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whatsk-poppinhomies · 10 months

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Pairing : (College AU)non!idol!Kim Seungmin x F!Reader TW : established relationship ; bullying ; depression ; attempted su*c*de ; major angst ; is it considered fluffy at the end or more yandere the way that Seungmin acts at the end??? ; let me know!!! Word Count : 4.6k Request : Anon : depressed reader gets actively bullied and bruised which leads to a suicide attempt. seungmin never thought it was that serious once she brought it up to him. but after her failed attempt he is now extra careful with her and maybe a bit mad at himself for not taking it seriously. A/N : PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE CLICKING READ MORE!! To the anon that requested this, I hope you're still here and you remember sending this in! I'm finally posting it!! I hope you enjoy it! The gif came from this blog!!

It rained again today… It seemed like everyone on campus knew that the storm was coming, everyone but you. Umbrellas were pushed open all around you as you quickly put your hood up, the downpour was torrential and you were soaked within the first minute of your walk back to your dorms. It didn’t help that people seemed to be purposely angling their umbrellas so that whenever you walked by, the rain from the top would pour onto your head.

You’re overthinking it… There’s no reason anyone would purposely do something like that to you. You don’t deserve that. Is what everyone else would say, even your boyfriend… And you would have believed them if not for the insults that were constantly hurled in your direction and the scrapes and bruises that littered your knees and elbows from being pushed around and laughed at when you fell to the ground. You didn’t believe them… And they didn’t believe you.

By the time you got to your building you were dripping wet, but the attacks wouldn’t stop until you were behind closed doors, in the safety of your room, at least for the next couple hours until the next day started and you got to go through it all over again. That was your life, a constant repeat of the day before, and you weren’t sure how much more of it you could take.

As soon as you walked through the front door of your building you heard it, the laughter of the girls who seemed to make it their job to make sure your life was hell. You weren’t sure what you had done to make them hate you so much, you had never even talked to them, but they still decided to target you.

“God, look at the shit they let live in the building with us.” One of them said, although you sure it was the main girl talking. Every clique had a leader, and it was obvious that she was the leader of the group. Everyone else just decided to follow along, and maybe it was because they were scared of being on the receiving end of the girls shit. You were done being scared though, you had simply become numb to it. “What should we do? She looks like a fucking sewer rat, dripping shit all over the entrance. Disgusting.”

You couldn’t walk fast enough, and even if you tried to, you were sure that she’d catch up. She was following right behind you, and before you could even get your foot on the first step, you were being pushed, your knee cracking loudly as it hit the edge of the stair. You didn’t make a sound, you didn’t wince, you didn’t cry, you just got back up, trying your best to focus on anything but the pain that shot through your leg as you continued walking up the stairs.

“Now she’s an injured rat, maybe she should just put herself out of her misery. It’s not like anyone wants her here anyway.” They all laughed, like your pain and your suffering was entertainment for all of them. Maybe they were just bored… It’s not like you could do anything about it. If you said anything, it would only make things worse and no one would ever believe you… You were nobody… There wasn’t a single person who would notice if you were gone.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning if you want to go out and get breakfast together before class.” Seungmins voice came through the speaker of your phone as it sat on the bed. You hummed softly, not in agreement, not in disagreement either though. It was a sound only to let him know that you were there, that you were still listening. “Did you bring your umbrella with you today? It was raining really bad.”

You hummed again, once again becoming aware of just how wet you were, your clothes soaking through to the mattress that you were sitting on. “Yeah… I’m gonna take a shower and then a nap… I’ve got a lot of studying to do… Want to be well rested.” You muttered, your voice almost robotic, but he didn’t pick up on it, or maybe he did and he just decided to ignore it.

“Alright. Don’t study too hard. I’ll see you in the morning, I’ll pick you up.” His voice was as cheerful as usual, not a care in the world… and why would he have one? He didn’t go through what you did. He didn’t know what it was like, and he refused to believe that it happened to you… In his eyes, everything was perfect. Nothing was ever wrong because it didn’t hurt him… not personally at least.

That’s how it always was… He either didn’t want to believe that such horrible people existed, or he just blew it off, assuming that you were making it seem worse than it actually was. That’s why you didn’t even tell him anymore. You were tired of wasting your breath, trying to call out for help, trying to get him to listen to you and be there for you. It was all pointless. Nothing would ever change… Not for you, not unless you did something… You were the only person who could help yourself.

Your roommate wasn’t back yet, she was always out late studying. It was the perfect opportunity, the perfect time. No one would ever know, and by the time they did, it would be too late. You weren’t going to continue being tortured, you shouldn’t have to continue suffering just to make other people's lives easier, to give them their daily dose of entertainment. You shouldn’t have to go through hell just so someone’s perfect view of the world wasn’t soiled.

Your phone was left on the bed as you went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind you and taking a deep breath. It would be over soon, it would all be over soon. It’s not like anyone wants you here anyway… Those words repeated over and over in your mind as you dug through the cabinet under the sink, pulling out the razors that you had bought a couple months before. They were purchased right before your talk with Seungmin. You had wanted so badly for him to listen to you, to tell you that everything would be okay, that he’d help you… You were wrong in wanting those things, you hadn’t gotten any of them. You weren’t sure why you had even held out this long after the talk, it’s not like anything was getting better, and you knew then that nothing would ever be better.

The hoodie that you had been wearing was pulled off, dropping to the ground with a heavy thud, the soaking fabric creating a puddle where it landed. The shower was turned on, the spicket turned all the way to hot. If this would be your final moment, you at least wanted to be comfortable for as long as it lasted.

Hesitating was something you did often. You hesitated when having to pick a multiple choice answer on a test. You had hesitated a little too long when you were called to the front of the class to answer a question on the board. You even hesitated when Seungmin had asked you to be his girlfriend. Hesitation was just… your thing. Not now though, you didn’t hesitate at all as you climbed into the tub, lowering yourself down into the tub. There was no reason to take pause, your decision would affect no one, no one but yourself, and the only effect it would have on you was positive. You would finally be free, and you saw nothing wrong in wanting that.

It was much easier to sleep, to let yourself drift off knowing that you’d have no worries left, knowing that once your eyes were shut, they would be shut for good. You let your wrists fall into the water that filled up around you, focusing only on the sound of the shower, the way it felt like rain as it poured down around you. You’d be okay soon, and while you didn’t know where you’d go or what would happen next… At least you wouldn’t be in hell, at least not this one.

“I really have to go to the bathroom, stupid rain. Just wait here, I’ll be out soon.” Your roommate said as she burst through the door, the rest of her study group drenched as they filed in behind her. She knocked once on the door to the bathroom, then once more, rocking back and forth impatiently as she waited for you to give her the okay to come in. “Fuck it!” She called out as she pushed open the door, coming to a full stop when she saw you, the bath water a dark red as it inched closer and closer to spilling over the sides. “Help! Come help me! Oh my god! Call an ambulance! Fuck! What the fuck!?” She shouted, running over to the tub and grabbing your arms, holding them above your head to try to stop the bleeding.

The rest of them rushed in, some of them screamed when they saw you, your color almost completely drained. Others were pulling out their phones, trying to make the same call at the same time. The ones who screamed were ordered to come over and help, their hands shaking as they tried to help your roommate pull you out of the tub. The others who were on the phone were all trying to tell your roommate and the few others what to do to try to help, at least until the paramedics arrived.

It was strange how even with all the commotion, your mind was happy. You could hear all of it, but you refused to focus on it, scared that if you did it would bring you back to the hell that you called life, the hell that you were trying to escape. “Why would she do that? Why? Are her grades bad? She could have come to study group with us!” Someone had shouted, and if you weren’t feeling so tired, you might have actually laughed. Your grades were the least of your problems, they weren’t even on your list of problems. Of course, your roommate had never believed you either, so she had probably never brought it up to the rest of her group.

“Check… Check to see if her heart is still beating!” One of the guys shakily ordered, and your roommate pressed her fingers against your neck, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to focus on the feeling of the faint beat that came a little too slow. Time was running out, and you felt it too, it was a good feeling, to know that soon you’d gone. There would be no more suffering, no more nights spent lying in your bed crying as you wished that someone, anyone, would understand you, that they’d just listen.

Sirens sang outside the building and you wished that you had done it earlier, that you hadn’t even answered the call from Seungmin. Maybe if you had cut a little deeper… maybe you had been hesitating, a little bit of hope left that maybe now someone would help. Did you really want to die or did you just want things to get better? Would things even get better? At least you were feeling tired, no matter what happened now, you’d be so out of it you wouldn’t remember. Maybe you wouldn’t wake up, maybe it would still work. Maybe…

“Dude, have you seen on twitter?” Jisung asked, leaning back in his chair as he scrolled through his phone. Seungmin was sitting across from him, more focused on his meal. “There was a freaking suicide attempt back on campus… there’s literally live updates right now.” Seungmin rolled his eyes, not nearly as impressed as Jisung for some reason was. “That looks a lot like Y/Ns building! You should call her! See if she knows what’s going on!”

The last thing Seungmin wanted to do was bother you when you had told him you were studying, but by the way Jisung was looking at him, Seungmin knew he wouldn’t let up. “Fine… But I’m not gonna force her to look at that. She can’t handle that kind of stuff.” He mumbled, pulling his phone out of his pocket. It’s not just that you couldn’t handle it, you absolutely hated stuff like that. You couldn’t even watch horror movies without hiding in Seungmins shoulder for the better half of the movie.

Jisung watched as Seungmin dialed your number, his knee bouncing so much under the table that Seungmin could feel it in the floor. “S-Seungmin!” A male voice came over the phone, it wasn’t you at all, and the man sounded breathless and his voice was shaky. Now, Seungmin wasn’t the type of person to jump to conclusions, but he couldn’t help but get a little worked up when he heard anyone but you on the other end of the line.

“Who are you? Where’s Y/N?” Seungmin hissed through the phone, his fist already balled up on the table as he awaited an explanation. Knowing you it would probably be a good one, one that would have Seungmin feeling foolish while laughing about it later with you. You probably just left your phone at the cafe that you always went to… But that wouldn’t explain the urgency in the person's voice… This was someone who knew something or had done something and it wasn’t good. “Where is she?” Seungmin asked again, and he could feel Jisungs eyes on him, eating up the drama without a word, enjoying it far too much since he wasn’t the one personally involved in it.

“Hospital… Ambulance… Lia found her… Come fast…” The man said, and then the line went silent, leaving Seungmin to put the pieces together. He reached across the table to grab Jisungs phone, still open to the twitter feed about the attempted suicide, and as he scrolled through the pictures it became quite clear to him. Your room, with the yellow tape making a big X across the door, your bed that was still made just as it had been this morning. Your bag sat on the floor next to your nightstand where you always left it… And on the nightstand table was a picture of you and him together.

“H-Hey! Where are you going?!” Jisung shouted as Seungmin pushed away from the table, his chair falling back and crashing against the floor as he ran to the front door and pulled on his shoes. The trip that he and the guys in his club had gone on had him miles away from you, of course that’s how it would work out, why wouldn’t it be like that? He needed to be with you the most right now and it would take him hours just to get there. “What is going on?! Come on, dude! Tell me!”

“It was her!” Seungmin shouted to Jisung, although nothing would stop him from moving forward right now. He was on a steady track and it led only to you. He wasn’t crying, not yet, for now he kept the tears at bay with nothing but anger. Anger towards himself for not being there to stop it, anger with you for doing something so stupid. Did you even know what that would have done to him? He loves you, and you were going to just take yourself away from him like that without a word? Why didn’t you talk to him? Why didn’t you tell him? What was going on that would make you think to do something like that? He didn’t get it, and that was only pissing him off more. Right now he just needed to get to you, make sure that you’d be okay.

~~~

“She lost a lot of blood, so we had to do a transfusion. She’ll be okay, we just need to keep watch over her, make sure everything stays good.”

“Can I see her? Why aren’t you letting me in her room? What’s going on? Let me see her!”

“They would like to talk to you first… Before you see her…”

He sat in the lounge room, his hands folded on the table as he looked at the officer across from him. He didn’t know what it was about, but he tried his best to keep calm even though all he wanted to do was get to your room and sit beside you. “Kim Seungmin… You were her boyfriend, right?” The officer questioned and Seungmin narrowed his eyes as it set in that he was about to be interrogated for this shit.

“I am her boyfriend… Present tense…” He responded, quite snarkily, but this felt like a complete waste of time to him. “Is there a reason why you’re doing this? Do you guys think someone else did this to her and set it up?”

The cop shook his head, leaning back in his chair as he looked over Seungmin. “Where were you tonight? How did you know to come here? Seems like you came pretty fast too… Like you knew this was going to happen…”

Seungmins eyes went wide and his jaw was slack as he stared at the officer. How could someone even insinuate that this was somehow his fault? “I was three hours away with my club. I’ve been out for almost a week going to different high schools trying to get people to apply to the university. I called her because my friend saw a bunch of posts on twitter about something happening… I didn’t know it was her until some random guy answered and told me.” He ran his hand through his hair, his teeth gritted as he closed his eyes, his composure slowly wearing thin. “I came fast because she’s my girlfriend… I’d like to think that anyone else would do the same thing. I broke a lot of traffic laws to get here as fast as I did.”

“Do you two ever fight? Does it ever get physically violent?” The officer rapidly tapped his pen against his notebook, the sound going straight to Seungmins head, driving him absolutely crazy. The assumptions were absolutely preposterous, only fueling his anger towards the entire situation.

“Look man, I don’t know what kind of information you’re fishing for, but I didn’t do anything. I’ve never laid my hands on her. I love her… And I really want to be with her right now. Can we be done with this?”

“So you love your girlfriend so much, you never laid a hand on her… Yet she’s covered in bruises? If we didn’t know any better, it looks as though someone might have mistook her for a punching bag.” Seungmins stomach dropped as he listened to the officer, and while he knew that he himself hadn’t been the one to cause those marks on you, a certain rage built inside of him as he tried to think about who would hurt you like that. “Do you know of any accidents she might have been in to cause her kneecap to be entirely shattered? Do you know anything at all?”

His head shook as his tears finally began to fall. You had never told him anything… What had happened to you while he was away? “I… I don’t know… I’d just really like to see her… Please…” His head dropped into his hands as he sobbed quietly, his body shaking with ragged breaths.

Seungmin was no help to the investigation, and the officer quickly realized that, helping him out of his chair and then leading him out of the room, motioning towards the closed door that would soon open and reveal you to him. Were you awake yet? He had so many questions that he wanted to ask you, but the biggest question of all was why… Why would you do something like that? If you answered that one question, he’d have the answer to a lot of his other questions too.

The nurse let him into the room, and seeing you, it had his heart breaking. You looked so weak, so fragile, your arms were completely wrapped up in gauze, your leg had been casted and hooked to a strap in the ceiling to keep it elevated. “Are you sleeping?” Seungmin whispered as he got closer to your bed, his fingers lightly brushing against yours as he stood beside you. The IV for the blood that was being pumped into you had to be inserted in one of the veins in your neck, the sight of it causing a cold chill to run up his spine. “I’m here now…”

“Do you… believe me… now?” Your voice was so quiet, and your eyes were still shut, if there had been other people in the room he would have sworn it was someone else talking, but you were the only one there, and now he was trying to think of what you could possibly mean. “Was this… enough?”

His hands held onto yours a little tighter as the reels in his mind turned, trying to understand what you were talking about, but nothing was coming up. “What are you talking about? I always believe you… What happened? Tell me, please… I want to help you… I don’t want this to happen again… Talk to me…”

Your fingers twitched against his own, yet your eyes seemed to be glued shut, and even as he was watching your face, it didn’t even look like your mouth was moving even though words were coming out. “People are bad… Seungmin…” People are bad…. What does that even mean? What do you mean? Your answers were only creating more questions for him.

“Visiting hours are over now, sir.” The nurse said from the door. He hadn’t been given enough time though, he needed to know, he needed to know what you were talking about. His head shook rapidly as he kept watching over you. He didn’t want to leave you, even if you didn’t answer any more of his questions, he wanted to stay beside you. “She needs to rest, sir… You can come back in the morning to see her. Okay?”

It’s not like he had a choice, and he didn’t want to have to be escorted out by the officer who interrogated him, so he pressed a quick kiss to your forehead before walking backwards to the door. “I’ll be back tomorrow as early as I can… I promise. I’ll be back.”

People are bad… He mulled over the words in his head as he walked through the parking lot and climbed into his car. What the hell did it mean? He couldn’t ask you now… And the only place he could go for any sort of answer was your dorm. Was it still taped off? It’s not like it was a crime scene… It should be open.

The building wasn’t too far from the hospital, he was there within ten minutes, and when he pulled up he could see a group of people sitting on the bench outside smoking a cigarette. You always told him how you hated that, having to walk through the cloud of smoke just to get to the front doors, and it seemed like they would purposely blow it in your direction… People are bad… He’d always tell you that it was just the wind blowing it towards you, that people wouldn’t purposely do something like that.

“I can’t believe she actually did that. What a fucking drama queen.” “She didn’t even write a note. It’s like she was looking for attention.” “How embarrassing for her boyfriend. He’ll probably dump her. Nobody wants to date the campus suicide risk.” “Oh please, it was embarrassing for him to date her in general. I’m sure he only did it out of pity.” “Whatever, the bitch should have cut deeper.”

How could they talk so harshly about you? Were these the ones… the ones that you had told him about before? “Do you believe me now?” He hadn’t believed you then… If he had, would you have done this? He could have stopped them… He would have stopped them. They were still talking, loud enough for everyone to hear… And no one cared. No one cared enough to tell them to shut up, no one… You could be dead… And they talked about you like you were shit.

“Hey, at least we’ll have a couple days out of class… You know… For like… Guidance or whatever.” “Oh yeah… We’re super torn up about it…” “If she would have done it right we’d probably have a week or two. Ugh… I swear, she’s fucking useless.”

Red. All he saw was red as he got out of his car, slamming the door shut and going straight over to where they sat. “Shut up!” He shouted, and for a second, he thought they would keep quiet, but as soon as the initial shock wore off, they were all laughing. Their heads were thrown back as the boisterous laughter bounced off the walls of the building and rang in his ears. “I said shut up!” He screamed, and before he even realized what he was doing, his fist was cocked back and being thrown straight at the face of the girl who sat in front.

Now, Seungmin wasn’t a violent person, not usually, but you were his girlfriend, he almost lost you, and while some might say that a college relationship means nothing, his relationship with you meant everything to him. “Hey man! What the fuck!?” One of the other girls shouted, her hand quickly moving to the main girl's face to catch the blood that trickled down her nose. “You can’t just fucking hit people like that! You’re a psycho!”

Now it was his turn to laugh, his fists still balled up at his sides as he glared at every single person in front of him. “Really? I can’t just hit people like that but you can?!” The girl who had been hit scoffed loudly, her head rolling forward causing the blood to drip down her mouth and hang at her chin.

“Don’t worry, he’s just the bitches boyfriend. She’s too much of a loser to fight back herself, I guess she got her boyfriend to do it for her. Or maybe she’s just not alive to do it.” She stood up from the bench, a cocky smirk on her face as she looked at him. “I guess she’s getting all the attention she wanted now. I did your bitch a favor. You’re welcome.”

He completely lost it, he snapped, his hand flying back just to shoot forward, the smack that landed across the girl's face sounding much louder in the silence that surrounded them. “I find out any of you even so much as look at her… I’ll slit all your fucking wrists and break both your fucking knee caps. I’ll make you suffer, I’ll make you wish you were dead. I can and I will ruin you… Remember that.”

He wasn’t this kind of person… Not before he had met you, but seeing you in the hospital bed, knowing that he had almost lost you forever, it had sparked something inside of him. He wants to protect you, he wants to keep you safe, and if that meant having to be like this… Then he’d do it without hesitation. People are bad… You weren’t wrong, people are awful… But he’d do everything and anything to keep those people away from you, to protect you from them. He’d stop at nothing to make sure that this never happens again.

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kermyywhat · 7 months

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For those interested in AU with Siren Wilbur and Captain Quackity from the lower post

this AU has quite a rich lore and plot, it is mainly based on psychology and is quite difficult to understand, there are a lot of characters and they all went through a lot of suffering. If I talk about EVERYONE then it would take a VERY long time, but I can talk about the main characters: Techno, Tommy, Wilbur, Sally, Puffy, Quackity.

Everything begins with the kingdom of mermaids and sirens in the Black Sea.

A quick explanation about mermaids and sirens.

Mermaids have the tails of river and lake fish, such as salmon, herring, etc. That is, almost everyone, except predators.

Of course, there are always some cases-exceptions, so sometimes there are mermaids with the tails of predators. Also with sirens, sometimes you can meet a siren with a tail, for example, a goldfish (like Tommy).

Mermaids themselves are smaller than sirens, also dangerous, but mostly weaker.

Sirens are always predators, such as sharks, killer whales, piranhas, etc. (Although piranhas live in fresh water, they still belong to sirens that live in the sea). Sirens can use their voice in hypnosis, have very sharp claws and teeth, they are the strongest creatures in the black sea, so there is racism in the kingdom, where sirens humiliate mermaids.

An interesting point: pairs of sirens and mermaids.

Both sirens and mermaids are very jealous and loyal. They can only have one partner for life (or polyamory - 2 partners for life). That is, when a pair of sirens/mermaids dies, the other dies as well. The only way for one of the partners to survive is to have a child.

I can tell more about lore in other answers and posts, because there is a lot, a lot of information (after all, AU is exists more than a year, I came up with a lot lol)

Now plot & lore.

Technoblade is the eldest son, he is a siren with a white shark tail, and despite the fact that he is older and should be the heir to the crown, he joined the ranks of the knights of the kingdom.

Wilbur is the middle son, has a killer whale tail, he became the heir to the crown, so he has a lot of responsibility and interest in his every action. By himself, Wilbur is quite calm and wise, tries to be fair, but sometimes he breaks down and runs wild.

Tommy, the youngest and last son, he is pretty childish and in refers to things from a positive point of view. Wilbur doesn't always share this, and is more inclined to listen to the advice of Techno and their father Phil.

Tommy and Wilbur are often called the sun and the moon in the kingdom.

Sally is a river mermaid with a salmon tail. She, like other mermaids, unfortunately succumbed to humiliation from sirens and even other "privileged" mermaids. In the course of the story, she became Wilbur's girlfriend, which was greatly disliked by the other mermaids and sirens of the kingdom and eventually killed Sally, but Wilbur was able to survive because he had a child, Fundy/Tallulah, by Sally at the time. (I used to think that they would have a son Fundy, but now I think it would be better if it were Tallulah, because then Fundy would be a human child, and Tallulah would be a siren). But even though Wilbur managed to survive, he began to slowly lose his mind and go wild, due to which Phil had to put Wilbur in the kingdom's prison for a while.

Puffy. She plays quite a role in this story because she is a loyal knight of the kingdom and the best friend of the king and his sons. She is quite wise and compassionate, Puffy plays the role of a psychologist in this story. She is a siren, but I haven't decided what kind of fish her tail will be XD

captain Quackity. A cruel and influential man, he has been hunting sirens and mermaids for a long time. He is not a pirate, he is a hunter.

Pirates and hunters are a little different: pirates do not affect the inhabitants of the seas, they attack other ships, and hunters attack both the inhabitants of the seas and other ships.

after capturing Wilbur, the captain will treat him more gently than the other sirens and mermaids, because this is the first time a blue-blooded person has been on his ship. Despite this, he will still be quite cold towards Wilbur, and will try all kinds of methods to find out as much secret information as possible.

By the way, at the moment when Wilbur is on the hunter ship, Stockholm syndrome will happen and Wilbur will start to think that he loves the captain :(

so now there will be a spoiler for the ending:

The ship will be caught in a severe storm, sirens will attack their ship, killing many of the crew and tearing the ship apart. Quackity will drown when he tries to save himself and others, he will be stuck in the closed cabin. Wilbur will look for the captain and then he will find him, but it will be too late.

Wilbur will drag Quackity's body to the shore, there will be a difficult scene with Wilbur tearing his own body to pieces in front of Tommy, who will be hiding behind a rock nearby.

Tommy becomes the new heir to the throne.

The kingdom despises Tommy and Phil for his choice. The kingdom is in chaos, Tommy will have to make up for all his wrongdoings and prove that he is a good king.

Here's the story in a VERY short summary. I wanted to do it in the form of a fanfic, but I understand that I will not be able to, because it's too difficult mentally, I still need to study psychology.

I hope you like the idea if you're still here XD

Also, English isn't my native language, I apologize for possible mistakes in the text.

I hope I haven't exceeded any word limits here...

here is another sketch and art of this AU, which I drew in 2022:

lol I noticed that Quackity is on the right side in each illustration.

TY FOR READING ALL THIS HAHA...

#tnt duo sirens au #tntduo #siren wilbur #siren au #Technoblade #tommyinnit #captain quackity #Tallulah as a siren daughter #royal SBI #Wilbur Tommy and Techno as brothers #sketch #digital sketch #didital art #tntduo fanart

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lookismaddict · 11 months

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Jake Kim x Fem! Reader Oneshot 🔞 || Birthday Gift 🎁

Dedicated to: @hanaa-ogk (Happy early birthday! ❤️)

NSFW: Sexual content including nudity, groping, grinding, penetration, praising, breeding kink, etc.

Scenario: Jake Kim invited you to come over to his place to celebrate your birthday. Little did you know, he actually had something BIG planned for you…

It’s that time of the year again, and it always seems to get old. The more you age, the lesser you tend to get excited for your birthday, acting like it’s no big deal.

However, your perspective changed from just one text message.

Your family held a small birthday party for you, which began in the morning and lasted all the way to the evening. Eating your favorite foods, to blowing out the usual birthday cake, to taking pictures and posting them on Facebook became the yearly norm for you. At least now, everyone is either knocked out on the couch or had gone off to work for the night, leaving you to be the only one who’s still awake in the house.

You were about to head into your room to sleep early for today, until you suddenly heard a notification ping from your phone. Reaching into your pocket for your phone to see what the notification was about, you turned it on to see that it was from none other than your beloved boyfriend, Jake Kim. Involuntarily, your heart began to beat rapidly from the sight of his name on your phone screen.

You scurried over to your room in a rush, then immediately shut the door behind you. Crashing onto your bed with your back landing on your soft mattress, you read his text message with your heart still anxiously pattering away.

“Happy birthday to the prettiest girl in the whole wide world!! 🥳❤️ I hope you had a fun time today with your family. It would’ve been better if I had joined, but you refused to even let me go. 😔”

Giggling at his text message, your fingers quickly tapped away breezily.

“Thank you, my love. 😘 As much as I really missed you today, I didn’t want you to go through all of the embarrassing questions that my parents would have asked you, and force you to have to take pictures with us. I think you’ve already suffered enough. 😅”

“It’s fine! I’m a big boy, I can handle whatever question they throw at me. 😤💪🏽”

“I don’t know, that doesn’t sound so reassuring to me. You would’ve regretted coming over if you did went… 😬”

“Hahahaha!! Since you said that you missed me today, then… How about you come over to my place?”

Raising an eyebrow at his sudden invitation, you questioned him curiously.

“Like… right now? 😳”

“Yeah, right now. I actually have a present waiting for you. If you want to come and pick it up, then you’re going to have to come over and get it yourself. 😎”

You thought about it for a minute until you’ve reached your conclusion.

“Ok, fine. I’ll come over to get it. Geez, you’re lucky that I love you so much. I’m even sacrificing the amount of sleep that I could’ve had right now! 😫”

“Oh, don’t worry love. You’ll get as much sleep as you want eventually. 😏”

Reading that last message caused you to furrow your eyebrows in pure confusion.

“What? Wdym by that? 🤨”

“I’ll leave the door unlocked for you, so just go straight to my room when you get here. I’ll be waiting~”

That was odd. You noticed how he completely ignored that last message that you sent him, but you decided to let it go. After all, you haven’t seen Jake for quite a while now. The thought of coming over to his place made your stomach churn in excitement. You decided to change into your best clothes because of your birthday, but that really wasn’t the main reason why. Wearing a red velvet thigh-lengthed satin dress and black strapped leather heels, you wanted to look pretty in front of your boyfriend and you wanted to impress him.

Before leaving, you left a note on the dinner table saying that you’ll be at Jake’s house for the remainder of the evening. You even took a few slices of your red velvet birthday cake with you, since you knew how much he loved red velvet cake too. That was one of the things that you both have in common. Your love for red velvet cake.

Luckily, Jake’s home wasn’t that far from yours since it was only a ten-minute walk from your house. The two of you lived nearby, so it was common for him to visit you often. Recently though, he’s been busy with his crew, Big Deal, so he couldn’t come over as frequently as he used to. Times were much simpler back then, but you understand the circumstances that he’s been in. Overall, you’re just thankful that you still get to see him and that he still manages to get home in one piece.

Finally, you’ve arrived in front of his doorstep. Like he mentioned in his text, you let yourself in without having to knock on his front door. When you entered his home, you didn’t forget to close and lock the door behind you. Calling out to him from the front door, you said aloud, “Jake, I’m here! I brought some birthday cake for you, so I’ll put it in the fridge first!” It was a while ago since you’ve been in his house again. Taking in the scent of his house, it really did smell like him. It felt nostalgic, walking around in his house again while remembering the little things that you’ve barely noticed within it. Like the pictures hanging on the walls and the furniture placed in certain parts of each room.

You went straight to the kitchen to put the plastic container of cake in his refrigerator. It was an easy task to do, which barely took any of your valuable time. Now heading back towards the front door, you began to creep up the stairs towards his room. With every creaking step, your heart started to pulsate loudly, booming audibly through your chest and in your ears. You didn’t know why, but the ringing in your ears invoked the rising tension of nervousness from within the pit of your stomach, feeling butterflies flutter. You felt your throat become parched, gulping dryly from the built up anticipation.

At last, you’ve reached the final step on top of the staircase. Navigating your way through the dark corridor, the clacking of your heels on the wooden floorboards only made your presence known from outside of his room. At the end of the hallway, you stopped right in front of Jake’s room. You were about to reach for the door knob to open it, but you hesitated. Hovering your hand over it, you closed your eyes then took a deep breath. What is there to be nervous about? It’s just Jake. Was it because you haven’t seen him in forever, that now, it felt awkward to suddenly show up in front of him? It was frustrating how your nerves currently dictated the way you acted.

No. You won’t let the awkwardness ruin your meeting with him. You’ve been looking forward to this day for so long, and now, you finally got what you wanted. You’ve been longing to see him, to touch him, and to hold him in your arms for as long as you can. You’re going to go in there, and show him how much you’ve missed him. Clearly, it’s now or never.

Mustering up the courage to enter his room, your hand instantly went for the door knob. As you twisted it, you barged into his room without any signs of hesitation anymore. While walking into his room happily, you enthusiastically pronounced, “Jake! I’m he- re…”

What in the…?

All of a sudden, your eyes widened and your jaw dropped in shock. Behind you, a small gust of wind from the door shutting sent a slight shiver down your spine, which didn’t help your current case at all. What was it, that really caused you to become immobilized in such a paralyzed state? Right in front of you, was Jake Kim sitting on the side of his bed, smiling at you with such delight that it made your heart leap a few times. “Hey, (Y/N). You’re finally here!” However, your heart didn’t seem to relax, not one bit. Why? It’s because, your boyfriend… wasn’t wearing anything at all. He was completely naked.

It was hard for you to conjure up what to say, when it’s hard to focus only on his face and not his junk. Stammering, you asked, “W-where’s the p-present th-that you… m-mentioned…?” Jake grinned proudly from ear to ear saying, “Love, don’t you get it? I AM, your present.” Still trying to comprehend what he meant by that, you answered in a weak, “W-what…?” He chuckled before leaning a bit back, to reposition himself more comfortably on his bed. Placing his hand near one of his sides on the bed, his other hand motioned you to come closer to him. “Come here, my sweet Babygirl.”

Gulping, you slowly walked towards him cautiously. Jake tilted his head up towards you, gazing into your eyes, as he held both of your hands in his. “My favorite birthday girl looks so beautiful. You’re so breathtaking, wearing such a fancy dress with these heels on. My goddess is making me want to act up. But sadly, I can’t do that right now. It’s your special day of course, so that’s why I’m allowing you to do anything to my body. You can do whatever you want, it’s my treat.” With a teasing smirk, he gave you a flirtatious wink which made you blush heatedly.

You responded in disorganized babbles. “B-but… h-how c-can I… Um… W-where d-do I… e-even…” He laughed at how you were struggling to get the right words out of your mouth. “If you need help, then you don’t have to worry with that pretty little head of yours. Here, I’ll gladly guide you…” Your heart continued to thump wildly, as your breathing was starting to hitch in agitation.

He took one of your hands and brought it onto his lips, kissing the back of your hand affectionately while glancing straight into your eyes. His eye contact on you didn’t once relieve your agitation. Commenting in almost an inaudible whisper with his lips pressed onto your hand, he said while admiring it, “You have such a beautiful hand, (Y/N). With long dainty fingers like these, they make me want to do this to them…” Jake then brought your index finger onto his lips, kissing it until he began to suck on it seductively. The temperature on your face was rising while witnessing a rare event that’s unfolding in front of you.

It was rare to see Jake so provocative, as if some sort of sex demon had possessed him. Often times, you regarded him as an angel, almost too good for someone to be as perfect as a heavenly being. His heart was big enough to fit every person that he knew in it, to care for them. Gentle and kind. His mind was so sharp, that he can cut someone with his own righteousness. A selfless, justice-seeking hero. But most importantly, his personality was so precious to you, that Jake became the most favorable treasure that you've ever cherished in your heart. A man whose whole character was made out of the finest mineral of gold.

That may be what you've interpreted from him ever since you met Jake Kim. However, you can't seem to wrap your head around this rare side of him. Another personality of his, that was unfamiliar to you. So alluring, so tempting, and yet, so bold. His large brawny hand played with your fingers, while his mouth gave them each his sweet attention. Kissing them, licking them, and sucking on them made you even more tense than before. He groaned every time his lips made contact with one of your digits, coating each one with his saliva, claiming them as his own. Noticing that you've been standing in front of him for an awfully indefinite amount of time, he stopped and encouraged you to hither closer to him, making himself more accessible to you. "Come on baby, I know you're itching to use me. No need to be so scared…" The way his free hand slid up the side of your hip and snaked onto your ass from behind, sent a warm feeling of exhilaration throughout your body. Your heat quivered from his smooth touches, which brought about the crossing of your legs. He caught onto your resistance from him, scolding you in a chastising manner. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't hide it. I want your body to be honest with me. If you hide it, then how are you going to properly use your gift now?" Jake sets your hand down gently onto your side, then placed both of his hands onto your thick thighs. With a strong grip on both, he pulled your legs apart to force you to spread for him. You gasped at how assertive he was with you, not knowing how to even react to him for being so intimidating. Eyeing the speedy travels of his hands onto your hips, he clasped the side of your hips then pulled you onto his lap to sit on his own manhood. Startled, your hands immediately held onto his shoulders in search of support to balance yourself while your legs hung on both sides of his bent knees.

From underneath your dress, you could make out the sensation of his massive thickness pressed onto the thin cloth of your underwear, twitching from the contact of the outline of your puffy folds. And you thought Jake wouldn't notice the drenched patch on your underwear? He angled his head down to see you squirming, only from the slight friction of his hard length on your veiled private. The scent of your juices permeating through your wet panties onto his solid structure caused him to groan in arousal. With a playful reverberation on the back of his throat, he cooed, "Baby, I know you felt it too. Now, tell me. What do you want me to do? You know I won't do anything, unless you give me an order." From behind your frame, his hand dragged along your exposed back in a beguiling slither, taking a lock of your hair and twirling it around his finger in a frivolous form. You were at your wits' end, huffing in sexual frustration due to how Jake was luring you into his trap. Birthday present or not, it was just an excuse for you and him to sink into your deepest desires.

If he wants you to take initiative, then so be it. Shyly, you whispered, "P-please… t-touch me…" Jake raised an eyebrow, displaying a superficial expression of cluelessness. "Touch you? What do you mean?" Biting your bottom lip, you looked at him innocently with those crystal irises of yours. "T-touch m-me… here…" You lifted your dress from beneath you, to unveil the soaked spot of your white laced panties dribbling onto his phallus. Jake then grinned in perception, pretending that he finally grasped the concept of what you were advising him to do. "Ah, you meant down there…" He whistled, marveling at the sight of how your cunt's fluids were now accumulating a pool of your transparent sap onto his girth, down to the base of where his protuberant balls were. "Would you look at that? You're already wet, princess. You want me to touch you here…?" You observed as his hand drew closer to your aching core. His fingers brushed delicately against the soppy fabric of your warmth, eliciting a moan through your glossy lips.

Jake's smile was nothing more than a display of entertainment. He continued to rub on that irresistible spot where your clit was located at, irking you to clench onto his shoulders more steadily. Your dark eyelashes fluttered in elation, as you mewled out to him in hushed tones. "Hngh, Jake… Oh, Jake~" Casually, he removed his hand from your condensation. Your needy eyes bore into his own with a desperate plea asking, "Jake, please… Why…?" He merely replied, "My lovely girl, I'm only going to suggest what's best for you, but you're going to have to tell me yourself. I'm your slave for today, so you make the choices here. Do you want me to help remove these for you?" Both his index finger and thumb snatched onto the hem of your intricately white underwear. You nodded, but then Jake didn't budge. Sighing, he laughed at your adorable sheepishness. "You're supposed to communicate to me, love. Remember? I only follow orders."

Faltering, you instructed him by commanding, "P-please… Help m-me… R-remove my… P-panties for me…" With a proud grin, he replied with, "Of course, princess." His hands carefully strung them off you, through one leg at a time. He meticulously helped you out by directing you to rest your knees onto his bed for only a brief period. It didn't take long for him to slide each side off each leg, now exposing your slit for him to view. Your bloated creases are currently touching his veiny package, giving him a small taste of how wet your cunt is from its exterior. Jake can now visibly see your swollen red bud, inflamed in all of its nerves, aching to be touched once again. His eyes focused back onto yours, asking with a hint of hope to resuming his servicing, "Would you like for me to continue, birthday girl?" You responded in a timid, "Yes, please…", before he started working his fingers onto your clit again.

The sensation of his experienced digits was very pleasurable to you, earning moans of bliss while Jake gave you the best fingering that a girl could ever ask for. Your facial expression grew into twisted titillation, arms swarming around his neck and sighing into his ear sinfully crying out, "Ahhh… Jake, i-it… f-feels… mmph- good…" He turned his head to take a glimpse at how teary your eyes have turned, due to his fingers flicking your clit, applying pressure that collected an even louder moan out of you. "Does it feel good, my love? Am I satisfying you, how you wanted?" Unstable as your sanity was, you answered him back nodding, "Yes, i-it's… so g-good… Hah… P-please, m-more… I w-want it… Ahhh… i-inside…" Clinging onto him with your arms around his neck, you rocked your hips onto his hand, indicating that you needed more attention to your breathing core. The vibration of your vagina contracted repeatedly inside of you, as if begging for him to be the one to satiate you in that region.

He was a bit awestricken at how needy you've become, especially when it was only from his hand. Snickering, he said, "With pleasure, my love." His digits teased your entrance first, touching to feel how soaked your heat had become from the treatment he was giving you on your clit. Your whines was what sent Jake into slight sadism. How ironic, to witness a slave actually enjoying feeding into your sensual distress. "Jake, please…" Chuckling to himself at your despair, he confessed, "I'm sorry baby, I couldn't help myself. You're cute whenever you beg for me like that." Subsequently, Jake plunged a finger deep into you with one slick. He didn't have any trouble inserting it, since your body fluids acted as the lube he really needed. Over and over again, he prodded them in and out of you, fascinated by the erotic sounds he was making while stirring up your insides. You wriggled under his touch actively. Head pointed up towards the ceiling, eyes rolling back into your head, mouth drooling from the corners of your lips, and larynx emitting the most lewdest of noises, became the pinnacle vision that Jake had ever laid eyes on. This phenomena that he was witnessing sounded like music to his ears.

"Mmmnnn… Jake, r-right th-there…" Your broken voice lit something inside of Jake, that he hadn't felt in forever. How long has it been since he had touched you, and pleased you like this? He couldn't recall, but he was familiar with the incredible sounds that you were making. It was thrilling to say the least, but there was more to it that Jake could describe. Just seeing his girl go mad due to his own touches, really grew on him. Being that special someone to witness this obscene side of you was one of the unique aspects of your relationship that he had fallen to. This became his addiction. His guilty pleasure. His sinful calling. It was torture having to stay away from you for a while to take care of some crew related business. When times were rough, he wanted to hold you in his arms, and never let you go. But, oh, how he missed pleasuring you and making you go weak in the sheets…

Jabbing another finger into you, you wailed in euphoric discords. His fingers curled at that deep angle, that caused you to throw your head back in symphonic rapture. You were panting, tears trickling down the sides of your rosy cheeks from the heat and the carnality. The sound of your voice became hoarse, from all of the moaning you were broadcasting in his room, which ricochet off of the sturdy walls. These noises became one of the main sounds that hypnotized Jake to do more for you. Jake whispered into your ear, whetting you on with his sexy voice. "Do you hear it, (Y/N)? Do you hear how dirty these sounds are? Mmmm… you sound like you're having way too much fun with this. Did you miss it? Me, giving you my attention?" You were unable to respond to him, too engrossed in the intensity of the reverence that he's generously granting you. "My poor girl, you must be lonely. Not having to have your kind boyfriend to give you what you needed. That's alright, sweetheart. I'm here now to give you what you want…" When his fingers punctured your g-spot harder, the opening of your jaw slacked, vocalizing a louder response of contentment from you. Your elastic walls have been coiling around his fingers, leaving a cold shudder to bolt right through your entire body. His sweet-talking left a rich impression to your ears, that it so happened to turn you on even more. Chuckling in satisfaction, he implied, "There you go. There's the sound that I love to hear. Let it all out, (Y/N). You know how much I love hearing your gorgeous voice. God, you're still so tight. Let's loosen you up, okay? See, you're even sucking up my fingers down here…" Whimpering, you didn't know how much you could take it. You're so close to orgasming, that Jake was doing so well, working you up to your peak. In fragmented sobs, you moaned his name steamily. "Ja- ahhh… -aaake… Jaaa- uhn… -ake…" Keen to your dejected squeals, he pressed attentively, "What is it, baby? Tell me." With your body trembling, your eyes stared into his on impulse, warning him, "I-I… hah… I-I'm… c-close…" Jake responded heedlessly, "Oh, are you now? That's good. Go on then, love. Cum for me." The movement of his pointers got rougher by the minute. Your pussy began to resonate around him, clenching in and out around his feelers while your heart raced like it was going to burst. He sensed his fingers being swallowed up by your gash, soothing you through your overstimulation. "Ease into it… That's it, good girl~" Chanting in libidinous prayer, you begged in between sobs, "Jake… hic- P-please… don't… s-stop…" Leaning his face closer to the side of your face, he kissed one of your saturated cheeks, alleviating you of the knot that was building up in your stomach. "Don't worry my precious girl, I won't." Cascades of shimmering tears escaped from your long lashes then down your cheeks, where his lips were still pressed onto one of them. With one final cry, your body convulsed and climaxed onto his hand, showering your own discharge that has now gotten all over his lap, including his dick.

The lingering stimulation of your jubilation resulted you to produce bodily tremors. Panting while trying to catch your breath on how explosively gratifying his fingering game was, Jake rewarded you with a tender kiss on your forehead. "You did so well, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." Exhausted, your voice wavered saying, "Th-thank… you…" He rest his dry hand on the top of your head and patted your head gently with care, smiling dotingly at you. "You're very welcome, love. I love treating you, in any way possible. Even when we're both alone together, like how we are right now." He playfully winked at you, drawing his fluid-covered hand closer to his mouth, licking his own hand clean from your vaginal discharge. This naughtiness of his spurred you to blush before letting out a diverted giggle after he was done cleaning himself up. You kissed him back on his cheek, treasuring his sincerity towards you.

His fingers trailed down the sides of your hair, stroking a lock from your head, bringing it onto his lips to kiss it. “My beloved birthday girl, we have a long way to go. What else do you want me to do, besides me satisfying you with my fingers?” Without having to think about it, you answered straightaway with, “Help me strip.” Jake was somewhat surprised at your forwardness, that he had to laugh. “You now getting used to ordering me around, princess?” The red flush on your cheeks returned, as you shook your head in denial. “N-no, I was just-” Jake interrupted to console you. “Babe, I’m kidding. No need to stress, alright? It’s your special day, so I’m happy to serve you as best as I can. Here, let me help you with your dress.”

Jake gently stripped you by starting at the dress’s spaghetti straps. On the left, he grabbed onto it and nudged it off to the side. “Ok, can you slip out of it from here?” You nodded with an affirmative, “Yeah.”, pulling your own arm out to be set free from the strap’s restriction. He did the same for the opposite one, and right when both straps have been removed, he held your dress from the sides then gave you a request. “Can you hold your arms up, like you’re reaching for the stars?” As silly as his instruction may sound, you obeyed him, surveying how he pulled your dress off in one vertical sweep.

After doing so, your body became half naked, with your private out in the open and your chest still concealed underneath a pretty white strapless underwire bra. Jake’s eyes narrowed in desire at the visibility of how well the bra fit your breasts so perfectly. The only words that he could muster were, “My Angel…”, which sent your heart on a mile run and the rest of your body in a scorching frenzy, that you could’ve sworn that your entire face had turned into a delectable cherry. Jake is currently dealing with a self-restraint conflict in his head. The urge to snatch it off of you in one go tempted him greatly, but he knew he had to behave himself for tonight. Resisting the desire to rip the bra off of you, Jake confronted you by asking straightforwardly. “Will you let me remove it for you?” Nodding, you gave him permission to do so.

Automatically, he tossed your dress at the end of the bed while his hands seized the strap from behind you to unclip your bra. Fiddling with it impatiently, Jake cursed under his breath saying, “Why are these things so hard to put on and take off?” At least he was aware of one of the struggles that women have to go through. You laughed at him struggling to unclasp your bra from behind. Agreeing with him, you jostled, “That’s what ‘being a woman’ is all about, Jake.” Jake clicked his tongue in frustration, still trying to unlatch your bra from behind. “Now, I feel for all of you women. The struggle IS real. Why can’t society just… free the breasts instead?” You continued to laugh at his unintentional jokes, loving how he suddenly turned into an advocate for women because of your bra. An unexpected click was heard from behind you, as Jake cheered in victory. “Aha! I finally got it off!” When he got your bra off, he chucked it at the same spot where your dress was located at. Giggling in pride for your boyfriend’s achievement, you jested, “Good boy, Jakey! Do you want head pats?” You reached your hand over to the top of his head to pet his head, smoothing your fingers through his soft dark hair.

Jake leaned his head closer to you to give you access to his head, while he crooned in a receptive fashion. “That feels nice…“, he opined in glee. Smiling, you asked, “Really?” He nodded in response. “Yeah, it does. But…” He grabbed onto the hand that was petting him, by the wrist, then transferred it onto his drenched cock that was covered in your juices. Whispering into your ear, he uttered, “It would feel a lot better if this was inside you. Wouldn’t you agree?” Your face lit up in a glowing panic, unable to say a single word but a startled cheep. It was like you flipped his switch somehow, and you didn’t know how. It was WAY too sudden. The bashfulness on your face was an adorable state for him to witness, which influenced him to tease you further. Feeling his breath on your ear, he proceeded to whisper sweet nothings for you to get off on. “It’s yours, baby. Do anything you want to it, and to me. Tell me what you really want. Make me follow your orders, for tonight…” You felt both of his hefty arms fastened around your waist. With you still sitting on top of his lap, the built up arousal within you started to rise bit by bit. Your breathing became shakier than usual, as your flustered body felt the rush of heat coursing through your heaving lungs.

Whatever he was doing was working, and he knew that for a fact. He’s doing all this on purpose, making it unbearable for you to withstand his teasing and his seduction. When was he ever a sucker for words like that? All this sweet-talking was making you squirm and scoot yourself closer onto his wet balls, as if pleading him to help you relieve yourself from your sexual rut. The beating of your heat became torturous. It was magnifying to even be drawn to him in the first place, but the way he was provoking you indirectly without having to caress your sensitive spots or to graze even the slightest millimeter of your skin was harrowing. Easing into your breaking point further, Jake chuckled, asking with an impish smile on his mug. “Am I turning you on, princess? I can feel your kitty twitching on my crotch…” You were at your limit. Instinctively, you propped your arms over his shoulder, returning your arms around his neck where they rightfully belong. As you began to move your hips back and forth, you straddled his groin, showing him how much you needed him right now. “Jake, I need you…” The instance when you stared at him with your puppy-dog eyes, and the whining that can be heard from the back of your uvula, stirred up something inside of Jake that it affected how his cock acted. When he looked down at his crotch, he saw his own prick twinging on his stomach, standing up on end. His tip was swollen in a hint of red, aching for some attention. The veins on the sides of his prong were bulging, clearly from the blood flowing onto his scorching dick. The self restraint that he had to endure was painful to him, that he couldn’t do anything but to wait for your instructions on when or how he should act. The discipline that he had to go through was driving his mental state onto the edge.

Still trying to patiently restrain himself, he sneered in impatience still trying to maintain his character. Questioning in a stern tone, he asked, “Need me for what?” You furrowed your eyebrows in frustration too, but your profile was more expressive and obvious than his was. The both of you wanted each other badly, yet he couldn’t do anything about it. He had to rely on you to make the first move. At that moment, your words sprung out of your mouth like they were dying to be heard, since they were trapped in the back of your throat. There was no room for guilt, or shamefulness anymore. Your desire for him was enough for you to communicate to him about how much you needed his skin on yours. “I need you to make love to me, Jake. Please, I can’t wait anymore! I want you to touch me, to run your hands all over my body… And I need you inside of me, and I want you to do anything and everything to me!! Just… show me how much you love me…” Jake’s eyes widened at your boldness, as he felt a pang in his chest, relieved to have his silent prayers heard in the back of his mind. Smirking, he asked while loosening his grip on your waist by retracting one of his hands to cup your face with care. His facial expression softened, gazing straight into your eyes with such sympathy. “My babygirl… Are you sure that you want me to do ‘anything and everything’ to you? I might not be able to hold myself back if I do.” You glanced back at him, nodding. Sighing, he smiled adoringly at you, thinking of how his birthday plan for you had completely gone down the drain. So much for self restraint.

The corner of his mouth slightly curved upward, as his lips grew into a mischievous smile. “You better not regret giving me power, (Y/N).” Jake didn’t hesitate to recoil his arm back around your waist. Now standing up on both of his feet, he hoisted you up with him, forcing you to intuitively cling onto his body tightly. Your arms wrapped around his neck firmly than before while your legs did the same around his waist, looking like you were trying to grapple him. He turned around to face the bed, crawling deeper into it with you hugging him fixedly. From far away, the scene could easily be compared to a picture of a big parental koala carrying a baby koala on its chest. As Jake rearranged a few pillows in a stack against his bed board, he crashed his back onto them, acting like he was leaning into a couch. As his grip around you released onto both of his sides on the mattress, his eyes shifted towards your figure beneath him, still hugging him ever so securely.

You tilted your head up to take a glimpse at him, and you caught him staring at you. Curiously, you asked, “What’s wrong, Jake?” He tittered to himself, shaking his head airily, emphasizing that it was nothing serious. “I just realized how small you looked under me. You’re really an adorable girl…” he placed his hand on the back of your head and pressed you close onto his chest, stroking your head in a comforting manner. You sighed into him, bounding your own body against him with such peace. Altering the way you were sitting, you unlocked your legs from around his waist then folded your knees on both of his sides to sit flatly on his lap. After getting yourself comfortable, your cheek became mushed up onto one of his hard pecs, leaving you to murmur softly, “I missed you, Jake. I really did.”

Jake withdrew himself from you for a bit, sloping his head downwards to look into your eyes amorously, cherishing your words. He was relieved to hear those words of affirmation, which recovered him from the sense of loneliness and guilt that had built up inside him while he was off fulfilling his leadership obligations. He was glad to know that your love for him didn’t waver, while he was absent from your side. Staring back into your eyes, he smiled sincerely. “I missed you too, beautiful. I’m sorry that I’ve been busy recently. I realized that being apart from you, really took its toll on me. It drove me insane, being unable to see you for so long. Honestly, there hasn’t been a single day without you, that I didn’t think of you. Because…” When his voice trailed off into silence, your head tilted to the side attentively. His face had this calculated expression, as he tried to ponder for the right words to express how he felt. Your curiosity got to you, pressing him a bit more for him to continue onward with his explanation. “Because…?” Eventually, his eyebrows furrowed in a serious demeanor. With eyes that sparked with resolution, he grasped one of your hands that was raveled around his neck, then brought the back of your hand onto his lips. “…Because I love you so much, (Y/N). You mean everything to me, that I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I had lost you.” Those words made your worries fade away into nothingness. Burying your last remaining desolation that was once there, to willfully decay on its own.

How can he be so confident and sure about his feelings for you, like that? While Jake was away, you didn’t think that he’d have the time of day to even think of you or miss you since you assumed that he’d be immersed in his duties as a crew leader of Big Deal. Who knew that guys who held a lot of responsibilities, such as Jake, would be longing to see their significant other with such yearning? It really did put you to shame, doubting him and thinking all this time that his passion for you must’ve diminished since he’s been too busy as of late. Believing that he didn’t need you by his side anymore, just because he’s been occupied by another matter. The regret that you had for doubting him once, raised a heavy sensation in your chest. Your breathing became shaky, and as Jake noticed this, he placed his hand on your back in concern. Worry swept over his profile, when he asked, “Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” All of a sudden, he felt his heart split right when he saw tears cascading from your dewey eyes. His eyes expanded in shock due to your unexpected sobbing. Panicked and discomfited, questions flooded in his mind, mostly pertaining to how and why you started crying. Frantically, he probed, “Why baby, what’s wrong? Was it something I said?? Did I say something that might’ve upset you???” Jake sat up to straighten his posture against the tower of pillows behind him. The upper half of his body bent forward to hold your face with both of his hands. Tilting your face up to take a closer look at you, his eyes dimmed in sorrow when your strained red eyes made contact with his.

Sniffling, you mustered a, “I-I’m… hic- ...s-sorry, Jake… f-for d-doubting you… sniff- …a-and f-f-or think- ugh… -ing that y-you don’t… l-love me a-any… more…” Jake’s thumbs brushed over the creases of your eyes, wiping your tears away from your swollen eyes. He kissed your cheek before he released your face, transitioning his arms to confine around you until they have enveloped your weak shell, pulling you closer onto him. His hand on your back soothed you, rubbing you from behind while hushing you. By kissing your forehead and by displaying how much he loves you, he comforted you with his compassionate gestures, as he lulled, “Shhh… It’s ok, love. I understand where you’re coming from, and I forgive you. I’m really sorry that I made you feel that way. I shouldn’t have left you for so long, unattended and alone. It pains me to see you cry, and I want to make it up to you. Please, let me redeem myself. Not only as your boyfriend, but as your lover. I want you to be proud, and to believe that I’ll love you no matter what we’re going through. I assure you that whatever obstacle we have to tackle on our own, we won’t be separated. Whether it’s through thick and thin…” Jake pried himself for only a second, eyeing you with a strong sense of devotion. “I’ll keep protecting you, supporting you, and cherishing you, even if it means that I can still love you forever. There’s no way that I’ll give up on you. You’re the only one who can love me and understand me for who I really am, and that is already enough for me to want to keep you close to me.”

Rubbing your own eyes from the leftover residue of your tears, a confident smile bloomed on your face, as you inquired, “Jake… Tell me, what did I do to deserve such an amazing boyfriend?” His eyes closed, holding his own chin in a curious fashion as if trying to ponder for the actual answer that’s buried deep within his mind. “Hmmm… Was it your beauty? Your kindness? Your hospitality? I’m not quite sure. But actually, I’m a HUNDRED PERCENT certain, that it must’ve been the way you caught my big ol’ ass from a mile away. Oh yeah, that’s definitely it! I know for a fact, that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of it. Love at first sight, am I right?” He opened one of his eyes, then gave you a cheeky grin. Laughing at his absurd theory, you struck his chest with a light smack, snapping at him humorously by saying, “As if my eyes would look for it in the first place! You’re giving your butt too much credit, here!” Your rebuttal made him laugh back at you, leading to you and him debating for about five minutes on what really was up with his butt. As the two of you teased each other and joked around, your laughs eventually died down, resulting the both of you to look at each other gaily. Jake’s mouth arched into a praiseful beam, ultimately proclaiming, “I love you, (Y/N).” A shade of scarlet engulfed your cheeks, inciting an enthused thumping from your heart. You smiled, glowing in all of your beauty when you responded gingerly, “I love you too, Jake Kim.” The approach to your response, concerning how you emphasized his name had somehow pulled at his heartstrings. It was of course, on purpose. Confirming that the message was meant for the only “Jake Kim” in your life. The Jake Kim who holds a special place in your heart.

Repeating inside his head as if rewinding that sweet moment that happened not to long ago, he delved himself into a deep burning passion for you. Closing the gap between one another, his lips gently merged with yours, holding you in his arms even more snuggly than ever before. Your arms braced around his neck, while you kissed him dearly. His tongue slipped in between your sugary lips, coaxing your tongue to dance passionately with his. Your hands glided up the nape of his neck and through his soft somber hair, moaning into his mouth like a thirst deprived woman. Jake’s senses were starting to slip away from him, when all he can see, breathe, and taste is you. The movement of his tongue in your mouth grew rougher by the minute, which resulted in you to adjust to his pace. His groans and your moans, including the heavy breathing that was shared among both pairs of ears, caused you two to become feral for each other. His hands began to roam greedily throughout your body, caressing and groping every inch that could possibly make you squeal even louder. His hands found your soft doughy breasts, kneading and fondling them. On both hands, he used the flats of his thumbs to play with your areola by swirling them lightly around them, until he could hear those addictive whimpers of yours. Next he decided to rub your nipples back and forth, stimulating such a wonderful reaction from you, by making it harder for you to kiss him back feverishly. The “Mmmm”’s and the “Ahhhh”’s that increased in volume from his experienced handling really did influenced his private to convert into one delicious erection. Even though he was highly turned on by you, he’s still such a cruel Tease King, enjoying every moment he could get for you to struggle to return the same amount of love he was erotically giving you. Could you even keep up with him now, even during the current state that you’re in?

Unaware of your own actions, he felt you instigating friction onto his stiff member, which earned a few grunts from him while he played with your breasts with his hands and your mouth with his twisted tongue. Jake was aware of how well his skills were in bed. He couldn’t wait to get in between your legs and bed you so good, to the point that he can hear your needy cries once more. However his conscience told him otherwise, thinking in the back of his head, that your own bliss comes first. Watching you grinding your aroused heat onto him, he smirked, already coming up with the best way to tease you. “Look at you, my pretty baby is moving her hips on her own. Do you want to put it in yourself? It’s your call, (Y/N). I know you gave me the right to do ‘anything and everything’ to you, but I’m passing the torch back to you once again. Right now, it’s all about you, since it’s your birthday after all.”

With drool dropping down the side of your mouth, you kept rubbing against his phallus while babbling, “Ugh~ I-I want t-to… Ahhh~ P-put i-it in… So b-badly… P-please, l-let me… do it…” Chuckling at your selfish request, he shrugged casually like he didn’t think too seriously of it when he answered, “Go ahead, you’re already being so desperate that you’re basically already begging to do anything to get my cock inside of you.” Jake suddenly raised his pelvis onto your slick folds, rubbing himself onto you slowly in a torturous fashion. He caught you by surprise, moaning in response while gazing at him, who now had lust clouded over his eyes. Not only did his movements fuel your arousal, but it also fed his too. His goal really was to make your pussy starve for his meat. To crave the desperate need to be satiated, giving your poor cunt that was clenching on nothing, to be filled with his whole entire length.

He laughed lowly at your reactions, mewling at how his dick grated against your sensitive nerves underneath you. “You’re a needy little girl, aren’t you? Haha, so spoiled~ I can tell by the look on your face, that you’ve been dying to feel me again, huh? Don’t worry, I won’t steal the spotlight from you. Here, go and put it in for me~” Finally giving you mercy, he stopped his friction against you. Your whole body trembled from the residual feeling of his private leaving your entrance. Positioning yourself to hover over his erection, Jake eyed you meticulously. He wouldn’t dare miss such a phenomenal sight to behold. Holding onto the end of his hardened rod near his balls, you elevated yourself about an inch above his entire length. Using his tip, you brought yourself down onto his shaft and probed it onto your entrance, smearing his oozing pre-cum onto your moistened self. The sounds that manifested from your naughty privates scraping each other brought about groans from both of you, leaving you to sigh minimally and Jake to transfer his hands firmly onto your thighs that were resting beside his hips. Fastening your grip onto his staff, you slowly lowered yourself down onto his stiffness until you felt him finally spreading your tractable insides out in one slippery swoop. Jake groaned loudly in response, with your warm juicy pussy cocooning around his rod, sensing every inch of him being hugged tightly within you. Simultaneously, you let out a noisy whimper when he finally bottomed out once you felt his tip bump onto your cervix. Both of you stared deeply into each other’s eyes, now fully aware that at this point, there’s no turning back.

Jake’s intense gaze slowly lowered until they were fixated at the sight of both of your bodies now connected as one. In a husky voice, he respired with great infatuation, “Now THAT, is a beautiful sight to see.” He chuckled in between his own speech of admiration. “Go on, (Y/N). Ride me to your heart’s content. I’m all yours for the night anyways, and I’m here to satisfy my girl generously for her birthday.” His breath grew even thicker than usual, now feeling the heat of your snug hole reverberating along with his own cock twitching inside you, as if eagerly signaling you to begin moving. With a slight pant, you nodded softly as your cheeks became rosier. You positioned your hands onto his beautifully sculpted abs, then began to bounce slowly. With every rock of your hips, you moaned, feeling his rigidity scraping your insides as it repeatedly hit your good spot. Jake watched in awe as you dribbled your hips over and over again, onto his thick shaft. His breathing hitched in reaction to your moaning and your needy movements, which forced him to moan with you in rapture. The way his hands glided from your thighs all the way up to your hips to hold you in such a secure grip while you ride him, made you bite your bottom lip in bliss. A sexy moan escaped Jake’s lips when he coaxed in a provocatively soothing manner. “That’s right, (Y/N). Use me. Right now, you deserve all of the attention on you. Mmm… that’s it, gorgeous. You really are beautiful (Y/N), when you bounce on my cock like that. Even your eyes says it all too.” His hands then began caressing your sides, which sent shivers down your spine as you continued to use your boyfriend for you own pleasure. You became so sensitive to his touches. No matter how light he was touching you, it really sent tingles down your entire body.

While watching you cry out in ecstasy, Jake couldn’t help but find your sweet satisfaction to be deeply intoxicating. The way you were desperately crashing your own hips down onto his groin while you moaned euphorically was such a wondrous sight to behold. Not only were you moving yourself on your own accord, but the way you were passionately gazing down at him as if your pleasure was his pleasure as well, made him feel prouder than ever. He let out an amused chuckle as he asked suggestively with a slight hint of mischief. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you, princess? Do you want me to help you out?” You were unable to control your thought processing, since you were losing your senses to the feeling of pure pleasure. While mewling in contentment, you vigorously nodded. Your mind was too caught up in bliss, that you couldn’t wrap your head around what Jake was about to do. Without hesitation, Jake instinctively bent his knees while his feet laid fixedly on the bed. After that, he held you by your hips once again until he began to move rhythmically with you, thrusting himself into you from below you. His hips bucked every time he raised himself to collide with your body much more forcefully. You were simply caught off guard by his sudden movements that you threw your head back and let out a loud moan. Satisfied by your reaction, he smirked slightly, enjoying the way he was giving you a boost to your enjoyment. “Does that feel better than before, baby? Do you want me to go faster?” You whined in a needy fashion before crying out in a shaky voice, “Y-yes… pleeease, J-Jake… faster~!!” Those words were enough to drive Jake to the edge as he began to rut himself into you faster, like you implied him to. He clutched your sides a bit tighter than before, pulling you down onto him to meet with his thrusts. A loud cry emitted from your mouth as you slammed your hips continuously, as the both of you went at each other with passionate grinds and movements. You exclaimed through sinful moans to him saying, “J-Jake, you… Ahhh~ feel so… Mmmm~! Good in-… s-side me~!!!” While breathing intensely, Jake grinned proudly due to the way he was making you extremely good at this very moment. “Oh, really? Am I making you feel that good, princess? You know, we’re just getting started, right?” His eyes glowed in lustful passion towards you. “I plan to give you all of me tonight on your special day, so I’ll be very generous to you…” One of his hands slid down to your front as he began to play with your clit while the both of your bodies continued to crash against one another, flicking your bundle of nerves with ease. Swishing his hand over it back and forth made you lose your senses further, which influenced you to clench your insides even more around him. Jake let out a gruntled moan, as he felt your vice grip around his solidity lock onto him. “You like that, don’t you (Y/N)? I can tell from the way you tightened around me, just now. You’re such a naughty girl, baby.” His teasing didn’t help your case at all, as you continued to moan in carnality for him. “Just say the word, and I’ll take you there. That’s a promise, love. I’ll do it, just for you and only for you. So tell me… what would you like me to do for you?” His sensual invitation caused your body to tremble, in which you mumbled incoherently. “P-please, mmm~!! M-make me…”

Jake’s smirk widened as he continued to tease you until he was satisfied with your answer. “What was that, my love? I couldn’t quite hear you. Speak up, and make it clear for your boyfriend to hear.” Jake continued to play with your clit, which directed you to arch your back and for your eyes to roll back into your head out of pleasure. Your breaths were hotter than ever, as you struggled to keep your voice from becoming unevenly inaudible to comprehend. “J-… Ahhh~!! -ake, please… m-make me… hah… c-cum~!!!” With your body twitching and your voice trembling every time he was pleasing your sensitive spots, Jake loved seeing this side of you even more. The desperation, the vulnerability, and the way he was making you all feeble for him gets him even more excited by the minute. He wants to keep on loving you like this, until you couldn’t think twice about him ever leaving you again. The knot inside both of you was clearly building up more and more, and that was a sign for Jake to step up his game. Finally giving you mercy from all of his teasing, his eyes narrowed much more seriously when he gave a low and affirmative suggestion, “Then, let me help you out until the end.”

The grasp on your hip with his opposite hand grew more fixed, as his actions began to speed up. Both of his hips and his hand on your aching bud exponentially incremented in speed which caused your jaw to fall widely open, vocalizing one of the most satisfyingly loud moans of pleasure that Jake has ever heard from you in his life. It was natural for him to smirk a bit, in which your glorious cries and whimpers left a very positive impression on him as they boosted his ego. “Am I giving you what you wanted? You know how much you deserved this. It’s my treat after all, for my most precious girl in the whole wide world.” His smirk widened, as he watched you fall deeper into blissful madness. Your bounces were becoming sloppier than ever, jutting yourself harder onto him while he jabs his entire length deep within you from the bottom. From the rising tension within you, you could feel how close you were in tasting that sweet elated peak of yours.

The jargon that was intermingled with your mewls of delectation was all gibberish. They would have sounded childish, like some sort of nonsensical gobbledegook that a mere baby would be babbling about, if a third party were to witness such a passionate and intimate scene between you and your boyfriend. However, your blathers of indistinguishable words gave Jake the satisfaction that he was doing his job well. So well, that it was all music to his ears. The way you sucked his cock in like a strong vacuum sent him into a spiral of lustful passion and desire. All of Jake’s pent up sexual frustration that he had to conceal and keep all to himself while he was away from you, was finally being put to work into giving you what you deserved. It was complete paradise for the both of you, and you both truly needed this.

“Mmm… goddamn, baby. You really know how to tighten up on me, don’t you? I can tell, that you’re very close.” Jake’s lips concaved upward into more of a mischievous grin, obviously entertained by the way you were giving it your all on him as well. The way you were hammering yourself deeply onto his girth while making sure you were getting every inch of pleasure for yourself, made this all worthwhile. At that moment, Jake believed that this event was really worth waiting for, and he wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world if he get to view something as great of a sight as this. Your intense pants, your loud symphonic moans, and your face that was scrunched up in immense pleasure delivered quivers down Jake’s body. Although, it wasn’t long until you were about to reach your orgasm. The more you felt that wave of pleasure rising within your stomach, the more you felt your heart racing by the minute and the more you sensed your body shaking in extreme decadence. Everything felt so overwhelming to you, that you were about to explode any second. “J-… aaake~!! I-I’m feel l-like… I-I’m going t-to… burst~!!!” Jake noticed the shakiness both in your voice and your body, as he continued to hold you by the hips potently. While still jamming his love-stick into you, he moaned in between his uneven respirations. “It’s alright, my love. Just let it all out, for me.” His encouraging instantly made you let go of all your inhibitions and tensions from your body. With one final cry of delightful pleasure, you gave his cock a powerful clench as you climaxed all over your boyfriend’s rod. Your body contracted around him, which influenced Jake to emit a loud groan and release all of his warm load into you, spraying deep within your private until you were filled to the very depths. Your body twitched due to the lingering feeling of pleasure still residing inside of you, as you sat there with his dick warming your cave, all nice and snug.

Fatigued as you were, you slowly removed yourself from Jake, as his prong sprung out from you in a messy plop. As Jake observed your every action while trying to catch his breath, he watched as his translucent seed came trickling down in between your thighs and down your legs. He chuckled triumphantly at such a marvelous sight, as he breathed out in satisfaction, “Whew, you’re so breathtaking, (Y/N). You really know how to make a guy go crazy for you.” While praising you, you collapsed beside him onto the bed and rested one of your arms on his lean chest while the other was propped against the tower of pillows below Jake’s head. You caressed his hair soothingly in an adoring fashion, displaying your signs of appreciation for the wonderful birthday gift he just gave you. He tilted his head down to smile lovingly at you, as he leaned in to give you an affectionate kiss on your forehead while stroking your hair. “You were so passionate, love. You really missed me that badly, huh? And plus, I forgot how adorable your O-face was. I really did miss seeing that.” Your eyes widened a bit at that last part that he mentioned, which led you to blush in embarrassment. Jake noticed your embarrassed expression, which made him laugh. Oh, you were just too cute for him to handle. “Don’t be embarrassed, love. After all…” Jake gently grasped your chin then tilted your head up smoothly to look into your eyes with a seductive smile. “I’m the only one who can see such a beautiful face like that.” His flirtatious words caused your heart to skip a beat, which only made your flushed cheeks to grow even rosier than before. You were lost in a helpless daze over him as he gazed into your eyes with love. How can such a perfect man be your boyfriend? You were just that lucky.

“Now, now, (Y/N). The night is still young, so we got all the time in the world to make your birthday even better…” All of a sudden, you felt his broad hand slid in between your thighs, as he began to tease you out and caress your sweet spot again. You gasped, as he began playing with your clit again, which caused you to moan again. “Mmm~” You couldn’t hold back your moans at all, as Jake slowly stroked you with his thick fingers that were now penetrating you once more. Jake grinned sexily at how he was playing with your squelching insides that were still sensitive from your last orgasm. Your legs quivered in response, as he cooed into your ear silkily, “Tell me, babygirl… do you want more of my services? I’m being very generous with you since it’s your birthday, so I want to spoil you all night long. Like I said earlier, I’ll be your slave for tonight. So be honest with me… what do you want me to do for you now?” There was no end to your soft moans as he kept on teasing you. The way his fingers slipped in and out of you, and the delivery of his words that laid out his irresistible invitation made your head spin heatedly.

Teetering with euphoria, you said unsteadily, “P-please, J-Jake… K-keep… pleasing me…” Jake smiled with gratitude when he heard your reply. He confidently answered back by saying, “With pleasure, princess. Don’t worry, I’ll make all of this worth your while. I won’t let this time that we have together go to waste…” With that, he removed his slick fingers from in between your thighs then sat up straight on the bed. Your eyebrows raised in surprise and curiosity, as you watched him make his way in front of you. The both of you were now looking directly at each other face-to-face, but the caricature he had was unlike before. This time, his face was filled with determination. He slid his bulky yet veiny arms underneath your thighs, grappling both of your legs steadily. With one forceful sweep, he pulled your body closer to him which produced a startled yelp out of you. When he looked down at your face, your heart was thumping wildly due to how he was staring straight at you. The Jake that was soft, was no longer there. Instead, he was replaced by a more domineering Jake. A Jake that was filled with the ambition to only please you, his one and only girl. His eyes shined down onto yours with a glint of zealous sex drive, which clearly turned you on inside and out. Your body warmth escalated in temperature, as the sexual tension between the two of you heightened. However, his gaze was so intense, that you became extremely bashful towards him. Your eyebrows knitted in agitation as your eyes focused on him with a hint of concern. You couldn’t handle the incredible intimidation from him any longer and you were at your wits' end.

As a result, you averted your eyes away from him for only a second until you heard this man suddenly asked in a husky yet profound voice, “Where are you looking at, (Y/N)?” Straightaway, his buff arms pinned on both sides of your head. Lowering himself down closer to your face, you felt his warm breath on your face as his visage portrayed one of sternness. When he whispered in a hushed yet coarse voice, you could visibly see his Adam’s apple bobbing to the vibrations of his low tone when he said, “Keep your eyes on me, princess. I’m not finished with your gifting yet.” In a heartbeat, your eyes returned to focus on his eyes once more. Without warning, his hands slithered down to the back of your knees and clasped onto those joints, which made him sit back up on the bed to straighten his posture by puffing out his expansive chest out and flexing his jacked abs. Instantaneously, he held you strongly before he forcibly pushed your legs back until your thighs met at the level of your head, your toes to point up towards the ceiling and your ass hang up in the air. But what was embarrassing about this position to the point that it prompted your face to mask in scarlet, was that your gaping hole that was glistening with all your vaginal salivation, was spread out for Jake to see. Such a selfish display, was perfect in his eyes. To see his girl at such an arousing stance all for himself really triggered his urges for you. This feeling of excitement that Jake had can be compared to seeing Disneyland’s castle for the first time, but in a much more erotic setting.

The usual teasing smile of his returned upon his lips when he lowly whispered in admiration, “You’re so pretty from this angle, (Y/N).” You peered back at him with a tint of crimson upon your cheeks. Your cute feeble countenance ignited something in Jake, which produced a heavy sigh from him before he started to position himself properly. He was now crouching over your sacred entryway, while his hands were holding your thighs down, just the way he purposely arranged them. Jake resumed to leer at you with a serious gleam, which was currently masquerading his softness towards you. The thought that he was the only one who had access to such an extravagant scenery below him, made this man’s sexuality grow even stronger.

Spontaneously, his large phallus was angled onto your throbbing core correctly, in preparation of the second round that you’re about to receive from him. Jake began to apply friction onto your saturated gash by using his thick veiny member, lubing up his dick with the juices that accumulated from your heat. A few needy whines were roused from your mouth because of his humping, affecting the way your legs quaked. Jake continued to tease your exterior until he could hear your heated breaths getting denser and could feel your folds getting puffier in arousal, along with the wetness that came with it. At last, after the torturous yet stimulating fondling with his length, he gave a satisfied hum before directing the head of his cock at your beating entrance. Your body shivered in anticipation as your eyes fixated up at his pleasure stick.

Desperate as you now were to feel the pleasure of his phallic package again, you whimpered urgently, “Please Jake, put it inside me already. I need you, badly!” The corner of Jake’s mouth tilted upward into a diverted smirk as he asked temptingly, “How badly do you want it, princess? Let me know how much you want me. I won’t start until you tell me exactly what you want.” His face inched closer to yours while his hands were still stationed down on your thighs, as he bent forward to look deeply into your eyes, awaiting for your answer. Your eyes that were clouded in desire, glanced back at him when you squeaked in sensual distress, “Jake, pleeeeese, I want to feel you inside of me! I need your touch, your warmth, and your love. So… please…?” You gave him the signature teary puppy-dog eyes that always managed to sway his heart. Jake admitted in his head that you were indeed, too adorable to resist. You were his soft spot, after all. He sighed hopelessly, as he gave you a faint smile of defeat. “You never fail to amaze me, (Y/N). My girl… my love…”

Involuntarily, Jake’s dick eventually started to sink downwards into your warm fluid insides, which earned a contented moan from the both of you when he entered inside you. Once you felt all of him reach its maximum occupancy, you heard and felt his prominent balls smacked right where your ass hole was. A grunt spewed from his mouth, as he gritted his teeth, feeing how tight you really were. How was it even possible that you were still so tight after rearranging your guts for the first time in forever. Jake let out a chuckle before he said suggestively, “I might have to loosen you up a bit more, my love. You’re just too fucking tight for me~”

He didn’t hesitate to get a head start, as he began to plunge his dick hard, right from the get-go. In a matter of seconds, you were left in an uncontrollable frenzy of bliss. You were expecting Jake to start out slow and ease his way gradually up the ladder. But oh, were you wrong. Pounding away at your insides, you clung onto his brawny arms desperately, as you felt his heartfelt intensity. Noisy moans started to broadcast from among the walls of his room once again, as you cried in ecstasy. You were unable to form any words to describe how amazing this overwhelming feeling was, from Jake’s care. Actually, “care” isn’t the right word to identify what this was. It’s an ironic term to even match such a gentle word with an intense action of love-making… Or, better yet, “screwing”.

The volume of your moans fluctuated according to how rough he was pounding into you to fit your needs. It was obvious that Jake’s attitude changed during that span of his transition when he sat across from you face-to-face on the bed. But why? Why was he acting so roughly with you all of a sudden? It was like his mind and his self was all out of proportions. Jake gave a few grunts as he continued to hold you at such an embarrassing position. “You know, that confession that you told me earlier about you doubting me while I was away? It had been replaying in my head… Over… And over, again.” When he stated the words ‘over and over’, your body shuddered at the way he slammed himself into you with each powerful thrust for every word that he emphasized, promoting you to scream and squirm in pleasure. “Agh, Jake~!!!” You moaned his name out loud, holding onto his arms desperately for dear life.

Jake’s face, along with his pulchritudinous body, was dripping with sweat as he rammed his hips onto your entrance during his hard sexual rut for you. “Do I have to show you how much I love you, for you to not doubt me ever again?” Your wavering mind was on the brink of breaking due to his powerful thrusts, which caused your mind to go blank as if it was put on reset repeatedly. “Mmmph~! P-please… I-I’m… s-s-… Ugh~!! …sorry, Jake~!!!” Struggling to keep yourself together with your wails, Jake bent his knees further as his feet stamped against the mattress fiercely as he shoved his boner consecutively, ensuring that he gets most of his size into you. The violent sounds of his balls smacking against your other hole made your head spin and your body heat up in fervor. The vociferous and weak expressions of your cries for him was driving Jake insane. He was powerfully emotional during this fierce process. Just hearing you moan loudly and your fingernails clawing onto his arms was impactful to him, that your own pleasure was what made him forgive you for your unintentional claw marks. They were evident proof, that he was the one who could love you like this severely, and proof that he was the one who could please you like no other man could. He’ll even carry those scars proudly on public display, because he is a man who’s willing to show how romanticized and how devoted he is for you.

“Ahhh~! J-Jake~!! Y-you’re… Mmmm~ m-making me… go i-insane~!!!” Jake grinned proudly at the way he was fulfilling your needs. Your legs pushed back, your exhaustedly pleasured-out face, and your sounds that resonated from your throat and your squelching vagina was what really pleased him the most. Oh, if only he can do this all the time. If only, he can see and feel this explicitly intimate activity with you all day and all night long, he’d be the happiest man in the world. If that were the case, he’d be eager to wife you up for himself to love and cherish. And to have a kid with you, would be such a fantasy that he’d be willing to make it happen. Envisioning you by his side forever, and to have you as his beloved wife, raising such beautiful children as an amazing mother got his heart fluttering. That was Jake’s ultimate dream. You’d definitely be the best wife he’ll ever have, and with that, he’d guarantee it to be true. He tilted his head down to view your delicate frame, losing your mind to how sinfully good this felt.

The idea of breeding you was metaphorically a border to Jake. It was wrong of him to think of such a selfish fantasy. Yet, the dream of watching it all come to life felt so damn good. As he brought his face closer to you he whispered in a husky tone, “(Y/N), have you ever thought of being my wife?” You were caught by surprise from his unexpected question, which led you to take a glimpse at his eyes that were full of heartfelt emotions. In all honesty, there was never an instance that could have passed without you getting to freely daydream about having such a future with Jake. The thought of living a comfortable life with a kind loving man such as Jake, never failed to make your heart skip a beat. As a response, you nodded strenuously as you told him in between your mewls, “Ahhnn~ Y-yes Jake, I… Hah~ A-always thought o-of… being y-your… wife…” Jake’s eyes expanded in astonishment, because of your honest answer. “If that’s true, then…” His palms that were grappling your thighs in place squeezed, as he lowered himself even more to you. His movements became less intense and more controlled, as soft sighs were induced from his light actions. While going slow, Jake whispered once more in his warm breath asking, “Have you ever thought of having kids with me?” The way his eyes softened at the mention of possibly having children with you made your heart patter dearly for him. Your lips curved into an enamored smile and your eyes twinkled with love for him when you admitted, “Yes, Jake, I have. I’ve… always wanted to have a baby with you.”

Jake’s eyes lit up, as his whole face became animated with pure joy and life, like a child who had been granted the gift of candy. However, this was no mere “candy” to him. This was his everything. The smile on his handsome face expanded from ear to ear like never before. He was so thrilled and happy to have such a wonderful girl, like you. “I’m so lucky to have you, (Y/N).” He stopped moving for a minute, as he bent forward to give you an impassioned kiss. Your lips locked with his, as you felt the excessive amount of love and adoration he had for you, putting this great combination into one passionate kiss. His supple lips that was grazing against yours fluidly, his tongue that was intertwining with yours so naturally, and the small moans of passion that was exchanged between the two of you was the definition of harmony between two lovers. Your arms surrounded his body as you brought him closer to you. Your hands trailed from his muscularly tatted back, up to his nape and his feathery hair.

When Jake’s lips calmly drifted from yours, he then asked in a caring manner, “I know that you’ve been taking birth control, but… Would you like to start now? I’ll understand if you don’t want to rush things. I know that raising a baby would be a big responsibility, so I’ll of course, do my part to raise our kid. Either way, I’ll accept any decision you give me.” Your boyfriend is such a sweetheart. The baby fever was currently high among the two of you, and you intend to keep it that way. Jake being the father of your future child will surely be a blessing and a vision that you’d want to stick around to see for yourself until the end of your happy days with him. With a coral shine upon your adorably flushed cheeks, you gave a comforting smile when you announced to him in approval. “Yes, I’d like that. I’d be happy to have your baby, Jake.” Jake’s heart pounded like crazy as he, himself, had eyes glowing with amour and cheeks flushed in red. He clasped his hand over his lips while blushing madly, as his eyes did a double-take. Clearly, he was taken aback from your words, which made him shy for a short period. Even his member solidified inside of you, which gained a small whimper from you. Your words obviously turned him on so much, that it caused him to pop a boner.

Jake’s head pointed up towards the ceiling, laughing heartily. At the same time, his cute bashfulness remained on his face as he transferred his hand from his lips, over to his eyes in embarrassment. “Sorry, (Y/N). I’m such an animal, aren’t I?” He removed his hand from his eyes then smirked slightly before his lips softened to a smile once more, proudly declaring to you, “I promise that I’ll love you, cherish you, and I’ll protect you with my life. I’ll do everything that I can to see you smile, and make you happy. I’ll even do that for our future kid too. I’ll be the best dad that our baby will ever have, and we’ll be the best parents in the whole wide world. Nothing and no one is going to change that. So…” His attractive smile widened, replaying your words in his head of much you wanted his baby. “If that’s really what you want, then… Consider this, the greatest gift that you’ll ever receive from me. I hope you’ll cherish this as much as I would.”

Jake didn’t waste time, as his speed immediately augmented back to such a fast degree, that he was clearly pounding into you with all the love and might he could give you at that moment as if his life depended on it. Each bareback stroke that bumped your g-spot sent your body into an unrestrained wonderland. The dirty sounds your heat was making and the naughty sighs of pleasure that was emanating from both areas at once was what kept Jake going, as he beat it up like there’s no tomorrow. As he held your thighs down even further, your legs twitched in bliss which made Jake smirk at the way he was indulging himself into you as hard as he wanted. This was all for the sake of his blessed “gift” for you. The screams of pleasure that were spouted were screams of delight to Jake’s ears. They were melodic to him. Sweet, sensual, and spicy. He snickered cheekily at your reactions to his powerful banging as he started to tease you. “You love it when I’m all passionate for you, huh? Yeah, I can tell. My pretty girl is all hot and squishy inside…” His knees bent even more and his feet clamped onto the bed more stably, while he rearranged the placement of his hands. Both of his hands skimmed your legs upward as he now held you by the ankles. He continued to bore his cock into you like a beast, earning plentiful cries of jubilation from you. Your body wriggled in endless ecstasy, throwing your head back in blissful rhapsody to the beat of his core diving into you over and over again.

Through the discords of your own enjoyment, Jake commented mischievously, “You’re so slippery babe, and you’re even watering down there like a fountain. Heh, I want to hear you say it again. Do you really want my baby that much?” Through the impenetrable rocking of his hips, you whined eagerly, “Yesss~! I want your baby, Jake~!! Hngh-… Please, give it to me… Mmm-… More~!!! I want it all inside of me~!!!!” Your begging only fueled Jake’s arousal even more. As if, throwing more coal into the blazing fire. You were indeed, setting his fiery love ablaze. “Oh wow, you really want me to give you a baby that badly, huh? Alright…” His movements became fiercer than ever as he violently pounded away aggressively. You rasped in shock at how overstimulating his thrusting became, which made you question yourself. How was it even possible that he could keep going like this? Was that not his maximum potential? As Jake’s hands were still gripping you by the ankles, he ribbed you onwards by saying, “Do you hear the baby-making noises even more, princess? You know how much it turns me on, whenever you get all sexed out like this. And do you know what this means, if I put a baby inside of you?” Your eyes peered up at him with confusion, not knowing what he was implying. He chuckled at your cluelessness when he continued to explain, “If I put a baby inside of you, then that means I get to claim you for myself… Permanently. Mmmm… fuck…” Jake groaned with a bit of obscenities that made him hornier than before, just thinking about it as he articulated further. “You can call me a ‘bad boy’ for thinking such things, love, but I’m also a guy. I have fantasies too. But this, ohhh… this REALLY takes the cake to a whole other level…”

Jake’s energy hasn’t wavered one bit, as he continued to dominate you with full passion, causing you to spew sobs of euphoria during his vivid daydreaming. “I’m sorry princess, but I have to confess something to you… I put you in this breeding position because of my own selfish thoughts. I wanted to see how good you’d look like this. But, God, you really do look hot. Mmm… just the thought of you with my baby inside of you is driving me insane right now… I’ll be the first and only guy to do this to you. Just imagining you with my kid, gets me so excited. My girl, pregnant, because of me and how much I love her. Doesn’t that turn you on too, (Y/N)?”

Consequently, his enthusiasm got the best of him as he gradually increased his speed of prodding his dick into you. You writhed in delight, while Jake admired how you were loving the pleasure he was giving you. “I’ll be witnessing you with a round pregnant belly. Oh, you’ll look very cute and sexy as a pregnant woman. I just know it… And the idea of me permanently marking you, and connecting you with me forever because of our baby’s creation, makes me very happy. I will be the proudest man ever and I’ll make you mine… All mine…” Your heart was beating faster and faster, while your muscle contractions on his member compressed around him progressively. In addition to your heart rate increasing and your insides squeezing him, your entire body was starting to squirm the more you felt that you were reaching towards your pinnacle pleasure.

You warned Jake by whining in cacophony as you called out to him, “Jake, I-I’m… going to… cum~!!!” Jake grinned spiritedly, as he went full on beast mode, going at his fastest velocity yet. He panted while bulling towards his own climax by saying, “Go ahead baby, cum for me again. I’m about to fill you up nicely, so take it like a good girl, okay? I’ll make you the greatest mom ever. Now, here’s my real gift to you…” With one forceful push deep inside of you, Jake gave one huge ejaculation, coating your vaginal walls with all of his milky spunk. You expelled a loud cry of titillation, leaving your body to vibrate hard when you came and squirted all over his cock and balls. The warm sensation of Jake pumping his seed into you felt so pleasant, gushing out every drop of sperm for you to be fertilized nicely. He carefully set your legs down onto the bed and his thick dick limped out of you with a satisfying clammy sound. A grunt was liberated from his sexy lips and as he looked down, he watched your pussy twitched as your second helping of his thick discharge came rolling out of your fucked hole. His demeanor was so proud while watching his jizz flow out of you, as if saying, “Yeah, I sure as hell did that.”

Jake smirked as he fell onto the bed tiredly then rolled onto his side to face you and give you a tender kiss on the cheek. With his hand propped on the side of his head as if posing provocatively, he beamed at you cheerfully. “So love, how was our second time? Was it even better than the first?” You turned your head to face him properly then nodded while smiling serenely. “It was, and I loved every second of it.” Jake grinned as he expressed his gratitude with one big hug. His built arms swarmed around your form, as he pulled you close to him once more. He placed his hand on the back of your head, stroking your hair soothingly. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, you don’t ever have to worry about me leaving you, because I won’t. Our kid’s existence will be living proof of how much I truly love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, (Y/N). Together… we’ll be one happy family…”

Jake planted a gentle kiss on your head, which made you sigh peacefully. Just feeling the warmth of his arms cradling you, including the warmth from his entire body, felt like you were floating on a fluffy cloud. His kind and warm soul touched your heart, which spurred you to bury your own face onto his tough chest. You could tell that Jake too, wanted this moment to last forever. The fashion of how he was holding you so tightly in his embrace made you hug him back as well, never wanting to let go. You hummed blithely, enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence until…

“Oh, Jake. I have a gift for you too.”

You withdrew yourself from his chest to glance up into his eyes with glee. “Hm? A gift, for me?” Jake’s demeanor sparked in excitement. You nodded happily, as you replied back with, “Of course! How could I not forget to give my boyfriend a gift back, for celebrating my birthday with me?” He gave a sly smirk as he noted, “Yeah, right… ‘Celebrating’ was what we did.” He gave a frisky wink, which made you laugh at his joke. “Well, you DID give me a wonderful gift. So, I had to pay you back in return. It’s waiting for you in the fridge.” Jake raised an eyebrow, curious about what could this “gift” possibly be. However, the word “fridge” was what caught his attention. He thought about it for a moment, knowing that you hinted that his gift was food. Now, what is a special food that only comes on birthdays? Hm… You giggled at him, knowing that he was currently putting the pieces together in his head.

Jake closed his eyes, while trying to concentrate on what this gift could be. The cogs in his brain were laboring and producing steam like a factory that was working heavily on overtime. Finally, you saw the light in his eyes when he opened them up again. He stared into your eyes with pure joy as he breathed enthusiastically, “No way…” You smirked, seeing that he got the correct idea. “That’s right. I believe, that this is the best gift exchange ever. Don’t you agree?” You winked back at him, in which he pulled you even closer to him then gave you a small loving kiss on the lips. “You’re the best girlfriend ever! I can’t believe you brought me that as a gift. You’re too kind and generous, and you really know the way to a man’s heart. That’s why, I love you so much, (Y/N).” You grinned at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Both of your hands gently grabbed onto the sides of his face, as you peered deep into his eyes passionately while announcing back an, “I love you too, Jake. Very much. I promise, I won’t doubt your love ever again, and I’ll always love you and stay by your side forever.” Jake smiled at ease, as he placed his hands over yours, then leaned in to give your forehead a compassionate kiss. “Thank you, (Y/N). Your words really mean a lot to me. But, now…”

His arms slowly released you, as he turned to scoot himself onto the edge of the bed to sit up. Jake stretched his body by twisting his torso and by flexing his tensed muscles from such a gratifying workout. With a groan, he finally stood up from the bed then rotated himself around to offer you his hand so he could help you out of the bed. “…We got a cake to eat.” You laughed at his keenness, before taking his hand so he can aid you in pulling yourself up from the bed. While you stretched, he handed you back your clothing and your shoes, in which you gave him a small “thanks” with a smile on your face. After dressing up, you noticed that Jake was waiting for you while standing against his door, still naked. You approached him all clothed, then asked curiously, “Um… why aren’t you dressed yet?” He gave you a dignified grin and simply said, “Because it’s your birthday. And besides…” Abruptly, Jake took your hand then opened the door. “…I’ll be leading you down the stairs, and I’ll be giving you a sweet view of my ‘cake’ while we get some cake.” He gave you a flirtatious wink, which made you laugh at how ridiculous your goofball of a boyfriend can be. “You’re hilarious.”

Jake was about to turn around and lead you out the door like he informed, but then he stopped on his tracks for just a second. He pivoted himself to look back at you once more as he gave you a sincere smile while saying thoughtfully, “Happy birthday, (Y/N). I hope you enjoyed the gift that I gave you today, and I wish that you’ll forever cherish this birthday as one of the greatest birthdays ever. Oh and…” Jake leaned his face close to your ear then whispered, “Don’t forget to get rid of the pills. You won’t be needing them for a while.” Those words sent tingles throughout your body, and when he retracted himself back to stand up properly, he immediately detected the rouge that was spread across your face. He chuckled with pride, loving how he never fails to execute such smoothness when it comes to his favorite birthday girl. As Jake walked out of his room with you hand-in-hand, you grasped the door knob and slowly closed his bedroom door behind you, before heading down the stairs with him to enjoy that scrumptious red velvet birthday cake with him.

#lookism #lookism webtoon #lookism manhwa #lookism fanfic #lookism smut #lookism x reader #lookism x y/n #lookism jake #lookism jake kim #jake kim lookism #jake kim #lookism kim gimyung #kim gimyung #kim gimyeong #kim gimyung x reader #jake kim x reader #jake kim x reader lookism

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utilitycaster · 5 months

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i feel like for the critical role trauma thing i HAVE to ask about caleb even if that’s a subject that’s been talked to death. i’m also super interested in your thoughts on Yasha in this conversation

The thing about Caleb is he is very visibly not okay from the get-go. He has a mechanical penalty to killing humanoids with fire which we see very early on. Then his backstory came out pretty much in full quite early as well. And before I continue, I want to stress: I really love Caleb as a character. I think his story is fantastic. He is hands down my favorite Liam character. He is complicated and difficult and sympathetic and heartbreaking.

He also garnered some of the most unbelievably toxic type 2 (ie, "um he is traumatized and can do no wrong?") fans I've seen in my LIFE, and many of them were also mixed with the "there's only room for one traumatized person in this d&d party and therefore whoever fits my idea of What Trauma Looks Like and/or whoever I personally project onto the most is the winner." I'm talking people actually getting on my posts and saying "why haven't the Nein stopped all the pesky adventuring and world-saving they're doing and taken him to Duasad Keef (an NPC only mentioned in the EGTW at the time, ie, post hiatus when the plot pretty quickly went to Eiselcross and stayed there, whose methods of therapy would actually probably be triggering for Caleb and who was probably well out of their paygrade and frankly unlikely of anyone else in the party to have heard of)." Those people have largely left because they hated that Caleb decided the best revenge was doing what he could to heal and living well and ensuring no one in the future would suffer as he had, rather than murdering the entire assembly and presumably dying in the process, but man, they left a mark.

There's definitely his detractors too, and I have no patience for the "ewwww sadboy attention hog" people, many of whom were either of the "I am feeling uncomfortable when we are not about Beau?" variety or that bizarre cohort of people who just fucking hate Liam for reasons I have never been able to fathom, but I'm not going to lie, as someone who likes Caleb a lot, the fandom response was rough because there was definitely a noticeable faction who really just did not accept the idea that basically everyone in the Nein had some degree of trauma. The High Richter Heist is a great example. Fjord holds Caleb at swordpoint for deviating from the plan. We later learn that while Caleb is acting from his trauma (trying to collect as many books as possible to achieve the purpose that is frankly his main reason for living at that time), Fjord is just as much acting from his (was very recently betrayed by Sabian deviating from the plan in an all hands on deck situation, stabbing him, and blowing up the ship leaving everyone, Fjord included, to drown). The infamous Bowlgate, not long after, is also a similar case of Beau and Caleb's respective traumas clashing. It's why Campaign 2 is so good, but man, it really is a litmus test if someone's like "actually Caleb is objectively 100% right in either of these situations;" you know you're dealing with either an idiot or someone who can't conceive of the possibility that trauma isn't a competition that Caleb has obviously won.

So, with that, Yasha: I think Yasha is tough for a few reasons. The first is that she wasn't around a lot early on, so while we learned the basics of her backstory in episode 46 we simply didn't see how she reacted in all situations. The second is that the fandom is specifically really fucking bonkers about people whose romantic partners die young; see again how people were like "see? Orym would be happier dead with Will!" like that isn't the kind of statement anyone with a brain would be MORTIFIED to say. So there was some of that with Yasha. I think the extent of what happened with Obann came up in a pretty dense arc and only got unpacked after the fact (and once Ashley was at the table regularly). And finally, Yasha got a lot of hate from shippers that was not strictly related to her trauma but did sometimes include it. So she's an interesting case of "trauma not so much ignored as frequently misconstrued or taken in bad faith to support interpretations barely related to Yasha herself, compounded by the fact that you had to read between the lines to understand her trauma in the first place."

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag #caleb widogast #yasha nydoorin

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flyingfabio · 21 days

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Why Fabio chose to stay at Yamaha

Or why the Devil still wears Yamaha. You know it’s getting serious when I bother putting caps on a Tumblr post. I have to admit this is largely self-interested as I try to put some order into my thoughts. Putting this under read more because this is very long (probably too much).

The reasons why:

The factory team. Perhaps the most important, as I think Fabio wouldn’t have settled for anything less. He’s in a state of mind where, at this stage of his career, going back to a satellite team would means defeat. So this already eliminates the best bikes of the grid, as factory Ducati have three Ducati riders lining up to be Bagnaia’s teammate, and as KTM will most likely have Binder and Acosta on their factory bikes next year. You could make a point for a Pramac seat, as it’s “almost” a factory seat, but Pramac has already made it clear they want to have a junior team and grow talents there by signing Aldeguer for two years. Fabio is still young, but he’s an experienced MotoGP rider. And as I said before, I don’t think he would accept being anything else than Pecco’s teammate. So what is left? Honda but the point is to go to a better sorted bike, which the RC213V clearly is not. Already the only option left is Aprilia.

The Aprilia option. This is assuming Aprilia offered Fabio a factory seat, which might not even have happened. Aleix keeps telling everyone he doesn’t want to retire yet, and Aprilia look like they want to keep Maverick. So what if Aprilia only offered a factory bike in their satellite team? If so, see point one. The thing is, I think Fabio did receive a factory offer from Aprilia, and there are two main factors to consider. First, the inconsistency and unreliability of the Aprilia bike. It’s no secret to anyone, the Aprilia suffers from technical issues every race weekend, and often prevents riders from bagging points on race day. It’s been an ongoing issue for years, and for now, there is no sign of actual improvement on this matter. The Aprilia is also inconsistent depending on the race track, though I think it's a lesser problem as Aprilia have sort of improved there, and the right rider can make up for this weak point. This first factor is strongly correlated to the second, which is money. According to early reports, Aprilia’s offer was 4 millions per year while Yamaha’s was the TRIPLE of that number. Now, if this offer was coming from factory Ducati instead of Aprilia, I think Fabio would have jumped ship, because the Ducati is a proven championship winning bike. But the Aprilia? Why would you turn down that much down money to go to a bike that keeps having critical failures? No matter how good of a rider you have, if your engine goes bop, there is nothing you can do about it. Maybe Aprilia will manage to sort out this problem, but maybe they won’t, and you would have turned down a huge load of money for a few race wins a year. Wins are good, but nothing compared to a championship. Riders’ careers are short and come with very high risks, so making as much money as you can in short periods of time is critical.

Last main reason is the timing. Yamaha is FINALLY making ACTUAL changes in the way they operate after years of riders complaining about the slow or non existent development, Fabio being the most vocal about it. F1 motorist Marmorini is two years in working on the engine, and Yamaha have finally decided to get some key players and hired Ducati’s ex number two Bartolini (for who Fabio had only praises after working with him for a few days) along with former Ducati aerodynamicist Nicotra. They are apparently working closely with an Italian aerodynamics company, have started a partnership with a 3D printing company and are basically strengthening the operations of the brand’s base in Italy. Does all of this come so fucking late? For sure, and Yamaha is paying the price for their complacency. It’s too early for these recent changes to bear their fruits on the track, so could Fabio have left now after finally getting what he asked, without ever seeing what these changes could have led to? He could have, sure. I think he would have if it meant switching for a factory Ducati, but the only option was Aprilia and it’s a less sexy option. See point two.

Bonus reason: sponsors. I think Monster Energy played a part. Monster sponsors many riders in MotoGP, but Fabio is their guy. He is the number 1 in the team for which they are the title sponsor. They wouldn't let him go that easily.

The gloomy part now, the reasons why there is doubt to have about this renewal (I won't elaborate as much because I don’t want to get depressed):

Yamaha is Yamaha… Disappointing fans since 2016 (minus 2021).

The il4 engine problem. With Suzuki gone, the il4 is yet to show how it can be competitive in this heavy aero era of these last few years. Maybe it has reached its peak and bears too many disadvantages compared to the v4. Then Yamaha will have to wait and pray for the 2027 new regulations to be more favorable…

This renewal doesn’t make sense if Fabio doesn’t plan to stick with Yamaha for the new 2027 regulations. He will help develop the new 850cc bike, and if the development doesn’t go completely awry, why would he leave then?

Fabio will not be able to test himself on another bike for another two years. The il4 style suited him, but what if he liked the v4 more? For now, we will never know.

Bonus part, because I want to end on a good note:

The response of the Japanese fans has been overwhelmingly heart-warming. Look at any comment under a Japanese post, they are SO happy that Fabio is staying, and that not every rider is leaving to go to an European team. Japan is so important for MotoGP, and after Marc leaving Honda, Fabio staying at Yamaha is important to prevent Japan’s MotoGP stronghold from further decaying.

Fabio will be the highest paid rider in MotoGP. He will be able to take care of his family like he intends to. No worries for the bills of his new very big house.

Fabio looks damn good in blue.

Bonus hater point (I can’t help myself):

Ducati can fuck off for wanting to pay its riders with pennies.

If you have made it through all of this, thank you…? Why are you still here...?

#fabio quartararo #motogp #elie.txt #why is bro (me) still talking

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strykingback · 2 months

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Jaune Arc. The most HORRENDOUS example of a FUCKING KNIGHT.

Trigger warning for this being a drunk as hell post because I decided to drink after a long day of Valentines BS and wanting to make thi post to make one teensy weensy Jaune Stan mad.

Oh yes Rooster Teeth and CRWBY I'm gonna fuckin' shit all over your useless-ass knight character. Why? Because I fuckin' can. So eat a whole ass fucking dick.

So you know Jaune Arc from RWBY right? Literally the "knight character" of the series right. WELL FUCKIN' WRONG. Cause this knight is the example of "I Wanna Be the Main Character" syndrome and literally betrays everything that a knight is meant to do.

So as we know Jaune is meant to be a reference or referred by his naming convention to the actual JOAN OF ARC

Joan of Arc who is well known as history's most bravest female knight of all time. Who had managed to push back many British soldiers all while she received a vision from God in order to continue her rage against the British invaders during the Hundred Years War. Now if we're talking about the Arthurian Legend then this talk would be hella different.

Now starting things off. What pisses me off the most is why wasnt Jaune a fucking woman to kick things off. Like one of the most influential knights in human history being reduced to a secondary wannabe "I wanna be the MC" head-ass boy. Like not gonna lie it would have been much better if he was one cause it would have made a lot more sense if their semblance was seeing events before they happened which woulda made more sense and would have fit Jaune's historical illusion.

But naw. Make his semblance the generic. "I Need Healing" head-ass.

now this would mean that he would be following the Code of Chivalry which this useless-ass knight has failed in so many levels. Take note that there are two Code's of Chivalry one from the Song of Roland and one from the Arthurian Legend of King Arthur. and the following two state.

Song of Roland’s Code of Chivalry:

Fear God and His Church Serve the liege lord in valor and faith Protect the weak and defenseless Live by honor and for glory Respect the honor of women

King Arthurs version of the Code of Chivalry:

Honor Honesty Loyalty Valor

Immediately right off the bat we know for certain that Jaune does not respect the honor of women especially in Vol 9 where Ruby has a whole ass mental break down but Jaune says "Oooh I M THE MAIN CHARACTER! YOUR JUST A FUCKIN' BITCH AND YOU NEED TO LET ME HAVE THE SPOTLIGHT" like tell me that is immediately a massive fail especially when Jaune had respected Pyrrha so much so to the point where this man had multiple different arcs over the course of what. six fucking seasons and still has not gotten over her death. Now yes he did follow through with Penny's Idea.... which was a horrendous idea not gonna lie....

Dude shes fuckin' dead. MOVE ON WITH THE LESSONS SHE HAS TAUGHT YOU. YA FUCKIN' REDDIT MOD LOOKING HEAD-ASS!!!!

Next would have to be Honesty has he literally cheated to get in. Now I count this as a half fail. cause he did prove to have potential in the earlier seasons of RWBY but at the same time. He lied to get into Beacon Academy. which only made me think.... what did Monty cook up for him before Rooster Teeth and CRWBY fucked everything . Another would have to be Loyalty which is a hardcore fail. As he assisted RWBY (aka the four terrorists) into literally destroying an ENTIRE FUCKIING KINGDOM. Actually TWO if you're counting Mantle. Which is just fucking stupid cause this man would warn people and then suddenly everything has to focus around him like once again "Main Character Syndrome." instead of Ruby Rose who IS SUFFERING IN VOLUME NINE!!! Oh Oh Oh. but wait theres more.

but then when Ruby does the Unalive congo and everyone is shocked.. guess what everyone has to hug Jaune cause he is going through shit. When Ruby had it worse!!!

Aka The Four Dumb Fucks who wont realize their Leader just unalived themselves and they just hug the "Main Character Syndrome: Jaune who is going through it instead of mourning Ruby.

What is there in Honor for a man who barely can honor a friends death no less in the "possible afterlife"

Valor- Dude is the example of I'm a fuckin' coward and I need assistance in order to harm the big fuckin' bad.

Loyalty- Jaune " I followed my friends to destroy an entire Kingdom" Arc.

Everybody Jaune Arc. Is Full o' bullshit and he is the worst example of a fuckin' knight who should never get an arc again!

#tw: drunk posting #tw: drunk #RWDE #[To Be RWDE or Not to Be RWDE- RWDE Posting]

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strawberrypinky · 9 months

Text

all your loving (all or nothing) pt. 1 - a. sharp x reader

for the longest time, aesop sharp was absolutely certain that he must have eradicated an entire civilisation in his past life, as there was no other possible explanation for the sheer torture in found himself in. but as the months went on and the weather became warmer, and the flowers were blooming again, he found himself believing that retribution was possible – even for someone like him.

or: aesop sharp is an idiot in love with a breeding kink and this escalated in ways i can never speak of.

A/N: Right. What was supposed to be a simple, short, smutty one shot, escalated into this. Do I have regrets? Yeah - a lot of them. Am I still posting this? Absolutely. I blame @legacygirlingreen for enabling me, but I also thank her for the endless support she's given me throughout. M; you are the best 💚

To everyone else reading this; I have never written 'x Reader' before, so please give me some grace for trying 🙏🏻

FYI: (Y/N) - Your Name (Y/L/N) - Your Last Name (Y/E/C) - Your Eye Colour (Y/H/C) - Your Hair Colour

CW (here we go): Fluff, Romance, Idiots in Love, Miscommunication, Pining, Age Difference (Aged up Main Character), Canon Divergence (bc I can't stand to kill Fig off), Spoiler Alert for Hogwarts Legacy, Implied Hufflepuff MC (not specified), Porn with Plot, Smut (18+, MDNI) - for part 2 (lord, forgive me): Loss of Virginity, Breeding Kink, Impregnation, Overstimulation, Praise Kink, Size Kink

Word Count (Part 1): 16k (yes - this escalated)

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48482581/chapters/122292907

Aesop Sharp was sure that he must have eradicated an entire civilisation in his past life.

There was simply no other explanation for the sheer torture he continuously found himself in.

He thought Scarborough Harbour and the curse in his leg might have been penance - the pain and guilt certainly served as a constant reminder of his misdeeds in this life, as if he could ever forget about them in the first place. His partner, his best friend, had died because of an oversight in judgement (one he had made), and the woman he thought he was going to marry ended things as soon as it became clear that he would be crippled for life.

Losing his job (one he had tirelessly worked for his entire youth) was simply the cherry on top.

He supposed he was lucky when he ended up in Hogwarts, of all places. Although he had never been one to stick to the rules in his time as a schoolboy, Aesop was a surprisingly studious pupil (he had to be if he truly wanted to become an Auror) and loved the school nonetheless. Potions was among his best subjects, right after Defence Against the Dark Arts, and even if it hadn't been his dream career, he liked it fine. It was certainly far more engaging than being confined behind a desk at the Ministry, looking at applications and deciding which hot-headed and possibly egotistical graduate he would send into the field, perhaps even subjecting them to a fate like his own (or worse).

His second career came with quite a few benefits, too, such as free room and board, fantastic meals (Aesop loathed cooking) and unlimited access to the Restricted Section - a place he had searched relentlessly for a cure or at least a treatment better to the one he currently received. And he could look out for his students, the Aurors of tomorrow, too. He might have been the reason his partner had died, and he might never be able to make that right. But, at the very least, he could ensure that his students would not make the same mistakes he did, lest saving them from the regret and suffering he endured daily. Some of them were brighter than others, of course. He didn't think himself to be horridly unfair. Strict, yes. He had to be; potions were fickle things, after all. But certainly not unfair.

If anything, Aesop would've described himself as quite reasonable most times.

There were, of course, students he had to be particularly strict with. Students such as Garreth Weasley.

The boy had been a royal pain in Aesop's arse from the second those ginger locks appeared in his classroom in the Autumn of 1885, and he continued to be one up until his graduation. Garreth Weasley wasn't stupid - far from it. He was actually quite brilliant if he tried to apply himself, which was rarely the case, but it had (much to Aesop's chagrin) been enough to qualify him for the NEWT level class. Matilda had apologised over and over, though as the years passed, the apologies always seemed to be accompanied by a small grin, possibly because Garreth's...creative...concoctions in school relieved the Weasley Household of their unfortunate duty of having to try them.

Other students were even less forgettable - although for entirely different reasons.

(Y/N) (Y/L/N) had been an enigma from the moment she timidly trailed behind their illustrious Headmaster into the Great Hall, late, looking as pale as a ghost. Scrap that. The girl had been an enigma from the second the Book of Admittance spat out her name - four years too late. Suddenly the teachers had found themselves in the precarious situation of what to do with a fifteen-year-old who had no prior understanding of magic but was to start at Hogwarts mere four months later. Eventually, their colleague Eleazar Fig had been sent to tutor the poor girl to at least try to get her up to speed, but Aesop would have been the first to admit that he did not have high hopes. He was pleasantly surprised when the girl was incredibly adept at magic. She had bested other top students on her first day, not to mention taken down a troll in Hogsmeade, and she was nothing short of talented at potions too. He remembered her first lesson vividly; she had brewed a perfect Wiggenweld and a perfect Edurus.

Miss (Y/L/N) continued to be an exemplary student, both inside and outside of the potions classroom. Any (extra) assignments had always been handed in on time, she picked up spells like magic was second nature to her, and she was overall an absolute joy to be around. Her peers likely would have said the same. Various rumours followed her, and though most of them were concerning, Aesop did not think that a new student (no matter how talented) would actually be taking down entire Poacher and Goblin camps. He had suspected that her heroic escape from the dragon and her Hogsmeade adventure let some students become a little too imaginative. How wrong he had been.

Aesop still remembered the February afternoon it all came crashing down. Eleazar Fig had stormed into the teacher's room after summoning them with a note that said the matter was of 'utmost importance' and no matter how many years Aesop had spent in the field, nothing would have prepared him for the reality of what he was about to be faced with. Not only had the girl, in fact, taken down Poacher Camps. No. She had been fighting an entire Goblin Rebellion, taken down both Theophilus Harlow and various operations of Victor Rookwood and (as if that hadn't been enough) she apparently wielded Ancient Magic, completed a set of trials that were meant to lead her to some grand mystery the rebellion leader - Ranrok - was also after and was now preparing to take said Goblin down. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Aesop was sure that Matilda Weasley would have chewed Eleazar Fig apart right then and there for his carelessness in hiding something like this. But when the teachers apparated into the caverns below Hogwarts, they didn't have time to dwell on any of it.

By some miracle, the young witch had done it. She had saved the entire school though it had almost come at the expense of her life.

When he, Matilda, Dinah, Abraham and Mudiwa finally had taken care of the last of the goblins that had invaded the caverns, they descended further into them, only to discover what could be described as an utter wasteland, complete with a peculiar gigantic orb of magic, a gravely wounded and distraught Professor Fig and an unconscious, heavily bleeding (Y/N) (Y/L/N).

When the young girl awoke in the Hospital Wing nearly two weeks later, she awoke a hero.

Aesop could tell she was insanely uncomfortable. She was not someone who was looking for glory or people to sing her praises. She was just a girl who had done what had been asked of her, even if the task she had fulfilled should never have been hers to begin with. She passed her O.W.L.'s with flying colours (of course she had), and thankfully, after an extensive summer break, her life had calmed down significantly. She was able to spend her remaining two years at Hogwarts in peace, having fun with her friends and enjoying her classes. Nobody had been more proud of her than Eleazar himself when she graduated at the top of her class (right next to Amit Thakkar) three years ago.

That had been the last time Aesop had seen her.

He knew from Eleazar (who had pretty much turned into the girl's father) that she had been travelling the world with Poppy Sweeting, one of her closest friends from Hogwarts, to study various beasts and plants - A waste of talent if Aesop had ever seen any. With her skill set and her stellar grades, she would've done phenomenally in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but somehow he understood her desire to live a more peaceful life. If anything, he was somehow glad that she wasn't out there risking her life continually to save others. She had saved Wizardkind once. Now it was somebody else's turn.

When Bai Howin, their resident Care of Magical Creatures Professor, announced her plans to retire last year, Aesop didn't think that (Y/N) (Y/L/N) would be the one taking over. She was just twenty (or perhaps twenty-one? He wasn't sure) and didn't seem like the type to enjoy teaching.

But there she was in front of him, and he was sure that this was another way of punishing him.

She had never been ugly. In fact, from what he remembered, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was quite the sight to behold. She certainly had no shortage of admirers during her time, even if he couldn't recall her courting anyone specifically. But the woman in front of him? She was downright ethereal.

Her long (Y/H/C) cascaded down her small shoulders and framed her small, heart-shaped face. Her lips were fuller and deliciously pink, stretched into a warm and bright smile that lit up her doe-like (Y/E/C) eyes with almost childish excitement. She was positively tiny; he easily towered over her, but Merlin was she beautiful.

"Everyone, I am most pleased to welcome our newest addition to the staff. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) will be filling Bai's position the coming school year," Matilda announced with an equally bright smile at the staff's annual pre-term meeting on the 25th of August. From the corner of his eye, Aesop could see the proud smile Eleazar wore.

"Miss (Y/L/N)!" Abraham cheered, "How delightful to welcome you back to Hogwarts!" "Thank you, Professor Ronen," she smiled earnestly, "I'm so happy to be back." "Oh please," the jovial Slytherin jumped up, "It's Abraham now. We're colleagues, after all, are we not?"

Aesop was sure he had never heard a giggle as heart-warming as hers. He scoffed internally. He wasn't some schoolboy with a silly crush. Get over yourself, Aesop!

"Very well then, Abraham," her eyes twinkling, "I'm (Y/N)."

Aesop observed as the rest of the staff gathered around her, welcoming her back with just as much delight as Abraham and Matilda had done, and her smile only seemed to grow bigger. With a sigh, he got up himself and limped towards the group, his usual stern expression not giving a single hint as to what he was truly feeling.

"Miss (Y/L/N)," he gruffly said as he came to a stop before her, "How nice to see you again."

He did not think it possible for her smile to grow any bigger (seriously, her face must have hurt), but it did as her eyes took him in.

"Professor Sharp!" (Y/N) chirped happily, "It's nice to see you again."

He didn't know this, but he had been her favourite teacher throughout her short time at Hogwarts; his stern and keenly aware nature was calming to be around, and his classes were always interesting. There had been a time when she considered becoming a professional potioneer, but when the opportunity came up to study Beasts with Poppy, she simply couldn't say no. She had only been a witch for three years and barely knew what the Wizarding World had to offer. It was only natural that she wanted to go out and explore the world as she could honestly always choose a career a little later in life. When Eleazar had reached out to her a couple of months back to tell her that a position was opening up, she couldn't help but apply, and when Matilda (and Black) hired her, she was over the moon.

"As Abraham has said," Aesop cleared his throat, "We are colleagues now. You can call me Aesop."

"I look forward to working with you, Aesop," (Y/N) nodded, her cheeks tinted pink as she quickly averted her gaze and struck up a conversation with Dinah instead.

Aesop barely saw her until the following week. All of them were busy preparing their lessons and classrooms, and he spent most of his days brewing to replenish his and the Hospital Wings potion supply. Given that she lived in the small hut on the grounds, he didn't really see her around the castle either, but she continued to be on his mind nonetheless. It was a pity, really. He had wondered how she had fared over the past three years and why exactly she had returned. It was unusual for witches and wizards her age to return to Hogwarts to teach of all things, but then again, she's been hardly usual in the first place. Aesop knew that Y/N would be one of his more familiar coworkers - Bai had supplied him with by-products of caring for the beasts, and he supposed (or rather hoped) that her successor would do the same. If anything, it made brewing that much cheaper when he didn't have to hop into Hogsmeade and pester and negotiate with Parry Pippin or Ellie Peck (their prices were quite atrocious at times).

So when he was finishing up brewing some standard potions on the 1st of September and realised he was out of Unicorn Horn, Aesop decided that now was a good time as any to make the small trek towards the Beasts Classroom and hope that Y/N would somehow have some on hand. It was still early, and the weather was nice, sunny and warm, which helped Aesop's blasted leg tremendously. He knew the colder winter months would aggravate his leg further, but at least for now, he could enjoy his walk to the best of his abilities.

He spotted her before she spotted him.

She was outside in one of the pens, brushing and petting the Kneazles that would surely serve as a lesson in the coming days, looking absolutely content. The sun was shining down on her, illuminating her skin and hair, which, unlike last time, was in an elaborate and fashionable updo which framed her face artfully.

He stopped in front of the pen gates, simply observing the young woman who was entirely oblivious to his arrival. (Y/N) giggled happily as the Kneazles danced around her, desperate for her attention and happily purring whenever she offered them some. One of the older Kneazles cuddled up to her leg, flopping on its back and almost chirping, trying to get her attention.

"Now, now, Persephone," she chided as she turned her attention towards the needy Kneazle, "you've gotten plenty already. Leave some for the others."

"I don't think they understand you," Aesop interrupted her, and he chuckled when she jumped and turned around with a bewildered expression.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, her tone accusing.

"Just a few minutes," he answered with a shrug.

"Hmph."

He watched as she stood up, slowly rising from the dirt and dusting off her skirts. Her glare was accusing as she exited the pens, the Kneazles yapping.

"For the record, they are incredibly wise. They certainly do understand me."

"Alright," he held up his hands in surrender, "I am not here to fight you on your Kneazles anyway." He hadn't known that she was overprotective, though if he remembered correctly, Miss Sweeting had been too. Perhaps he should have figured that the Hufflepuff would rub off on her.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Profe-," she stopped herself, clearing her throat, "I mean Aesop."

Aesop... He liked the way his name sounded from her lips. It sounded almost like a reverent prayer.

He quickly cleared his throat himself, shaking his head to clear his thoughts before answering her.

"I was hoping you might have some spare Unicorn Horn? Bai usually provided me with by-products of her care, and I was rather hoping you would continue to offer."

"Oh," she blushed, "Yes, of course. Come. I have some inside."

As he followed her, he inevitably noticed how small the girl was. Even with his limp, he was no more than one step behind her - a highly unusual occurrence.

What had been previously Bai's hut was now completely unrecognisable (not that he had been in there all too often). The rooms were previously quite barren, save for the few personal artefacts and curiosities. A bed, a desk, a closet... Nothing to write home about. Now, though, Aesop had stepped into what felt like an actual home.

The floor was now covered by plush and comforting carpets, which would surely provide additional warmth during the winter months. The walls were warm wood in some places, though covered by paintings and illustrations in others. The beehive fireplace in the corner held the remains of a slow flickering fire, and the eclectic pieces that littered the home did not match one another but were harmonious just the same. One of the armchairs in front of the fire looked worn and old, the other rather contemporary and the shelves to his right reminded him of some modern Parisian styles he had seen some time ago. Various artefacts and trinkets were scattered across the room; some Aesop recognised, others he absolutely didn't. A Potions Station was bubbling away to his left, a small stove with a stray kettle beside it. The entire hut smelled like fresh pastries and freshly pressed linen - comforting and homey just the same.

"Whatever do you need a potions station for?" he asked as she fluttered around the room.

"Oh, that," she answered him. "Call it a force of habit or simply a pastime. I used to brew a lot back in school, and I was mostly responsible for any concoctions when Poppy and I travelled. I suppose I haven't lived that down."

Intrigued, he stepped up to the cauldron, trying to define the mixture by its smell and looks.

"Bruisewort Balm," he concluded quickly, "Looks very satisfactory." The jump back into 'Professor Persona' was one that he had been all too used to, even if it had been around his newest colleague.

(Y/N), however, blushed profusely. Potions had been her favourite class during her short time at Hogwarts, and Sharp's praise would always be special. His had to be earned (rightfully so), and that simply made it all the more satisfying. To hear him praise her years later made her chest fill with pride.

"I learned from the best," she offered, handing him a box which contained some Horns. "Antidote to Common Poisons, or did Madam Blainey run out of Blood Replenishing Potions?"

Surprised, Aesop raised an eyebrow as he took the box from her hands. He hadn't expected her to be able to recall such information, even if it had been relevant in her NEWT exams once.

"Antidote to Common Poisons," he confirmed, eyeing her beaming smile as his heart skipped a beat. Had her smile always been this pretty?

"And you have everything else you need?" she offered, "I think I might have some Bezoars lying around in case you're out of them."

"No, I have everything else," he grumbled, "I know you were a decent potioneer, but I must say I am surprised to hear you have retained that much information."

"Decent?" she sounded affronted, "Wasn't I top of the class by the time I graduated?"

"Perhaps." His grin was teasing; he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. "But even so, recalling ingredients is impressive. It has been a while, hasn't it been?"

"You're awful," she puffed, crossing her arms in front of her like a petulant child. "And for the record, Potions was my favourite class. I even considered becoming a Potioneer or a Healer once."

The words spilt from his mouth before he could stop himself. "And yet you decided to travel the world and study beasts? Enlighten me, Miss (Y/L/N)?"

She bit her lip, causing a jolt of... something... coursing through him as she shrugged.

"I supposed I had wanted to see the world. And I like Beasts; I hardly would've agreed to teach if I didn't. Before I was a witch, I was expected to be a wife. My sole purpose lay in providing children for my betrothed. When I suddenly had the freedom to decide what I wished to do, it was both overwhelming and exciting, and to see more of a world which was so foreign to me seemed like a grand idea at the time." She chuckled absentmindedly. "I apologise for rambling. I shall let you get back to preparing whatever it is you need to prepare."

"Oh, not at all," Aesop shook his head. "You are betrothed?"

"I was. My parents were rather well off and paired me with a suitor they deemed worthy. When I came to Hogwarts, they..." she shuddered, remembering the final conversation she had had with them. "Let us just say that they weren't...eager to have their only daughter in a co-educational environment outside of their ascendancy."

Merlin, suddenly Aesop wasn't surprised that Eleazar had taken the girl home after the events of her fifth year. She clearly did not have another one to return to. Aesop knew that, much like their pureblooded counterparts, muggles arranged marriages between their children in order to secure the most advantageous match possible. He also knew that muggles were even more traditional than wizards, though it surprised him to hear that a co-educational environment such as Hogwarts was deemed inappropriate enough to ruin a young woman's reputation. Most witches, especially those from better backgrounds (magical or not), held on to their maidenhood until marriage, much like muggle women did. Laying with a man who was not your husband was as inappropriate in the Wizarding World as it was in Muggle London, though, in all fairness, most Wizards (especially purebloods like Aesop himself) hardly ever followed that rule - nor were they expected to. And either way, Hogwarts itself had various... safety measures in place to ensure no such encounters would happen.

Aesop found it doubtful that nobody would have been able to appease her family's concerns, though, at any rate, he supposed she was right. It left her able to make her own choice - something she deserved, especially after saving both the school and Wizardkind. Suddenly her decision made all the more sense, and he found himself almost pitying her circumstances.

"I'm sorry," he offered, though he knew it would scarcely be a consolation.

"Don't be," she smiled sadly, "I am lucky to have Eleazar. He's been more of a father to me than mine had ever been. And whilst I would have loved to have a family and a husband by now, I cannot lie and say that travelling the world with my best friend hasn't been worth the sacrifice."

If Aesop ever had any concerns if she was suitable to teach, they had been laid to rest within the first two weeks, for whoever he listened to would say the same: that she was utterly brilliant.

Care of Magical Creatures class had always been decently popular among students - it was certainly more popular than Magical Theory or Alchemy, but ever since the one and only Hero of Hogwarts had started to lecture the class, its popularity had all but exploded amongst the students. They seemed more engaged than ever, and the fourth-year class he taught directly after her class was always in high spirits. Matilda had to refuse several students the luxury of adding Care of Magical Creatures to their curriculum, and if Aesop had to overhear another bulk of male students lusting after Miss (Y/L/N), he would rip off his own ears.

Sure, she was beautiful. Very beautiful, in fact. And smart. And kind. And funny. He had noticed that himself (any man with two functioning eyes would), but Merlin was it infuriating to hear constantly.

(Y/N) had her seat next to him in the Great Hall, and surprisingly they ate their meals at similar enough times, causing them to exchange pleasantries often enough over breakfast or dinner. She was as cheerful as he remembered and did most of the talking, but it was comfortable.

She often shared tidbits and stories from her many travels, the beasts she encountered or the people she met.

"Japan was the most interesting, really. Though one day, Poppy and I wanted to bathe in a local pond and nearly got eaten by a Kappa."

Aesop had nearly spat out his drink.

"A Kappa?" he asked, "The water-dwellers that look like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds? Those Kappas?"

"Yes!" she grinned at him cheerfully before she took another bite of her scone. "Quite fascinating creature, really. Luckily we had a cucumber on hand. Did you know that they prefer those to human blood?"

"I...did not," Aesop shook his head, his eyes comically wide as he watched her devour her scone with such gusto and nonchalance - as if she hadn't nearly recounted yet another story of how she almost died. Someone desperately needed to teach her a sense of self-preservation.

She had many stories like that. Too many, if one were to ask Aesop. Suddenly he ceased thinking that she could have been a good Auror - she would have been blown up within weeks if her recklessness was anything to go by. In hindsight, it added up; no fully sane fifteen-year-old would willingly jump into battle over and over again, even if they had essentially been the sole witch able to save the day. Then again, she wasn't fifteen anymore.

Four weeks after the school year had started, Dinah and Abraham had the wonderfully stupid idea to commemorate (Y/N)'s arrival as a professor officially with a soirée an opportunity for most of them to get drunk off their asses. It was something of a tradition, one that even Aesop couldn't escape when he first started teaching, and Dinah, the absolute menace she was, usually ensured that at least half of the participants would nurse a hangover the next day. The bloody woman could hold her drink; Aesop would give her that much - he doubted (Y/N) could do the same. Sirona was all too happy to open up the small space upstairs of the Three Broomsticks, which teachers usually occupied throughout the school year so awkward encounters could be avoided.

So when the first Saturday of October had rolled around, their newest addition to the staff was all but ambushed and dragged to the Three Broomsticks, and Aesop had to confess that her helpless gaze was worth the tedious walk to the pub.

"What exactly-" "No questions," Dinah interrupted her before shoving a glass of firewhiskey into her small hands. "We are not letting you leave until you are drunk."

"Don't fight tradition," Eleazar grinned slyly at his protegé, "We've all been through this."

"You're evil," she pouted at him, the firewhiskey still in her hands.

"Yes, well," the older man shrugged, "Consider it a debt repaid after all the grey hairs you have caused me over the years."

"Excuse me?!" she gasped, but before she could continue, Dinah barked at her: "Drink up!"

Aesop could only watch with amusement as she nipped on the whiskey with a grimace, coughing as it went down. "It burns," she whined, trying to shove the whiskey back into Dinah's hands, but the former Unspeakable wouldn't have it.

"Get used to it."

It shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone really that she was drunk within record time. Aesop, much like Dinah and Eleazar, could hold his drink incredibly well, but it was always entertaining to see the rest of the staff utterly pissed.

Mudiwa and Satyavati were in a spirited discussion about their respective fields, neither wishing to meet the other eye to eye, and Aesop wouldn't have been surprised if the Ugandan native whipped out a crystal ball to smash it on Satyavati's head. Chiyo, Abraham, Matilda and Mirabel, on the other hand, were somewhere between singing and screaming an old drinking song Aesop did not recognise, though it frankly sounded horrible all the same.

"Honestly, Eleazar. I would have expected you to teach her how to hold her drink," Dinah grinned as she pointed at the slumped-over figure in front of the fireplace.

"She can hold her drink," Eleazar countered with a sneer. "You are simply a menace. How many of those did you give her?"

"Oh, not too many," Dinah grinned, taking another swig of her firewhiskey. "Eight, perhaps?"

"Eight?! Are you trying to kill her?!" Aesop chuckled. "Merlin Dinah, even I can tell she's a lightweight."

"She'll live," the woman waved her hand dismissively. "You should take her back to her hut, though."

"Me?!" Aesop asked incredulously, nearly spilling the remains of his drink in surprise. Eleazar had the same bewildered expression on his face, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Yes, you," Dinah rolled her eyes, "You think I miss the looks you two dunderheads share?"

Aesop's heart felt like it was beating out of his chest for a second, his mind completely blank as he took in his friend's words. His face must have given away his utter bewilderment because Dinah only groaned in exasperation. Damn her and her perceptiveness!

"Dinah, I have no idea what you are-" "Oh, quit it!" she interrupted him as fiercely as she had interrupted (Y/N) a while back. "I haven't seen your grumpy arse smile as much as you have during meal times in all my years of knowing you. And the reason for that is seated right next to you."

"She's just a good conversationalist!" Aesop protested, affronted that Dinah would even think he fancied his former student of all people.

"Good conversationalist, my ass," she snorted before shaking her head. "Take her home, Romeo. That's an order. "

Her tone left little to no room for argument (she was insanely good at that), and so Aesop found himself limping and straggling along the darkened path back to Hogwarts, thanking Merlin that no student was wandering about to see a wasted Professor (Y/N) slumped in his arms. She was thankfully rather light, considering that the colder weather was slowly creeping in. Aesop's cursed limp began hurting as it usually did during the winter months, so he was in no position to lift anything heavy.

She was rather close to him, nestled into his chest, though the top of her head just about reached a few inches below his shoulders. Typically, Aesop liked to keep people at arm's length, not one for physical contact, especially with people he hardly knew. But having her in his arms, of all people, was not only comfortable, but he also quickly realised he liked having her there. She was warm and small, fit perfectly into his side, and smelled divine.

He would have expected her to smell like the earth outside, given how much time she spent in Beast pens and caring for them, but instead, she smelled of fresh pastries and the sweetest fruits, a warm and homely scent that made him feel all ways of strange. He hadn't felt this way in a long, long time, but no matter what Dinah may have alluded to - it simply couldn't be.

"You think too much," a small, grumbling voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused," she mumbled, pressing herself further into him before falling silent once more.

He thought too much? Aesop wondered what she meant by that. But he enjoyed the remaining walk in silence, understanding that she was far too inebriated to have an actual conversation anyways. She was half-asleep by the time they had reached her hut, so he carefully helped her onto the bed, wondering if he should at least help her take off her boots, but she was asleep before he could ask. So instead, Aesop placed a blanket over her softly snoring form before he limped outside and begrudgingly took the floo flames to the Faculty Tower.

Aesop wasn't surprised when she didn't show up for breakfast the following day, but breakfast did seem a little duller than it usually had been. He kept the affair short before he retreated to his quarters, deciding to catch up on some essays and potion quizzes, which would inevitably frustrate him but putting it off would only mean delaying the inevitable. Some of his students would make brilliant potioneers, but most of them were hopeless cases, unfortunately. Sometime in the early afternoon, a knock pulled him from his frustrating work, and he was surprised to find a sheepish and embarrassed-looking (Y/N) at his doorstep. She looked tired, her face a little more worn than usual, and her hair seemed mildly matted and disorderly, but realistically, she nursed a fat hangover. All things considered, she still looked pretty.

"(Y/N)," he acknowledged with a curt nod.

"I uhm," she shuffled her feet awkwardly, her face downcast and her cheeks adorably red. "I wanted to thank you," she said after a while.

"Thank me?" Aesop raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, uhm," she cleared her throat, raising her face to look back at him. "Thank you for helping me back to my hut. You didn't have to."

"Dinah was remarkably insistent that I do," Aesop blurted out before he could stop himself. A flash of hurt crossed her face, but it was gone within a second, her smile strangely contorted, and Aesop wondered if he had said something wrong.

"Well, either way. You got me back, and that's what matters, I suppose."

The two stood there for a while, staring at each other like fools, before she suddenly jumped and pulled at her satchel. "I made you some biscuits," she rambled, pulling out a small bag that emitted an enticing sugary smell. Aesop wasn't fond of biscuits, but the aroma of these was absolutely mouth-watering, so he gladly accepted. Maybe it was because the smell reminded him of her.

"Would you like to come in?" he offered, stepping aside and inviting her inside his quarters.

"Are you sure that's appropriate?" her tone hesitant as she stood her ground in front of the door.

"Why wouldn't it be?" his tone equal amounts curious and disturbed. Did she think he wanted to dishonour her?

"Nevermind," she shook her head before wordlessly accepting his invitation and stepping inside.

Even if she had been a part of the Wizarding World for nearly half a decade now, the rigorous societal standards she had been raised with for a majority of her life had stuck with her, and if someone from her old life had seen her step into a man's room, unaccompanied, her reputation would have been ruined. She had realised that the Wizarding World was far more relaxed than Muggle London fairly quickly when she had been allowed to be accompanied to Hogsmeade her first week by Sebastian Sallow - an event which never would have taken place without a chaperone in her old home. And whilst the concept of courting and preserving one's honour was the proper way in the Wizarding World as well, one was certainly not watched like a hawk every second of the day until marriage.

His quarters had been just like she remembered them; a little disorderly, muted in colour and sparse in decor. Tons of cauldrons stood against the walls, but his big windows let in ample amounts of sunshine. The smell of firewhiskey and the crackling fire permeated the air, though his unique scent also clung to it. It was comforting but hardly a home. Two leather armchairs stood in front of the fireplace, and his desk looked to be brimming with graded essays.

"Would you like some tea?" Aesop asked her, clearing his throat and effectively pulling her out of her daydreaming and wandering gaze. He usually didn't have guests over, much less pretty female ones.

"Oh yes. That would be lovely," she smiled gratefully. He only motioned for her to sit down as he prepared two cups of steaming Earl Grey, adding a bit of milk to hers (that's how she always drank it).

She thanked him with a bashful smile as he handed her the cup before he eventually sank down in the armchair opposite hers, nursing his own teacup in relative silence before he teasingly asked her: "So how are you feeling?"

"I can't believe you drink that nasty stuff willingly."

"It takes quite a connoisseur to appreciate Firewhiskey," Aesop grinned.

"I think I might prefer the occasional glass of mead," she pulled a face before taking a sip of her tea and sighing in relief. "In any case, I'm not touching alcohol for a good while."

"I didn't expect you to," he chuckled before sighing and stretching his leg. It had started to bother him a little more throughout the afternoon, which was not an unusual occurrence, especially given the events of yesterday. A little massage, his pain relief potion and perhaps even a warm bath and firewhiskey would make it bearable.

"Does it hurt more than usual?" she asked him boldly, her gaze fixated upon his leg as he shifted to find a more comfortable position.

"No," he grit out between his teeth. "This is usual given the weather and circumstances."

"I'm sorry," she meekly offered, her mind wandering off a little.

"I don't need your pity," Aesop spat out in a lapse of judgement, his gaze venomous. She flinched, just barely so, but it was enough for it to tear at his heartstrings and apologise immediately.

"It's alright," she sighed. "I was just...what remedies have you tried? I remember you telling me that you looked in the Hogwarts library, but..."

"That was five years ago," Aesop conceded. "I'm sure I have read every possible book in there by now."

"Perhaps I could ask Poppy to have a look?" (Y/N) offered him. "She is still travelling, and we came across quite a few treatments and fauna that we hadn't previously known..."

"I cannot, in good conscience, ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering."

Aesop thought for a second, but her offer was generous. He was slowly losing hope, as the Hogwarts Library didn't offer a cure, so perhaps it was time to start looking elsewhere.

"That would be very kind," he conceded, his voice stuck in his throat for a second.

Her smile was brighter than the sun itself, and Aesop's heart jumped erratically. It truly was beautiful.

They fell into a routine after that.

As promised, she had written to Poppy as soon as possible, asking her to keep an eye out for strange flora, beast products or books on curses and foreign potions. She had even secretly reached out to Sebastian, who was working as a Curse Breaker and stumbled upon more of them than she and Sharp combined could name; even if he didn't know a counter curse for Sharp's predicament, it was useful to keep tabs on it.

Whenever Poppy sent a small parcel, she would run to Aesop's room or the potions classroom just so she could share what may be a breakthrough in his research. And whilst nothing looked like a cure, the most recent batch of ingredients from East Asia had, at the very least, supplied Aesop with greater pain relief than usual.

"Hō-ō feathers and," she coughed violently, her face twisting in disgust. "Did Poppy send you Mimbulus Mimbletonia? This smells awfully rancid."

"She did indeed," Aesop confirmed, his face passive as he carefully stirred the potion before him. He was immensely grateful that Poppy had made due on her promise to send ingredients their way - ones that were either exceptionally difficult or downright impossible to get in England. That said, the Mimbulus Mimbletonia did smell awful, and it took quite a bit of willpower to not let his disgust show. He was surprised that the lovely woman sat in his potions classroom, just a little to the left of him, recognised the ingredients as quickly as she had, but the more time he spent with her, the more he had to acknowledge that she was smart beyond her years.

"I hated those whenever we came across them," she told him with a smile.

"Yes, well. Let's hope they're useful beyond repelling unsuspecting witches."

"Who said anything about repelling us?" Aesop could feel her smirk before he saw it. "We still wanted to see the Bowtruckles."

"Bowtruckles," Aesop shook his head in exasperation. "Of course."

Aesop was used to brewing on his own, usually secluded in his room, perhaps accompanied by a glass of firewhiskey and a melody from his gramophone. Unfortunately for him, he found that brewing in a certain witches' company was much more engaging, so much so that he began looking forward to spending time with her whenever the week seemed to pass him by a little too slowly for comfort. Most of their free days, however, they spent together in either of their quarters, drinking tea, sometimes playing Wizard's Chess, though usually, they graded their respective papers in comfortable silence. Some days Sharp listened to her stories, and on the very rare occasion, she listened to his.

"So you actually sent people to Azkaban before?" she asked with a shudder, her face a little pale.

"If I recall correctly, it was you who ensured Theophilus Harlow ended up there, too," Aesop countered.

"Technically, that was a group effort," she countered. "Natty was the one who tracked him down. I only duelled him."

"At fifteen?"

"I may have been sixteen. But I am not certain."

Aesop groaned at her carelessness and utter disregard for safety or rules. She was lucky he hadn't been her mentor during her days at the school. Eleazar might have even enabled her antics - he would have locked her up inside the castle walls.

"Either way. What kind of people did you send to Azkaban?"

"Reprobates? Dark Wizards?" Aesop answered her as if that had been the most obvious thing in the entire world.

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Right. One time my partner and I helped cease the operations of an illegal freak show. The woman who ran the whole thing imprisoned and trafficked multiple of her 'curiosities'. Assaulted quite a few herself."

"And she ended up in Azkaban?"

"Yes," Aesop confirmed, "Died there too."

"Ugh," she pulled a sorrowful face, "What an awful place to die. So cold and frightening."

Aesop's eyebrows shot up in question at that.

"And pray tell how do you know what the inside of Azkaban is like?"

"That, my dear Aesop," she grinned at him, "Is a story for another time."

When he found out that Helen Thistlewood had essentially dragged her to Azkaban and she had consequently solved a cold case, he didn't know whether to scream or cry or laugh or perhaps all together. Of course, she fucking had.

The weeks continued like that, and Aesop found that the days he spent with her were days very well spent. His mood usually improved drastically, perhaps to the point where even his students could tell. What was worse, though, was that his colleagues, the nosy little bastards, could tell too. So in hindsight, it likely shouldn't have surprised him when both Dinah and Eleazar suddenly had "endless amounts of essays to grade", and both Aesop and (Y/N) found themselves patrolling the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower on a late November night.

"I have to say, walking these halls after curfew isn't nearly as fun when you're a Professor," (Y/N) broke the silence after a while.

"And how often did you break curfew, Miss (Y/L/N)?"

"I am friends with Sebastian Sallow," she countered, "You take a guess."

"I forgot how much trouble that boy was," Aesop groaned.

Of course, he remembered. Aside from the horrors that used to be Solomon Sallow (who had died under incredibly conspicuous circumstances a few years back), his nephew had been quite the pain in Aesop's arse too. Sebastian and Anne Sallow were both exceedingly mischievous, pulling many (albeit harmless) pranks on their fellow students, breaking curfew, and Aesop had to brew hair regrowth potion on more than one occasion after they had illegally attempted fire spells on their own. The shenanigans did not stop after Miss Sallow had been cursed; if anything, they had continued with newfound vigour, and Sebastian was routinely caught in the Restricted Section. He had calmed down a little when (Y/N) had come to the school, and his sour mood had improved significantly. At one point, Aesop had thought that the two were courting, but the lovely woman next to him quickly assured him that there had never been any such feelings between them. It seemed like she simply had that effect on people.

"Oh, come on!" she whined cutely. "Don't tell me you've never broken curfew."

"Me? Never. I was the very picture of orderly conduct at Hogwarts."

The witch next to him only snorted. "I find that hard to believe."

"And you would be correct," Aesop jested, a wolfish grin on his face. He had broken countless rules during his time (though certainly not as many as she had), but unlike the Sallow boy, he had been smart enough to not get caught. At least not as frequently.

"I kne-" her words were cut off as she suddenly slipped at the top of the stairs, her feet just a little too close to the edge.

Aesop hastily steadied himself, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her into him ignoring her cries of surprise. She held onto the lapel of his coat, staring into his dark brown eyes with her wide ones, her cheeks suddenly a little more rosy as they tumbled a little. Aesop's eyes traced over her face, from the long lashes to the soft curve of her slightly open lips. His treacherous heart sped up the more he got lost in her captivating eyes, the very window to her soul, and all he wanted to do was dive in. Suddenly having her close didn't seem like it was enough - he wanted to be absorbed in her cosmos until he had unravelled each and every mystery it held, but before he could, his mind kicked into overdrive, and he pulled her away from the ledge.

"Are you alright?" he questioned breathlessly.

"Yes," she nearly squeaked, abruptly removing her hands as if he had burned her, avoiding his gaze as she took a steadying breath. "I'm fine."

He wanted, needed, to say something else. To reach out to her and pull her back into his arms, but before he could, she turned away to resume their nightly patrol, refusing to meet his eye again.

Things were oddly different after that night - and Aesop did not know why.

It was downright infuriating, especially since she liked to act as if nothing was amiss, but did she genuinely think she could fool a former Auror, of all people? Aesop might have left the field a decade ago, but he, all puns intended, was as sharp as ever.

She still sat beside him during meal times, but her stories became less and less until they eventually ceased altogether.

She still came to his quarters, though the visits became scarce until she muttered a pitiful excuse of "lots of grading to do" as if they hadn't done that together over the course of the term. And if ever he turned up on her doorstep, she usually had an excuse too or ensured their time together was as brief as possible.

And while she still kept bringing him the exotic ingredients Poppy sent her way, she typically delivered them by owl, which riled Aesop up so much that he hadn't even wanted to try and brew any possible cure in quite some time.

And worst of all? He didn't even understand why her sudden indifference suddenly infuriated him so much. She was a good friend - yes a very good one indeed. She was an exceptional conversationalist - also, yes. And she was breathtakingly beauti - Aesop stopped himself in an instant. Absolutely not.

He sighed in frustration, ignoring the curious stares of his fourth-year students as they, per usual, royally fucked up another potion. He didn't even recall what he had them brew, his mind a little too occupied with something - or rather someone - else. It was a loud 'BANG' that suddenly drew him from his thoughts, a colourful explosion from the back of the classroom that shone in a cacophony of various shades entering his field of vision. A sheepish Elizabeth Larson, younger sister of Andrew Larson and what Aesop wholeheartedly believed to be Garreth Weasley's spiritual successor, stood right next to the exploded cauldron, a tactless grin on her face as she ignored the dregs of whatever potion she had 'creatively enhanced' at her feet. She wasn't sorry; students like Garreth and her never were. If anything, they were only sorry that their concoction had failed and they had been caught. Furiously, Aesop rose to his feet, his leg aggravated and his mood so sour a lemon likely would have been sweet. The mess had been cleared up with a quick wave of his wand, but his fury hadn't dissipated in the slightest.

"Miss Larson," Aesop barked angrily as he stalked towards the back of the room, his glare pointed enough to explode another cauldron if he tried. "This is the seventh time you have acted outside of instruction. One would think your boneheadedness knows some bounds, but clearly, it does not." His tone was unusually cruel, the surprise of which evident on Elizabeth Larson's face as, while he was stern, he never insulted his students. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and I want to see you for detention every day the following week!"

"But Sir, I-" the poor girl tried to protest feebly, her voice small, and if Aesop hadn't been as angry as he had been, he likely would've seen actual regret and tears in her eyes.

"No. I am done with your infantile deeds, Miss Larson. Either you learn to respect this class and its rules, or you can expect to not make the roster for any year after next year." He was positively seething.

"Yes, Sir," she dejectedly nodded, her shoulders slumped and gaze downcast.

Aesop huffed, turning to the rest of the class, ready to dismiss them early, as he frankly did not have the resilience to endure much longer. "Uh, Sir?" a meek voice spoke into the otherwise deadly silent classroom.

"Yes, Mister Finnigan?" Aesop grunted.

"It's Christmas next week. We don't uhm...have school."

It's Christmas next week... Aesop grit his teeth as he took the boy's word in, clearly an attempt to get Miss Larson out of detention. Great, so he had teenage lovers in this class? Nobody would have been stupid enough to stand up to him otherwise.

"Then Miss Larson will serve her detention after the New Year. Now, I want your potions labelled on my desk within five minutes. And then get out of my classroom."

None of them needed any further instruction, hurriedly finishing up whatever work they had left to do before they all but fled the dungeons, Miss Larson surrounded by her friends in an effort to comfort. At least that's what Aesop supposed.

It's Christmas next week, the words repeated in Aesop's head as he cleaned up the classroom, thankful that the day was finally over and he wouldn't have to deal with the imbeciles he calls his students until the morrow. He perked up when he thought of it again. It's Christmas next week.

Of course! Between classes to be held, essays and tests to be graded and an infuriatingly witchy problem, Aesop had all but forgotten the festivities that rapidly approached them, but suddenly, they seemed to be the answer to his very problem. If she was angry with him, perhaps a gift could put him back into her good graces and even if she wasn't, giving her a gift seemed like a perfect opportunity to have her talk to him again.

Finding a gift, however, seemed to be just as infuriating as she was.

It was the day before Christmas, and Aesop still hadn't figured out the perfect gift to give her. Books, even if she enjoyed them greatly, seemed boring and downright unoriginal. Household items were pretentious, and he felt as if he was overstepping multiple boundaries by even thinking about it. And whilst he would have loved to have gotten her Jewellery, given that she recently rehabilitated a Niffler, he threw that option off the Astronomy tower. So what exactly was he supposed to get a witch that could end the world with her powers and one he had utterly fallen in love with? Asking her was out of the question, but he was slowly running out of time. Businesses would be closing sooner tomorrow and not open at all on the 25th, and his options were dwindling, none of them good enough for someone as exceptional as her. Aesop hated asking for help, but in fear of making an even bigger fool of himself, he trudged down the stairs of the Faculty Tower, striding up to the door of the one place where he might just acquire an answer.

"Aesop?" the surprise in Eleazar's voice was evident. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Good morning, Eleazar," Aesop cleared his throat, already regretting his decision to come. "I... require your help with a...rather delicate matter."

"Oh?" This was most unusual for him. Eleazar and Aesop rarely interacted on the basis of their job alone, though they did strike up friendly conversation when time allowed it. And, as Aesop painfully remembers, the man had asked for his help years ago when (Y/N) had battled an entire goblin rebellion on her own, and he had dismissed the idea of Ranrok working with Rookwood as 'inconceivable'. He wondered if he could've eased the weight on her shoulders if only he had listened.

"Would you like to come in?" Eleazar offered, stepping aside as he recognised the ex-Auror's discomfort at discussing whatever he needed to discuss out in the open. Aesop only nodded curtly, stepping inside the disorderly room littered with a million books, effectively turning it into more of a library than a personal home.

"So," the older man joined his hands in front of him. "What can I do for you, Aesop?"

"I need to purchase a present," he pressed out. "For (Y/N)."

Eleazar raised his eyebrow, taking in the usually stern Potions Master standing before him. But this man wasn't stern, nor was he anything like he usually had been. No, this man resembled a lovesick teenager, ashamed to ask a parent for advice no matter how innocent and if Aesop had blushed, it wouldn't have surprised Eleazar.

"For (Y/N)?" he repeated slowly, carefully gauging Aesop's reaction.

"Yes," the man confirmed, clearing his throat.

"It is Christmas tomorrow, and I wish to get her something nice. I thought since you knew her best, perhaps you could... offer some advice."

Merlin's Beard, Dinah had been correct. Eleazar could not believe it. He was wholeheartedly gobsmacked. Aesop Sharp was in love with his former protégé slash adopted daughter. He had already been curious when Dinah had insisted that Aesop be the one to take her home the night of her inaugural celebration, but even more so when the woman had insisted that both he and her forfeit their nightly patrol with some lame excuse so that (Y/N) and Aesop would have to do it instead. He had frankly laughed when Dinah explained that she was doing it because she couldn't stand the pining between the two 'oblivious fools' but Merlin - when (Y/N) and he shared tea just shortly after, and the girl had blushed like a madwoman when Eleazar teased her by revealing Dinah's plans he realised that the astute Professor had certainly been right about one thing; that (Y/N) was in love.

But to know Aesop was too? Brilliant.

"Of course," Eleazar repressed a chuckle, though he couldn't stop a sly grin forming on his face. "She is exceptionally fond of ballet. She used to see performances all the time, when she was a child in London."

Ballet? Aesop thought, surprised. Wherever would he get something related to a Muggle art form? Clenching his teeth, he found his answer quite quickly: Muggle London.

"Thank you," he breathed out between clenched teeth.

"Anytime," Eleazar chuckled as Aesop swiftly exited his quarters before he rushed to tell Dinah that she was correct once again.

Off to Muggle London, he went.

Aesop positively hated the Muggle parts of London. Not because he hated Muggles, Merlin he couldn't care less about them if he tried, but because the streets were too crowded and dirty and the Muggles stared at him no matter how well disguised and because it all smelled utterly rotten. In all honesty, perhaps it was London that he hated, even if the wizarding parts of it were a little less seedy than the rest. Years ago, when he was a young Auror, he loved the hustle and bustle of the city, gallivanting around like he owned the place with a stunning woman (though not as lovely as (Y/N), his ex-fiancé, on his arm, but those days had long passed, and he preferred the quiet countryside and the fresh air and spending time with her.

He wasn't even entirely certain what exactly he was looking for, but it couldn't be that difficult to find something related to ballet. Perhaps tickets for a performance? Though most pureblood families ensured to stay away from Muggles as best as they could, they did enjoy Muggle arts on occasion; both Ballet and Opera performances were frequented by even the most extremist of pureblood families, and Aesop used to enjoy the odd art exhibition in his days. He hadn't ever been to a ballet performance in particular, but he could endure, especially if it had been for her.

He decided on tickets for a premiere, Swan Lake, or whatever it had been called. Apparently, the ballet had been all the rage in Russia, and a company was bringing it to England for the very first time. He could be certain that his lovely colleague hadn't seen it, and the image of pure joy he had conjured in his mind was worth the insane galleon he had spent on them.

His step was considerably lighter and jovial when he made the trek towards her hut on Christmas morning, hoping, wishing that she would love her present and all would be well again. She looked surprised to see him, with a smile on his face nonetheless.

"Aesop? What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas, isn't it?" he grinned, excited for the first time in his life to give a present. "I wanted to give you a present."

"You got me a present?" she suddenly sounded excited, her eyes lighting up in almost childlike wonder. His heart jumped as he watched a smile light up her entire face, dazzlingly bright and beautiful and so very her. However had he survived hardly seeing it over these past few weeks? He needed, craved, more.

"Of course," Aesop cleared his throat, suppressing any potentially inappropriate thoughts. He couldn't allow himself to feel it. "We're friends, aren't we?"

He missed the brief flash of hurt that swept across her face, accepting her silent invitation to join her inside before he was enveloped in the homely scent that brought him back to his childhood. Her home had been decorated with tinsel, and ivy leaves sewn onto strips of ribbon, some odd mistletoes hung around, and a wreath had been placed on the table. It smelled oddly reminiscent of speculoos and oranges, the sweet notes of honey and cinnamon biscuits hanging in the air, so very unlike his room back at the castle. The fire was crackling away, and the room was comfortably warm, so Aesop took the liberty of removing his coat and placing it onto one of her mismatched chairs, but not before he pulled a small, golden box from its pockets.

"I might have outdone myself," he grinned, holing out the present like a little boy.

"Think that highly of your present-giving skills, do you?" she jabbed back, accepting the box from his hands with a grateful smile. She was curious, to say the least. Aesop didn't seem like the gift-giving type in her eyes. Admittedly, she hadn't even expected one in the first place, not after she had all but avoided his presence to the best of her abilities ever since that fateful November night.

"I'm excellent at many things." "I'm sure you are."

They smiled at each other before the woman in front of him redirected her attention to the box in her hands as she carefully slid it open, revealing a glittering, crystal Swan ornament.

"Godric's heart," she gasped as she pulled it out, observing the way it shimmered and glittered in the morning light, its reflections casting various shapes across the room. "It's beautiful, Aesop."

"I'm glad you like it," he grinned. "But it's only a part of your present."

She looked at him with surprise, her mouth slightly open, and he wanted to kiss he wanted to laugh as he picked up on the evident bewilderment in her eyes. "This isn't my present?"

"Not exactly. I..." Suddenly he was nervous, wondering if he had picked the right thing. What if she didn't wish to be seen with him in public, especially outside school, and clearly unrelated to work? She had been avoiding him, after all, no matter what she tried to make him believe.

No going back now...

"I got us tickets for Swan Lake. In London."

The astonishment on her face was comical. If there had to be an illustration of the expression "the jaw was on the floor", Aesop was sure that this would have been it. She didn't say anything for a while, only looking at him with her wide eyes, not even blinking.

"That's..." (Y/N) cleared her throat. "That's too much, Aesop. I can't accept it."

"Bollocks," he dismissed her. "You love ballet, don't you?"

"I...I do," she conceded, though her brow furrowed. She hadn't ever told him that, had she? "I must confess I wonder why you, of all people, know about this."

"I have my ways," he tried to dismiss her, apprehensive at the prospect of her finding out that he had asked Eleazar for advice. Unfortunately for him, though, the witch was keenly astute and analytical.

"Eleazar told you, didn't he?" she concluded after a few seconds, horrified when he nodded. Eleazar knew her exceptionally well; he was like her father, for Merlin's sake. So even when she had told him that Aesop was 'just a friend', he didn't even try to suppress his laugh, evidently not believing a word she said. She had only hoped that the older man hadn't alluded to anything because Aesop could never know that she had irrevocably fallen in love with him.

"Thank you, Aesop. Truly. This is the best present I have ever received," she earnestly told him, quickly covering up her embarrassment. "I admit, my gifts truthfully don't compare to this, but..."

She only sighed, deciding to simply get it over with. She didn't recognise the excitement on Aesop's face. She had gotten him something too?

Swiftly she summoned two boxes from their hiding place across the room, offering him the first one with an ashamed smile. "I'm afraid it's no Swan Lake, but..."

"I don't want Swan Lake," Aesop quickly interjected, opening the green box. "I want – a blanket?"

"It's a scarf," she quickly corrected him, her cheeks flushed.

"A scarf," he mumbled, pulling the soft maroon fabric from the box. It was the most delicate material Aesop had ever felt, luxurious too, even if the pattern was slightly off and the edges seemed slightly frayed. He wrapped it around his neck, catching a whiff of that same homely scent that made his heart grow fonder.

"I made it myself," she nervously admitted, gauging his reaction though his face was fairly impassive. "I haven't made one in a while, but it's been a tradition in my family to always give two gifts; one that is handmade and one that is bought and usually a necessity."

"Thank you," he breathed out, enjoying the comforting feel of the fabric around his neck.

"It's no Swan Lake –" "–I don't want Swan Lake," he interrupted her again, his voice a little rougher than he wished to. "I want this scarf."

And he did. It was perfect, especially because it had been made by her delicate hands, and he never wanted to take it off again. How could she think that he would hate this?!

"Right," she mumbled before handing him a second box. "I hope you like this just as much."

The second box was also green, though slightly larger than the box with the scarf and Aesop was intrigued, if admittedly a little guilty that she had gotten him two presents in place of only one. He opened the box to reveal –

"Charcoal?" he had already been confused at the scarf, but why on earth would she give him charcoal? He watched as she nervously wrung her hands before her, avoiding his gaze as she had done all those weeks, a bright flush on her cheeks.

"I –," she audibly gulped, clearly afraid of his reaction. "I may have snuck into your room in fifth year and found your... art room."

Whatever explanation he had expected, it certainly wouldn't have been this. He should have been furious, and if she had been a student, he likely would have taken so many house points from her that her house wouldn't have recovered for years to come. Instead, he laughed.

Of course, she had snuck into his room. Of course, she had found his art room. Of course, she remembered it.

What a devious little thing she was.

The winter break passed in a calm manner, and Aesop was utterly content.

While (Y/N) still seemed somewhat reclusive, she didn't avoid his presence - a win in Aesop's mind. They had tea together again, and she had even assisted him in brewing yet another potion, even if that one hadn't helped to any greater extent. His mood had improved drastically, so much that he even apologised to Miss Larson for his harsh tone in the new year and cut her detention time short (though not forfeit it altogether). The girl was confused but obviously didn't question it any further, quite happy that she only had to spend two nights in detention instead of five.

If his colleagues noticed his new and improved mood, they at least had the decency not to comment on it, even if he caught Dinah and Eleazar throwing him and (Y/N) conspicuous glances every once in a while when they believed he wouldn't notice. He was in far too good of a mood to comment on it, not even irked by it in the slightest.

The day before their planned 'excursion' outside the palace walls, a Saturday, Aesop walked into breakfast a little later than usual, his sleep unusually restful. His favourite colleague was already seated at the table, animatedly chatting with Matilda as they finished up their breakfast.

"Mornin'," Aesop mumbled as he sat down next to (Y/N), grabbing the teapot and helping himself to a cup of Earl Grey.

"I still don't know how you can drink Earl Grey without sugar or milk," the young woman beside him grimaced. She typically had her tea with both, the brew always a perfectly creamy colour that was far too much milk for Aesop's liking.

"I can't understand how you can essentially drink sweetened milk," he jabbed back, grabbing a bread roll and putting some eggs and sausages on his plate.

"It's not sweetened milk," she pouted.

"Well, it's certainly not tea."

Matilda snorted as she watched the two of them interact, slowly starting to understand what Dinah and Eleazar had reported to be seeing. It was no secret among the staff that Aesop had a... soft spot for their newest colleague (if his much-improved mood had been anything to go by), nor had it been a secret that the two of them spent a great deal of time together outside of the necessary interactions. But as the two looked into each other's eyes, the very picture of devotion and adoration, she realised they were obtusely pining for each other. Merlin, if this really was the state of things, Matilda might join Eleazar and Dinah in their efforts.

"Something funny, Matilda?" Aesop asked her with a raised brow.

"Oh no," the Transfiguration teacher shook her head, sipping on her tea. "Nothing funny at all."

"Right," he grumbled, clearly unimpressed, before he continued his breakfast.

"Well, then," (Y/N) smiled, pushing back her chair and standing up. It was then that Aesop noticed that she looked...different. Her usually simple dress had been traded in for a much nicer one. It was moss green, lined with fur to keep her warm from the icy temperatures outside and had some intricate gold stitching that almost shimmered in the sunlight. "I still have to collect my coat. I'll see you tonight, Matilda."

"Oh, do tell Garreth I said hello."

Aesop nearly spat out his drink. Garreth? As in Garreth Weasley? The ultimate headache of a boy, the same young man whose existence had tortured Aesop for seven bloody years? Why on earth would she –

"Will do, Matilda," she singsonged before skipping outside the Great Hall, and Aesop was left with a million questions in his head. Matilda watched as Aesop's jaw was unnaturally clenched, his eggs picked up with strange aggression that hadn't been there before. Surely Garreth's name couldn't have riled him up that much?

"They're having a small reunion in the Three Broomsticks," Matilda spoke into the tense silence. "I heard Mr Sallow, Mr Thakkar, Miss Reyes and some others would be attending too."

"And that is of interest to me how?"

"You tell me," Matilda winked, chuckling as she watched the Potions Master hastily swallow the last of his breakfast before he excused himself to 'do some brewing', limping out of the Great Hall.

"I don't think I've ever seen Aesop being so obvious about his feelings," someone chuckled to the right of her. Matilda looked over to see a grinning Abraham looking at her.

"It is strange to see; I won't lie," Matilda nodded. "Quite the unlikely pairing too."

"The girl was a Hero at fifteen and has ensured that entire poaching operations have ceased in the Highlands," Abraham reminded her with a chuckle. "Just because she is less grumpy than him, I wouldn't write them off. After all, opposites do attract, no?"

"I suppose you are correct," the Transfiguration teacher agreed. "The question is, how exactly do we make them see it? It seems everyone, but them knows."

"Which I told you months ago, you bloody lot," Dinah jumped in from next to Abraham. "Merlin knows Eleazar, and I have tried to talk sense into them. He is too thick-headed to make the first move; that much is certain."

"I would not worry," a final voice joined them, the ever-elusive Mudiwa Onai looking at them with twinkling eyes. "I could see that their future together would be quite...fruitful."

(Y/N), unaware of her coworkers conspiring against her and blissfully unaware of the Potions Master she had left completely riled up, was rather looking forward to seeing her old classmates again. Even if she had spent significantly less time with them than she might have liked, largely because of her late arrival and fifth-year 'extracurriculars', many of them had become close friends of hers, and she kept in contact with most of them. Poppy, unfortunately, would not be able to make it, as she was somewhere in the Amazonas researching yet another creature, but she looked forward to seeing her during the summer. She hadn't seen most of them in quite some time, though letters between them were still largely regular.

The Three Broomsticks was as warm and inviting as ever, the establishment always having been a place of comfort and safety, especially after Sirona had fearlessly stood up against Victor Rookwod and Theophilus Harlow as they had tried to kidnap her for Ranrok and his plans. Natty was the first to spot her old friend, having them over enthusiastically. Quite a few of them had shown up; Garreth Weasley, Imelda Reyes and Nelly Oggspire, Nerida Roberts, Amit Thakkar, Ominis, hell, even Everett Clopton and Leander Prewett had made time to come with their wives, simply to get together again. The large group chatted animatedly, exchanging stories about their careers and lives.

Unsurprisingly, Garreth had started an apprenticeship under a potioneer in London, whereas Imelda and Nelly were both on the Puddlemere United Team, happily courting and enjoying life, whereas Nerida had realised her dream of becoming a Liasion for the Mermaids ("I even learned how to swim!"). Amit had relocated to India for a while, researching the stars on behalf of the Ministry and Everett Clopton and Leander Prewett both had somewhat stable careers at the Ministry. Ominis, on the other hand, had become an apprentice at a French Wandmaker's shop, fully distancing himself from his family and all that the Gaunt name entailed. And Natty, ever the Gryffindor, was slowly but surely working her way up in the Auror Office (much to her mother's chagrin). The final one, who had yet to join the group, was fashionably late and none other than Sebastian Sallow himself.

The Curse Breaker in question walked in around lunchtime, and they were all more than surprised when he was accompanied by a woman their age, clearly pregnant, and beaming smiles on their faces.

"Sorry, everyone," the man sheepishly excused himself, arm wrapped around the woman's middle with his large hands. "I returned from Romania last night, and the Ministry wanted me to drop off some reports. Took a little longer than expected." "Yeah, yeah, blah blah," Garreth waved him off, "Now who is that?"

Garreth asked the question everyone had been dying to know, and (Y/N) eyed the woman beside her close friend with curious but kind eyes. She was definitely around their age, quite petite and pale, her long ginger hair in an intricate braid, with a few pieces framing her oval, freckled face and strikingly blue eyes. She blushed as the attention diverted to her, though her smile was still beaming.

"This is Megan," Sebastian introduced them with a bright smile. "My wife."

"WIFE?!"

The reaction was immediate, the group gaping at the apparently married couple in front of them, waiting to hear just about any explanation for... well. Megan, apparently, was a witch from Ireland who had eventually attended Illvermorny as her father was relocated from the British Ministry of Magic to the MACUSA, and the two had met on one of Sebastian's curse-breaking expeditions. Sebastian, the ever-rational man he was, married her rather quickly and privately before he whisked her back to England and settled down with her in the Cotswolds. To say that especially Ominis and (Y/N) were affronted that their friend hadn't even mentioned his wife, let alone the fact that he was going to be a father soon, in any of his letters was the understatement of the year, but Sebastian placated them with some Firewhiskey and a heartfelt apology, explaining that he wanted Megan to get settled before bombarding her with the 'bloody lot they were'.

Megan was lovely, (Y/N) had to admit. A little shy, perhaps, but lovely nonetheless, and she had a great snark about her as she continued to open up to the group and the antics throughout the day. They laughed and ate, having far too much fun and far too little time before a majority of them were drunk off their asses and started to dance in their corner of the pub, absorbed in their own world and free of their adult responsibilities for just one day.

It was perhaps exactly why any of them failed to notice their old Potions Professor walking into the Three Broomsticks after the man had begrudgingly spent the afternoon brewing some odd potions before he realised that he was all out of Bicorn horn, thus needing to venture into Hogsmeade to order some from Pippin. Aesop hadn't planned his short foray into the village, so when he spontaneously decided to walk into the Three Broomsticks to drink a firewhiskey, he hadn't expected to see (Y/N) in the arms of Garreth fucking Weasley, happily dancing to some music and looking the very picture of beauty and grace.

It shouldn't have bothered him. It shouldn't have bothered him at all, but when he saw her so beautiful in the arms of another, all he could see was red as his heart audibly shattered inside his chest, his lungs constricting as he watched her do something he could never give her. He quickly retreated from the Three Broomsticks, not even bothering to order a Firewhiskey. Instead, he chose to hole himself up in his room, getting drunk there instead as he moped around.

Why was he even bothered? She didn't owe him anything, certainly not a dance or physical affection. She was a friend, a good friend. Nothing more, nothing less. It shouldn't have hurt to see her in the arms of someone else, even if that person had been Garreth Weasley, of all people. He should have been happy for her - she did say she wanted a family, children, and someone her age could certainly give her that. He was just an old, grumpy, crippled failure of a man, his best years long gone. It shouldn't have bothered him, but the more he thought about it, the more it did.

Fuck, he realised startingly as he downed his third glass of firewhiskey. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It bothered him because he cared.

Because – Aesop could hardly bring himself to think it – because he was stupidly, irrevocably, utterly and wholly in love with her.

Aesop wasn't sure how many he had to drink by the time a knock sounded on his door. He cursed his own tolerance, not nearly drunk enough to forget what he had just barely been able to admit to himself. If anything, he might have been slightly buzzed. The only person that would ever come knocking on his door, he realised, was the one person he very much wanted to avoid right now. Before he could call out a 'No', the doors opened, and she walked right in, a tray filled with his favourite foods in her hand and that damningly beautiful smile on her smile. Why in Salazar's name was she so ethereal?

"I didn't see you at dinner and got worried. So I asked the house-elf's for some of your favourites, and they were kind enough to prepare them."

Aesop's dark eyes swept over the tray, spotting roast beef, his favourite vegetables, a cornish pie and even some sticky toffee pudding. It was perfect, and it only infuriated him more. Couldn't she have ignored him? Or at least treat him unkindly? That would have helped his feelings much more than being cared for by the one person who shouldn't.

"Thanks," he hissed lowly, downing yet another firewhiskey. "Can you just leave it here?"

Her smile vanished, regarding him, with a concerned look on her face.

Why on earth did she have to wear her heart on her sleeve?! Why did she have to show him she cared about him?!

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." No – he definitely wasn't.

"You don't look like you're alright," she pushed on, carefully placing the tray on his table and walking towards him.

"I'm fine," he pressed out, glaring her way, but she didn't even flinch. "Can you please go?"

"Now I know you're not alright," she smiled, "You've never asked me to leave."

"Well, now I do," he snapped, unwilling to deal with it any longer.

"Have I done something to upset you?"

Yes. "No," he sighed dejectedly. It wasn't her fault, not really.

"Right," she drew out, clearly not believing him but choosing to save him from further mortification. An uncomfortable silence hung over them, Aesop just wishing that she would finally leave. Eventually, she sighed, turning around to leave his room and leave him alone, but not until she turned around one last time and smiled again.

"I can't wait for Swan Lake tomorrow."

Fuck, he thought once more. Swan Lake would be utter torture. With that, she left.

Aesop hadn't dreaded anything for a while now, but when he stood in front of her hut the next day, late in the afternoon, dressed in his best suit, he dreaded every second that would follow. He just had to get through this, he reminded himself. Just this, and he could be the one to avoid her. He was the one who gifted her this in the first place, and so he would have to endure it. Unfortunately, though, he hadn't expected her to look as good as she did. When she opened the door, with her big smile and bright eyes, Aesop wished that Scarborough had killed him. This was pure torture. She looked delectable and absolutely ethereal. Her dress was a silky pink colour with an almost scandalously low neckline (Merlin, was she trying to kill him?!), appropriately trimmed with gold stitching, soft lace around the shoulders and arms and a white ermine cape around her shoulders. Her hair was up and out from her face, curled and pinned to perfection, making her eyes shine even more than usual.

Well, this is going to be a problem, isn't it?

"You look bewitchingly beautiful," Aesop whispered, relishing in the blush that rose on her cheeks. At least he could tease her a little, too - he wasn't sure if he could survive this otherwise.

"You don't look so shabby yourself," she cleared her throat, swiftly joining him outside. Like a true gentleman, he offered her his arm, walking the short distance to the outside of the ground before he apparated them into a secluded alleyway in London, only a short distance from the Opera House. He hadn't held her this close since the night at the Three Broomsticks, but the warmth she emitted and the scent she carried both comforted and strangled him. She was oh so close, yet not close enough. He could only fondly smile at her when she entered the place like an excited child faced with all the candy they could ever want.

"Oh, I haven't been here forever. It's still as beautiful as I remember!"

Aesop wouldn't lie; the place was thoroughly impressive. The high ceilings shone under the million candles and crystals, illuminating the site in a comforting way. The high arches and intricate design gave the place a neo-classical feel, and it was bustling with Muggles of various ages, though, as swiftly became clear to him, most of them were likely obscenely rich. Thankfully, they hardly paid him and the beautiful woman on his arm any mind, a rarity and a crime in Aesop's mind, for he couldn't stop staring at her.

"Do you think that –"

"(Y/N)?!" a shocked voice sounded from behind them. He watched as the woman on his arm visibly paled, almost shaking in his hold as she turned around and faced the man that had spoken to her. Aesop turned around, too, wondering what could make the literal Hero of Hogwarts, a woman with world-ending ancient magic, so frightened. They came to face with an elderly man, possibly around Eleazar's age, and a slightly younger woman. The closer Aesop looked at her, the sooner he spotted it; she had her eyes, her nose, her lips, hell, even her hair, though the other woman's was visibly fading into white. Her parents, Aesop thought, surprised. What were the odds?

"(Y/N) is that truly you?" the man asked, stepping closer, and Aesop felt the need to take a small step forward, effectively shielding her from their gazes.

"Evening, Father," she mumbled, and Aesop loathed how demure she sounded. Was she an innocent and sweet woman? Yes. Demure? No. She was a fighter who didn't back down against various beasts, poachers, and goblins. And this man was scaring her? Not on Aesop's watch.

"You look well," she added after a while, though it sounded awfully strange and forced. Her mother at least had the decency to look ashamed, and Aesop could name a thousand reasons why as he glared at them. Her father, however, had flickered his gaze over to Aesop and was regarding him with newfound interest. He knew that her parents were wealthy, but the people in front of him were nothing short of gaudy, pompous and carried a sneer as arrogant as the one on Black's face. These people had raised her? His lovely woman that emitted so much warmth and comfort that it could kill several Dementors?

"Thank you," her father said after a few seconds, though his eyes were firmly trained on Aesop – and his gigantic scar. "You have grown up beautifully."

Aesop had never wanted to strangle someone as badly as this man. The sheer audacity. Was he right? Absolutely. Did he have the right? Absolutely not.

"And who is this, might I ask?"

She tensed beside him, and Aesop wondered why for a second before he remembered one of their earliest conversations. If her parents hadn't approved of a co-educational school, they surely wouldn't have approved of her spending time with a man she was not married to.

"He's my –" "I'm her husband," Aesop interjected, eyebrow raised as he regarded the people before him with as much of a sneer as he could muster. Fight fire with fire, Aesop thought deviously.

"Husband?" her mother suddenly spoke up, a look of surprise on her face.

"Is there a problem?" Aesop asked, his tone menacing. It didn't impress her father one bit.

"So you actually managed to find a decent husband?" he sneered, looking back at his daughter for a fleeting second before returning his attention to Aesop. "Consider me surprised that a man would marry a dishonoured woman. Though perhaps the market was too slim for a cripple."

"Father!" "Listen here, Mr. (Y/L/N)," Aesop growled as he stepped as close to the man as he possibly could, not wanting to cause a ruckus among all of these people. "I will not have you question my wife's honour. She is a Hero in our world, did you know that? Of course, you didn't because your arrogant, pompous ass was too vain to ever reach out to her. I cannot even begin to fathom how someone like you raised someone as wonderful as her. She nearly lost her life as she successfully stopped people so evil they would make your skin crawl from ruining our world. That said," his glare was intense enough to burn the man, "my wife's honour was perfectly intact. You wish to know why? Because our school ensures any untoward things do not happen. You could have known that before you left her for the gallows. Now, you will leave us be. And if I hear of any attempts to reach her, I will personally ensure you will burn in hell. This cripple," Aesop spat the word angrily, "knows how to make it look like an accident."

He pulled (Y/N) away without so much as a second thought, grabbing her arm and walking as fast as his damned leg would allow, hoping that her parents were seated far away from them.

"Aesop?" his company meekly asked him as they had settled in their box. He was still heaving, his breaths coming out a little erratic as he fought the primal urge to turn around and kill a certain someone. When he finally turned to face her, he looked into her watery (Y/E/C) eyes, relieved to at least see a small smile on her lips. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully.

"Any time."

The ballet was beautiful, possibly the closest thing Aesop had ever seen to magic in the muggle world; the delicate nature of the dancers and the way they were seemingly carried by the music was enchanting. He could see why she loved it as much as he did. The greatest thing, though, was catching her smile. It was so bright and wide, and Aesop couldn't get enough. This was worth every galleon, and he would've emptied his and his family's vault to just get a single glimpse of it again.

Her father's sperm donor's words continued to run in Aesop's mind as the two of them wordlessly made their way back, apparating and then walking the remaining distance to her hut. She, utterly content and smiling; him, revisiting what the poor excuse of a man had said to his own child nonetheless. He was correct about him; Aesop was but an old cripple, undeserving of someone like her. In some way, Aesop had accepted that he might never be whole, that his best years had long passed and that he was meant to be confined to Bachelorhood for the rest of his days. But when the woman of his dreams stood close to him, so near yet far beyond his reach, all he wished for was to be whole again.

"Would you like to come in for some tea?" she offered as they reached her hut.

"Yes," Aesop answered without a second thought. This night was bound to end soon enough. He could be selfish for just a few more minutes, relishing in her company, before he would have to ban her from his life.

She beamed at him, the same smile that made his heart skip several beats and that had him wish he could up and kiss her. The smile that was his undoing. Her cabin was as cosy as he remembered, the same smell of fresh pastries and freshly pressed linen and something uniquely her permeating the air and enveloping him in what felt like a suffocating hug. He sat in one of her comfortable armchairs, watching as she waved her wand, her gramophone quietly filling the space with a tune Aesop didn't recognise, her kettle slowly bubbling away on her stove.

"I want to apologise," she spoke into the silence after a while, still next to her stove as she waited for the water to boil.

"Whatever for?" Aesop asked.

"My...father," she sighed.

"Well, forgive me for being forward, but it is hardly your fault that your 'father' is a raging piece of shit."

He watched as she let out a single laugh that sounded more like a scoff than anything else. "No, it is not, but that doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for what he's said to you in particular."

"Don't be," Aesop grumbled as he averted his gaze, hoping to end the conversation right there. He didn't want her pity - that would be far worse than her rejection. "He wasn't entirely wrong."

"But he was!" Her ferocious tone surprised him, his eyes finding hers and seeing pure, unadulterated rage in them.

"I am a cripple," Aesop slowly corrected her. "And I am well above your years."

"You are not a cripple, Aesop Sharp," she seethed at him, further surprising him. "And you are not old. Have you any idea what kind of man my father had me betrothed to? He was fifty when I was thirteen, and the betrothal was finalised."

Aesop clenched his hands into fists at her revelation, wishing to seek out her father to beat sense into him.

"Simply because the man you were supposed to marry was even older than I was does not mean I am not old nor a cripple," Aesop pressed forth, wanting to run from this conversation, his resolve to leave her hanging by a precarious thread.

"You are not a cripple," she repeated herself, her voice resolute.

"I am," Aesop seethed, having risen from his position on the armchair as quickly as his leg would allow, unable to stop himself. "I am but a man whose prime had passed when I stepped into Scarborough harbour. A man who is undeserving of the wonderful woman you are and have become. Surely you must know that a woman like yourself could do far better than me."

She gaped at him with wide eyes, a million thoughts running through her head. "A woman like me?" she asked, her voice reduced to a whisper.

"Yes, a woman like you," Aesop's resolve had finally broken, and he was incapable of telling her anything but the truth. When she inevitably hated him after this, when she inevitably rejected his sorry arse, perhaps he could move on. "A wonderful, beautiful woman like you. A woman who has given her all for this world and has expected not one thing in return. A woman who is so bloody kind and loving that even I couldn't help but be drawn in. A woman who hasn't escaped my mind, no matter how infuriating she is at times."

"What –" she gulped audibly, her eyes still wide as she searched his. The air in the room was stagnant as neither of them refused to say anything, though Aesop could feel his heart beating out of his chest, praying to whatever god would listen to him that she would finally get it over with. "What are you saying, Aesop?"

"Do I actually have to spell it out for you?!" he groaned exasperated, running a hand through his hair as he grew more frustrated than he thought possible.

"Well, do not get angry with me." "I am not angry." "Well, clearly you are. Look at you."

Aesop stalked up to her in quick strides, towering over her much smaller frame as he looked down into her eyes furiously, feebly attempting to ignore her comforting scent. "Right then," he growled. "No matter what I bloody do, you are on my mind like a damn pixie infestation. My thoughts of you simply never end. You carry my heart in your hands and do not even know it. I am yours; painfully, I am yours. But it is utterly ridiculous to think someone like you," Aesop stressed, "would ever burn for someone like me."

Not even wishing to hear her rejection from this point forth, Aesop attempted to turn around to hastily exit her home, only to be stopped by her small hand reaching out for his. He turned back, expecting to see disgust, hate or even contempt in her eyes, but all he found were unshed tears and a look he could not read.

"You...You care for me?" she cautiously spoke, a small (Aesop didn't believe it) hopeful smile on her face.

"I don't care for you," Aesop gulped, finally allowing himself to speak the words that likely had been on his mind since she stepped back into the bloody castle. "I burn for you."

A sob spilt from her lips, though they simultaneously widened into a smile. "Aesop Sharp," she tearfully grinned at him, "You utter fool."

Yes, pour salt into the wound, Aesop thought dejectedly. He knew he was a fool for –

He didn't have time to finish his thoughts before the witch he had fallen in love with grabbed the lapel of his coat to pull him down, her soft, plush lips meeting his.

pt. 2 coming soon

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