigilante, with a black fox theme, swung through Gotham with the Bats and Tim Drake appeared in public with his new girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

When I first saw what the prompt for today was I had no idea what to write. I didn’t want to do the class trip to New York so I took my favorite character, Loki obviously, and brainstormed. This came out. I don’t know if this has been done before but I love biodad!Loki.

So this is approximately 4326 words (I added and edited things on here so I don't know for sure) which is a new record. I did enjoy writing this. Maybe I will do something biodad!Loki again in the future, it's fun to write.

And as a sidenote, Marinette can lift Mjolnir.

@timari-month-event

#maribat #timari #timari january #mlb x dc #biodad!loki

475 notes · View notes

safertokiss · 3 years

Text

Lost in Translation

A/N: Heyyyyy guys...remember when I used to post like every two weeks? Yeesh that’s awkward...but I’m backkkkk woooooooo party time! I was so excited that my discord buddies organized another fic swap because it was so much fun the first time. This time around I was chosen to write a doozy for the wonderful @writing-in-april and I have decided to bless you all with a beautiful subby boy. Sub Spencer lives in my head rent free, no cap. So sit back, relax and pretend it's you getting fricken railed. Peace out girl scouts;)

Pairing: SPENCER x READER

Category: SMUT hehe oh yeah and fluff

Word Count: 4.8k

ENJOY:)

~~~

MASTERLIST

~~~

For as long as she could remember, Y/n had always wanted to learn Russian.

So, naturally, when she found out that their newest case involved two lovers who also happened to be Russian criminals trying to escape the United States government, she simply couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity to become more involved in the investigation.

It’s not that she’d never been on a stakeout for the Bureau before, in fact she’d probably been on so many at this point that she’d lost count. The only difference that this specific stakeout brought to her life was the fact that it was her first one to have ever been shared with Spencer Reid.

Her and the young doctor had lived in the same apartment building since her first day at the BAU, but their relationship pretty much began and ended at that. Of course they greeted each other whenever they passed in the halls of their building and ricocheted off of each other’s theories whenever necessary during their meetings in the round table room, but it would be a lie to label their relationship as anything other than casual acquaintances as well as amicable coworkers.

She had never been able to fully get a grasp on the elusive Dr. Reid. The fact that he was already such an integral member of the F.B.I. at the ripe age of 25 astounded and, well to be honest, perplexed her. Not that she doubted his abilities or intelligence in any way, quite the opposite really. She admired how utterly brilliant he proved to be day in and day out, even with the shy exterior he presented himself with to the world. Well, shy was definitely more of an understatement.

She had never met someone more socially awkward in her entire life, but with that being said, she couldn’t help but find it endearing and pretty dang adorable. Y/n constantly found herself enjoying his pathetic attempts at human interaction on a daily basis. From the nervous stutters to the out of this world hand gestures, there was much for her to dissect about the young doctor. And while she could openly admit that he was quite easy on the eyes, in a boyish-innocent kind of way, she had never really been able to see him in that sort of light.

If she thought his normal social interaction skills were entertaining to witness, his reactions to any of the conversations that took a more raunchy turn were to die for. The speed at which his features would ripen red like a tomato whenever anything of a sexual nature was brought up during cases was truly amazing, impressive even. However, unlike the rest of their team, she knew he wasn’t completely innocent. The walls in their apartment were as good as paper when it came to thickness, so it wasn’t that big surprise that the sounds created within them carried fairly well.

Or at least that was what she had discovered after the first night she heard him touching himself just through her bedroom wall.

Yes, it was less than ideal that their bedroom walls just happened to be adjacent to each other, but what could she do about it? It wasn’t as though she never sought out her own pleasure while alone in her apartment...although she would bet money that she was much better at withholding her noises. Instead, she learned to adapt to the sounds from next door and continue on with her life, having accepted that guys will in fact be dudes, no matter how innocent and meek they may appear.

When her boss had explained the nature of the assignment to them, there wasn’t anything of significance that had jumped out at her. It was all pretty standard instruction. They would wait, parked, in a government issued SUV overnight at a location close to the whereabouts of the criminals and simply translate their conversations using the mics that were planted prior. While Hotch knew that Y/n herself couldn’t understand Russian, it was common knowledge that the resident genius easily could transcribe the language.

And that was how she found herself cramped next to Spencer Reid in the stagnant vehicle, pen and paper in hand, patiently waiting for the translations to begin.

It was almost completely silent inside the car, apart from the quiet whirring of the heat coming through the vents, and she could basically feel the nerves coming off of the man next to her in waves. That’s why she was completely thrown off her game when his timid voice was the first to break through the silence that had encompassed the space they inhabited together.

“So um Y/n..h-how have you been recently?”

She did her best to hide the small smirk that started to form on her face from the stuttering mess that spilled out of his mouth. She definitely didn’t want to make him feel even worse about himself so she decided to humour his adorable attempt at conversation with her...well...sort of.

“Oh ya know Reid, just counting the days until I get some action. How about you?” If she thought he was sputtering nervously before, that was nothing compared to this treasure.

“Oh um well uh I-I mean...I don-I don’t...uh...w-what was the question a-again?”

This time she couldn’t stop the airy chuckle that escaped her lips as she leaned over and patted him gently on his thigh.

“Relax Reid, I’m just fucking around with you. Well for the most part...I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to some action, but that’s a whole can of worms I am not about to open during a stakeout”, Y/n laughed, not at all missing the steadily spreading blush that coated his sharp features.

“Yeah...no..yeah right of course...I t-totally knew you were just um fu-messing with me! Uh we should probably um r-review our assignment...you know just so we’re all s-set before we start.” How adorable.

“Aye-aye captain Reid. Ok so..”, she muttered while fiddling with the listening device to secure the right frequency. “...we just have to wait until they get back so we’re in range of their conversations. That’s when you’ll have your time to shine and prove yourself as the resident genius once again. And I’m sure that you’re aware that I don’t know a lick of the Russian language so I will be the best damn transcriber for you that the world has ever seen”, she finished with a smirk.

Even Reid chuckled a bit at her words, the ever-present blush slowly creeping back upon his face and neck.

“I’ll uh-I’ll hold you to that then.” Y/n had to admit she particularly liked to see the boy smiling, especially when it was the result of her own words. His innocence seemed to call out to her like a siren and she didn’t know how to feel about it.

“Oh-oh there they are! Ok get the pen and paper ready because as soon as they’re in range I’ll start translating.”

Getting themselves situated, they waited the few seconds it took for the couple to get close enough to the vicinity of the SUV for their conversations to begin to be broadcasted through their system.

“Как вы думаете, они идут по нашему следу?”

“Do you think they’re on our trail?”, Spencer easily understands, leaning slightly closer to her so his words were clearly heard.

“Ни за что. У этих глупых американцев нет шансов поймать нас.”

“No way. Those stupid Americans don’t stand a chance at catching us.”

At this point, the couple had already disappeared behind the door at the entrance of their current base, leaving only their words to give the closely listening agents much needed context clues.

“Я когда-нибудь говорил тебе, как сильно мне нравится твоя уверенность?”

“Have I ever told you how much I love your confidence?”

Even Spencer let himself smile at the chuckle that left Y/n’s lips. “Awww how cute...they’re flirting with each other over mass murder. I strive for that kind of intimacy.”

“Да у тебя есть. Но почему бы тебе не показать мне, насколько тебе это нравится.”

“Yes, you have. But why don’t you show me just how much you love it.”

Uh oh, Y/n thought to herself. Not a second after the untimely thought permeated her brain, the sounds of wet lips sloppily colliding against each other filled the otherwise silent vehicle. After the few seconds of shock wore off, their heads whipped to face each other, eyes wide and mouths wide open. “Huh...well this was certainly an unexpected turn.”

“I uh um-uh well w-what do we do now?”, Tomato Boy nervously sputtered out over the chorus of moans and groans that were currently bouncing off the SUV’s walls. As unexpected as the present situation was, she was absolutely eating up his reaction to the crude sounds.

“Well, Hotch did say he wanted us to take down every single word that was shared between them so...I guess we’re just gonna have to keep moving forward with the translations. You can do that, can’t you Reid?”, she explained, not even attempting to hide the growing smirk on her face.

“Yeah! Yes! Mhmm I can do that, I c-can definitely do t-that.”, he gushed, trying to subtly clear his throat to clear the steadily growing tension in his body.

“Good to hear, Doc.”, she cheekily replied just as the raunchy sounds echoing through the system transitioned to different methods of communication, more legible ones.

“Ты была для меня такой хорошей девочкой. Я думаю, ты заслуживаешь награды.”

Quickly clearing his throat once more, he jumped back into action, with what Y/n noticed was considerably less confidence than before. “You’ve b-been such a good g-girl for me. I think you deserve a r-reward.” Spencer’s voice had noticeably dropped to a whisper by the end of the sentence, forcing Y/n to lean closer to be able to hear his translations, only magnifying the already present tension in the air.

“Пожалуйста, папа, я сделаю что угодно.”

“P-please daddy.” His voice broke at the end igniting something deep inside Y/n’s being. “I’ll do anything.” In that moment she truly believed he would do anything, his own words or not, based on the obvious strain in his pants that her eyes glanced over, and also by the way his skin completely succumbed to goosebumps as her warm breath caressed the shell of his ear. She didn’t really know what the hell was happening, why her body was absolutely loving the way he gradually leaned into her’s, submitting all of his vulnerabilities into her hands.

“Тебе это нравится, не так ли, маленькая шлюшка. Как член папы глубоко внутри тебя?”

She watched the way he inhaled a deep breath and released a high-pitched sigh before continuing on, subtly pressing her legs together to control the excitement thrumming through her body at his pathetic tone and mannerisms.

“You like t-that don’t you, you little-uh-you little s-slut?” From their close proximity, she could clearly make out the speedy heartbeat clambering against his chest as he spoke. And if that was the case, he must’ve been able to feel hers as well. “Like daddy’s c-cock deep inside of y-you?” She could’ve sworn she saw his dick twitch slightly in his pants.

“Маленькая шлюшка уже придет за мной? Тогда умоляйте об этом. Бля, умоляю позволить тебе кончить.”

Y/n certainly did not miss the airy sigh that escaped his lips, watching as a bead of sweat dripped down his temple, confidently guessing it was not from the heat that had been coming through the vents.

“Is the little-little s-slut gonna come for me already? B-beg for it then. Fucking beg f-for me to let you c-come.” Spencer was speedily falling apart at the seams and she was loving it. More than loving it. She was craving it. Craving the little noises that he was trying to stop from escaping his lips. Craving the way he slightly bounced his leg in an attempt to control his arousal, which was futile because it had obviously already reached its full potential in the confines of his khaki slacks.

“Пожалуйста, папа. Пожалуйста, позволь мне прийти. Мне это надо. Пожалуйста.”

Without even hearing the words translated back to her, she could hear the utter desperation in the girl’s voice. She no longer needed to understand the Russian language to be able to finish the translation, and as she sat there with her thighs tightly pressed together, she knew exactly what it meant.

“Please!” The utter need that was present in the original audio was somehow mirrored perfectly by the young doctor’s breathy voice, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, a prominent vein popping through the skin of his smooth forehead. “Please, p-please, please let me come. I n-need it. Please!”

“Приди за мной, детка.”

Deciding that she could regret her actions in the morning, Y/n quickly grabbed his face before he could translate, angling his head so she could whisper directly into his ear at the same time he spoke the last line of the night.

“Come for me baby.”, they both spoke at the exact same time.

Pulling away as fast as possible, she watched his clamped eyes shoot open as the most obnoxiously loud moan she had ever heard escaped the poor kid, his whole body spasming as a result. And using the large stain on the crotch of his pants as a guide, she was pretty certain she knew what had happened.

For the next few minutes there was silence in the SUV, apart from Spencer’s heavy breathing as he came down of course, leading them to believe the couple had fallen asleep after their...activities. Of course she wanted nothing more than to tease the trembling mess next to her, but she could already tell he was mortified beyond belief because of what happened so she didn’t want to make it any worse for him than it already was.

After waiting a few extra minutes just to make sure that they had actually gone to sleep, the pair drove away from the stakeout location, Spencer not having said a word since his...big finish. As much as she loved watching him fall apart in front of her, she really didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable around her.

“Well that was certainly an unexpected turn of events for the night, huh?”, she said, lightly chuckling with the intent of lightening his mood. She was very glad to see it had the intended effect.

“Uh y-yeah...you could definitely say that again.”, he mumbled with the ghost of a smile on his plump lips, though she could still clearly make out the blush coating his features.

“So hey, I know that you usually take the metro, but I’d be more than happy to give you a ride home after we drop the SUV off at the office if you want.”, she warmly smiled in his direction without taking her eyes completely off the road.

“Oh um..yeah that would be perfect. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it Reid.”

~~~

The rest of the ride back to the office was pretty much spent in silence, but it was much more comfortable than it had been before, which was a huge relief. After dropping the keys to the SUV in the lock box inside, the two agents piled into Y/n’s car to go back home to their shared building. On their way back she considered just asking him if he wanted to ride with her everyday just to make his life a little easier in the long run.

Once they got to the parking lot and exited the vehicle, they began walking towards the entrance together, the awkward tension from before creeping back into the air around them. Soon enough, they found themselves standing in front of their respective doors, both unsure of how they were supposed to end the night’s interactions. After a few moments of painful silence and eye contact, Y/n was the first one to rip off the band-aid.

“So...I guess I’ll see you tomorrow Reid?” He seemed to be broken out of his trance by the sound of her voice, snapping back to attention.

“Huh? Oh yeah uh yes of course. S-see you tomorrow Y/n. Goodnight.” He scampered into his apartment before she could even get a chance to respond to his bidding.

“Goodnight.”, she whispered to no one other than herself as she unlocked her door and headed inside to shower quickly before diving into her soft sheets.

She was sitting up in her bed, book in hand, with only the small glow of her reading lamp illuminating her room when she heard it. Of course she knew immediately what they were, a talent that had developed and strengthened from living adjacent to a pretty much pubescent boy.

The tell-tale sound of moans and groans vibrating right through her wall.

She knew she probably shouldn’t be listening, something about a violation of privacy or whatever, but she just couldn’t help it. He sounded so desperate it was driving her insane. So much in fact that she was in the process of skimming her own hand downwards when she was interrupted by a certain something from the Doc’s room.

“Y/n! Oh god, please. Please.”

Oh. Oh.

Not even giving herself a second to consider her actions, she was up on her feet basically sprinting to his door, pajamas and all. Not even bothering with knocking, she noticed it was unlocked and let herself in, beelining for what she assumed was his bedroom by the increasing volume as she approached it. Standing in his doorframe, she was utterly mesmerized. There he was, sprawled across his sheets, completely bare with sweat coating his hair as he rapidly pumped his angry, red cock, her name tumbling from his lips like a chant.

“You’re so beautiful like this.” She smirked as she watched his head shoot up to where she was standing, his hand immediately stilling it’s rapid movements. Watching the panic spread on his face was intoxicating to her as she slowly approached his bed.

“Y/n! Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I uh-I didn’t um...” His words trailed off and his eyes widened as he watched her slowly begin removing her clothes as she moved closer to him.

“Shhhhhh.” She managed to remove both her shirt and pajama pants in the short trip over to his bed and she had no intention of stopping there. Now standing directly in front of him, she let her eyes wander over his still frame completely, soaking in the amazement in his dark eyes and the slight tremble that was periodically rippling through his body. Maintaining eye contact with him the whole time, she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, letting it pool on the floor next to her.

It was honestly shocking his eyes didn’t actually fall onto the floor with how far they bulged out of their sockets, a small moan leaving his mouth.

She giggled at his enthusiasm before bringing her soft hands up to caress his face gently, his body shuddering at the contact. “Do you want me to keep going baby boy?” Taking a second to process the question that had left her lips, he slowly nodded while looking her in the eyes, his own full of awe.

Happy with his answer, she reached for the edge of her panties before pushing them down to join the other pieces of clothing already inhabiting his floor. Spencer couldn’t speak. He could barely even breathe. Five minutes ago he had been jerking off to his neighbor, who also happened to be his coworker, and now said neighbor was crawling onto his bed, completely naked, with a wicked smirk on her face.

Straddling his lap, but making sure that there was no actual contact, she reached up to cup his face again, slowly rubbing circles into his defined cheekbone. “Is this ok baby boy? Is this what you want?”, she cooed.

Spencer looked like he honestly might cry from the pure compassion laced within her words, but still found a way to nervously nod his head in affirmation of her questions. With a warm smile on her face, she leaned forward and placed a feather-light kiss on his lower jaw before continuing up the side of his face, basking in the small whimpers that fell from his pretty lips. Finally reaching his ear, she let her warm breath tease him before proceeding.

“Do you want me to take control of you? Is that what you want sweet boy?” While the whine that immediately escaped him was answer enough, she pulled back searching for a more concrete answer to her question. “Hmmmm, you’d like that?”

“Yes.”, he whispered, nodding his head anxiously.

While he was answering she had leaned back towards his face, placing soft kisses all over. “As you wish baby boy.”, she whispered, changing course to attack his neck with her eager lips as soon the words left her mouth. Spencer gasped instantly and she couldn’t help but smirk against his pale flesh, increasing the pressure in which she was assaulting his neck.

Through the groans that spilled past his lips, she was able to make out his pathetic attempt at words, not slowing down her lips at all. “J-just make sure not to leave any m-marks. We’ll g-get in trouble at w-work.” Of course Spencer would be the only person on the planet to remember their office guidelines while getting his neck sucked like a vampire.

“No marks...that’ll be difficult. I want everyone to know just how thoroughly I fucked you.”

Feeling extremely satisfied by his enthusiastic response to her vulgar words, she slowly lowered herself down his body, pausing with her mouth right above his groin. Somehow the poor kid already looked completely fucked out and she hadn’t even done anything yet. Hearing him wince as she gently grasped and started stroking his cock, she knew this was gonna be fun.

Staring directly into her eyes, he watched the string of spit leave her mouth and drip directly onto his dick, eyes bulging at her bold actions, still in shock that any of this was actually happening.

Entranced by the way his chest expanded rapidly as he watched her curiously, she leaned forward and licked the tip, his head falling back onto the pillow behind him. “I’m gonna suck your cock...but only because I want to see if you can not be a spaz about getting head from me.” Her words made Spencer whimper and she smirked as she took him fully into her mouth, soaking in his pretty noises.

Y/n had only been going for a minute or two when she heard his groans get louder and felt him twitch in her mouth. Pulling off of him with a pop, she hummed at the sight of the completely wrecked boy in front of her, panting and shaking adorably. It wasn’t long before the perfect idea infiltrated her head, her body thrumming with anticipation and excitement.

“You’ve been such a good boy for me. I think you deserve a reward.”, she smirked, reciting the words that they had heard verbatim. Seemingly catching on to what she was pushing for, he responded accordingly.

“Please Y/n. I’ll do anything.”

She quirked her eyebrow in his direction questioningly, slowly grinding her dripping core against his achingly hard cock. “Anything, baby boy?”

Snapping his heated stare directly to her eyes, he cracked a beautiful smile. “Anything.”

She couldn’t control the grin that overtook her lips as she lowered herself down onto his erection, writhing in pleasure at the feel of him inside of her and the sound of his wanton moans. “Good boy.”

Wanting to give Spencer time to fully adjust and control himself, she started her movements out slow, lifting herself up until only his tip remained inside before dropping down completely into his lap repeatedly. He was a moaning mess on the sheets below her, sweat coating his body along with goosebumps covering every visible expanse of his skin as he panted like a dog. He was so fucking pretty like this.

Deciding enough was enough, she picked up the pace considerably, bouncing like a mad woman on his dick, while her sharp nails scratched down his creamy, pale chest in front of her, leaving angry, red streaks in their wake. Spencer had devolved into a blubbering mess underneath her and that lit her soul on fire.

“You like that don’t you, you little slut? Like your cock deep inside of me? Huh?”

Y/n was pretty sure that he was short circuiting below her, his brain cutting off all control over his body as he spasmed uncontrollably and moaned for the entire fucking building to hear. Good, she thought. Let them hear how whipped he was for her. Even though it had only been a few minutes since she increased her speed, she could feel his cock starting to twitch violently inside of her and she knew he was close, really close.

“Is the little slut gonna come for me already?” All he could do was whimper in response, having to nod his head emphatically due to his loss of speech.

“Beg for it then. Fucking beg for me to let you come!” She was on fucking cloud nine right now, floating through the motions, as his whimpers increased in volume and speed. Mustering up all the strength he could, he spit out as many audible words as possible.

“Please! Please, please, please let me come! I need it! Please!” He was crying now, tears rapidly pouring from his eyes and spilling down his cheeks out of sheer desperation and need to release the tension built up within his body.

She was in awe of him. As she watched the tears pour down his face, she couldn’t help but whimper too. Desperately needing to finish, herself, she brought one hand down to make circles around her clit, while the other she brought up to wrap gently around his flushed throat, leaning over to whisper in his ear like she had earlier that night.

“Come for me, baby.”

She once again pulled back to witness his reactions to her hushed words, the outcome only more amazing than before. She watched as his eyes rolled back as far they could possibly go into his head as his mouth dropped open in pure ecstasy, high-pitched whines escaping his lips, his release shooting up into her like it had always belonged there. Maybe it had.

Watching him come undone below her, combined with her hand speedily rubbing circles on her clit, she was catapulted into the most amazing climax of her entire life, her body buzzing with excitement as she tightened around him and collapsed on his chest, weak as could be after that activity.

The pair laid silently, apart from the heaving breaths whirring through the room, still in shock over what had just transpired minutes before. Slowly shifting her eyes to the shivering boy below her, she saw he was caught in a trance, his eyes dazed, a soft grin on his lips.

Breaking him from his stupor, she gently cupped his cheek with one hand as the other drew lazy circles on his blotchy chest. Rubbing the skin on his face lightly, she leaned forward and kissed his nose, making him scrunch it up and giggle as a result. “Such a sweet boy for me. Such a sweet, sweet boy.” Her words made him melt inside and words tumbled out of his own mouth before he could even think about stopping them.

“Вы красивы внутри и снаружи.”

She looked up at him in shock, before breaking out in giggles. “Did you just serenade me in Russian? How romantic.”, she giggled, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

He couldn’t seem to control his giggles either, a fact that warmed her heart. “Yes, I suppose I did.”

Smiling up at the adorable boy she just had to ask. “What does it mean?”

Y/n watched as his signature blush quickly coated his features once again as he looked down at her with a shy smile. “You are beautiful, inside and out.”

With the warmest grin she could muster, she leaned up and kissed his jaw once more before snuggling up against the young doctor who had melted her heart.

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