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fruitoftheweek · 3 years

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Little Cherry Book:

Chapter 5: Matching Memories

Chapter 1 Here / Chapter 2 Here / Chapter 3 Here / Chapter 4

Hey guys! Again sorry for the wait! Both my computer and my work schedule have been ass and every time I thought I was going to have free time, I absolutely did not. I was really looking forward to writing this chapter after all the appreciation I got from the last chapter and I am so excited to enduldge you with this 7,356 word chapter. I am also working on a fluffier oneshot that should come out in the next couple days which I am so excited to write! I hope you guys really like this chapter! Love you guys and thank you for 120 Followers!

Pairing: Spencer Reid X reader

Chapter Plot: After the previous nights' escapades, you and Spencer decide to talk about boundaries as your team questions your budding relationship

Series TW: 18+, smut, degradation, piercing, choking, knife play, mommy/daddy kinks, spanking, exhibitionism, Will update as time goes on

Chapter TW: smut, mommy kink, having body piercings, choking, slapping, Oral Sex (male and female receiving), Handjob, fingering, pleading, spanking, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, aftercare, language, non-intentional self-harm (hard to explain), PDA, degradation, smut smut smut.

Word Count: 7,356

Spencer loved to match everything but his socks. You found that out the morning after your late-night escapades. You weren't sure if your alarm hadn't gone off or if you two had just slept through it but you two were running late and the plane was leaving in 40 minutes with a 30-minute drive to the airport. The actual thing that had woken you up was Morgan banging on the door, notifying you that he had dropped off Spencers go-bag.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" he shouted as he bumped his elbow on the table, hurriedly trying to get his socks on. You peeked around the door frame of the bathroom, checking on him to make sure he was ok as you shoved your toiletries into your bag. You watched, curiously as he stopped what he was doing and purposefully banged his other elbow on the same table. You made a mental note to ask him about it later, but right now, you had to go.

Along the way, you had noticed small habits that Spencer had to keep himself "matching." Once you saw it once, you couldn't help noticing it. How he brushed his teeth the same number of times on each side of his mouth. How he had to eat at least two peanuts at a time so that he could match the chewing on either side of his mouth. These were all harmless, but you worried when he bumped his right temple on the window of the cab as it went over a pothole, and you watched as he proceeded to turn his head and bump the other side. Most of the morning had been held in comfortable silence as you reveled in the afterglow of the previous night. So when you silently reached up to his head and brought it down to your shoulder, Spencer didn't mind. You made sure to gently rub his temple to apply even pressure to make sure his sides matched, a caring gesture that did not go unnoticed.

Luckily you two had made it to the jet on time, only catching a couple of questioning glances from Morgan and Elle as you rushed on, red-faced. You hurriedly sat next to each other as the plane took off, Spencer shoving both of your go-bags in the upper compartment as you held his book. He had brought Graziella, and had already read it 4 times; you, unfortunately, had brought nothing as it was your first trial case. He sat down, and you handed him his book, his fingers tentatively brushed yours in a silent question. Neither of you had fully discussed your relationship this morning in the rush and you could tell he was nervous to talk to you about it. As he pulled away, you captured his wrist before he could go too far, gently drawing a small heart into the inside of his wrist with your finger as you looked up into his eyes. He smiled slightly, understanding that you would talk about it when you had reached home.

This small gesture hadn't gone unnoticed as Morgan watched you from the other side of the jet. He stocked his way up to you with a shark grin on his lips as he smelled blood in the water. "So, You two woke up late huh? How come you never made it back to our room last night, pretty boy?" He mused, enjoying the light pink tinge resting on Spencer's cheeks. "You were the one who took both of our room keys and wouldn't let me in! And- and she was nice enough to let me sleep in her room even though it was a one-person room." He retorted, knowing Morgan's implications. "Woah, chill, Reid. I was just asking some questions." Morgan replied, feigning innocence. "Yeah, I took Reid's virginity last night. How could you tell?" You stated matter of factly, earning a shocked squeak from Reid, and spluttered out laughter from Morgan. "That's what you want to hear right? C'mon Spencer, he’s just giving us a hard time because he wasn't invited to our movie marathon last night." You lied, shooting a joking wink to Spencer, hoping he would get the drift and go along with the story. "Hey, we didn't- yEAh he wouldn't get the nuance of 'Une Femme est Une Femme' and the directorial skills of Jean-Luc Godard." He said, catching on when you pinched the soft spot under his ribs. Morgan just rolled his eyes, frustrated at not getting what he wanted before sulking back to his seat.

You smiled up at Spencer before saying, "Good boy," just loud enough for only the two of you to hear. It was the first time you had alluded to your escapades that yestereve and you both felt a breath of fresh air as the slight tension was lifted off of your backs. Spencer was flustered in multiple ways; he loved the way you praised him, and he now believed you felt regrets about your exchange.

He felt electricity crackling in every gentle secret touch of yours that he had the luxury of experiencing that day; all he could think about was how you had touched him and how your skin felt on his. You had him wrapped all-around your finger, and he couldn't be happier. All he wanted to do was service you and please you, even in non-sexual ways, which he was happy to indulge in as he watched you staring out the window. Your fingers were discreetly tracing small drawings on his knee cap as you watched the clouds pass by. The motion caused him a great distraction from his book, and all he could do was watch your finger. Even though you weren't paying any attention to the motion of your fingers, Spencer could still envision the lines you created carving into his skin. Sometimes a little face, sometimes an abstract geometric rhombus, and his favorite, a heart with puffy humps and a pointy end. Every time you drew it, he became hyper-aware of the gentle flush coloring your cheeks as you looked out the window, sending him a secret message.

He quietly cleared his throat, as to not disturb the others; most of which had chosen to indulge in a little extra sleep to make up for their early morning. It had broken you from your entranced gaze out the window and you looked over at him smiling. "D-Did you bring anything to do on the plane?" Spencer asked as you continued your drawings on his leg. "Surprisingly, that was the one thing I forgot. I was so worried about making sure I was well briefed on the case that I forgot all about the flight." You said, smiling sleepily. He couldn't help but think about how beautiful you were at that moment. The gentle sunrise behind you in the window illuminated the apples of your cheeks and the highlights in your hair, which was still messy from sleeping so soon after your shower. Your eyes were puffy except for the sockets, which were slightly sunken in from lack of sleep, and you were fresh-faced, small blemishes now in the open, but all Spencer could think was that you reminded him of the fresh air of spring in the morning after a storm. He shook himself from his trance as you began to turn back towards the window. "You know, if you would like, I can read to you." He said shyly. "I know you read faster in your head, don't feel like you have to read to me because I was silly and forgot to bring a book." You said, smiling at his gesture. "N-No, I want to read to you. My mom always used to read out loud to me when I was little when she would wake up early." He said, adding waveringly, "And... and I would like to read to you, not because you didn't bring anything, but because I think you would like this book." You smiled up at him, lifting the fingers you had been swirling on his leg to your lips before gently kissing them, pressing them to his cheekbone, and returning them to their reserved spot on his leg. He took that as a green light to read aloud.

You watched as he closed the page he had been reading to flip to the beginning. You knew he remembered what page he was on but his choice to start you from the beginning melted your heart. He really wanted you to appreciate this story so you were going to give 110% of your attention to the words flowing out of his mouth.

"Ok, this book is Graziella by Alphonse de Lamartine. I arrived at Naples on the first of April. A few days later, I was joined by a young man of about my own age, to whom I had attached myself at college with the friendship of a brother." He began as you listened intently, enjoying the gentle atmosphere created by the soft hum of the jet and snores of your colleagues. Spencer continued reading aloud to you on autopilot as he focused on the drawings of your fingers, now all turned to hearts.

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The problem with taking a morning jet home was that you would have to go straight to the office to finish your paperwork before finally being able to rest in your own bed. You all trudged out of the car and into the office in varying states of awakeness, dreading the hours of work to come.

"Welcome back, you guys!" Garcia said, miscalculating the tone in the room, earning her a couple nods and grunts in response.

"Hey, I'm going to my friend's apartment tonight, and she lives by you. Since you take the train home and I'm going that way, do you want a ride?" You said to Spencer, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. For a Genius and a Profiler, he sure was bad at picking up clues and hints. You weren't really going to see your friend, you just wanted some alone time with him to straighten things out, but he obviously didn't understand. "I mean if it's on the way, that would be nice. Thank you Y/L- Agent Y/L/N." He said, nearly forgetting to call you Agent in front of the others. You smiled and headed back to your seat begrudgingly, seeing the mountains of paperwork.

It was kind of sweet how oblivious he was. You were trying to be discreet at work, and you could tell he was trying too. Keyword: trying, as he was failing miserably. You could tell he was trying to be sneaky, but there was nothing sneaky about him following you to the coffee machine every time you needed a refill. He told you it was because he wanted to match and you couldn't help but indulge him. He wanted to match coffee, unfortunately finding out that you did not, in fact, like as much sugar in your coffee as him. You settled for a little bit too sweet and him not enough for the sake of matching. He came to your desk, trying to trick you by asking to borrow a pen, even though you could see his usual green pen in his shirtfront pocket. He was just so cute and just so obvious so you caved, but it was only because you wanted to see the beam on his face knowing there was yet another way you two could match. His boldest move yet was to match sweaters. If you had yours on, he had his on; when you took yours off, he would follow suit. Even though it was very cute, he was being far too bold so after a while, you decided to just keep it on.

Finally, after hours of handwriting reports and witness statements, your cramped hand said a thank you as you signed off your last sheet. You stretched languidly, looking over to Spencer's desk. He had been done for a while but was pretending to be busy so he could wait for you without subliminally pressuring you to hurry. You pulled your go bag and satchel together, getting ready to leave as you watched Spencer hold his bag, waiting for you to make the first move. You clicked your tongue at him as if you were calling a cat, "Let's get going, I don't want to be late to see my friend!" You called over to him as he shot up, padding quickly to catch up to you. "Goodnight guys! Sleep well!" You called to Morgan, Elle, and Garcia, the only ones left in the bullpen. "Ok, now something definitely has to be going on," Elle said as they watched you two leave, Spencer tripping over himself as he got in the elevator behind you.

You two shoved your bags in the back seat and got in the car. As you turned the car, your music started blaring out of the speakers. "Woah! Sorry! I like to drive with the windows down so my music is usually pretty loud." You said as you slammed on the pause button. Spencer was startled but he didn’t mind as he'd just learned new things about you. 1. You like loud music 2. You like the windows down when you drive. 3. You have great taste in music. "That's ok. Just make sure you turn down the volume sometimes, 17% of adults aged 20–69 years have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from noise-induced hearing loss. And that was... certainly loud enough to cause some noise-induced loss. Make sure to take care of yourself." He said and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. His naive sweetness and caring nature had been gnawing at you all day. All you had wanted to do while you were trying to focus on work was kiss him.

You leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Even though you came in slow, you surprised him. Here you were in the Quantico parking lot, boldly kissing him when any of your coworkers could have seen. "Why-why did you do that?" he asked as you pulled away. "I can't?" you asked, pouting slightly, teasing him. "N-No, You can you can, we're just so out in the open, and we haven't talked about anything, so I didn't know how you felt, and you were ignoring me all day." He rushed out as you let out a little laugh at him. "Let's drive, cutie." You said, turning your music back on, this time to a lower volume, as you pulled out of the parking lot and down the street. "First of all sweetness, I wasn't ignoring you all day, I didn't want Morgan to tease you again. You were busy with paperwork and I knew you didn't need him being an asshole to you to make it worse. Second, did you see all the paperwork they had left? There was no way any of them would have been out in the parking lot yet." You said as you smoothly merged onto the highway towards your house.

You were wondering when he was going to notice that he was going in the opposite direction of his house but he was too wrapped up in his thoughts. You glanced over at him before returning your eyes to the road. You cursed yourself for not having an eidetic memory because you would have kept a snapshot of him like that in your mind forever. His hair, once slicked back, now slightly disheveled from running his hands through it as he did his paperwork and the wind from your open windows. The cool summer wind that rosied his cheeks and the tip of his nose as he gazed out the streetlights overhead. Blue, red, green, purple yellow, white; the blinking lights of the city married the sunset hues that danced across his face. Illuminating his beautifully arched nose and his prominent cheekbones, it felt as if the sun was setting just for him and the city was awakening his beauty.

You smiled to yourself as you switched the cd in the cd player for one of your classics. "Hey! You listen to these guys?! You know I was going to see them last year but then we had this case out of town and I had to miss it. That was when they were still playing at that bar by the Speedway that burnt down." Spencer said excitedly. "Really!? You like them too? I haven't seen them yet but I've been listening to them since college. I never had that much money to be spending on tickets for shows beyond small house shows. I can't believe you like them, I always thought you were more of a Debussy or Chopin person." You replied, excited to have something to share. "Yeah I mean I like pretty much every genre but I've been really into their old stuff lately and, surprisingly, also french 70s music." He said matter-of-factly.

Contrarily, he was fibbing. He knew exactly why he had been listening to it. The previous night he had dreamed of the two of you off the shore, in the south of France in spring, reading books across from each other, legs tangled together, on a chez lounge. Jacqueline Taieb played on the radio as you pulled him up to dance. He removed the thoughts from his mind as he realized his predicament. He didn't know if he was allowed to think about you like that. You had been so sweet and caring towards him last night, and you kissed him so sweetly, but he was still unsure of where you stood. He was still lost in thought as you pulled up to your apartment and parked.

"Hey, this isn't my apartment. Is this your friend's place?" He asked, surprised. "No, Sweetheart. I didn't want Morgan to bother us as we were leaving so I made up some excuse. And this is my apartment. If you want to talk about what happened last night, you can come in. Well, I guess you can come in if you don't want to either, but that's beside the point. If you don't want to talk about it or if you just want me to take you home, I can do that right now. It's up to you baby." You said, gently taking his hand in yours. "I-I want to talk about it." He said shyly. "Alright then, my partner in crime. I will welcome you into my abode. We can order some dinner and talk about it. I'm thinking curry, what about you?" you said.

You could sense his nervousness and tried to lighten the mood even though deep down you were pissing yourself. You had never really done this either. You had a couple of one-night stands and short-term relationships, but nothing that lasted that long, and something in you wanted this time to be different. The young doctor was so endearing, and he was the first person who seemed to be interested in making you happy in the relationship, unlike most of your past suitors. You were terrified that you would push him too far or something would change, and that's why it was so important you had a talk and had trust and communication. You held his hand all the way up the stairs and to your apartment, not letting go when you went to open your door. You told yourself it was to make him feel better but you knew it was because you needed to do something with your hands to get them to stop shaking.

"Sorry, it's not the cleanest space ever. I wasn't expecting guests" you said as you began to tidy up random things around the room, mostly mason jars full of water or a stray empty mug. Spencer took note of his surroundings, drinking everything in. He couldn’t remember what he assumed your apartment would look like because as soon as he entered, he couldn't imagine you living anywhere else. It was all the parts of you that he knew and all of the parts he had yet to learn. He knew that you loved reading, so the bookshelves made sense. He knew that you loved music, so the cd player with piles of CDs next to it made sense. He knew you loved movies, so the VHS player and tv with a built-in DVD player and even more stacks of media made sense. But his favorite part was the giant easel positioned by the window with a large canvas on it. "Wow, Y/N! You paint?" he asked as you continued to clean up. "Oh, don't mind that! Sorry I didn't have time to put it away before we left! I'll get it out of your way!" You said, already carrying a basket full of god knows what in your arms. "No, No! Please leave it out. It's beautiful." He said, looking at your brush strokes. "Suit yourself. Let me know if it gets in your way," you said, finishing your cleaning by fluffing the pillows on your couch.

You finished bustling around your apartment and sat down on your couch across from the TV. He slowly made his way over to you, sitting at the opposite end from you, still unsure of your boundaries. You could spot his nerves from a mile away, so you swung your legs up onto the couch and poked him in his side with your feet. "Why are you sitting so far away, Sweety," you said as he looked over at you. You looked just as you did in his dream, soft and comfy in slouchy clothes. He hadn't noticed that you had changed into some comfy pajama pants and a loose pajama top, and now he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that you changed at some point when he was in the room. He knew it was silly. He had already seen you naked, but it all felt like a dream." I'll call and order, and you think about what you want to eat and what you want from me for a bit, ok? I know this great place a couple blocks from here." You said as you pulled out your landline, and dialed the number that you had scrawled on a notepad on your coffee table.

Then, Spencer saw the notepads, notebooks, sticky notes, and other odds and ends that you had all over the house. One on the fridge, one by the easel, one on the tv stand, two on the coffee table. They were all decorated differently for each task, of which he could see two, one titled 'Yummy restaurants' and the other titled 'movies to watch.' He tried to stop his distracting thoughts of how comfortably he fit in your space and how every item embodied you perfectly, all in different ways. When he was finally able to focus, he felt you start absentmindedly kneading your feet on his thigh that was closest to you. He could barely look over at you, finding you unbelievably erotic. He sucked in a breath as your pajama shirt was only buttoned up so much, enticingly drawing his eyes to the swell of your breast that he could see above the collar of your shirt.

You hooked your foot up under his thighs and brought his legs up onto the couch as you continued to order. You tangled your legs together, lifting your right foot to his chest, gently tapping out a rhythm absentmindedly as you talked. You broke through Spencer's entrancement, asking "What do you want to eat?" "Um... Whatever you're getting." He responded, as he still hadn't even begun to look at the menu. "Yeah! Then for the second order, can I get the same thing but make it mild." You said, poking your tongue out at him teasingly before finishing your order.

You two walked to pick up your food, talking about nothing in particular. You didn't want to talk about the elephant in the room until you got back, so you filled the space with meaningless conversation that instantly stopped as you entered the house. It was silent as you got forks ready, spying Spencer sitting rigidly straight on the couch, waiting for you.

"You know, you were so bold in the office today that I didn't expect you to be this shy when we got here. We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to, sweet-" "I do, I really do." He said, cutting you off. "Ok! That's great. Well, I'm going to start off by saying that any relationship like this, whatever you want that to be, depends on strong trust and communication. That goes beyond the bedroom. Being on the team I trust you with my life. I know I'm new so I understand if you don't trust me yet but I just wanted to set that baseline with you. I'm going to be 1000% truthful with you and I'm going to start by saying this. I don't regret anything that we did last night. I loved what we did last night and I really like doing this with you. I want to explore with you if you would be so gracious as to let me. I find you very interesting, and I would like to be friends or more depending on what you want as we continue our rendezvous." You said as you grasped his hands, willing him to look into your eyes. He let out a sigh of relief. "I really liked what we did yesterday too. I was kind of worried that you regretted it or something. I'm really really new to everything, but I feel comfortable exploring if it's you. You made me feel really safe last night and I appreciate that a lot. I find you really beautiful and sexy and intriguing and I would like to be friends and maybe more with you now. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this... but I want to." He said, gaining some confidence. "You are allowed to say whatever you want, baby. That's why we have open communication. Everything is to make sure you are feeling as good and safe as possible," you said, rubbing his hand. " You should feel safe and good too. I know you are more experienced than me, but you deserve to be safe too." He said gently before continuing. "I was wondering if... if I could request that this be monogamous. I get really upset thinking about you with someone else." He said, and you could feel the shaking in his hands as he anticipated your reply. "Of course, sweetheart. I was hoping you would ask. Maybe I'm a little selfish, but I don't like to share my things. They're mine for a reason." You said before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, earning a smile from him. "But I think, for now, I would like to be friends and see how it goes from there while we... explore," Spencer said. You nod and smile in agreement.

"Alright, so Spencer, tell me what you're interested in, sexually. What do you think about when you jerk off? What did you think about when you read my book?" You asked nonchalantly, as you picked up your curry and rice, taking a bite as if you'd just asked him about the weather. "w-well, I think about a lot of things." He sputtered out. "Just give me a little list I can work off." You said in between bites. "Um, I like seeing you naked. I like it when we match because it feels like we have a deep connection. I like h-how you touched me yesterday. I want you to touch me more." He said shyly, hiding his face behind his cup of water. "And the other two questions?" You prodded, watching as the bulge grew in his pants. "Um, what do I think of when I jerk off? Oh my god, I can't believe I'm saying this," He blushed before continuing. "I think about how it would feel to have your mouth wrapped around my cock. I think about you calling me a naughty boy. I think about you praising me. I think about your book and how there's so much more that I have to read. I think about you not wearing panties at work. And I think even more about pulling you into the storage closet, lifting up your skirt, and fucking you while everyone is working. I think about your piercings, and I think about your piercing chapter."

"What did you think of that chapter by the way? You ran off to the bathroom pretty quick. What were you thinking of doing to me, naughty boy?" you said, setting your food down on the table, leaning towards him, hands planted on his thighs. "Tell the truth, I can sniff out a liar from a mile away," You said, squeezing into his thighs. He bucked up towards you, searching for friction in any way he could." f-fuck. I read the chapter when I was touching myself. I thought about how you had pointed at my boner, and I thought about how I wanted you to make fun of me, and smack me, and punish me for being naughty." he said hurriedly, hoping his answer would satiate you. "Nuh-uh! Come on, tell me the whole truth," you said and smacked his thigh. He yelped as your hand came down, leaving him with a dull sting. "Ok! But it's embarrassing so don't laugh... I thought about you cockwarming me while I pierced your tongue, and how you would drool, and how you would squeeze around me. I thought about how I wanted to mark you and make you mine." He said, covering his eyes, hiding from his shame and how it made his cock stir in his pants. "You naughty, naughty boy, Spencer Reid. I thought you were innocent but here you are with your hand on your cock, at work, thinking about my pussy and my tongue and my spit, and it made you cum. What a rascal!" you said, watching for a reaction in his pants.

You pried his arm from his eyes, so he was forced to look at your smirk. His face and neck were a deep pink, and his lips were as pillowy and soft as a rose petal from biting his them. You couldn't help yourself as you pounced on him. You knew this was supposed to be just a talk about boundaries, but there was an undeniable electricity in the air that had been lingering from the moment you had woken up. He looked so fucked out, even though you hadn’t touched him yet and part of you wanted to absolutely ruin him that night. "Remember your colors, baby. What are you feeling?" You said, now perched in his lap. "Green, green. P-Please touch me." As he said it, you ground down on him. While you were in your comfortable clothes, he was still in his tight corduroys and button-down, sweater long gone somewhere else in the apartment. "Have you ever heard of something called edging?" You asked, and he nodded excitedly. "What about overstimulation?" You said, and he nodded quickly again. "What do you think about them?" He nodded, and you smacked him, not as hard as you would usually go, but enough to leave a sting. "Use your words, naughty boy." You said, capturing his jaw and tilting his face up to meet yours. "Yes, please. I'm so green. I have been wanting you to do this, please." He shot out through squished cheeks, looking at you with the most hungry eyes you have ever seen. His warm hazel eyes, now shiny and black with desire.

You got up off of him, and he whined, missing the warmth of your body on his. You grabbed him by the back of his neck like he was a naughty kitten, and pulled him down the hall and into your bedroom. Before he could take in your room, you pushed him back on the bed. "Strip." You commanded, and your scent overwhelmed him. Your daily aroma that intoxicated him was ten times weaker than the pure pheromones that blanketed your room. Spencer mused that your room must have been built to have sex in. Your bedside tables were adorned with candles, incense, your daily jewelry, and a pair of your panties. You had a red canopy on your four-poster bed that draped your room in a soft red glow.

Your figure was obscured by the canopy as you moved some items around your room. Spencer was lost in your scent, the idea of finally being in your room, and possibly a little lost staring at the panties on your table, making him move too slow for your liking. You parted the fabric and crawled up the bed to him. "Spencer Walter Reid, if you don't strip now, you're going to get a spanking. You have been such a naughty boy today. I thought you were going to be a good boy for mommy but I guess you want to get punished." You said as you slinked back off the bed. "I'm going to count down from 10 and if you aren't naked by the time I reach 0, you are getting spanked. Understood?" You said, and he squeaked out and "Understood!" "10... " Who knew it took so long to unbutton a dress shirt? "9... " Now, his hands were stuck in his sleeves. "8..." Shirt off. "7..." Is his belt broken, or is he shaking too much? "6..." Belt undone but not off. "5..." Pants, ok. "4..." Fuck, his shoes are stuck on. "3... 2... 1... 0. STOP NOW"

You parted the curtain, smirking down at him. "I think I said naked, not underwear on." You said, looking down at him. "You didn't give me enough time!" He whined but you were already flipping him onto your lap with his ass perched in the air. "Color?" You asked, earning his eager response of "Green, so green." You pulled his underwear off and hung it on the corner of your side table, right next to your own panties. The sight was oddly domestic, making him even harder as he tried to rut into your leg. Your hand came down hard on his ass and he bucked into you moaning in shock. "You naughty boy, pathetically rubbing on me. Does my thigh feel good baby?" you asked, and he nodded. Your hand came down hard on his other cheek "How many times do I have to tell you? Use. Your. Words." Punctuating your last three words with three more smacks to his ass, gently rubbing the red skin as he cried out. "Yes, mommy! Your thigh feels so good! Thank you so much!" he said as he ground himself down on you pitifully. "Why is mommy punishing you, sweetheart?" you said, sweetening your tone. " Because I didn't get dressed?" He asked. "Hm, if you were really sorry, you would know what you were sorry for. What are you being punished for? One more chance." You said, smoothing over the plains of his ass. "For being a naughty boy who doesn't listen and rubs his cock on mommy too much." He said. "So close, baby!" You said as you brought down one last smack to his ass as his cock leaked precum all over your legs. "You were getting punished because you don't listen and because you were being really naughty at work, sweetheart. But you took punishment so well, so you deserve a treat." You said as you flipped him over, making sure he was laying in a comfortable place on the bed.

"C-can we match?" He said, pulling on your sweater. You smiled down at him sweetly as you stripped, taking your time to let him gaze over the planes of your body. When you returned, you sat high up on his stomach, making sure he couldn't get any friction against you as you kissed him softly. He was still a little clunky when it came to kissing but when you took it slow, it helped him warm up to your motions until you two were completely in sync.

"Alright, so I'm going to do some new things. Let me know at any time if you aren't comfortable or you want me to stop." You said, and you turned so you were sitting on his chest, looking down at his cock, as he got a wonderful view of your ass and the dimples in your back as your muscles flexed. You collected some spit in your mouth and let it drip down slowly onto the head of his already overly excited cock. He hissed as your finger swirled in the spit that pooled at the base of his cock as you wet your hand before grasping his length. Even though he had felt this exact same thing yesterday, he could never get over the sensation of your hand squeezing around him, circling his cock, and playing with the tip with your thumb. You spit into your other hand and wrapped both hands around his length, working them up and down his shaft, gently twisting and squeezing. The best part was that he couldn’t see anything you were doing. It was like he was blindfolded, stomach muscles tensing in anticipation of your touch.

"Fuck baby I'm close." And that was when you stopped. right as he was about to cum, you squeezed down hard at the base of his cock. "You don't cum until I do." You said, scooting your core back so that it was a couple tantalizing inches away from his face. "Really? You'll let me eat you out? For real?" He asked, mind blown at the idea of eating you out. "I was hoping you would." You replied, waiting for him to make a decision. He hooked your arms around your thighs and pulled you into him so hard, you were worried he broke his nose at first. 'I need a man who eats pussy like it's the only way to quench his thirst' rung out in his head. That's what you had written in your journal titled "Male needs" and he wanted to be a Male that you needed, so that's what he did. He flattened his tongue as he licked a long stripe up your folds, and back down to your clit, latching on hungrily, alternating between sucking hard and twirling his tongue on it. "H-Holy shit Spencer." You moaned, and you knew you wouldn't last long. Even though you wouldn’t admit it, you were soaking wet just from teasing and punishing him. That, coupled with how sweet his tongue was on your core, and you were done for. You certainly had never had a man eat you out like this, much less a virgin. "Shit baby, you're so good? How did you get so good?" You asked incredulously, as he reached his hand back around and inserted a finger between your folds, giving his mouth a short break. "I read the literature and from what I saw, the g spot should be about here." He said before curling his fingers inside of you, brushing against the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing you to moan deeply. His smirking mouth found its way back to your clit as he added another finger, working your g spot with feverish strokes.

"Fuck, baby! I'm cumming!" You shouted and right as you were reaching your peak, he stopped everything. "What the fuck are you doing!?" You yelped at him, your mounting peak now decrescendoing before ever hitting the climax. "I thought we were matching. You're edging me, I'm edging you." He said innocently, but you could hear his smirk tinging his words. "You just want to be punished huh?" You said and squeezed down on his base as you kissed the tip of his cock. "Naughty boys don't get proper head. When you make me cum, then I'll actually suck your cock. Got it?" You asked as he bucked his hips"Yes." He replied fervently.

This was his first-ever experience getting head, so of course, you were going to give him a good time. He would just have to wait. You held down at the base of his aching cock as you lazily sucked and licked the head. Not even close to the usual effort you would put in, but it was enough to make his legs shake and finger you faster. His mouth was too busy panting and whining to eat you out but you were fine with that because the way he was curling his fingers was creating a knot in your stomach and you could feel your impending release. "Fuck baby I'm cumming. Let me cum this time." You said and he reattached his mouth to your clit, sucking hard as he used all of his willpower to keep himself from cumming. And just like that, you're cumming all down his face and fingers as you shake but he keeps going, this time with more enthusiasm, riding you through your orgasm and overstimulating you. You eagerly take him into your mouth all the way, sucking hard, lathering his length with your spit, and in two seconds he is cumming hard down your throat. "Mommy I'm cumming" He said a little too late as you had already swallowed around him.

You were both so caught in the afterglow that you just kept going. Aftershock spurts of cum kept shooting down your throat but you kept sucking. You wanted him needy and wrecked under you. "Oh my god! ah! AH!" He said, shaking as you keep sucking him down. He keeps finger fucking you as if he is possessed. You are both riding your highs and are so overstimulated that in no more than a minute you are both cumming all over again as sobs wrack your bodies.

You flop down next to Spencer and kiss his cheek tentatively, knowing most men don't kiss after head. Spencer leans up, kissing you passionately, tangling his tongue in yours, tasting your release on each other's tongues. "Flip over baby," You said as he rolled over. You pulled out your lotion from your bedside table, gently warming up a small amount in your hands before spreading it on his butt. "I don't know about you, but I'm way too tired to take a shower tonight. I'm just going to put our leftovers in the fridge and brush my teeth. I have some spare toothbrushes if you would like to borrow one, and some pajamas." You said to a very sleepy Spencer. He didn’t even say anything, he just grumbled and got up, leaning on you.

He helped you clean up, both still naked, enjoying the domesticity of just walking around completely vulnerable together. You needed to brush his teeth for him as he sat on the toilet lid and you couldn’t help but think he looked like a little baby, barely clinging to the little energy it had before a nap. You got him up and back in bed, looking down at his naked form, now noticing the gentle matching bruises on either side of his body. “I know you like to match but take care of yourself. Don’t bang yourself up so much. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” You said as you picked his clothes off of the floor. You reached down for your pajamas but before you could get them back on or pull him into his, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you down on top of him."I’ll try to stop. Only for you, and only because you asked so nicely. Right now, I’m too sleepy, let's sleep naked. Night night." He mumbled into the crook of your neck. Warmth enveloped your body at his words, “only for you.” Somehow that was all it took to finally give in to sleep's welcoming grasp, reveling in the warmth shared between your skin.

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Chapter 1 Here / Chapter 2 Here / Chapter 3 Here / Chapter 4

And there we go, that's chapter five! Make sure to give me any comments, criticisms, or ways to better the plot. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I tried to balance out the sweet and spicy aspects of this one. I hope you guys have a great night!

Tag List: @spencer-reids-slut @ya-triedit @reidstoychest @flipperpenguins @thatsonezesty13 @jbbarnes-loki @big-galaxy-chaos @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @spencersmagic @uhuhuh @living-for-romance @aharvey979 @xoxo-jnh-xoxo @marrymespencerrei @crypticcorvidinacottage , @ladydragoneye , @stjoaninthewildwest

#spencer reid smut #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid blurb #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid angst #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds #sub spencer #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid #sub!spencer #pervspence #pervespencer #perve spencer reid #perv spencer reid

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whumpzone · 3 years

Text

Linden & Colton - 15

(masterpost)

another exercise in triggering col, haha. ever since ive had whumpy daydreams as a child ive liked thinking about the caretaker brushing the whumpees teeth. this was meant to be fluffier but i like how it's become something unique to colton <3

CW: NSFW, triggered whumpee, heavy references to n0ncon oral sex, dehumanisation, pet whump

Something was bothering Linden as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror one morning. He could hear the uncertain thumps of Col’s footsteps downstairs- sometimes he could hear him dragging his feet, scared to lift them entirely off the ground. He turned his attention back, trying to figure out what was annoying him.

Then he realised, as he looked into the small jar on the side of the sink. Col’s toothbrush was bone dry. There weren’t even flecks of toothpaste down the handle. He frowned. He really, really couldn’t let that happen. He thought about how if Colton only spoke, he might have noticed sooner, might have caught it on his breath, but he stopped himself. It’s not his fault.

The bathroom looked directly through to the staircase, and as Linden walked out he caught the familiar pair of eyes peering up at him, before Col quickly drew himself back behind the wall.

But Linden had seen him, and they both knew it. It was as if Col could tell already that he was in trouble. He rarely pulled back from Linden in any way, but today he was already halfway across the room by the time Linden had descended the stairs.

“Have you been brushing your teeth?” he asked plainly, not knowing how else to go about it.

Col shook his head, of course he did, but there was a brief second where Linden could see that he was considering lying. He liked that.

. . .

Pet had to confess, but it made him feel hot and prickly with fear. He had been bad. Master’s voice was firm and clipped. He was disappointed in him.

“You have to,” Master ordered, and Pet nodded immediately. Okay, okay, I will. I won’t hesitate. “Why haven’t you so far? Were you- was it because you thought you weren’t allowed? Or were you… scared to? Does it hurt?”

Pet’s head started to spin, and he cringed hard as Master sighed, heavy with frustration. “Sorry, sorry. Way too many questions, I know. Besides, it’s not- wait!” Master suddenly looked up at his pet intensely, and like a poorly-behaved dog, he flinched. Master hardly seemed to notice, though, as he continued, “You said the other day, didn’t you, that you can’t hold a pencil well? It’s hard to grip it? Is it… is the toothbrush too hard to hold properly?”

How did he know? Pet nodded, defeatedly. He had tried, fuck, he really had, fighting a losing battle in the wee hours until he could have wept with frustration. He glanced down at his hands. For a brief moment there weren’t clean and unbound, they were bleeding, the wire was cutting into him, cutting to the bone it felt, and he could barely twitch without the pain shooting all the way up his arms. The memories were so real, sometimes. And wasn’t it helpful that the pain never truly left? It had followed him from his old owner’s house to the streets all the way to Master’s front door and beyond, a phantom trailing along his joints, keeping him reminded of his place.

“That’s okay. I can help.”

Master’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, thankfully, and as he turned to stride upstairs Pet followed him meekly, hands cradled before him.

He was ordered to sit on the lid of the toilet while Master busied himself. It made Pet stiffen up. It looked eerily similar to when his old owner had something big planned, and he made his slave sit helplessly and watch. When Master turned to him, holding the toothbrush like a weapon, the association was so strong that it made Pet whimper and duck his head. Oh, god, he was so bad.

“I’m sorry,” Master said, and it truly sounded like there was feeling behind the words, like he really meant it. It was cruel. “I don’t have a choice.”

You do, Pet thought, even though it was disobedient. Master always has a choice. Master controls everything.

“This is for your own good,” he said. “You understand, Col?”

Oh, Pet understood well. He had endured many horrors for his own good, and this was not among the worst. He would gladly submit to Master’s strange ritual.

But then- “I promise it won’t be too bad. Can you open up?”

Pet gasped. He was back, he was back there, not again, please please please not again. He was strung up and completely defenceless. He wasn’t in control, he never had been, he was an object and he was being used.

He opened his mouth wide, letting his tongue sit over his teeth. Master punished him if it even looked at if he’d try to bite. The corners of his vision started to gloss over.

Then. A hand gently brushed his jaw. Fingers pressed into his skin. Holding him in place? Making sure he stayed good?

He let out a pathetic cry of fear.

. . .

“Col, Col, I’m so sorry, I can tell you’re scared,” Linden said, as Col’s eyes started to glaze over. He hardened his voice, “Col! Stay with me, sweet, come on. You’re being brave, come on.”

He should just get it over with, he realised, and pushed the toothbrush in. Col started to close his mouth, and Linden gripped a little harder on his jaw. He wanted to at least exhaust all his other options before he physically pulled the boy’s mouth open.

“Keep your mouth open, there we go. Now just hold still.”

I’m giving him orders. But it was the simplest way, it was so quick, it was to help the boy. Linden gritted his own teeth. He could worry about the ethics of it later.

Colton’s teeth weren’t as dirty as he’d feared, and Linden made light work of brushing them down. He checked in on Col every so often. His eyes were still glassy, but he seemed at least half-there.

“You okay?” A small huff of affirmation. “Good. Almost there.”

It felt so strangely intimate, brushing his teeth. As if he hadn’t already seen him stark naked in the damn bath. I dunno, he thought. I’m so close to him. He’s sitting so still. There’s nowhere to run.

He finished up just as a strand of frothy toothpaste started to crest over his lip and drip down his chin, some of it along Linden’s fingers. Col rinsed, scooping the water into his mouth with his hands in a rigid claw shape, and then looked in Linden’s direction for the next order.

“Well done, Col. That was important, and you sat there like a wonderful rock and made it so quick and easy. I’m very- I’m very happy with you. We’ll work on holding the toothbrush, yeah? But for now we can head downstairs and get on with the day.”

Col nodded, a bit dull, but Linden decided not to push him.

. . .

Pet felt himself coming back as soon as he was allowed to close his jaw. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened. It felt as if Master had just brushed his teeth, like he said. And yet-

And yet he was rinsing out his mouth, and the taste wasn’t minty anymore but something far more foul, and he was being told how well he took it, how he made it so easy, how he made Master happy. He was back there because he could never escape, never truly.

Master finished talking, evidently, and turned to leave. Pet trailed after him, his eyes filling with tears, but he managed to keep his shaky breaths quiet. Master was happy with him and Pet’s feelings didn’t matter.

first half of the taglist!

@newbornwhumperfly @whumpadump1939 @firewheeesky @whump-me-all-night-long @captainseconds @grizzlie70 @unicornscotty @lave-whump @princessofonward @cupcakes-and-pain @bumbumbea @whumpfigure @yet-another-heathen @secretwhumplair @whumps-up @as-a-matter-of-whump @getyourwhumphere @itzagoodthing @whumpymirages @soapparentlyilikewhumpnow @zipadeedooda-drabbles @penny-for-your-whump @briars7 @legallylibra @angel-stars @loyds-of-registry @tears-and-lilies @badluck990 @rosesareviolentlyread

@vickytokio @neuro-whump @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @whumpsy-daisies @control-whump @theydy-cringeworthy @starnight-whump @cursedandtired @jo-doe-seeking-inspo @justabitofwhump @glamrockgregory @rippedjeansandfadeddreams @genesissane @justbreakonme @addyez @httyd-chocolate

#pet whump #linden and colton #dehumanisation #pet whumpee #slave whump #conditioned whumpee #mine

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lstories · 3 years

Text

Felix and Olivia (First Meeting)

I'm auctly making lore for my worlds? Weird. (Thanks for jinxing me, past me. I've been working on this since before I posted the Gaudi and Emma story)

(Safe, Soft, Unwilling then Willing vore)

Word Count: 3646

Olivia woke up to the sound of steel hitting stone. It wasn't unusual but it wasn't a good sound. She jumped out of bed and ran to her wall before she leaned out of her window, like magic her head and upper torso started to freeze in the snowy storm raging outside but her legs were still warm. She saw three men outside climbing the stone wall, each with clothes and masks covering their entire body's and face. "He holds a child hostage!" One of the men shouted, they were in more modern clothing than Olivia was used to so she would have to show her father once they were 'dealt with'. She ran to her bed, jumping onto it and grabbing the perfectly pink plushie on her smaller pillow. They climbed threw the window one by one, the one that shouted that she was being held captive tried to reassure her that she was being saved. Once they got close enough she leaned over and pressed a button on the side of her bedframe. The ceiling started to open as gun no bigger than a soda can was lowered down. After a second, a laser shot out to the forehead to each of the heroes. One pulled out a sword, the second drew his bow, and the last held out his hand as a small ball of fire started to swirl in his palm. "3 INTRUDERS DETECTED. 52% THREAT LEVEL. DETAINING." the robotic voice called out. Olivia covered her eyes, still seeing a flash threw her eye lids and the cracks of her fingers. She heard the mechanical wiring of the gun being brought back into the ceiling and opened her eyes, the three men were still standing there. Olivia started to count down "3... 2... 1..." and all the clothes they were wearing and items the had fell to the ground at the same time, their bodies gone and only their belongings remained.

Olivia slightly chucked at the clattering of the potions and sword. She grabbed the potions and put them on a shelf full of others with different colors and different shaped bottles. She didnt know what they did but they looked cool and the liquid inside constantly swirled which was mesmerizing. Olivia put all the weapons and books in her closet to sort out later. She started folding the clothes, slowly stacking them into a pile and putting all of their hats onto another rack almost full of hats from all over time. She finished folding the clothes, putting the plushie on top and ran out of her room with a grin. She ran down the hallways and corridors of the castle, light being created by an unknown source above her. She eventually slowed down while passing a room, she heard pleading to be released and threats on whoever locked them away. Threw the crack in the door she only saw darkness soon lit by a ball of fire and as it slowly moved and grew lightning cracked around them as the fire was snuffed out. Olivia ran off, her dad didn't want her to talk to people that came from other worlds or times. She ran down some more doors and hallways until she reached her dad's lab. Once she walked in everything changed from a medieval stone castle to a sterial white futuristic laboratory. She was able to slip by the cleaning robot, instead grabbing a small disk she put on her back. She ran into the lab and put the clothes on an empty desk which she also jumped onto and began to play with her plushie while she waited for her dad to finish what he was doing.

Olivia didn't know what her dad was working on immediately but she knew it was usually to help her, her mom, or her brother. Her dad walked out of a side room, a few barrels floating behind him. His eyes settled on Oliva, she looked at the ground as her dad walked over.

"What are you doing, you know your not allowed to come into the workshop."

"We have visitors and they had new stuff and I wanted to see what you were making"

"You could have told me threw the intercom, it reaches threw my entire workspace"

"The guy in the front scares me"

"Well... (sigh) I'll make something else soon. Please leave the clothes with him and go back to bed"

"But I'm not tired, and I want to help"

"You know you can't help. Not yet at least"

He started to guide the barrels to the top of the machine in the center of the room. A green, thin liquid flowed out of the barrel's and into the large vat on top. They could see it filling threw the glass in the middle of the machine.

"I remember this, it makes new life in an instant right, or it's supposed to"

"You... remember? What do you remember seeing it from"

"Oh, umm. I uh, saw it while reading from... your... private... collection.

His face shifted in anger slowly settling on disappointment. He grabbed her plushie and walked over to the control panel, shoving it into the small glass tube. "If words won't stop you from going into my library, maybe action will" he said while pushing a button, sending the plushie into the vat. Olivia ran over to her dad to try and stop him as she started to cry, his frantic button pushing wasn't even trying to experiment on it, just destroy. She tried to form words threw a blur of tears, just wanting her dad to stop. "Mom made that for me" she finally blurted out. Her dad stoped, remembering walking past the room of her mom stitching it together. He hit a release valve, a green steam shot into a containment vault above them. The plushie fell onto the ground, a thin white mist flowing from it. Her dad walked away, the plushie floating to follow him until he threw it into a chemical cleaner. The machine shook for a few seconds before the plushie was released. Olivia immediately ran over and picked it up to check what the damage was. An intricate design of thin green vines covered the pink plushie as if it was re-dyed. She was relieved that it wasn't damaged but she was sad it had changed color's. As she was thinking how she could dye it back to pink, she thought she could feel it move a bit. She looked down to see its front paws trying to climb her shirt like a puppy. She hugged it tighter, trying not to let it move. It made a small squeak as her dad sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry for my outburst, but you know why I can't let you read threw my collection"

"Beacuse if I read the wrong book I could die on the spot, I know. I just want to help you bring mom back"

"I would love if you could help, but what kind of father would I be if I knew the risks and let you take that chance. I want you to live your childhood which is why I'm making you a protector if I can't help you"

"Wait... this isn't to help mom"

"I will never stop trying to bring your mother and your brother back, but I still have to protect you. Please, stay out of my studies, I can't risk you getting hurt. Now, let's get you to bed"

He got up, carrying Olivia in his arm's. They walked out of his lab and her dad took the disk off her back and threw it onto a nearby table. As they walked threw the doors a disinfect mist sprayed out of the walls but hit an invisible bubble around them. Her dad walked threw the castle slowly so he wouldn't disrupt her. Olivia almost fell asleep, barely staying awake from the tiny movement of her plushie. They passed by the dark room, a red light started to grow as her dad walked closer, she heard screaming from the three people in the room and the door slammed shut just as he walked neer the red light shinning from the crack. She looked back just as her dad was walking away, she saw the red light die down threw the windows on the top as the screaming stopped. Olivia slipped in and out of sleep, her dad lulling and rocking her to sleep and the small plush keeping her just barely awake. As they walked threw the castle her dad was regal in his movements, though no one else lived in this castle to see it. They walked down the hallway to her room, the pictures on the walls shifted and seemed more picturesque than usual and the light that illuminated the halls started to dim.

The doors to her room opened as her dad walked down the hall, the light that illuminated it was completely gone by this point. He placed Olivia on her bed and tucked her in, the weather outside changed to a light rain and the tapping of the raindrops on her windowless windows finally rocked her to sleep, she didn't even hear her dad close the door.

After a few minutes Olivia woke up to the sound of squeaking and the feeling of her shirt being pulled. She looked down to see her plushie biting at the collar of her pj's, squeaking as it tried to stand but feel down. She picked up the plushie, holding it in her arms as it tried to bite at her sleeves. "It's never eaten before, it has to be hungry." She thought. "I've never needed to give you a name before... how about Felix." She said while grabbing the biggest pillow on her bed. It looked up at her for a few seconds when she said that before going back to gnawing on her sleeve. The biggest pillow she had was almost 6 feet long that she would sometimes hide in. She put Felix on the pillow while looking for something to feed him, he started to gnaw at the soft fabric before collapsing onto it. The pink fabric of his body started to break apart and the green fabric started to stretch over the pillow. As the green fabric touched the pillow the surrounding fabric formed into a fluffier pink fabric. Certain parts of the pillow started to constrict into limbs and in a matter of seconds her plushie had taken over her pillow. Felix started to move slightly, the fabric on his face shifted and his eyelids opened. His eyes were pure black as Olivia had seen before but there was small blue speckles she'd never noticed. His mouth showed a row of translucent rainbow teeth. He sat up, rubbing his head before looking over at Olivia, a confused expression showed over his face. She pushed the button oh her bed and stumbled over to Felix, picking him up and throwing him onto the floor. He may have been two feet taller than her but he was still the weight of a pillow. His face was stained with confusion and shifted to fear as the small gun lowered from the top of the room and shot out a thin laser that settled on his forehead. He looked around the room for somewhere to hide, eventually settling on the curtains and running over to hide behind them. They automatically closed to an impossibly thin line and he ran to the closest, then over to the hat rack, each hiding space stoped being usable as he got to them. Olivia was confused to what he was doing, it wasn't like any intruder that had come neer the castle or any of her dads monster she had found lurking outside whatever room he was in. She let out a small giggle, it was funny seeing him run around the room but she stopped when she heard the AI's voice.

"1 OCCUPANT DETECTED. -82% THREAT LEVEL. NO DETAINMENT NEEDED" the voice said before the gun retracted into the ceiling. The gun has never not gone off, even the most minor threat would be sent away. If he wasn't a threat then maybe he was a friend. Olivia sat on her bed staring at Felix while he tried to process what had happened. He knew the gun was dangerous but he didn't know why, he unfolded himself from the ball that he scrunched into and stood up while checking his surroundings. He questioned what he was doing out loud, surprised that he could talk when he did, he didn't sound any older than Olivia. She got a better look at him while he was mostly still, he was just a bigger version of the plush he was, though a few features were bigger. He looked over to Olivia, neither of them knew what to do. They sat in silence, studying each other and thinking of what to say. Both of them spoke at the same time and both apologizing as they interrupted each other, Felix lightly laughed to himself about it. "Who are you" Olivia asked as she scooted closer to the edge of the bed. "Oh, I'm Felix. That's what you called me before I-" Felix said as he tried to sit on the floor, he put his hand on the ground as his wrist and forearm sunk into each other and he fell onto the ground. He hit the side of his head, it sunk halfway into itself and lightly bounced back up. He took a second to figure out what happened as Olivia giggled at it. Felix sat up, pushing his arm into the floor and letting it crumble into itself. "Before I became this. Whatever this is?" Felix said as he looked over his body.

"Were you something else before my dad made you?" Olivia said scooting closer while her knees were dangling off the side of her bed.

"I dont think so. I remember wakeing up but I dont remember going to sleep, auctly I dont remember anything before walking up" Felix said while pushing his fingers into the ground, watching as they buckled and bent with a lack of joints then letting them extend and bend them like they did.

"So why are you he-" Olivia scooted too close to the edge of the bed and fell. She braced herself for the impending thud, but it never came. She opend her eyes the see the pink and green fabric under her.

Felix instinctively jumped under her. "I think I'm here to protect you" Felix tried to say with his face still pressed into the ground.

"Is that all, or do you also want to play"

"play what?"

"My dad talked about this old game he used to play when he was a kid called hide and seek. I'll count down from 30 and you go hide"

"oh, ok" Felix found a place to hide pretty quickly. Olivia was surprisingly ok with what was happening.

They played for a while, Felix never found any good hiding spots while the room seemed to help Olivia. Felix only found her when she started laughing. He didn't see the humor in it or why he did what she said but he was starting to have fun, and he was also getting hungry. Olivia was hiding in a new closet that opend up in front of her. The door looked like it was made out of the same stone as the wall which is why she probably hadn't noticed it before. Her eyes were getting heavy as she sat in the darkness. Her mind started to drift as she heard the rain taping on the windows outside. She could barely keep her head up for more than a second at this point. She heard the light shuffling of Felix looking for her while she finally fell asleep. After a while she woke up to Felix yelling her name, he sounded horrified. Olivia opened the wall door and rubbed her eyes. "Felix?" He looked over, he couldn't cry but he deffenetly would be. He ran over and hugged Oliva, pressing her into his body.

"Dont scare me like that, I thought you died. I need to protect you and you need to stay in my... line..." he trailed off and kept mumbling as Olivia talked

"In your line of sight? You sound like one of my dad's robots, I thought you were going to be fun to be around" she started to get sad as she tried to get away from Felix, she was just going to go to bed and be silently upset with her dad in the morning. "Hey, let go of me"

Felix stared at her, the blue specks defused into his eyes. "My- my li... my line of..." he couldn't keep a single thought strait besides his want for food. He needed food.

Felix slightly opend his mouth, his yellowish tounge gently licked across her face. She was the best and only thing he's ever tasted, he wanted more. He gently placed her whole head into his mouth, slowly licking at her face. Olivia was thrashing around just trying to get away from the thing that was currently eating her. Her movements started to slow as she felt what was happening, his tongue was super soft and weirdly warm. Her movements almost came to a stop, it was so soft and comfy. Felix worked her shoulders into her maw as he pushed her head into his throat. Olivia started to flail again, she was still being eaten, she couldn't just stop struggling. Felix worked her further and further down and she would occasionally stop and let the warmth and fluffiness surround her. Soon her head reached his stomach and small grey tendrils slightly rubbed at her face. She would have thought they would tickle but they pressed down almost like a massage. As more of her body found it's way into Felix's stomach, she could feel herself drifting off to sleep from the feeling, the gentle sound of his heartbeat and the muffled sound of the rain helping.

Felix finished swallowing her legs, he leaned against the wall to his side as the rest of her entered his stomach. Olivia studied the stomach walls a bit closer, she could see through them. She could see the light being broken by thin strands of various fabrics. It wasn't much thicker than a few dryer sheets, if she wanted she could tear her way out. A small strand of fabric moved through her line of sight and she looked back to her clothes. The grey stands were slowly tearing her pajamas to shreds and the cotton strands were being moved to find a place along Felix's stomach like they were always there. She held a hand to one of the grey tendrils, it gently pressed at her hand like it was waiting for something. She pressed back at the stomach walls, a muffed rumbling grew above her. He was purring, Olivia would've never guessed that he could purr but he was. She had to stifle a yawn, this wasn't so bad. Felix rubbed back at the light pressure in his stomach. He could feel every strand that was on the verge of snapping. He had done it, he ate the only thing he was made to protect... he ate...... oh no.

"Olivia, are you ok in there? I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just got so hungry and I needed to eat and you were just-"

"Felix, please be quiet. I'm trying to sleep"

"WH- your in my stomach! How are you so calm!"

"Your warm, comfy, and your stomach gives a really good massage. Also, your not hurting me, its probably safer in here"

"But a stomach isn't safe. Your-"

"Can we just go to sleep. If you want you can sleep on my bed"

"I..." Felix looked over to the bed, he was deffenetly getting tired. He slowly stood up, having to carry his huge stomach until he collapsed onto the bed. Olivia kneaded into the stomach walls causing Felix to purr up a storm. He had to admit, everything about this felt amazing. The gentle pushes, prods, and rubs from inside his stomach along with the feeling of being overly full while protecting Olivia was heavenly to him. The gentle patter of rain, Felix's soft heartbeat and purring, and the massage his stomach gave started to lull her back to sleep. "Goodnight Felix" "Oh, goodnight Olivia" It didn't take long for them to both drift off to sleep.

:timeskip to morning:

"Goodmorning Olivia. I'd like to apologize for last night, and if you'd like you could help with-" Olivia's dad walked into her room. His eyes settled on the plush monster with an enormous stomach lying on her bed. Felix groggily opend his eyes as he moved to see around his stomach. His eyes widened as he saw Olivia's dad in the room. "Oh no- give me a minute and I can explain" Felix struggled to get up and Olivia started to wake from the movement. Felix was lifted by his arms and legs by an invisible force. "What... Did you do... with my daughter" Olivia's dad yelled as he started to tear Felix's arms and legs. Olivia fully woke to the sound of tearing fabric and her dad yelling. She tried to stand up and her hand sunk back into the fluffy fabric. She started to remember what happened last night and pieced two and two together. "Dad, stop hurting Felix" It took a while to sort out what happend and why she was inside what was previously her plushie. After a bit of explaining and pleading Olivia convinced her dad to let Felix stay.

#safe vore #protective vore #extreme cuddling #soft vore #Felix and Olivia

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sineala · 2 years

Note

I think I may be a little late, but if you're still taking these, can I ask for director's commentary on Leaping to Conclusions and Hide Your Love Away? They're two of my favourites of your fics <3

You certainly can! Most people do not seem to be asking for any specific details so I hope I'm being interesting just saying random things about my writing process.

Leaping To Conclusions is a fic I wrote for a BB where I wanted to capitalize on Batroc's obvious crush on Steve in 616 which I then proceeded to set in Marvel Adventures because I wanted a more lighthearted universe. Batroc exists in MA:A and runs a dating site so this isn't entirely unmotivated by canon. I just wanted a universe where everyone was nice to each other and everyone has always been nice to each other and also Batroc would be the first villain Steve has dated, because if this were in 616 Tony would probably be giving Steve shit about having dated Diamondback. It was much fluffier this way.

The thing I remember being most concerned about was depicting Batroc's accent. I wanted to make him sound like Batroc but i didn't think writing out his accent "phonetically" was a good look (since things like that, with non-standard English, are often used to imply things like lack of intelligence), even though that's what the comics do. I know the comics do it to be funny, but, like, I wanted to take him seriously. He's just a native French speaker! He's got a heavy accent! It's not really intrinsically humorous! I just like it when he kicks people in the head!

I kept the massive amount of codeswitching -- I attempted to only stick to words of French that I thought English speakers would know or could pick up from context. And there were a few places where I deliberately had him use more French-influenced syntax in ways that would read as marked in English -- starting a sentence with "me, I..." as an obvious carryover from something like "moi, je..." that still sounds comprehensible in English but not a thing a native speaker will produce.

Possibly no one else thought about this as much as I did.

Hide Your Love Away was a RBB that I snagged as a second RBB the last year I ever did RBB (so far), because Moony drew some beautiful art that was very, very canon-specific -- it was a soulmark AU, where Tony had a head wound and he was showing Steve his soulmark and Steve is very clearly Commander Rogers and this is absolutely meant to be early Avengers v4 so I figured that since I'd read v4 and liked v4 I could take a stab at it.

I'd done a bunch of soulmate AUs but I'd never done a soulmark AU, and in most of the soulmate AUs I've done it's Tony angsting about not being good enough for Steve but here I changed it up and gave Steve that angst.

I feel like fandom makes a big deal of Tony not remembering Civil War -- I mean, of course we do, it's significant -- but it's also the case that Steve actually remembers Civil War, and I feel like that doesn't come up much and I wanted it to come up.

Because Steve remembers the entire war, and Steve has an eidetic memory. Imagine never, ever being able to forget every detail of the worst thing you've ever done, a thing you deeply regret doing, and it's just there in your head in perfect detail. Do you think Steve wakes up dreaming about the precise sound his shield makes as it shears off the faceplate of Tony's armor? Do you think he's going about his day and all of a sudden he remembers that Tony's hands were stretched out above his head, the repulsors dim, while Steve was hitting him, and Tony wasn't even fighting back? Do you think he can stop thinking about the precise way Tony begged him to kill him?

I think Steve remembers all of that. And I can see how, with all of that filling his mind, that he might think he's the one who's not good enough for Tony. Because how can Tony want a soulmate who already tried to kill him?

So that's what that one's about. It's also the last BB/RBB I successfully managed; for the same RBB I also snagged Phoenix's art featuring Madame Masque making Tony drink at gunpoint, wrote 150,000 words, didn't post them, and wrote an alternate fic for the art with the bare minimum wordcount and still haven't posted the original fic. My brain doesn't really do deadlines anymore and it stopped doing them halfway through that RBB.

#ishipallthings #replies

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not-close-to-straight · 4 years

Text

Lost and Found (Eight)

Slight TW for mentions of 40′s era h*mophobia and Tony’s thanks-to-Howard internalized h*mophobia but it’s over quick.

MASTERLIST HERE

*************

“I think there’s an issue with connectivity.” Tony chewed on the end of a pen as he watched James go through a series of repetitive motions with the prosthetic arm. “Which makes no sense at all, because obviously I did everything correct. Are you sure you’re doing that right?”

“Touchin’ the tips of my fingers together?” James raised his eyebrows and tried to touch the ring finger of the metal limb together with the thumb, gritting his teeth in frustration when the joints hitched and froze. “Yeah Tony, pretty sure I remember how to move my hand.”

“Okay fine, maybe I screwed up somewhere.” Tony huffed out a breath, blowing messy hair off his forehead. “Hold your breath, this will probably feel weird.”

The twist and pop of the arm disconnecting certainly did feel weird, the tug and strain at the plates in James’s chest when his shoulder weighed heavy for just a moment and then lightened in the next alien and uncomfortable. He flinched more from the awkward noise than from any actual pain though, grimaced away from a flash of nightmare that felt like being strapped down and hurt, and when Tony paused to ask, “Alright?” he simply nodded.

Sure. He was fine.

“This will only take a few minutes, hang tight.” Tony carried the arm back to another table and James reached up to feel gingerly along his shoulder, tracing the scars from the hard stump over to his collarbone.

Seeing himself reflected in the large mirror tilted above the chair was… well it was worse than James thought it would be. Tony had suggested that seeing what was happening might make the process a little easier but all James could see was damage, ruined skin and twisted muscles and a deathly pale pallor the sun never seemed to touch.

It was awful. He was awful and the situation was made all the worse for the way Tony was distant today, this morning, last night and every night since James had blundered into the not-kiss at the Expo.

The surprisingly easy laughter from just last week was gone, the quick smiles and nearly shared thoughts non existent. Tony wasn’t being cold, but he was stiff. He wasn’t avoiding spending time together, but movie nights happened with either man sat on the opposite side of the couch now, and attaching the new prosthetic arm was the closest Tony had been to James in days.

Everything was awful and James didn’t know how to fix it, didn’t know if Tony wanted to try and fix it, or if there was even something to try and fix--

--James was right back to not knowing anything at all except his name.

My name is James and he wanted to know so much more than that.

Awful.

“You asked if I watch the news.” he tried to break the silence when he just couldn’t take it anymore. “The other day, I mean. A few days ago. Before the Expo. You asked if I ever saw you on the news?”

“Yeah.” Tony looked up only briefly and went back to fine tuning the input of the arm.

“Sometimes the uh-- the counselor that came to the shelter would sit and watch with me.” James cleared his throat, discouraged by the lack of response. “I couldn’t ever watch the news, it about killed me to see some of that stuff but Sam said most of our memories are locked into references and not-- not concrete ideas. So maybe TV would help bring some of them around.”

“Sam Wilson.” Tony stated. “Pep’s mentioned him a few times, says he does good work. Did watching TV help with your memories.”

“No.” James dug his fingers into his thigh to combat the flush of failure at the back of his neck. “No it never did. Only confused me. Would watch game shows or documentaries and it wouldn’t be right. The name of countries, you know? I would see a map or something and think I knew it, then my answer would be wrong.”

Tony cocked his head, the first real sign of interest he’d shown all day. “Huh. Can you give me an example?”

“Well there’s--” James hesitated, searching his memory for one that had stood out with Sam. “--There’s a whole lotta places where the Soviet Union used to be. Names I don’t know and cities that used to be called something else.”

“Soviet Union.” Tony readjusted one more thing on the arm, then turned to face James fully. “What did Sam say about that? Anything?”

“He told me it could be something as easy as me havin’ watched a history movie or reading a book before my accident and those are the names that stuck with me afterwards.” James’s heart picked up when Tony smiled a little. Was it possible to miss a smile after a few days? “That never sounded right to me, though.”

“The Soviet Union collapsed in December of 1991.” Tony folded his arms and leaned back against the table. “I remember that entire month vividly. If you know for certain you remember it being the U.S.S.R, then you were at least high school age studying geography before it fell. Interesting.”

James wasn’t following Tony’s thought process at all but he was so happy the beautiful genius was talking to him again, he didn’t even care. “Why is that interesting?”

“Based on that fact alone, I’d suggest you were pushing thirty which means we could narrow down search parameters and maybe get a better lead on who you are.” Tony explained, his smile growing just a little bit more. “There’s other ways to figure it out too, but nothing easy or very concrete.”

James made a ‘go on’ motion and Tony scratched through his goatee as he thought it out.

“Well, I could run some tests if you’d like, but seeing as how we’re only barely managing getting the arm on in a La-Z-boy recliner cos the other chair upset you, I bet you don’t want me poking and prodding with needles and electrodes. Totally fine by the way.” he waved off James’s objection. “I don’t like it either. It’s fine. No tests, we don’t need to do that.”

“The easiest way to find you in the system is fingerprints.” he continued. “But I ran your fingerprints the first time you came through the lab as a precaution-- don’t look like that, I do it to everyone-- and yours aren’t in the system, or at least not anything recognizable. Not a big deal, fingerprinting tech is still fairly new, it wasn’t an electronic database till the 1980’s and AFIS wasn’t halfway usable till about 2000. There’s a thousand reasons why you wouldn’t be in there, even with your military service.”

“Fingerprints.” James looked down at his hand curiously. “What else?”

“We could always do DNA testing, but I wouldn’t do it without your permission. I know some people that track you down quick but DNA testing always seems a little… invasive.” Tony tapped at the reactor casing a few times. “I’m not a fan of anything invasive. And you know, finding results would hinge solely on the idea that your DNA is already registered somewhere and if your fingerprints don’t come up…”

He let the sentence trail and shrugged. “If you really want a definitive answer of who you are beyond a guess at your age based on when the Soviet fell, I’m happy to try. There isn’t a whole lot I can’t find out once I start getting nosy, but I figured if you wanted to know, you’d ask.”

Tony waited a beat, “Do you want to know?”

No.

I don’t know.

What sort of man dreams the things I do?

“I’m okay with just James for now.” is what James said instead of everything else burning on his tongue. “Maybe the memories will come back on their own.”

Tony nodded absentmindedly and turned back to the prosthesis, so James took his slightly raw feelings and tried to distract himself by picking up a nearby photo book. All the what-if’s of who he had been were colliding with all the what if’s from the Expo and circling round in his mind, round and round until he actually felt a little nauseous, so he cleared his throat and forced the thoughts away and flipped idly through the photos.

The pictures were at least twenty years old, snap shot after snap shot of a young Tony draped all over a younger James Rhodes, laughing hysterically at a joke between them, clearly wearing each other’s clothes and other costume pieces, a picture of Tony dead asleep on thick text books while Rhodey drew various genitalia on his face in marker.

Some of the photos were dated and placed at MIT, others were at what looked like the Colonel’s home, his family scattered in the background of their antics. Only one was a formal picture, Tony and Rhodey in fit suits standing solemn at the top of the stairs but in the very next frame the boys were wrestling and pulling at each others hair and then in a third picture mid-tumble down the stairs while a woman who looked remarkably like Tony threw her hands up in clear exasperation.

It was years of friendship, years of happiness and pranks and love and James found himself smiling as young Tony’s hair got higher and fluffier style changes, the clothes got more and more ridiculous, even the cap and gown graduation picture complete with fake mustaches and crossed eyes for the portrait.

There were pictures of vacation-- Tony in hilariously printed swim trunks, a floaty around his waist and over sized goggles on his face, Tony tripping over the flippers and face planting into the pool, Tony looking slightly drowned rat-ish as he struggled back onto dry land--

“Wow.” James didn’t mean to say anything out loud but the next picture of Colonel Rhodes didn’t match the silly theme of the book at all. It was an artistic shot, all pretty angles and purposeful shadows, a whole lot of skin and muscles on display and while it wasn’t obvious if Rhodey was actually sleeping or just posing, it was clearly obvious that whoever took the picture had had only one thought in mind.

Sexy.

“Didn’t realize the Colonel was so good lookin’.” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud either and after the Expo, James should have made a better effort to not blurt things out in front of Tony, but it was too late now, the words were out there and Tony was staring at him in surprise.

“What’d you say?”

“The-- the Colonel.” James put the book down and swallowed, looking away from it and from Tony. “He’s damn good looking. You and he ah-- you’re real close?”

“Rhodey is my best friend, and yes he’s a total hottie.” Tony carried the re-adjusted arm back to James and set it aside to pick up the book too, flipping through the pictures and chuckling when he got to the shirtless one. “Oh man, he hates this picture. I tried for days to convince him to submit a photo to some ‘hotties of spring break’ calendar and he refused, so I got him blasted on tequila and then took the shot while he was passed out snoring.”

“That--” James hesitated. “That seems creepy, Tony.”

“Yeah, in retrospect, one of the creepiest things ever but eh, what’s a little creep-on between besties?” Tony’s laugh was fond and maybe even a little melancholy as he set the book down again. “I labeled the picture as ‘Honeybear in the Near Nude’ and I really thought he was gonna kill me. Really did. Actually feared for my life the rest of that semester.”

“...That was the last spring break we had together before graduation.” Tony added after a minute. “Maybe the best week of my life.”

“Did he win--” Bucky stopped when an alarm chimed somewhere in the lab, and the first few lines of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy started playing. “-- I know this song. What is this?”

“The Andrews Sisters.” Tony snapped his fingers and the music turned up a few notches. “How do you know it?”

“How do you know it?” James returned, his mind spinning with lyrics he knew and a beat he knew and holy shit he’d definitely danced to this before, suddenly James knew he loved dancing.

“It was my Auntie Peggy’s favorite song.” Tony took one of those nasty smoothies from Dum-E. “She taught me to dance to this kind of music and I set it as my alarm because it’s such an unusual sound these days that I couldn’t ever ignore it.”

“I know this song.” James said again, and it was incredible to know something beyond how much pressure it took to snap a man’s collarbone and whether or not the walls were thick enough to stop a bullet. “I love this song.”

“I don’t know if I love it-- hold still, please.” Tony set the prosthesis up to James’s shoulder and notched it in with a few clicks. “--but it makes me think of Peggy, which makes me happy and means that I’m not as cranky when I have to drink this green stuff. How does the arm feel?”

“Bout the same as last time.” James mouthed along with a few of the lines as the song played in the background. “Should I do the same sorta stuff to check it out?”

“Yeah, touch your thumb to each finger and flex your wrist as you do.” Tony instructed around a mouthful of smoothie. “If we can get past that part this time around we’ll move on to something else.”

“Sure.” James went through each motion as Tony directed, touching his finger tips together and rotating his wrist, unable to help a smile as the left hand responded perfectly to his every thought. “Feel great, Tony. This is amazing.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Tony’s dark eyes were glowing with excitement, and James’s concentration faltered when Tony leaned in even closer and ran his hand up the metal limb. “All the things I’ve built, and bionic man never made it to my list. I can’t believe what I was missing out on.”

Tony tried to close his hand around the bicep of the left arm and scrunched his nose in delight when his fingers didn’t come anywhere even remotely close to touching. “Alright, you can’t actually pop the knuckles on this hand but make the motion anyway, holding each finger down with your thumb like you’re trying to crack the joint. It’s a weird gesture and not one that everyone can do but it will test the dexterity of the prosthesis as well as prove how well it connects to your mind.”

James hummed along to the music as he followed the easy instruction, laughing in quiet disbelief when the new arm did everything he wanted.

I have two hands again.

I’m whole again.

I’m me again.

“All that looks good, so what we’re going to do now is--”

“Dance with me.” James interrupted and Tony stopped, mouth open. “C’mon there’s all sortsa things we can do to test this thing out but dancing would take care of most of them, right?” he glanced up at the speakers and then back down at Tony. “I love this song, Tony. Dance with me.”

“You want to dance with me?” Tony’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, expression shuttering just like it had at the Expo. “James, I don’t think--”

“I’ll go easy on you.” James tried for coaxing, for teasing, for anything besides fear of another rejection. He might not know a whole lot of anything these days but he knew this song and he knew he really really wanted another chance at whatever had almost happened at the Expo, and damn it Tony’s smile was so pretty he almost couldn’t stand it.

He felt like him all the sudden, two hands and an easy smile and even though the sight of metal gleaming along his left side triggered warning bells somewhere deep in his subconscious, James ignored them for the sake of holding out his hand and curling his fingers hopefully. “Dance with me Tony.”

Spend time with me when I feel human.

“Promise not to step on your toes?” he offered almost desperately now-- please please see me as me, I’m so close to me right now-- but his heart sank when Tony stuttered, “Uh James listen. About-- about the Expo and when we almost--I mean, that’s something we should talk about, right? Before you suggest anything like dancing?”

“Never mind.” This time it was James pulled away, who cleared his throat and blanked his expression and let his words get clipped and a little frosty, unease and insecurity warring with a little bit of self loathing for being so fucking dumb to try and fail again. “Forget I asked.”

“No wait--”

“Tony, I don’t really want to hear all the reasons why you didn’t want to kiss me.” James could almost feel himself fading away, disappearing back behind the gates in his mind as the warning bells about the metal arm started to get loud again. “Or all the ways I was misreading everything I thought I saw. Guess I’m more outta practice with this than I thought I was and I don’t want you saying yes cos you feel bad for me or anything, just leave it be.”

Silence, and James cleared his throat, tried not to let the misery and feeling of failure seep too far into his voice. “What else do I need to do to test this thing out?”

“No, don’t change the subject, we should talk about this.” Tony scrubbed his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. “Fuck me, I’m bad at this but I’ve been working on talking things out and trying to say what I mean instead of being sarcastic all the time so here we go. James, about what happened at the Expo--”

“Tony don’t.”

“--Do you think Rhodey is hot or not?” Tony burst out and James’s mouth fell open. “Do you?”

“...He’s a good lookin’ fella, sure.”

“Okay.” Tony nodded a few times. “Okay, because I think he’s hot too but it’s taken me twenty five years to be able to say that out loud. You know what I mean?”

“I--” James hesitated. “No. Sorry. I don’t know what you mean.”

“It means I’ve been pretending for twenty five years that I don’t notice anything remotely attractive about Rhodey and this is the first time in my life I’m not lying about it.” Tony’s eyes were wide, a streak of red painted high on his cheeks. “My Dad was flat out against anything like that and I don’t know if my Ma knew or not, but it’s been twenty five years and I’m just now comfortable saying it.”

“...okay?”

“And then you went and almost kissed me at the Expo and it all sort of--” Tony made a crazy motion with his hands. “-- I didn’t handle it very well and I’m sorry, but it wasn’t you, it was me and my Dad’s voice right here--” a finger to his temple. “--saying a whole lot of things. You get it?”

James wet his lips and clenched his fists and Tony kept staring, kept hoping James understood even a little bit.

“Twenty five years.” he repeated, chewing at the inside of his cheek and pressing his palm to the reactor to ease the anxious balling up inside. “And it sucks that I made it to over forty before I managed to stop listening to all that crap about who I am and who I’m supposed to be attracted to, but it is what it is. I promise you’re not reading anything wrong on my end, but I’ve never been brave enough to do this before so I gotta know-- am I reading it all wrong on your end?”

And after a quiet, shaky breath, “Do you hear all that shit in your head saying this is wrong too, or is it just me that’s a ball of goddamn conflicted?”

“Goddamn conflicted.” James repeated, and his mind went back who knows how many years ago to all the things he used to hear when he tried to hide, when he went to church in secret and tried to confess, when he gave in a few times and quit pretending to be just like the other fellas.

C’mon now, you know better than to think like that. We like dames, don’t we? Stop starin’.

The Good Book wholly condemns those who engage in perversion, James. Ask for forgiveness and move on from such sin.

Look, what we do here at night is one thing, but don’t go talkin’ bout it in the day time, I’m not a queer, you just got a pretty mouth.

Stay away from that side of town, don’t you know that’s where the fags go?

Tony was asking for understanding and for another chance, for forgiveness because of his reaction and offering an explanation that sounded an awful lot like what James heard in his head every time he thought about how beautiful Tony was.

“I’m so bad at this.”

James must have been quiet too long, because Tony muttered a curse and sat back in his own chair. “Shit. I am so damn bad at this. You know what, maybe we should call it a day and try again tomorrow, I’m clearly not up to dancing or working or putting together sentences or making any fucking sense so--”

“Tony.” James made up his mind and held out his hand again, eyes hopeful and voice as soft as he could make it. “I love this song. Dance with me?”

“Okay.” Tony’s fingers shook just a little as he placed them in James’s palm. “I love this song too.”

*****************

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy wasn’t a slow song by any means, and Tony was several years past his last dance lesson with Peggy, but after a few mis steps and playful arguments about who exactly was going to lead, James finally flexed his left arm and lifted Tony right off the ground to announce, “If you can lift me up, you’re welcome to lead, Tony.” and Tony laughed in surprise and kept right on laughing as JARVIS started the song over and James took him out between the desks for a dance.

“You’re doing it wrong.” James chuckled and dragged Tony forward into the right steps, left hand secure at Tony’s hip and right hand clasped around Tony’s fingers lightly. “Come on, it’s swing not a waltz. Loosen up for me.”

“You don’t remember your own last name but somehow you remember how to swing dance?” Tony was out of breath already, but game to try and keep up step for step, easing his body towards pliant so James could lead them through the familiar patterns. “How’d you get so good at this anyway?”

“I know this song.” James repeated, concentrating on the give of Tony’s waist soft beneath the hard fingers and not on the headache coming along with thoughts of dancing and maybe even watching the Andrews sisters up on stage as they sang the song which-- that didn’t make sense because the song was seventy something years old at this point wasn’t it? No way he saw them perform.

“I just know it.” he decided, and then teasing, “Or maybe I’m just a better dancer than you.”

“I could ballroom dance your socks off.” Tony announced, and barked a startled laugh when James spun him out into a quick twirl. “I didn’t take six years of lessons with Madame Laurent for nothing. Swing dancing just isn’t exactly my forte.”

“Well next time I give you a lesson, make sure you’re wearin’ a twirly skirt so I can get ya above my head and take a peek, huh?” James grinned, and there his voice went slipping soft and flirty and so damn Brooklyn Tony stumbled and nearly fell when his heart jolted in his chest.

Twenty five years it took to even admit out loud that Rhodey was a damn hottie and now Tony was faced with a soldier right out of his musical-themed day dreams who could dance and smile and talked like all his favorite characters from movies he’d watched enough times to ruin the tapes.

Twenty five years to admit something as dumb as his best friend being attractive and now James was laughing with him and teasing and the mis-step at the Expo seemed ages ago, almost impossible with the way the soldier’s pale eyes were lit up right now and the way James’s fingers held just a little tighter at Tony’s waist and pulled him in close through a turn and ohhhh their bodies brushed together and Tony closed his eyes when a bolt of heat went straight to his core.

Was he so touch starved and miserably horny that a silly dance to his Auntie’s ancient music was going to get him hard?

Another turn and another touch and James’s hand slipped lower along Tony’s waist and he nearly passed out.

Yep. Yep he really was that touch starved and miserably horny.

Except not really miserable. Tony was having the most fun in the world dodging lab tables and chairs as James got more confident with his steps and JARVIS kept the song playing around them. A few banged ankles and stepped on toes were worth feeling the heat pouring off James’s chest, the steel like security of the left arm contrasted with the drugging warmth of the right hand when James cupped the back of Tony’s head to hold him steady through a quick turn and two step.

The music went on, the dance got easier, and then their legs tangled almost to the point of catastrophe and James caught Tony laughing as they crashed together--

--and Tony bit his tongue to quiet a moan when he felt James’s body reacting against his own.

“J-James?”

“Tony.” This time James knew he wasn’t reading anything wrong, this time he wasn’t going to second guess himself and this time Tony was definitely leaning in and standing on his toes--

“Shit!” James jerked away at the last second, jerked away and recoiled when everything seized along his left side and lit up painful, sparks popping behind his eyes. “Ow! Tony help!”

“Damn it, come here and sit down so I can get it off.” Moment temporarily stalled, Tony slid right back into inventor mode and pushed James down onto the closest chair so he could get to work disconnecting the new arm. “I don’t know what’s going on with this thing, I really thought I could just connect it to your shoulder but I might have to go a little deeper into your chest to fix it, maybe even do something with adjustable plates since this piece doesn’t really move, then everything could re calibrate individually as needed….”

Tony trailed off into mumbling as James lay back and tried to breathe through the pain shooting across his chest. Everything on his left side felt like it was on fire, like it used to those first few months after waking up beneath that bridge, phantom weight dragging his shoulder down and the feeling of needles in his skin.

It hurt and he growled a rough curse when Tony pushed at his shoulder experimentally.

“Sorry.” Tony said immediately. “Sorry about that. I can fix this, I definitely can. JARVIS run some simulations on using individual pieces instead of one solid on like the armor-- the arm. Not long lines like muscles but horizontal plates instead. A hundred small calculations to adjust as he moves, not three or four major ones.”

“Yes sir.”

“One two three, off.” Tony pulled the arm off and hurried it back to the fabrication station so JARVIS could take the appropriate scans and start working on the changes. “Okay, you still with me? James?”

A bottle of water pressed into James’s hand, and Tony hesitated before resting his palms on James’s thighs. “Feeling okay?”

“Feeling like shit for ruining our dance.” James grit out, honest because there was no reason to lie to Tony, no reason to hide his disappointment when he knew Tony had been having just as much as him. “Sorry about that.”

“Rescheduled doesn’t mean ruined.” Tony said the words lightly but his heart was in his throat, waiting to see if James would acknowledge the clear invitation. “Right?”

“Right.” The corner of James’s mouth crooked up into a smile. “Rescheduled.”

A smile meant good things, the invitation to another dance meant lots of very good things so Tony gathered every bit of his courage, every bit of determination he had about completing his bucket list, all the hope he’d gotten every time James smiled at him or flirted a little and all the butterflies in his stomach from their dance and said softly, so softly,--

“James, I-- I’d like to take you to bed.”

And James’s eyes opened wide and incredulous, “...what?!”

****************

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#ncts fics #winteriron #tony stark #bucky barnes

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i-stan-nct-and-satan · 4 years

Text

Not Broken Part 11 (Jaehyun Mafia AU)

Not Broken Masterlist

Jaehyun X Reader

Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse

Awakened by the rays of sunlight that shined a little too brightly for comfort, I lifted the covers over my head, keeping my eyes shut in the hopes that I could continue my much-needed slumber.

I felt myself melting into the mattress. It felt so much softer than I had remembered. The pillows fluffier, the duvet silkier, and the entire bed felt roomier than I was used to.

Everything was so warm, so nice, so... comfortable. I wondered how long it had been since I felt this at peace.

My eyes fluttered open at the thought.

How long had it been?

I threw the bedspread off my body to see that I was wearing something that definitely didn’t belong to me. I normally went to bed either in a tank top and boxer shorts or in my day-clothes depending on whether or not I drank too much the previous night but right now I was wearing satin teal pajamas covered in a seashell design. It felt too early in the morning to have this much to process, even without the confusion surrounding the tacky nightwear.

This isn’t my bed. This isn’t my bedroom. Where am I?

After the initial shock of having woken up in a new place finally managed to wash away, the memories that I was free of during my harmonious slumber were back and I felt as though I were drowning in them.

I noticed my breathing was almost at the point of hyperventilation, so I took in several slow breaths to calm myself.

The last thing I want to do in this scenario is panic. I must be smart about this.

After a split second of searching, my eyes landed on a window. I stood up from the bed and quickly yet quietly moved towards it.

Maybe I'll have a better chance of escaping if I climb out through here.

I easily removed the window screen before wrestling with the window itself, trying to figure out how to open it. It was unlocked.

Yes, yes, yes!

No, no, no!

After finally managing to open the window wide enough to climb through, I stuck my head out to find that I was at least three stories high and that there was no way to climb down without a rope.

I looked to the bedsheets and practiced tying them together like in the movies, but the satin fabric slipped undone as soon as even a little pressure was added to the knots.

Curse these soft fucking sheets.

Just as I started to realize that the window plan wasn’t going to pan out, I spotted a nearby door.

My nerves worsened as I walked towards the small beacon of hope. If I wanted to make it past them in a house I knew nothing about, I was going to have to be quick in my escape.

My hand reached for the knob. I hesitated, noticing the coldness of the metal before a small bout of adrenaline encouraged me to turn it. I swung the door open more harshly than I had intended but the adrenaline had taken hold and I ran into a fucking closet.

What the fuck? Ow!

I rubbed at my forehead.

As if I wasn’t bruised enough already.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I, Y/N, tried to escape by running into the bedroom closet.

Thankfully, the closet was filled with enough clothing that it served as padding to my idiocy.

Still on the floor of the closet, I waited a few seconds hoping that any noise that may have arisen from my sudden encounter with the closet wall wasn’t enough to draw any attention to the fact that I was awake.

Stepping out, my eyes noticed two more doors. More slowly this time, I opened the first one, still taking every precaution not to make any unnecessary noise.

Bathroom.

Okay, on to the next one.

I knew that this time it had to be the right door given the fact that it seemed pretty unlikely that they had built an entire room around me as I slept.

I turned the knob expecting a clicking sound but it never came.

Locked.

I sighed in frustration.

Of course, it was locked. What did I expect?

I turned around, resting my back against the door as I slid down to the floor.

A groan left my mouth as my image reflected itself on a large mirror on the other side of the room.

I hadn’t had a chance to look around the room yet since once I realized it wasn’t mine, I had become preoccupied with the goal of leaving it. Now, seeing as I had nothing else to do, I figured I could at least find something to turn into a makeshift weapon or something along those lines.

Taking in the bedroom’s décor, I noticed that it was a lot less flashy than the bedroom that used to belong to IU. Where her room was mostly covered with purple detailing, this room was filled with more black and grey tones. The walls were painted a plain white color. The hardwood floors were coated in a dark glaze that really drew attention to the wood’s natural patterns. The room only had 5 pieces of furniture: a bed with a charcoal-toned net canopy, the sections of which were tied around the tall wooden bed poles; a nightstand that matched the wood of the bed; a medium sized vanity table, on top of which was the mirror I spotted my reflection in, with a small matching chair, along with armchair on the other side of the room that reminded me of one of those movies where wealthy old men would sit in front of the fireplace smoking a cigar.

I carefully stood up, painfully aware of the aches and pains that taunted every nerve. I walked towards the vanity, never talking my gaze off the mirror’s reflection. My eyes weren’t as swollen as they once were, but I couldn’t help but notice that they were even darker than before.

<><><><>Flashback<><><><>

“Bruises take around six days from the point of the injury to fully develop. After that, they’ll turn slightly green, then yellow, and then they’ll start to slowly fade away,” My mother told me as she rummaged through the cupboards.

I was sitting on the bathroom counter, watching her as she searched for the first aid kit. My older brother, the one who ended up disappearing with our inheritance, had pushed me down after I tried to join him and his friends in their soccer game. My knee hadn’t been scraped since my jeans shielded its impact, but it was obvious that a bruise was starting to form. I was eight at the time.

“So, they don’t turn purple immediately?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“That’s so stupid! You mean that I have to wait for it to get purple before it goes away?”

My mother rolled up my pant leg, a slight smile adorned her features.

“Sometimes things get worse before they can get better. That’s the way life is,” She hummed opening a jar that lacked any sort of label.

She noticed my pouting expression and let out a chuckle.

“But you know, you don’t have to just sit there and put up with it. That’s why we use vitamin k cream, to clot the broken capillaries so that the bruises fade faster,” She explained in her usual sing-songy tone.

“That’s so stupid. What does that even mean?” I whined.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”

<><><>End of flashback<><><><>

I smiled at the memory but the tears that filled my eyes revealed the real truth.

My mother always seemed to know exactly what to say. It was like she always knew that everything was going to be okay, no matter how bad it appeared to be. That knowing smile which reassured me that things would turn out the way they were supposed to, ended up being a false comfort. Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to. Not then when she and my father died in that car accident, and not now.

My mom wasn’t here to tell me everything was going to be okay and she never would again.

Staring at myself in the mirror, the tears spilled over one by one, until a sudden series of knocks started coming from the locked door.

I tried to wipe the tears away using the sleeve of the pajamas, but the unabsorbant satin merely spread them over my cheeks.

Seriously?

“Y/N? I’m coming in now,” the voice announced.

Making one last effort to wipe the moisture from my face with my hands, I turned towards the opened door. The first thing I noticed was red.

It was Taeyong.

I didn’t allow myself to feel relieved that it was him entering the room instead of one of the more violent members, especially since he was still one of the men who had been holding me captive.

He was holding a lunch tray with a bowl resting on top of it. I couldn’t see what it was at first but as he drew closer, finding out the contents of the bowl wasn’t my biggest concern. I retreated from the man’s approach by climbing onto the bed only for him to walk past me to set the tray on the vanity.

“How do you feel?”

Still foggy from having woken up, I passed on coming up with any form of a snarky response. Instead, I just stared at him.

“You slept for quite a long time, but I guess that makes sense since you weren’t able to get much rest the night before,” He commented, referring to the lack of sleep I received due to the adrenaline shot I was given at the time.

He leaned against the wall across from me. I stayed silent.

“I’m not gonna ask you if anything hurts, because I know that everything probably hurts right now, but I’d like you to answer some questions for me,” Taeyong explained.

He stared at me expectantly.

“Nod your head if you understand.”

I paused before nodding.

Taeyong’s gaze lingered on me awkwardly before kneeling in front of the nightstand beside the bed.

I lifted my feet onto the bed out of instinct but either he didn’t seem to notice or was purposely ignoring my jumpy antics.

“Do you feel any dizziness?” Taeyong asked as he opened the nightstand drawer.

He took out a first aid kit before turning to me. I shook my head.

“What about swelling?”

Again, I shook my head.

Taeyong continued to ask me a grocery list of questions regarding how I was feeling. I answered no to most of the questions by simply shaking my head but then he started asking things I couldn’t silently answer.

“Where does it hurt the most?”

“My ribs.”

“Huh, how would you describe the pain?”

“It’s aches when I inhale,” I replied, downplaying the extent of which the pain was restricting my ability to breath comfortably.

“Okay, what else?”

“My head hurts.”

Taeyong opened the first aid kit and brought out a small flashlight.

“And you said you weren’t feeling any dizziness, right?”

I returned back to answering with subtle head nods.

“Keep your head still and follow the light with your eyes.”

I did as Taeyong instructed as he performed a series of tests I hadn’t gone through since I had participated in my middle school’s sports team.

“No concussion, that’s good. I was worried that you hit your head on the floor when the chair broke.”

I frowned at the memory in which Winwin tried to explain how Jaehyun had basically destroyed the chair with me in it.

“What else hurts?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It would have been easier if he asked, what didn’t hurt. I was too tired to make any effort to express my anger over the current situation and it wasn’t like he didn't already know.

“Everything else just kind of aches.”

“I see,” Taeyong pondered.

“I’m gonna have to take a look at your rib so I need you to um...”

He seemed reluctant to finish his statement.

“Could you remove your shirt for me?”

I stared at him blankly.

“Uh, I can go grab you something to cover up with while I take a look at it- Uh, your rib, I mean.”

I took in a shallow breath.

“No need,” I replied, unbuttoning the pajama shirt.

“I assume you were the one who dressed me in these wine aunt pajamas in the first place. Am I correct in that assumption?”

Taeyong nodded sheepishly.

“Then it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.”

I let the top fall past my shoulders.

I scowled at Taeyong making it clear that I wasn’t trying to act coy, I was just tired and didn’t really care what he saw, especially when it seemed like half of the members had seen me naked in one form or another.

“Which side does it hurt on?”

“This one.”

Taeyong sat on the bed on the side of me I had referred to, the side opposite from the vanity. His hands hovered over my body as if asking permission to touch it. I looked him in the eye but made no expression of encouragement. Once he got the hint that I wasn’t going to give him any, his hands met my skin.

I flinched at the sudden contact and I could feel the goosebumps that began to dust my exposed skin. I hadn’t been embarrassed before, but after being touched by his cold hands, a small shiver went up and down my spine. I began to feel self-conscious, worried that my hardened nipples would give him the wrong idea. I did my best to avoid his gaze by fixing mine on the vanity, but was instead met with his reflection, which seemed to be even more uncomfortable than I was. His features were tinted a light shade of red that almost matched his fiery locks.

“Sorry,” He muttered as he continued to carefully feel around my ribs.

“Ah” I winced as his hands found my injured rib.

He quickly withdrew his hands from my body.

“Are you okay?”

“Just peachy,” I groaned through clenched teeth.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to push on it a bit to make sure it isn’t digging into your lungs.”

Just great.

I couldn’t believe the situation I was in but here I was.

“Do what you have to do,” I grumbled.

Taeyong’s hands returned to my body. The injury was in the most awkward spot possible. Two inches to the left and his hands would have been touching my breast.

“Ah, ah!” I winced again.

“Just a little longer... and done.”

His hands instantly retreated from my body and were now raised in front of his chest like a contestant on a competitive cooking show. One whose time had just ran out and was required to cease any finishing touches he might have been adding to his dish.

Once he realized what he was doing, Taeyong lowered his hands and stood up from the bed.

“Uh, umm. Good news, it isn’t broken, probably just cracked.”

“Yay for me,” I cheered in a monotonal voice.

“There isn’t much that we can do for a crack rib. It’ll heal on its own. I can get you an inhaler to help with the breathing and prevent you from developing pneumonia, but that’s pretty much it.”

Taeyong’s face had returned to its normal color once I finished buttoning the pajama shirt over my chest.

I looked up at him. Visible sympathy in his eyes. He must have thought I was pitiful, and he would have been right. I wanted this whole thing to be over, but the end was far from sight.

“Here, take this,” He instructed, handing me a small white pill and a glass of water from the tray.

I just looked at the pill and Taeyong immediately noticed my hesitation.

“It’s just a regular aspirin. We have stronger stuff, but I don’t know if you’d be willing to take it.”

“I would prefer it actually,” I replied.

Taeyong let out a small chuckle instantly regretting the action when he saw the coldness in my gaze.

“Sorry,” He muttered apologetically before taking out a what I assumed to be a hydro or an oxy from his pocket.

He handed me the pill and reoffered me the water which I readily accepted.

“You should eat some food with that. Here, I brought you some dakjuk, I hope you are okay with eating meat.”

He gestured toward the vanity and pulled back the chair. Too hungry to refuse the gesture, I got up from the bed and repositioned myself at the vanity. The pain made it difficult to bring the porridge to my mouth but I pushed through it.

“I’m sorry for undressing you while you were unconscious,” Taeyong began.

“I thought you’d be more comfortable in these. I’m sorry they aren’t to your liking.”

I set the spoon back into the bowl before turning to Taeyong.

“Really? Are you sure you weren’t inspecting the product?”

“What?” Taeyong asked in response to my sudden accusation.

“I know that the only reason you’re administering first aid is so that you can sell me off to the highest bidder. I’m sure damaged goods don’t sell as well,” I elaborated bitterly, making it obvious how much disdain I held for the man who was pretending to be concerned for my well-being.

When Taeyong finally understood what I was insinuating, he began to trip over his words, struggling to find the right way to assure me that his intentions were anything but sinister. I turned back to face the mirror only to glare at his reflection instead. After having finally ceased his unintelligible rambling, Taeyong brought his hands to the side of his head and sighed.

“Okay, you’re right. I lied about why I changed your clothes, but it wasn’t because we plan on selling you or whatever.”

My expression softened slightly waiting for further explanation.

“The clothes that you were wearing belonged to IU. When Jaehyun recognized them as IU’s clothes, he got angry and told you to take them off, which I’m guessing you misunderstood as him suggesting something else which is probably why you fainted.”

Unable to believe that he was finished, I continued to stare at the red-headed reflection for what felt like several minutes.

“Okay, first of all, that’s stupid and second, why didn’t he just say that?” I demanded.

Taeyong rubbed the sides of his head.

“I don’t know. It’s complicated. This is complicated. Everything is so goddamn complicated!”

I flinched at the sudden rise in volume and sunk into the stiff chair.

Taeyong glanced at my shrinking figure and immediately regained his gentle composure.

“I won’t try to explain Jaehyun’s actions toward you by telling you about his sister. I have a feeling that you wouldn’t think of it as a proper excuse for what he’s done and I don’t blame you. What I will say is that you don’t have to worry about it happening again. Those pj’s were what we could find at the moment. Due to the current situation, all unnecessary staff have been sent home so we couldn’t have one of the female maids dress you. For that, I’m sorry. I took your measurements while you were asleep and sent them to one of our on-call maids, so that you’d have clothing for the remainder of your time here. I had her hang most of them up in your closet. Anything that couldn’t be hung was put into baskets on the floor. If they aren’t to your liking, we can send someone out for clothes that are more suited for your comf-”

“Wait, what? The remainder of my time here?” I gawked.

“How long are you planning on keeping me here?” I demanded, sounding more upset than intimidating.

“I’ll let Jaehyun explain all of that to you when we go see him.“

“W-what?”

“He sent me here so that I could bring you to him.”

“No way. I’m not going.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N, but you don’t really have a choice. I’m surprised he allowed you time to eat first.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel like I owe him?”

“No, it’s supposed to help you understand that he might not be so willing to accommodate you in the future if you don’t cooperate with us.”

I couldn’t help but feel defeated. I never saw myself as the person to just go along with whatever someone said, especially not someone like Jaehyun. Sadly, I couldn’t ignore the situation I was in, not unless I was willing to withstand even more damage.

“I’ll let you get dressed. Knock on the door when you’re ready. If you take too long, I’ll come in, whether you’re dressed or not,” He warned, interrupting my thoughts.

Making his exit, Taeyong left me alone with my reflection, closing the door behind him.

I glanced around the room, hoping to find a clock of some sort, but to no avail. Looking at it, the room seemed very minimalistic, as though it were a guest room that often went unoccupied. It didn’t surprise me though. If this building was able house to every member of NCT 127 and still have empty rooms, then it made sense that they wouldn’t put as much effort into furnishing the rooms with the least amount of traffic. I just kind of wished it had a clock so that I could keep track of the time.

I walked over to the closet and opened it. I hadn’t considered that the clothes were meant for me when they had cushioned my failed escape attempt earlier. I was amazed by how much they had bought for me in such a short amount of time. I respected the maid’s shopping ability. I couldn’t say the same for her taste though. I enjoyed dressing up or I guess... dressing down for burlesque shows, but I didn’t like to dress up in my everyday life. Don’t get me wrong, I like to feel pretty as much as the next girl and I’m not ashamed to say it. It’s just that the closet was filled with colors I usually tried to avoid and it reminded me of a closet that would belong to one of the desperate housewives. I tended to gravitate towards blacks and dark blue colors and sometimes the occasional white, but it almost always ended up with a huge stain before the day ended. This closet was filled with more colors than I knew existed and if you think I was exaggerating, I wasn’t. Well, maybe a little.

I rummaged through the closet ignoring anything I deemed too fancy for a meeting with the man I loathe, which turned out to be all of the closet. Giving up, I considered not changing for our meeting so that I could show him how little I cared about respecting him, but after insulting the pajamas’ seashell design so many times in my head, I decided to just pick something before Taeyong came barging back in.

I took out a pair of leggings from one of the baskets and put them on, checking the mirror to make sure they weren’t too see-through. Then, I found an emerald green dress. The color caught my eye and greatly reminded me of not only the necklace, but of the dress I had stolen from IU’s corpse. Maybe a detail of the story, I was glad to have left out. Unlike the dress from that night though, this dress was very casual looking. At first glance, I had almost mistaken it for a long-knitted sweater. Maybe it was. Either way, it covered enough of my lower half that I didn’t have to pick out anything else to wear underneath besides the leggings.

I looked in the mirror. The dress was nice, but still too nice to feel completely comfortable in, especially when it was paired with two black eyes. My hair was a mess, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want Jaehyun to think for a second that I was trying to impress him, so I allowed it to remain in its tangled state.

Just as I knocked on the door, I realized that I had forgotten to look for something I could have used to protect myself, but it was too late.

“You look nice.”

“Pound sand, Taeyong.”

Taeyong raised his hands in a surrendering motion and I heard a laugh.

It wasn’t just Taeyong, Doyoung was there too.

Great.

Based on how much of the house I had already seen, I thought that Jaehyun’s office would be several minutes away, but here we were only a few rooms apart. There wasn’t enough time to psych myself up and before I knew it, I was already being forced through the doorway by a less than patient Doyoung.

I nearly stumbled onto the floor but was able to catch myself at the last minute. The first thing I noticed going in was an empty desk, then the large window behind it and the bookshelves on each of its sides. I could hear Taeyong scolding Doyoung in a hushed tone as they also entered the room. I was relieved thinking that it was only us three who made up the room’s inhabitants, until a deep voice announced its presence, startling me in the process.

“Ah, good. You’re here.”

Jaehyun was leaning against another bookshelf beside the door we walked through. He was holding a short crystal glass filled with a clear liquid and a few noticeable ice cubes floating around.

He pulled his body off the wall and approached us. Taeyong and Doyoung stood behind me but that didn’t stop Doyoung from holding me in place by my arm, not that I was brave enough to go anywhere anyway.

Jaehyun stopped directly in front of me and took a sip of his drink. His eyes grazed over my body like he would a car when inspecting its new paint job.

“I assume you two brought her here without any problems?”

Jaehyun’s question was directed toward the two men behind me, though he kept his eyes fixed on me as he asked it. I avoided his gaze.

“That is correct, sir, I made her aware of the circumstances she’d be putting herself in if she refused to come willingly,” Taeyong announced.

The intimidating man tapped the glass with his middle finger a few times before responding.

“Good, you may leave us now.”

Following their boss’s orders, the two men exited the room. The sound the door made as it closed felt a lot louder to me than it probably was.

Jaehyun made his way to the desk and sat down, setting his drink on a nearby coaster while I stayed put.

“Aren’t you going to sit down?” He asked with a sly smirk.

I looked at the chair facing opposite his. His desk was large enough that it would provid quite a bit of separation between us, but it still wasn’t enough. Nevertheless, I obeyed.

I kept my eyes glued to the drink on the table, but in the corner of my eye, I could still see him staring at me, an amused look on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Can I offer you a drink? I’m drinking a gin and tonic, myself.”

I could feel my stomach turn sour as my mind flashed back to that night I almost drank the spiked gin in Lucas’ wine cellar.

“No? Then let’s get to the point, shall we?”

My eyes flashed towards him for a split second. His voice had gotten noticeably colder and so had his expression.

“You were brought here under suspicion for being involved in the murder of one of my family members. That reason being the emerald necklace you wore matched the one owned by said family member, a necklace that was specially designed for her wear.”

The way he spoke about his sister as if she were a stranger was baffling.

Were they not close or was he trying to be professional? Clearly, he had to have been torn apart by her death for him to have acted the way he did towards me.

“Since I recognized the necklace, we certainly had reason for suspecting your involvement in her death which is why we brought you here.”

Brought? He makes it sound like I was invited here for tea and a chat.

“During the interrogation, you refused to tell us your actual relationship with Lucas and so we may have taken things further than we usually would have to extract the truth from you, given the importance of the matter we were asking you about.”

May have taken things further than usual? Was this supposed to be an apology?

It sounded like he was reading from a script.

“I didn’t tell you that I killed Lucas because I thought you would kill me if you found out!” I angrily blurted out.

Jaehyun’s eyes continued to look at me in disinterest as though he had expected the abrupt disruption.

“Seeing as your story has been confirmed,” He continued, ignoring my outburst like he would a child’s tantrum.

“-we now know that you are not involved in IU’s death and that you somehow managed to kill the person responsible-”

Jaehyun’s eyes showed a hint of distaste as he finished his sentence.

“-even if it somehow occurred by accident.”

I could feel the rage bubbling inside of me.

“I recognize that you may feel as though I’ve committed a great injustice towards you.”

“Are you fucking serious right now?” I stood up from the chair and slammed my fist on the desk unintentionally spilling the contents of the half empty glass on the desk. The liquid managed to drench several important looking documents, but still, Jaehyun made no effort to save them.

Yet for the first time, Jaehyun’s eyes showed something other than utter discontent. They widened in surprise at the sudden gesture only to return to their previous state within an instant.

“That being the case, I would like you offer you reparations,” He kept going, leaving me astounded, my fist still on the desk.

“We are willing to offer you 120,000,000 won (roughly 100,000 USD) in exchange for your silence.”

I didn’t care how scared I was of this man. He thinks that he can call me in here and tell me that this is my fault? That he isn’t responsible for all the shit that happened since that night? I was kidnapped, bound, beaten, injected with adrenaline and starved. I’ll never be able to return to the Heart Breakers again. Wendy could be dead for god’s sake! And this bastard thinks that he can just pay me off in exchange for my silence?

“No.”

Jaehyun raised his eyebrows at my response.

“Really? I thought it’d be a good deal for someone like you. I guess I could raise th-”

“Someone like me?”

I had been avoiding his gaze for most of our meeting thus far, only taking the occasional glance to gauge his reactions, but I had gotten gutsy. I looked him directly in the eye with an intensity I didn’t know existed. I knew what he meant but I was daring him to say it outright.

I questioned my state of mind as I swore I could see the slightest smirk on his lips.

“Oh, I just meant that for someone of your profession, I’m sure there are a lot of things you’d be willing to do to earn such a generous amount of money.”

I was shaking. I couldn’t believe this was happening, not that I was surprised. I wasn’t exactly expecting a warm apology, however for him to not only take zero responsibility for what he did to me, but to insult me?

“We can negotiate the specific amount at a later time, but for now, you will be given full accommodations during your time here. If you need or want anything within reason, someone will fetch it for you.”

“During my time here? I told you that I had nothing to do with IU’s death. You said you confirmed it! You can’t just keep me locked u-”

“You are free to leave whenever you want, but I’d advise against it.”

Confusion took over my features and I silently scolded myself for being so easily readable. The man in front of me began to elaborate.

“Wayv, the group whose leader you killed knows of your actions from that night and have demanded we hand you over to them. Now I can’t say I know for sure what they want with you, but I can tell you it isn’t good. Once we found your name, we had no trouble finding information about you, such as your home address and I can guarantee that Wayv is capable of the very same.”

“W-what?” I asked, knowing full well what he meant.

Instead of repeating himself or rephrasing his words, Jaehyun merely tapped his fingers on the desk as if he were keeping time.

Wayv wanted me dead. There was no denying it.

“So what? If I leave then that’s it, I’m dead? What am I gonna do, just stay here forever?”

“That’s up to you, but I can assure you that we are working to take down Wayv. We may require your assistance in the near future, but nothing is decided yet.”

“My assistance? You mean use me as bait?”

“Not necessarily,” He answered.

I gawked at him in disbelief.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, now I have to remain here under the same roof as him. It didn’t matter how big this house was, there would never be enough rooms between us.

“The money we’re offering you is to compensate you for your silence once you leave, but for reconciliation, I will allow you to stay here until Wayv is dealt with. I’ll make sure my men and staff do everything in their power to make you comfortable during your stay here as long as you’re willing to follow a few house rules.”

“Rules?” I quirked.

“I’ll have Taeyong explain all of that to you once you head back to your room.”

Jaehyun stood up and finally started collecting the soiled documents that had remained on the desk all this time. I simply stared at him, waiting for him to go on, but he didn’t. It was like he was silently telling me to let myself out, but I’d be damned if I was going to make this easy for him after all he’d done.

I knew that he was right and that leaving this house was suicide, yet I couldn’t stand the idea that he believed he was doing me a favor instead of what he was actually doing which was throwing money at the mess he made of my life.

I stayed there and watched him, knowing that he would eventually have to acknowledge my presence since I made no effort to remove myself from his office.

After several agonizing moments, Jaehyun looked at me and stopped what he was doing.

“Taeyong? Could you please come in and escort Miss y/l/n to her room?” He called out.

Shit.

Taeyong entered the room and walked towards us. I had to take my chance.

“I have a request,” I stated clearly.

Taeyong froze in place unsure of what he should do while Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow.

“And what might that be?”

I swallowed hard, previously unaware at how much my nerves were affecting my body.

“That night, the night you took me, no, kidnapped me. I saw one of my closest friends get shot. Wendy. I want to know if she is okay. Not just her, I want to make sure they’re all okay, and if not, I want you to do something about it.”

Jaehyun paused, deliberating on my request.

“Is that all?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“And if she didn’t make it? What then? How do you suppose I make that right?” He pressed, dropping the papers that were in his hands back onto the table.

I looked down at the floor. I didn’t know how he could make things right... in any sense, but I had to know whether Wendy was okay.

Jaehyun eyes left my softly trembling frame to meet Taeyongs. I didn’t see this but Taeyong nodded his head signaling something to his boss.

“I’ll send in some of my men to search out what they can about your colleagues and the state of your friend Wendy. I’ll let you know what they find. Taeyong?”

Taeyong grabbed my arm and brought his lips to my ear.

“Come on,” was all he said before guiding me out of the office.

As we walked through the doorway, I immediately spotted Doyoung leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face. Taeyong paused for a second to give him an update.

“I’m taking her back to go over the house rules, you good?” He asked.

Without answering, Doyoung fixed his gaze on me as I was half hidden behind his colleague.

“Boo!” He half whispered half shouted.

I jerked back slightly only to recoil in embarrassment.

Taeyong rolled his eyes.

“I guess we’ll be off,” He announced, motioning that it was time for us to head back.

<><><>

Doyoung waited until Taeyong and I had disappeared from his vision before knocking on his boss’s door.

“Come in,” Jaehyun consented.

Doyoung opened the door and propped himself against the doorframe. Jaehyun looked up at him from his desk chair.

“What?” Jaehyun demanded.

Doyoung chuckled at his boss’s intimidation tactics and took his time in forming a response, something most other members wouldn’t dare to do.

“I said, what?” Jaehyun thundered.

Although Doyoung’s laughter had faded, his smile remained. He took a step forward and closed the door behind him.

“Did you really mean it when you said she was free to leave, Boss?”

Jaehyun’s furrowed brows relaxed. Leaning back in his chair and propping his feet on the table, he opened his desk draw and pulled out two cigars. Doyoung walked over to his desk and sat in the very chair Y/N had used only a few moments prior. Jaehyun extended one of the cigars to the man who readily accepted. Doyoung leaned forward as Jaehyun lit his cigar with a silver lighter, feet still on the desk. Running a hand through his oddly streaked hair, he took in a puff of smoke and held it for a few seconds before releasing it into the air. Jaehyun took his time in lighting his own cigar before turning back to Doyoung.

“Say what you will about the old codger, he always did buy the best stoags,” He laughed examining the cigar band.

“Stealing from daddy’s stash, are we?” Doyoung jokingly mocked.

Jaehyun’s face turned cold. Removing his feet from the desk, he leaned forward, staring into Doyoung’s eyes.

“What did you say?”

Doyoung matched the man’s intense gaze, leaning in to show his lack of fear. Their eyes remained fixed on each other’s, unblinking until-

“Pfft!” Jaehyun chortled, Doyoung instantly joined in his laughter.

“So, you heard everything, huh?”

“Well, you did ask us beforehand to wait by the door until you both were finished,” Doyoung reminded.

Jaehyun nodded before setting the cigar down on a marble cigar stand.

“So, you’re really going to let her go?”

“Of course not. If Wayv wants Y/N, then I will do everything in my power to make sure she’s out of their reach.”

“Then why did you tell her that she was free to go?”

Jaehyun paused.

“I’m still not sure she’s telling the truth.”

“Sir?”

“If she’s working with Wayv, then she’ll have no reason to stay other than to find out information. Taeyong is informing her of the rules she’ll have to follow as we speak assuming she chooses to stay. These rules will make it impossible for her to gain access to any information we don’t want Wayv to know. If we make it clear to her that these are the conditions under which she may stay at the estate and that they will continue to be enforced until Wayv is dealt with, then she will have no reason to stay since her life wouldn’t actually be in any danger in the first place.”

“You really thought this through, didn’t you?” Doyoung complimented.

“Right down to the last detail,” Jaehyun mused.

“So, what are the rules?”

“Taeil is currently bugging and placing cameras in her room, which she will be informed of. Only the bathroom is free from any form of recording devices. These cameras are transmitted through wiring to a house computer disconnected from Wi-Fi and therefore unhackable meaning she won’t be able to send any messages to Wayv through the cameras. She will be under constant supervision and she will be unable to leave the room without-”

“-being escorted by one of 127’s members for the entirety of your excursion out of your room,” Taeyong read out loud.

We had returned to the room I had woken up in and Taeyong had started informing me of the rules that were listed on his clipboard.

“What? This is ridiculous.” I exclaimed.

Taeil was setting up cameras, checking to make sure there were no blind spots.

“There won’t be any cameras in the bathroom so feel free to change comfortably in there. As long as we have the room completely covered, we’ll be able to see anything suspicious you might bring in there,” He explained.

“The boss said he believed my story. Why is he making me follow all these rules and why do I have to have cameras in my room?”

“He does believe you. We still have to take precautions though given you aren’t a member of 127,” Taeyong interjected.

“There are still more rules we need to cover. You aren’t allowed to leave the room during any of 127’s meetings without specified permission from the boss. You will not be allowed access to any devices that allow you to contact anyone outside of this house, but don’t worry, we will have plenty of things available for your entertainment. You are allowed to ask for anything within reason.” Taeyong continued.

“What do you mean, within reason?”

“Okay, good question. Things within reason are things such as clothes, books, makeup, small pets, furniture.”

“Pets?”

“Yeah, small ones like cats or birds. We could have one delivered tomorrow if you wanted. Just don’t name it Louis.”

“What? Why?”

“Umm. Don’t worry about it. Anyways, things that are out of reason are things that can be used to break any of the rules on this list along with things in extreme excess like houses or things that are impossible to fulfill.”

I stared at Taeyong in disbelief.

“Oh, and you can just ask me or Taeil when you have a request. It’s best not to ask the boss himself since he has a lot going on now.”

“What if I want to leave my room?”

“There will be a member at your door at all times. When we’re all in a meeting, we’ll either have a member stay in your room with you and catch them up later or we’ll have one of the staff watch over you. When you want to leave your room, just open the door and whoever is there will act as your escort.”

Hopefully Doyoung won’t be guarding my room all that much.

I stopped for a second to process everything he was saying.

“And if I refuse to follow the rules?”

“I can make arrangements for you to go back home or wherever you want to go along with the money that was promised to you if agree to our confidentiality agreement, but I have to warn you, you won’t last long out there with Wayv on your case and we have other ways of making sure you keep quiet. Ways that aren’t as beneficial to you as the agreement is.”

“So, I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“You always have a choice. Sometimes the best option just isn’t what you’d hope.”

I made no efforts to hide my frustration as Taeyong moved on to explaining how things would be from now on. Meals would be made by the few staff that were kept on hand which according to Taeyong, were not that many. According to him, they had a few staff members that were specially trained to double as bodyguards in case of any house invasions. Besides these select few, the majority of staff were sent home on paid leave to prevent any issues while dealing with Wayv. There were always risks of traitors so limiting the amount of people who entered the household was necessary. Sometimes they would send outside staff to go on delivery runs, but everything that came into the house went through inspection. I was allowed to eat in anywhere and anytime I wanted, but if I chose not to leave my assigned room, meals would be delivered three times a day at set mealtimes. Taeyong told me that he would find a clock for my room. He also asked if the room was to my liking, telling me that he chose one of the smaller rooms since he believed there was a large chance that I would feel more at home in one of the less flashy rooms. He was right but he still offered to move me into a bigger one if at any point I choose to do so.

Taeyong left for a little bit and returned with the clock he promised. During his absence, Taeil explained to me where all the cameras were in the hopes that it would make me feel more comfortable knowing. It didn’t. Taeil left and then it was just me and Taeyong.

“I know that this will be a drastic change for you but try as best you can to adjust to your new surroundings. You might have to follow several rules but remember that you are a guest in this house, and you won’t have to worry about anyone hurting you here.” He promised, getting up to leave.

“That is, unless I break one of the rules,” I muttered.

Taeyong stood in the doorway, looking at me with those same sympathetic doe eyes he had flashed me earlier. I hated them. I hated how they were always filled with pity.

“Try your best not to,” He told me as he started to close the door.

“Welcome to the Soo-man estate.”

I looked at the clock.

11:42.

How was it still this early after everything that happened today?

174 notes · View notes

sandpumpkin · 4 years

Text

Pumpkin and a Punk

Shameful selfship! This time MetalPumpkin. Had a little too much fun writing this.. so..yeah...Modern AU. Kid had a motorbike. Soft angry Tulip >3<

almost 4k words later. NEEDED TO BE FLUFFIER

A long day of travelling. One cancelled train after another, Hana sighed deeply as she crossed the dimly lit carpark of the convenience store. Her eyes fell upon a group of Harley's sat near the door. So cool.. She thought. Entering the much brighter store hurt her eyes, Snacks..I suppose I already bought a lot but nevermind.. Grabbing a basket she wandered around the store quietly trying to ignore the group near the fridges arguing about what alcohol they should buy. Once she had procured more snacks and something savoury, Hana headed to the till trying to ignore the fact the guy on the register was staring at her with a weird look on his face.

Maybe I should have taken the bonnet off…

Going to the store at night in an orange lolita dress was probably not her best choice but she had just gotten back into town..

Packing her things quickly, she escaped the store and was ready for home, until her eyes fell to the harley again. Her feet slowed to a halt as she stood in front of the bike that seemed to have a cool skeletal design on the body, not that she could appreciate it properly in this dim light.

“OI! What are you doing?!” a voice shouted at her, making her jump and clutch her bag close. As she whirled around stepping away from the bike as a tall man with crimson hair strode towards her with a deep scowl on his face.

“Sorry! I was just admiring your harley! I’m sorry!” she said quickly. Well done you idiot..

He looked her up and done and hummed “you’re an odd one.”

Well that’s not the worst thing someone said to me…

He slung his leg over the bike, Hana noticed the ripped jeans grip his thighs tightly as he leant forward fumbling with the keys. Striking the bike to life, letting it growl loudly. Hana’s eyes lit up. Something about the low thunder of these types of motorbikes just made her happy. “It sounds so cool!” she exclaimed excitedly. The red haired man looked pleased with her response.

“Hm. Didn’t put you for a bike fan.” he hummed.

“I’ve always liked motorbikes. I can’t personally ride one but I still think they’re pretty awesome.” she rambled excitedly. The man leant against his handlebars with a grin on his face

“Why-” before he could say anything else a strong gust of wind swept across the parking lot, tugging at Hana’s bonnet

“Ah! No!” she grabbed hold of the bonnet before it could take off “that was close.” she wheezed, retiring the bonnet to her totebag just as rain began to fall. “I should go. Sorry to bother you.” Hana smiled, bowing quickly and hurrying off into the night before the rain could get worse.

Kid watched the orange haired woman run off. What a weird one.. He thought, he put the stand back down and noticed something orange by his boot. Climbing off his bike, to pick it up, turning it over in his fingers, it was an orange glittery bat shaped bow. One the orange clad princess had had in her hair.

“Kid you done trying to pick up girls in the parking lot again?” Killer teased, as they finally came to join him.

“Ah, shut up.” he hissed, pocketing the bow. Maybe I’ll see her around..can’t miss her in that getup.

At first Kid didn’t make too much of an effort to return the bow. But whenever he looked at it next to his goggles, he thought back to her smile. She was pretty cute. Picking the bow up, Kid headed into town, seeking out someone who could probably help him. Working his way through some of the small streets, he came to a shop you could smell a mile off with the incense floating out the door. Entering the shop, the bell chiming quietly over his head as the door slammed behind him.

“Oi, Hawkins! You here?” Kid called loudly, walking into the centre of the shop.

“I’m always here,” came a voice from behind Kid. Making Kid tense, Hawkins was a tall blonde man, just a little taller than Kid and he always wore the frilliest collared shirts, like he was in a vampire novel or new romantics band. Not that Kid could judge on fashion choices with his snake print trousers.

“Like a damn ghost-”

“And you’re loud enough to wake the dead.” Hawkins chided, heading back behind his counter “You came to have me find something,” he said flatly, looking down at some cards laid out on his counter “or someone..”

“Saves me the trouble of explaining.” Kid strugged, half slamming the bow down on the counter making the cards jump slightly off the surface, “whoever this belongs too.”

“I know who that belongs too without the use of cards,” Hawkins replied simply “but why should I?”

“I just want to return it.”

“Hm,” Hawkins turned over a card and cracked a smile that sent a chill down Kid’s spine “Go to the fountain in the centre of the marketplace, you’ll find what you seek there.”

“-Thanks..I think..” Kid turned on his heels to leave when Hawkins coughed,making Kid groan “Fine. I’ll buy something. Just make it not expensive damn it! I’m not made of money!” he huffed, Hawkins carefully placed a rock that glimmered blues and amber on the counter “you want me to buy a rock?” Kid asked his face riddled with skepticism.

Hawkins closed his eyes slowly, ignoring Kid’s snark “It is a crystal. Labradorite it helps-”

“I don’t care what it does alright? I’ll buy it.” Kid grumbled loudly, fumbling for his tattered wallet. “Daylight robbery for a rock.” he sneered, pocketing the newly acquired rock and hurried on his way. Hawkins is so damn creepy. He thought as he strode quickly through the streets towards the marketplace. In the distance he spotted a familiar orange beacon. A different orange dress today, orange and black stripes and a shirt with frills Hawkins would be jealous for. She looked down to check her phone and her shoulders slumped forward in dismay. Man...Hawkins really is spooky… Kid slowed to a halt as he approached her and patted her on the shoulder making her jump back suddenly. “Shit..sorry..”

“Oh...it’s you..” she looked up at him. “Sorry. You startled me..” she laughed, looking around nervously, “Can I help you?” she asked. Kid thrust the bow out at her, trying to remain cool and aloof

“You dropped this.” he said sharply, dropping the bow into her hand that was covered in lace. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him with a bright smile that made his heart thud loudly against his ribcage What the fu- was that?

“Thank you so much!” she wasted no time in clipping the bow at the edge of the orange berat she was wearing “this is my favourite bow, I was so upset I lost it.”

“Yeah sure..” Now what? He cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his leather jacket’s pocket “so..are you waiting for someone?” he asked, trying not to sound horribly creepy.

“Oh..well..I was.” she chuckled, shuffling nervously “She forgot she had made plans with her boyfriend as well. so..she’s not here.” she said with a shrug “I was going home-”

“Drink!” he half shouted “..do ya want to get a drink or something?” Kid asked as politely as he could. She tensed and rubbed her arm nervously.

“I don’t drink.” she announced and her expression said she was awaiting a snide comment.

“Oh right. I know a place that does good shakes?” Kid offered instead and noticed her eyes lit up at the mention of milkshakes. “Want to join me?” she nodded “-Ya know.. I don’t know your name..”

“Hana. Nice to meet you..it’s Kid right?” she asked with a tilt of her head, he looked at her curiously “I mentioned your cool bike to a friend and they knew you..or know of you. They have a Harley too, you might have seen them around? Bright green quiff has a habit of wearing no shirt-”

“Not Barto?” Kid grimaced “you know him?” sure he knew the guy, they had been in a few fights together about stupid shit. How the hell did this small fairy like woman know that idiot?

“I do. We have mutual friends. He’s a nice guy, very fun.” she laughed “very excitable..”

“I don’t think we’re on about the same guy.” Kid said in disbelief, “anyway..let's go..” she nodded and walked beside him quietly. “Shame your friend ditched you..”

“Not the first time but it’s okay.” she said with a smile, “Brightside. I got my hair bow back.” Kid hummed and they walked in awkward silence to a little American styled dinner. “Oh, I’ve never been here. I have some friends that come here a lot.” she said, following Kid into the quiet dinner and over to a booth.

“Oh, Eustass, you’re early today,” a tall woman with a sharp bowl cut appeared behind the counter and flashed Kid a warm smile. “Oh and you’ve got a little cutie with you today.” Hana blushed and bowed quickly, her orange curls floating around her face.

“-hello..” Kid ushered her over to a booth near the jukebox before Shakky could say anything else embarrassing. He handed her the drinks menu “thank you..”

“God old people-” Hana stared at him skeptically over the menu. He caught himself studying her eyes, he couldn’t place the colour no matter how much he stared

Are they blue? Green? Why the hell do I even care?!

“..She’s not old..She doesn’t look a day over 30..”

“That’s sweet,” Hana jumped hiding behind the menu as Shakky appeared at the table. She leant in and whispered to her and Hana gasped

“I..don’t believe that at all!”

Shakky chuckled “now then what can I get you two?”

Kid slumped back in the seat, slinging his arms over the back of the chair “Chocolate shake.” he stated,

“Can I have a butterscotch milkshake please?” hana asked politely. Shakky nodded and headed back behind the counter. Kid watched her curiously “what?”

“I’m just wondering what the hell that was?”

“Oh..well. I’ve worked in a cafe before..polite customers are few and far between..so I always strive to be a good customer..” she rambled fiddling with her gloves “Sorry..that-”

“nah..I suppose I’m just a ruffian..” he flashed a playful grin at her, which drew a light red hue to her cheeks before she chuckled at him, okay now what...music! “You..wanna put something on the box?” he asked lazily, gesturing to the old fashioned jukebox behind him.

“Absolutely! Any requests?” she asked, sliding from her seat kid held out the coin for her, he shook his head

“Go wild.” he grinned. As she passed his side of the table, he caught sight of a pair of eyes watching from over the counter old man Rayleigh..that bastard- Rayleigh gave him a thumbs up and wink and vanished from view. Kid looked away quickly, he felt hot. Why?! It’s just a woman..

Hana rejoined him at the table just as her first song started playing, Kid listened for a few moments “You like The Cure?” he asked, realising he almost sounded disgusted but that wasn’t his intent at all. “I thought..it would be pop..” he added quickly, mumbling into his hand.

“Here you kids go.” Shakky said, setting the drinks down on the table.

“Thank you.” Hana replied brightly, looking at her milkshake excitedly “looks so yummy.”

This woman..

She slurped her milkshake happily “It’s so delicious!” she kept slurping until she grimaced suddenly “b-brainfreeze” and still she slurped. Kid smirked and watched her power through the brainfreeze to drink the beverage. Kid hummed when the song changed,

“A bundle of surprises..”

“Well my parents listened to a lot of 80’s music so I picked it up..but isn’t Billy Idol cool?” she asked, “you kind of reminded me of him.” Kid almost choked on his drink “Maybe it’s the leather jacket and the cool aura you give off.” she explained, Kid nodded and cleared his throat.

Number..get her number..

“so..Could I-” he was stopped by the door of the diner opening and he saw Killer’s mass of blonde hair

“Oi Kid!” he waved, Hana tensed and drained the rest of her glass in record time.

“I should go. I don’t want to get in the way of your friends. Thank you again.” she smiled, sliding from her chair and disappearing behind Killer and his group. Hearing the bell chime again a few moments later.

“You bastards have the worst timing!” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table. The group looked at the empty glass and turned to the door where it had recently just closed.

“You were on a date?!” they all half yelled, huddling around him quickly trying to try and extort the information out of him.

“Oh Eustass,” Shakky called to him, leaning on the bar with a teasing smile “Don’t worry about paying, your little girlfriend paid for you.” that spurred on more teasing as Kid’s face went the same colour as his face. Shakky chuckled, shaking her head “I wonder how Eustass found such a nice girl.”

“Same way I found you.” Rayleigh added “fate.” he smiled, kissing her cheek softly “why you liked me back still amazes me.”

It was almost a week before Kid found Hana again. He was sat in his basement tuning his guitar, the rock Hawkins had made him purchase was sat on his desk and he could only focus on it. I can’t concentrate.

“Fuck-” he cursed loudly, setting his guitar down. Kid grabbed the rock pocketing it and went to grab his keys. A ride would make him feel better. His harley thundered loudly as he headed out into the cool autumn air. He found himself up the seafront when he noticed a familiar barnet of orange hair sat on a bench watching the waves ebb and flow. Pulling up next to the bench, and removing his helmet running a hand through his flattened crimson locks. He noticed a large uneaten donut in her hand “If you ain’t careful the seagulls will eat that.” he warned, with a grin sitting beside her making her jump.hen he noticed her headphones and she quickly fumbled to pause the music.

“Kid..Sorry.. I wasn’t paying attention.” she laughed,

“Gulls will eat that if you’re not careful,” he repeated.

“Would you like a bite?” she asked, offering him the large and heavily decorated donut “It’s pumpkin spice. My favourite.” Kid leant and took a bite of it, nodding as he chewed it. Hana smiled, and took a bite.

does that..class as one of those shared kisses? Kid shook that sappy thought from his head.

“Bit too sweet..” he mumbled, “where’d you get a donut that big?” he question, licking his lips of the remnant frosting,

“My favourite donut place is up here. Whole Cake Donuts. I’m friends with Katakuri who runs it.”

Does she just befriend everyone?

“Massive..giant of a guy-” she nodded “he bakes?” she nodded eagerly,

“His whole family bakes. They all have different shops that specialise in their preferred dessert.” she explained, taking another bite out of the donut. She looked over her shoulder at the Harley behind them “Out for a ride?”

Kid shrugged resting his hands on the bench to lean backwards “Needed a break from music.” he looked from his precious bike to Hana and smirked playfully “Wanna go for a spin?” her eyes lit up but shook her head,

“I don’t have a helmet-” Kid swung his legs around the bench popping open the seat and grabbing a spare helmet and goggles he was compelled to bring with him. “Got ya covered pumpkin.” he laughed, making her blush. Finishing the giant donut quickly she threw the trash in the bin and made sure her hands were clean before accepting the helmet, placing her beret in her pumpkin shaped bag and pulled the helmet and goggles over her head. Kid chuckled at her bright smile and how the helmet didn’t really go with her outfit but she looked cute nonetheless. He noticed the poofy skirt how..I didn’t plan this.. “You can sit sideways?”

“Oh don’t worry,” she said, giving him a thumbs up before lifting the edge of her skirt. Kid almost stopped breathing. “I got bloomers on, we’re good.” she announced proudly “all modesty protected.”

Kid could feel his face burning, what was I expecting?! He snorted and tapped the helmet “don’t go flashing people.” he warned, climbing onto his bike, he barely felt any additional weight on the back of the motorbike until he felt a tug on his jacket. “Shit, do you weigh anything?”

“Aha..”

Kid shook his head “you can hold onto the back if you want.” he stated, kicking the stand and striking the bike into life. He heard Hana’s excited giggle behind him, which made him grin wildly. Why is this making me so fucking happy? This is stupid. “Hang on.” he shouted over the loud thundering engine. He could just hear her small voice over the noise and headed off and instantly felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest clasping at the front

“Sorry!”

Fuck..this woman is gonna kill me.

Kid never let anyone ride his bike..why was he even permitting her to ride it..but then..she had shown respect to his precious Victoria from the beginning and there was something about her that told him she was different. His heart was racing as he felt her head rest against his back. His grin just got wider with every passing second. He headed just out of the town and up to a viewing point that overlooked the beach and the seemingly endless ocean. “Here we are.” he announced switching the bike off. Only the sound of the ocean and the rustling trees could be heard. Hana dismounted carefully and pouted as she fumbled with the buckle of the helmet, pulling the goggles around her neck as she lifted the helmet off her head, freeing her now wild hair. Shaking her hair free “That was so cool!” she said spinning around letting her skirt flare around her. “So cool!” she announced again. Kid leant against his bike and watched her spin around. He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. Letting it linger there a moment until he felt a pair of eyes upon him.

“-what…” he asked, noticing her staring in his direction.

“You’re really nice,” she stated, her smile could have blinded him. He looked away sharply,

“Don’t tell people that. I have a rep to keep up.” he huffed, trying to hide the blush creeping up his neck. His heart jumped into his throat when he blinked and found Hana standing closer to him holding up her pinky.

“Pinky promise.” she grinned,

Kid laughed loudly “bit old for that aren't ya?” he teased but went to comply anyway, looping his little finger with hers.

“I won’t tell..also..how big are your hands?!” she gasped, what? Kid stared at both of his hands and frowned. They're not that big are they? “Look-” she held up her hand gestured Kid to do the same, she placed her hand against his. Indeed his hands were bigger but wasn’t she just small? Before he could say anything, Hana slipped her delicate fingers between his and held his hand gently. Kid’s brain shut down. She..what… his heart was banging against his chest like Killer’s shitty drums and he felt on fire, he was certain steam was coming off his face. What is this woman?! Kid was trying to face his internal dilemma, when he noticed a glimmer of concern in her ocean like eyes. He squeezed her hand tightly, bringing a rivalling blush to her cheeks. “You’re so warm!” she said in awe bringing his hand closer to her face to nuzzle it. Something inside Kid snapped, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest wrapping his arms around her tightly, resting his chest into her shoulder.

“The hell are you doing to me?” he asked, his usual tone sounded a little softer, almost scared. Hana chuckled against him and returned the embrace. “You appeared out of nowhere and left me wanting more.”

“Aha..sorry..” she looked up at him “does it help...I feel the same? I er...I like you.” Hana replied nervously, failing to keep eye contact with him as she confessed to him. Kid blinked and grinned, he dipped to close the gap between them capturing her lips in a swift kiss not relinquishing his strong embrace.

“This time..give me your damn number..” he half demanded with a pout tugging on his lips, she looked dazed for a moment and with both of their lipstick smudged on one another, they both succumbed to laughter. First woman to laugh after kissing me… Rummaging into her bag, she pulled out her phone. Kid reached into his pocket and then another pocket before groaning loudly. “I forgot my fucking phone!” he yelled loudly, which just made her laugh more. She took hold of his hand again lacing their fingers together slowly.

“Don’t worry. We’ll meet up again, on maybe an actual date?” she asked with a coy smile, Kid smirked dipping to steal another kiss.

“I ain’t letting you go again…” he mumbled against her lips. “Come on..I’ll take you home…” Kid said, pulling away his stomach was doing summersaults what is wrong with me?! As he pulled his keys out of the pocket on his jacket, the crystal fell out of his pocket rolling near her little platform shoes. “Oh..that’s just some rock-” she picked it up and inspected it curiously before delving into the pocket on her dress pulling out a rock in the same colours.

“You have one too?” she asked, handing him the rock back.

“Not by choice..Hawkins made me buy it..” he huffed, now he felt like a complete fool. “I’m going to tear Goldilocks hair out..” he growled under his breath.

“Hawkins gave me one too. I only went to buy a new candle and he said I should take this too.” she smiled “It’s Labradorite, Hawkin’s said it can help us make decisions that lead to lucky outcomes and I think he was right,” Hana looked up at him with such a kind smile that no one had ever looked at him with “Because if I hadn’t come out today..I wouldn’t have seen you.”

Kid blinked and pulled her back into his arms “you’re crazy.” he chuckled.

“..crazy in love with you.” she mumbled into his chest. The trees rustled loudly as the wind plucked the deep red leaves from their branches and scattered them across the clearing as the sun began to set in the distance, as if pulling down a red curtain on the final act of a play.

#pumpkin writes #metalpumpkin #softest metal boi #eustass kid #eustass kid x pumpkin #FLUFFFFF #modern Au #Kid has a motorbike #selfship #shameful selfship

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umbry-fic · 3 years

Text

Cobalt Memories

Summary: Colette, as Chosen, has never been allowed to play in the rain. Until now.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Frank Brunel, Noishe Relationships: Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Frank Brunel Rating: G Word Count: 3372 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 25/06/2021

Notes: A fluffy gen fic involving the Noishe raincoat! Title from Harumaki Gohan's Cobalt Memories.

~~~

The first time Colette saw Lloyd, it was in the rain.

She was at home on that fateful day, as she always was on stormy days. Sitting by the window, listening to raindrops patter against it, she pressed her nose to the cold glass and watched the other children that were her age run around outside. She longed to join them, to know what it felt like to catch raindrops against her skin, to let water drip from her drenched fringe into her eyes, to laugh and dance despite the grey and dreary clouds and the cold that permeated even through the window, racking her with the occasional shiver.

But that was forbidden, for the Chosen wasn't to participate in such pointless merriment. "And what if you caught a cold?" was what the priests had used to dissuade her. "We cannot allow any harm to come to you, Chosen. Trust us, this is for your own good." And that marked the conclusion of that conversation. There was little point trying to resist, she knew, for it would all be futile in the end.

As for her father and grandmother, they were powerless to do anything, unable to defy the absolute authority of the Church. No one could stand up against the Church. Colette didn't want to consider whether or not her family wanted to help her, preferring to let that doubt sink into the back of her mind. Whenever they caught the pleading gaze she would turn on them once lightning began to split the sky in two, all they did was turn away, leaving her to drift towards her usual perch by the window. There she would watch with barely concealed envy, for that was all she was allowed to do. And so it was the case again today. She'd been here for the past ten minutes until her neck ached from craning it so much.

She supposed her mood very much matched the weather.

It was at that moment that a hulking dog with a strange green colouration that she'd never seen before burst out from the forest, causing all the children to scatter like leaves in the wind. They all stared at this new intruder with wide eyes, all chatter ceasing immediately. Following behind the dog was a boy with brown hair, struggling to keep up with his tiny stature and short legs. The dog and the boy began to run circles around each other in the mud, splattering it everywhere, the boy seemingly uncaring of the dog’s imposing size. Even as the dog's fur got more drenched, even as the boy's shorts got more dirtied with mud, rambunctious barks and laughter filled the air, the two looking like they were having the time of their lives. The other children were maintaining their distance, likely out of fear, but Colette only pressed closer to the window, splaying her fingers on it. It was at this moment more than any other that she prayed for the glass to magically disappear so that she could fall through, desiring to join the two and learn what it was like to be free.

She also really wanted to pet that dog!

The boy paused in his frantic motions, seemingly having caught sight of her, for he was staring right at her. How strange she must look, a girl in pure white robes undirtied by the rain, separated from all the rest of the children by a thick layer of glass. Almost like she was in an alternate world, one that couldn’t be touched by others. Most of the children understood that she was different, even if they didn't understand why. The boy must think her a weirdo too.

But instead of turning away and returning to his fun, the boy waved, a smile lighting up his face as he ran up to the window. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach it from the ground, so all he could do was jump up and down, his finger barely brushing the bottom of the window every time he reached the peak of his leap. Was he trying to put his hand on the window such that it was aligned with her palm on the other side? If so, he wasn't gaining enough height.

She moved her hand so that it was pressed flush against the windowsill, giggling as the boy outside laughed too. She knew they weren't actually touching and that it was unlikely for his warmth to be able to reach her through the glass, but she could still feel a phantom presence against her palm.

A particularly loud bark drew both of their attention. The dog ran up to the boy, tail wagging intensely. Up close, the dog appeared to be even fluffier than she’d thought, only intensifying her desire to bury her hands in its fur, maybe even her face. That would be heavenly. The dog barked again, inclining its head in the direction of the forest. The boy gave the dog a quick ruffle on the head before turning back to face her, a small frown on his face as he mouthed “I need to go”.

And in an instant, he and the dog had taken off and disappeared back into the forest. If not for the muddy footprints and pawprints littering the ground, and the tiny mark against the outside of her window, she might have thought she’d imagined the whole thing. But she hadn’t. All of it had happened.

She hadn't learned anything about the boy, of who he was - his name, his age, where he lived. She wasn’t sure she’d ever see him again. It was but an interaction with a stranger, a brief one that had ended and left her alone again. But what a kind stranger he was, actually bothering to come and cheer up a lonely girl he didn’t know. For he had left her with a smile on her face.

She would soon formally meet Lloyd at school, an insane event in-and-of-itself, whereafter he would become her first-ever friend, bringing with it the opportunity to meet Noishe and give him lots of pets. Genis would enter her life not much later, leaving her with two companions that expanded her world and brought so much joy with them. But she would always hold this memory dear, of a rainy day that was her true first meeting with Lloyd, where he’d shown her kindness that touched her heart. It was the kindness that he always extended to her, no matter what, for he was an inherently kind person.

It was the first rainy day she could recall where she had not been miserable, reminded of everything she couldn’t have, but rather smiling and laughing. The first of many.

~~~

Lloyd stopped playing in the rain once he learned she wasn't allowed to. He was adamantly against the restrictions placed on her, but learned rather quickly that all his protesting wouldn’t get anywhere. So he opted to stay indoors with her whenever it did rain, wanting to keep her company.

He claimed that getting drenched in the rain wasn’t all that fun and that he didn’t miss it, but she’d caught him looking out the window with a wistful expression more than once. She felt horrible for denying her friend something he clearly enjoyed, but he refused to budge whenever she told him that she’d be fine alone, even if just for a day. And, truth be told, his company helped immensely, for she could focus on his presence, instead of dwelling on what she was missing out on, her sky finally clear of storm clouds that blocked out the sun.

Most of the time, at least.

There were still moments when the longing hit her, when she looked at the raindrops running down the windowpane and desperately wished to be outside. Even Genis, the boy who seemed to hate admitting he was a child, had run around in the rain before. He had, of course, gotten the scolding of his life from Professor Raine once he’d gotten back in the schoolhouse, but watching the loving way Professor Raine had towelled Genis down, wringing water from his silver locks, filled Colette’s heart with stinging pain.

Today was yet another rainy day. Colette sat at the table, swinging her legs and waiting for a knock on the door. Lloyd had promised, earlier in the morning, to meet up with her in the afternoon, and he never broke his promises. Though the weather meant he was going to turn up at her doorstep with his hair falling into his eyes and his clothes dripping water - he never remembered to bring an umbrella with him when he left his home. They would likely need to wait a whole hour for him to dry out before they could do anything, but she didn’t mind. A quiet afternoon spent with Lloyd was just as enjoyable as one where they messed around.

Where was her father, though? Her grandmother wasn’t home right now, stuck at the Church because of the downpour, but her father wasn’t in the living room with a cup of coffee like he usually was at this time of day. Maybe he was working on that sewing project he’d been labouring over for the past week. She’d caught him bent over in his room in the dead of night, sewing needle held in hand, the room lit only by the flickering flame of a single candle. She doubted that her father knew that she’d peeked in on him from the doorway, for she was used to wandering around the house like a ghost on nights where she couldn’t sleep. She was an expert at making no noise, and hadn’t been caught once.

She didn’t know what her father was working on. He’d told her before that he’d learned how to sew from her mother, but he’d never put that skill to use. Not to her knowledge, anyway. Perhaps because it hurt too much, to do something that had once been a beloved hobby shared by two people who loved each other, but could no longer be together? In the same way that having fun with her friends stabbed at her heart, just a tiny bit, as she held the knowledge that it would all have to come to an end. Even then, she’d promised to herself that she would enjoy every bit she could grasp to its fullest.

She was curious as to what had reignited that passion, what was so important that he had to pull out the dusty sewing kit again, but she wasn’t going to ask. It wasn’t her place to pry.

Colette sighed, slumping over on the table. Lloyd was running a little late...

“Here.”

A familiar voice broke through the oppressing silence, Colette squeaking in alarm as something fuzzy and soft was thrown over her head, submerging her in darkness. She scrambled to get a grip on what she assumed was a blanket, pulling it off her head and holding it in her arms.

Now that she could see again, she spotted her father standing over her, arms crossed with a smile on his face. How had he snuck up on her?

“Father? What?” she sputtered in confusion. This was not expected behaviour. In fact, this was the furthest thing from expected behaviour. Her father had been nothing but kind and loving to her, but always with a sense of detachment, like he wasn’t really seeing her when he looked at her. She didn’t blame him for any of it, but it hurt, to realise the distance between them. “This is…”

She looked down and got a closer look, realising that what she was holding wasn’t a blanket. It looked like some sort of strange green top with long sleeves...? But it was far too long to be a top! If she put it on, it would reach the middle of her thighs! Turning it over revealed there was a tail poking out from the back, along with a hood attached. Stuck to the top of the hood were two beady blue eyes, a nose, and a familiar pair of ears with grooves that she couldn’t help but run her finger over.

It was absolutely adorable!

“It’s a raincoat. Something you wear to protect yourself from the rain. Your mother was making it for you before she… left. Why a raincoat, and why make it green, I’ll never know,” her father explained, placing a hand on her head. “Though I’ll never claim to understand Arielle,” her father muttered, looking away with a far-away expression.

“This was from Mother…?” she whispered in disbelief, rubbing at the material with her thumbs.

She didn’t have anything from her mother. The entire house seemed to be devoid of any of her mother’s belongings, perhaps because the reminder hurt her father too much. She couldn’t blame anyone for that, not really, even if she would have liked to have something, anything, to show her what her mother was like.

“I just put the finishing touches on it and added the accessories. After all, you love Noishe so much. I know I’m nowhere near as good as your mother, but… I thought you might like it.”

Colette could see that the majority of the seams were more masterfully done than the rest, the minority a little wobbly and less confident. One of the ears was crooked, and perhaps the eyes weren’t aligned on the same line.

It wasn’t perfectly made, nowhere near it, but she could feel the love poured into every inch from both of her parents, seeming to spill out of the fabric and into her heart.

“I… I do! Thank you so much, Father!” she exclaimed, hands shaking. She had never expected to receive a present that was from both her mother and her father. This was the best surprise ever! “C - can I put it on?”

“Stand up; I’ll help you,” her father offered. “Otherwise, knowing you, you’re probably going to get lost in the fabric.”

Colette did as her father told her to, standing up and raising her arms. Her father brought the raincoat down around her head, and she shimmied until her head popped out the top and her hands came out of the long sleeves. As she’d predicted, the raincoat covered her all the way down to her thighs.

She flipped the hood up, her hair spilling out of the opening, marvelling at how snugly it fit. And it was warm, too…

“I’m glad it fits. Now, why don’t you play out in the rain with Lloyd today?”

“But I thought I’m not allowed to!” Colette retorted, hardly able to believe her ears. Could this day get any better?

“You didn’t have a raincoat before,” her father replied, something of a mischievous shine to his eyes that Colette had never seen before. Whenever she looked at her father, he always seemed sad, his eyes dull. Grieving the woman he loved who’d died in childbirth, and having to take care of a child who was doomed to die anyway. Was this who he’d been before tragedy had struck, the man who her mother had fallen in love with? “If you’re protected from the rain, I don’t see why not.” He lowered his voice, leaning closer like he was about to whisper a secret into her ear, his lips lifting into a cheeky smile. “Besides, this can stay between us.”

Colette threw her arms around her father, thanking him profusely and trying her very best not to start sobbing. She didn’t want to wet her father’s shirt, and neither did she want to meet Lloyd with red eyes and a running nose. Her father patted her on the head between the Noishe ears, chuckling.

Knock. Knock.

“Oh! Lloyd! He’s here!” Colette perked up, racing over to the door and throwing it open. She couldn’t wait to tell him the good news!

Lloyd was standing on the porch, back facing her and dragging his feet across the wooden boards as he waited for her. Turning, he grinned, waving, his appearance fitting the one in her imagination exactly. “Hi, Col -”

That was when Lloyd choked, face flushing an incredible shade of red.

“Uh, Lloyd?” Colette asked hesitantly, pausing with one foot on the porch. She clasped her hands before her chest. “Is something… wrong?”

“No!” was what burst out of Lloyd’s mouth, five times louder than his previous, unfinished sentence, and loud enough to make her flinch back slightly. “Wait, sorry for yelling! Wait, I’m still yelling!” Lloyd groaned, shaking his head. “Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all! Just... Um, nice new raincoat!”

“I love it!” she replied, spinning in a circle and giggling.

“Yeah, so do I. It’s… really cute… Is it supposed to be based on Noishe?”

“Yep! I’m glad you like it too!”

Lloyd laughed nervously, cheeks still containing a remnant of red. “Should we head in now?”

“Oh! Father permitted me to play in the rain! So can we do that instead?” Colette asked eagerly.

“Really?” Lloyd perked up too, eyes shining with excitement, nervousness forgotten instantly. “I’d love to do that with you!”

“But, uh…” Colette bowed her head, uncertain. “I’m not really sure what to do…”

“There’s no right way to do it! You just… Go! That’s what makes it fun!” Lloyd proclaimed, poking her right where the Noishe nose was and causing her to raise her head to meet his gaze again, eagerness and kindness there in equal measure that helped to melt away her doubts.

Lloyd took her hand, tugging her out of the shelter of the porch and into the ferocity of the storm - or rather, the gentleness of a drizzle, for the raindrops pelting against her bare hand were far gentler than she could have thought. It was almost ticklish, like when Lloyd’s fingers brushed her wrist.

She stumbled into a puddle, giggling at the splash of water and staring down at her reflection: her own happy face framed by her golden hair and the adorable Noishe face. She angled her face up, letting the raindrops fall against her skin and trickle down into her waiting tongue. They didn't particularly taste like anything, but they sure were cold!

She looked back at Lloyd to find him grinning, his already drenched self getting even more drenched with the rain falling on him, creating a halo above him.

He stretched out a hand to her and beckoned, a familiar smile on his face. The smile that was always able to make everything better, to chase away any amount of despair she might be trapped in.

“Come on!”

She laughed, feeling lighter than she had in months, and ran over to join him, ready to create another cherished memory - a first that she hoped would not be her last.

~~~

Frank sipped from his cup of coffee, watching from the window with a smile. Lloyd had started the chain of activities by jumping from puddle to puddle, Colette following behind and occasionally losing her balance, though Lloyd was always there to steady her. They were still going, having gone on to spin each other around in some crazy approximation of dancing, their laughter ringing through the air.

He watched as Colette tripped and fell into Lloyd, sending them both toppling into the mud like dominoes. Even with mud staining their faces and their clothes, they were both grinning, the smile on his daughter’s face more radiant than it had been in years.

There would be an incredible mess that he would have to clean up later, likely involving tubs of hot water, towels, and hours of scrubbing with the brush. Colette might even still catch a cold from being exposed to the elements. But Frank would keep his promise and hide the fact that this ever happened from the priests. Besides, an omission of information wasn’t a lie.

And the effort would all be worth it - the sleepless nights, all the times he'd pricked his finger on the needle because of how rusty he was - just to let his daughter have the experience of being a child, just to see her smiling and laughing with her best friend in the whole wide world.

#tales of symphonia #fanfiction #colette brunel #lloyd irving #frank brunel #noishe #one shot

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chouetteffraie · 4 years

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A Splash of Good Cheer [Dazatsu Secret Santa]

@looking-for-stray-dogs surprise!! I really liked this other, fluffier prompt of yours and I couldn’t help myself!! Here’s a bonus fic for you! It isn’t as long as the other one, so think of it as a little stocking stuffer ;D

Prompt: Gingerbread latte, straberry shortcake frappucino, hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, and the many adventures of Atsushi and Dazai falling prey to every Christmas-themed drink

@dazatsu-exchange

String lights hung from the ceilings, dripping down the painted walls like icicles and casting the room in a golden glow. A quiet hum drifted in the air as people filed in the cafe, placing orders and losing themselves in conversation. Different scents of cinnamon and peppermint spread throughout the room as Dazai looked around him. Outside on the darkening streets, people bundled in heavy coats and scarves, most weighed down with shopping bags, peered in the cozy building.

A soft chuckle drew Dazai’s attention from his surroundings, warming his insides like the half-finished drink he had cupped in his hands. When he lowered his gaze he found Atsushi watching him fondly, questioning expression drawing one eyebrow up as he tilted his head. “What’s so funny?” Dazai asked, tilting his head to mirror Atsushi.

“Hm? Oh, nothing, really. I’m just...happy,” Atsushi answered, leaning back in his seat. “Although I do find your people-watching endearing, if a compliment was what you were after.”

Dazai’s first impulse was to give a dramatic sigh and slump in his seat, bemoaning his misfortune in having such a mean subordinate. However, that idea fell flat when he took a look at Atsushi’s face. As Atsushi lowered the mug in his hands, smelling potently of peppermint and chocolate, he revealed a small dollop of whipped cream on his nose- a sight as cute as it was ridiculous. Reaching over the table, Dazai stopped when Atsushi quickly jerked away.

“Atsushi, you have something on your face,” Dazai justified, hand hovering in the air between them. Scrunching his nose, Atsushi shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

“No way! Not after last time,” Atsushi insisted. The grumpy look on his face straightened out after he sighed, shifting in his seat.

“What do you mean?” Dazai asked indignantly. “I didn’t do anything last time!”

“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me how my gingerbread latte tasted?”

Dazai blinked owlishly at Atsushi for a moment, trying to fight the growing grin from blooming on his face. Ducking his head, Dazai chuckled in defeat before admitting, “It was pretty good.”

“Wish I could’ve tasted it,” The bitterness in Atsushi’s voice didn’t reach his face. He turned his head away and lifted his hand to cover his mouth, trying to cover his smile. Folding his hands with his elbows on the table, Dazai rested his chin on them and watched the quirk of his mouth, how it would rise and fall as he tried to stop himself. After a minute, Atsushi finally straightened his face out and looked back at him. “You still need to take me back before Christmas-”

Dazai was certain he looked absolutely lovestruck, slumped over and watching Atsushi with what he could only imagine was one of the softest looks he’d given him to date. The way Atsushi’s sentence faltered only proved his theory. Under the soft, cheery glow, Atsushi’s cheeks flushed as he smiled back, robbing Dazai’s heart of its steady metronomic beat. I certainly wouldn’t mind a million more of these dates with you, Dazai thought as his heart sputtered before beating back in time with his breathing.

“Don’t worry, I plan to,” Dazai assured, waving a hand absently. Then, stretching his arm out again, he added, “But you aren’t going anywhere until I get that off your face-”

With a startled yelp, Atsushi drew his hands, still wrapped around his mug, towards him. The hot chocolate splashed over the table and his hands, which he quickly pulled towards him while sucking his breath through his teeth. Dazai bit his tongue so he didn’t make a hissing joke- or a joke about cat-like reflexes, either.

Before he could ask him if he was alright, Atsushi started laughing nervously, embarrassment painting his face red under the confused eyes of the other patrons. “It didn’t really burn me,” He admitted, “But could you get me some napkins, please?”

“On it,” Dazai responded, pushing his chair back and walking past Atsushi. Thinking for a moment, he walked a few steps backward and stooped in front of him, grinning once their eyes met.

“Is there a problem?” Atsushi asked, cradling one hand in the other.

“No. I just wanted to tell you that I wasn’t kidding when I was trying to get something off your face,” Dazai responded, gently brushing the pad of his pointer finger across Atsushi’s nose. Holding up the whipped cream for him to see, he asked, “See?”

Atsushi watched as Dazai stuck his finger in his mouth, gaping uselessly at him. Dazai took the moment to press a quick kiss to his nose before straightening out his back. “Now I’ll get you those napkins.”

At the heat rising even further up his face, Atsushi pressed his hands to his cheeks, dismayed to see they weren’t cold enough to provide relief. Heaving a sigh, he tried to bite back the smile yet again resurfacing. Ah, well, he thought, at least red is a festive color this time of year.

#dazatsu #my stuff #my stuff dazatsu #dazushi #dazatsu secret santa 2019 #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #dazai x atsushi #my stuff bsd

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snarkythewoecrow · 4 years

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sometime you just gotta run to fly

By: snarkymuch

Word count: 3.7k

Rating: G

No warnings. This is mostly fluff.

Part 12 of the Broken Wing series

Summary: *reading the first would help you understand this, but it's fairly easy to read as a standalone*

Morgan has reached the age where she knows wings are for flying and starts jumping off the furniture to try. Peter stops by the lake house and helps Tony with her. It all family fluff with some questions answered about wings in this universe.

Read on AO3

Tony placed the last pillows on the floor in front of the couch and turned to look over his work. Morgan was stacking blocks on the floor by the coffee table, her small wings resting on her back.

Like all children, they were more rounded then they would grow to be, and the feathers fluffier, more down than actual feathers. Her bare feet wiggled into the strands of the carpet as she worked on her block tower. Tony took a moment to settle his nerves.

Ever since seeing the birds outside flying, Morgan had been obsessed with trying to fly, which just wasn’t possible. The wings they had were vestigial, a remnant of an earlier time.

Humans were too heavy for their wings to carry, though they could glide and control their falls, which brought Tony to his redecorating of the living room and all the pillows on the floor.

Ever since Morgan got the idea in her head she could fly, she’d been pulling herself up on the couch and throwing herself off, just to let her wings try to catch her. Her wings were small, though, and the feathers were immature, so he was worried she’d get hurt.

The squeak of the screen door made Tony look up, and he saw Peter’s beat-up Volvo through the window. The kid was just starting college, and it was his first car. Tony had offered to buy him an Audi, but he balked at the suggestion.

The kid was stubborn at the best of times, and he didn’t like to accept anything that resembled charity. Not a bad trait, but it did drive Tony insane, especially when it meant he was driving a car old enough to register as an antique.

It was safe, though, despite its flaws. Tony didn’t budge about safety. He’d gone over the car personally, making sure it wasn’t going to break down, or worse, cause an accident. That gave Tony some peace of mind.

The door opened, and Peter stepped into the living room, plastic bags hanging from his arms and backpack over his shoulder. He transferred some of the bags to his other hand and then shimmied his backpack off, tossing it with a thump by the door.

A broad smile stretched across his face when Morgan looked up at him, her wings fluttering and then charging toward him. Tony dashed after her, but she reached Peter first, grabbing onto his legs and looking up at him.

“Piggy ride.”

“My hands are a little full right now, Momo, but I’ll hold you in a minute. Promise.”

Morgan huffed, her wings arching up and flapping again. She took off back to the coffee table, bumping into Tony’s leg on the way.

“Don’t mind me,” Tony said with a smile. He looked at Peter, the kid looked tired but otherwise okay. “Hey, kid, how was the trip? Your jalopy make it alright?”

“Thelma’s a champ. Though she’s burning oil like crazy still but that’s no biggie. I keep some spare on the backseat.”

Tony drew a breath, shaking his head. “I really wish you’d let me buy you something newer.”

“Me and Thelma, we’re connected. She’s ride or die, Mr. Stark. I can’t just replace her because she’s a little needy.”

“Yeah, whatever that means.”

Peter started walking toward the kitchen but paused when he passed near the couch. “Why are all the pillows on the floor?”

“Morgan is going through the flying phase.”

Understanding crossed Peter’s face. “Yeah, I guess I was really a handful then. May told me stories from my mom about me trying to fly off the stairs.”

“Shh, don’t give her ideas.”

“You know it’s normal, right? All kids go through this.”

Tony huffed. “Normal or not, I’m not letting my baby girl get a concussion.”

Peter went to the table and placed his shopping bags down, digging into them. He pulled out a package of Oreos and chocolate chip cookies with a grin. Tony raised a brow. Next came Twizzlers followed by Hershey Kisses.

“Really, Pete? You’re not giving all those to Morgan.”

Peter laughed. “Duh, I’m gonna eat some, too. Oh, and I got ice cream.” He produced a container of chocolate with marshmallow swirl.

“You’re putting her to bed tonight then, and make sure she brushes her teeth.”

Peter shrugged, taking the ice cream over to the freezer and stashing it by the frozen peas. “When’s Pepper coming home?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “You know, it drives me crazy you’ll call everyone else by their first name but me.”

“Sorry, not sorry, Mr. Stark. It’s gone on too long. We can’t change it now. It’s our thing.”

Tony shook his head, picking up the cookies and putting them away in the cupboard. “Pep should be home some. I need to start on dinner soon, but no treats until after, or I’ll never get her to eat real food.”

Peter turned, leaning on the counter. His gaze drifted past Tony, and then his eyes went wide. “Wait, Mo!” And then he was charging toward the living room.

Spinning, Tony saw what had startled him. Morgan was on the back of the couch, trying to stand, her wings flapping uselessly behind her.

Tony took off toward her just as Peter caught her in his arms, setting her on the floor. Morgan looked utterly put out to have missed out on flying, and Tony’s heart was still recovering from seeing her nearly jump. He hadn’t thought of putting pillows behind the couch. He’d thought she’d only jump off the arms or cushions.

xXx

Peter crouched down to be on Morgan’s level and brushed her hair back from her eyes. She was scowling at him. It was adorable how well she could pout.

“You can’t fly, Mo. I know it sucks, but our wings just don’t work like that.”

Her frown deepened, and she huffed. “Not fair.”

“I know it’s not, but there are lots of other cool things we can do.”

“Like what?”

His face scrunched in thought. “Well, uh, we can glide, which is nearly as cool as flying.”

He heard Tony sigh behind him. “Not to rain on your parade, but I don’t want anyone trying to glide either. Two feet on the ground at all times, them’s the rules. My house, so I get the final say.”

Peter rolled his eyes, making Morgan giggle. He tapped her nose with his finger and leaned in to whisper to her. “I’ll teach you to glide when you’re older. That’s what brothers are for.”

And Peter didn’t mind, and it was right that he be the one to teach her. It made him sad to think about, but Tony wouldn’t be able to take her gliding with his wings. Pepper could teach her, but if Peter was honest, it was something that he wanted to do with his sister when the time came.

Morgan grinned, seeming content with Peter’s offer. She turned and took off back to her toy hoard, and there wasn’t any other word for it. Tony spoiled her. They all did. Even Happy got in on it. And her Uncle Rhodey was always stopping by with cool toys. It was like a competition between him and Tony to see who could outdo the other.

Peter might not have had endless toys to bring with him, but he had something they all didn’t. He had raven wings, raven wings that made Morgan settle even when she was having the worst tantrum in history. She loved his wings.

Whenever they were together, she insisted he showed them so she could climb up underneath and let them settle over her. She was even getting better at preening. She didn’t pull on his feathers as badly as she used to.

Tony called over to Morgan, “I’m going to start the lasagna. Be good for your brother, Maguna.”

Peter grinned. “Of course, she’ll be good. I brought treats.”

Tony laughed, rolling his eyes. “Bribery only gets you so far. Just remember, you’re the one putting her to bed.”

Tony excused himself to the kitchen, and Peter glanced at Morgan, who was playing with a small, robotic dog. It looked like something Tony had built.

The down of her wings was puffed up, and some spots were being pushed out by adult feathers. She needed someone to preen to her wings a little.

Shaking his wings onto his back, he walked over to the chair next to Morgan and squatted down, resting his forearms on his knees. He peered over her shoulder, watching as she fed her doll to the robotic dog.

With the lightest touch, he rested a hand on her soft, downy wings. “Hey, Mo, whatcha got there?”

The small baby doll blinked at Peter as Morgan rolled her onto her side to better fit her into the dog's mouth.

“I’m feeding, Molly.”

The corner of Peter’s mouth tugged up. He shook his head a little. He was pretty sure this was just regular imaginative play and not some red flag about future problems. Morgan was just very creative.

Now that he was up close, he could see her wings better and brushed his fingers over the tufts of down that were sticking up. It wasn’t good to pluck the down, but he could smooth it out.

“I’m gonna preen your wings while you feed Molly. That sound okay?”

She nodded and continued her elaborate play. Peter gently ran his fingers through the down and feathers, letting them run through his fingers. He found a spot the down was knotted, and he worked it out.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, Mo. I won’t do it again. I think I’m all done. You want to do mine?”

If you had told Peter that he would be letting a child touch his wings before, he would have laughed, but now it felt natural. He wasn’t scared. How could he look at himself in such a bad light when the sunshine that was Morgan existed with wings just as black as his.

He carefully turned and got on his knees, so his wings were facing her, and a moment later, he felt her little hands ruffling the feathers. He let himself relax while she played with his wings. At one point, he was pretty sure Molly, the robotic dog, got involved and was walking across his wings. He didn’t mind, though.

He heard Morgan yawn, and he turned to see her looking back at him with tired eyes. Smiling, he got up and scooped her into his arms before settling on the couch, so his wings weren’t in the way.

Morgan wiggled into his side, pressing against him and touching his wing. She felt warm under his wing. The air was starting to smell like lasagna, and he knew dinner would be soon.

He didn’t intend to sleep when he closed his eyes, but he still drifted off, waking a little later to someone running their fingers through his hair. He blinked his eyes open, seeing Pepper looking down at him. Morgan was still tucked into his side.

“Hey, dinner will be ready soon. Why don’t you and Morgan get washed up?”

Sucking in a big breath, he yawned, dragging a hand over his face. He looked down at Morgan, who was still out cold.

Brushing her hair back from her face, he said her name a few times, getting a little louder each time. Finally, she stirred and looked up at him and then to her mother, who was still nearby.

Unlike Peter, Morgan didn’t need a minute to wake up. She went from zero to sixty in two seconds flat, launching off the couch and crashing into her mother’s legs.

Peter got off the couch and stretched his wings once before pulling them close and tucking them away. He wandered to the kitchen where Tony was cutting up the garlic bread. A bowl of salad was already on the table and the places set.

“Is there anything I can do?” Peter asked.

Tony shook his head. “Nope, I got everything under control, believe it or not. Maybe you can help Pepper get Morgan ready?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem.”

Peter could hear Morgan arguing with Pepper from the kitchen, and it only got louder when he got closer.

“I want my wings!” Morgan shouted.

“Sweetie, it’s better to put them away when we eat. It’s more comfortable to sit in the chairs.”

Morgan crossed her arms and huffed. “I don’t wanna.”

Peter walked over, kneeling in front of her. He tilted his head to the side. “Hey, Mo, we need to put our wings away sometimes. You can take them back out after.”

The little girl growled at him, honest to God growled. Peter glanced up at Pepper, who shrugged a shoulder. He looked back at Morgan.

“If you put your wings away, I’ll let you have an extra scoop of ice cream tonight.”

Morgan’s eyes widened just a fraction. “I get two?”

“Yep.”

She chewed her lip for a moment but then nodded her head. Squeezing her eyes shut and scrunching her nose, she pulled her wings tight against her and then made them disappear.

“Thank you, Peter,” Pepper said. “Do you mind taking her to wash her hands?”

“No problem. We’ll be right back.”

Peter scooped Morgan up and swung her onto his back, running towards the bathroom while Morgan squealed in delight.

After they were both clean and shirts a little wet from sprayed water, they went to the kitchen table, and Peter helped Morgan into her seat.

Dinner went well. Peter talked about starting college soon, and his budding relationship with MJ. Ned was coming to MIT with him, so that was cool.

Pepper talked about her meetings and how SI was doing, and Tony ate three helpings of lasagna while talking about how he spent his day with Morgan. Tony had become a stay at home dad, something that some people were surprised by, but those people didn’t really know him well then.

Morgan tried hiding her salad under a piece of her lasagna, but it didn’t go unnoticed.

“You need to eat the green stuff, too, Maguna,” Tony said.

“Don’t like it.”

Tony sighed, reaching over and picking up a piece of green pepper. “Eat this, and we’ll call it good.”

Morgan eyes it suspiciously but nibbled on the end.

Peter looked at Tony. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t eat a single vegetable until I was like ten.”

Tony shook his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “You’ve been bitten by a radioactive spider, so your example doesn’t count.”

Morgan finished her green pepper and then pushed the plate away. “Ice cream?”

Peter laughed, getting up and taking his plate and stacking hers on top of it. “Yep. It’s chocolate with marshmallow swirl.”

Peter helped Pepper and Tony clean the table and pack away the leftovers. Morgan sat in her chair, watching them, swinging her legs.

As Pepper wiped down the table, Peter got a few bowls out and grabbed the cookies and candy, too. If he was gonna spoil her, he was going big.

“Do you and Tony want some?” Peter asked Pepper who was washing her hands.

“I’m all set, sweetie. Tony probably wants some, though.”

“Just a little,” Tony said, straightening the leaning tower of leftovers in the fridge.

Peter scooped Tony’s first, handing it to him as he passed beside him. Tony took it to the living room, finding his usual chair and plopping down. He filled the other two bowls with ice cream and tossed some cookies on the side for Morgan, leaving the candy on the counter for later.

After he put away the ice cream, he set a bowl in front of Morgan, along with a spoon, and sat next to her.

She managed the first bite with little mess, but soon, her face was covered in ice cream.

Sticky hands wrapped around the spoon and shoveled bite after bite into her mouth. She paused to nibble on the cookies, then her eye caught the Twizzlers, and any hope she wasn’t going to have a sugar high was thrown out the window.

He grabbed the Twizzlers and peeled a few out of the package for her, observing her as she chewed them. He didn’t want her to choke.

When the pieces got too slimy and small, he took them away and grabbed a wet cloth to wipe her face and hands.

The moment her feet hit the floor, her wings were back out, and she was running off at warp speed for the living room. Peter finished cleaning up the rest of the mess and then joined the rest of the family.

The only thing that was missing was May. Having her there would have made his night complete, but she had to work. Apparently, car insurance for Peter didn’t come cheap. He’d offered to pay, but May wanted him to worry about buying what he needed for college instead, though Tony was covering the actual tuition. He’d tried to argue it, but Tony had dug his heels in and made a scene. It was easier to just agree than keep arguing.

Tony was already looking drowsy by the time he got to the living room, stretched out in his recliner with his ice cream bowl and spoon on his lap. Pepper listening to Morgan ramble about her toy dog, nodding at all the right moments. Morgan was talking a mile a minute. Clearly, the heavy dose of sugar was having an effect.

Pepper looked up at Peter with tired eyes. She’d had a busy day, and Peter felt for her.

“Hey, Mo, how about we go outside, and I show you something cool?”

“Like what?” Morgan turned to him, head tilting to the side.

“Remember I said we could fly, and your dad doesn’t want you to glide yet, but there is something else kinda fun. It’s kind of like gliding.”

She pursed her lips and then nodded, tossing the toy dog down on the floor.

“Be careful,” Pepper said as Peter took Morgan’s hand, guiding her out.

“I wouldn’t hurt her. She’ll be safe.”

Peter brought Morgan down to the driveway and turned to face her, letting his wings fall onto his back. Morgan watched him curiously, a line etched between her brows.

“Okay, now watch me. You should be able to do this, too.”

Peter bent a little and let his wings stretch out behind him, flapping them a few times. He could feel the power they had, even if they couldn’t get him off the ground.

Staying kind of low, he began to run down the driveway, feeling the wind catch his wings, then he jumped, flapping a few times, and got off the ground just a little. It was almost like gliding. He managed to stay in the air for a few seconds, longer than if he hadn’t used his wings.

When he looked back at Morgan, she was already flapping her wings and taking position at the start of the driveway, a look of sheer concentration on her face.

Peter smiled at her and waved for her to go. She took off as fast as her little legs could go, and Peter hoped she could get some lift.

Once she was running as fast as she could go, she jumped and flapped, stretching her wings. She didn’t stay up long, but it was enough for her face to split into a wide grin.

“Again!”

Peter laughed as he watched her run back the other way and repeat the process again.

Eventually, Morgan began to slow as she tired herself out. Peter gathered her up and carried her inside. She rested her head on his shoulder as he walked. When he got back into the house, Tony was snoring in his chair, and Pepper was reading a book. She looked up when he walked by.

“Have fun? I took some pictures from the window. I can’t believe how grown up she’s getting.”

“Me either,” Peter said, still holding her tight. He ducked his head to see Morgan’s eyes were closed. “I think she’s ready to sleep for a few days.”

Pepper laughed. “She’s her father’s daughter. Give a few hours, and she’ll be recharged enough to go again. Of all things she could have gotten from Tony, she had to get his sleep schedule.”

“You want me to take her up? I’ll make sure she brushes her teeth and get her changed into some PJs.”

Relief washed over her, causing her shoulders to drop. “Thank you, Peter. Maybe we should be paying you when you come for a visit.”

He shook his head. “It’s no big deal. I always wanted to be a big brother.”

“Well, thank you again, Peter. Her pajamas are in the second drawer. I can give her a bath tomorrow.”

Peter carried Morgan upstairs, stepping into the bathroom first. Bending, he lowered the lid to the toilet and then gently nudged Morgan on the shoulder. She grumbled, but her eyes opened, and she looked around.

“Hey, little miss, we need to brush those teeth.”

Her bottom lip stuck out, but she wiggled out of his arms, and Peter set her on the closed toilet. He got her toothbrush ready and helped her brush her teeth, picking her up to spit in the sink after.

With that out of the way, Peter picked her back up and carried her to her room, setting her on her bed. He kneeled in front of her, untying her shoes and taking them off. He peeled off her socks afterward, sticking them in her shoes for now.

As he went to her dresser to find pajamas, he glanced back over his shoulder and asked, “Hey, Mo, can you put your wings away now?”

She nodded a few times quickly and then willed them away as Peter found her something to wear.

He helped her into her PJs, his wings still out behind him. Morgan grabbed the feathers for balance.

Once she dressed, a huge yawn broke from her, and she stretched her arms over her head. She crawled across her bed, grabbing her blanket and pillows and making something of a nest. He’d forgotten how young children found comfort in the primal activity. It was a remnant of times past.

She wriggled down into her nest and looked up at Peter. “Story, please?”

Peter smiled. “Yeah, how about I tell you the story of how I met your dad.”

Her brow wrinkled in thought. “He’s your dad, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess he is. You’re right, Mo. How about I tell you the story of how we all became a family instead.”

#irondad #peter parker #tony stark #wingfic #fluff #snark writes

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jamiebluewind · 4 years

Text

A Flame In The Dark: Chapter 2

Fandom: Dimension 20, Fantasy High

Word Count: 3575

Perspective: Riz

Chapter 1 (sorry it wont format!): https://jamiebluewind.tumblr.com/post/189152152044/a-flame-in-the-dark-chapter-1

Notes: Hurt/Comfort. This chapter is much fluffier than the last, but still mind the tags! Special thanks to my beta readers @plutosfury and @winterpower98

Characters: Riz Gukgak, Fig Faeth, Adaine Abernant, Tracker O'Shaughnessey, Sandra Lynn Faeth, Cathilda Ceíli, Boggy the Froggy, and unnamed OC (implied Fabian, Kristen, Gorgug, and Ragh)

Chapter Warnings: cursing, violence mention, murder mention, abuse mention, healed injuries, child abuse mention, child neglect, recovering from starvation, dark themes, trauma, bugs as food (please message me if I missed any)

Summary: The group makes it back to camp, Riz still cradling their guest.

*****

Check out this awesome art inspired by Chapter 1!

https://jamiebluewind.tumblr.com/post/189168730249/winterpower98-drew-some-doodles-of-the-little

https://plutosfury.tumblr.com/post/189155204080/i-was-told-by-a-certain-someone-cough

*****

By the time they reached camp, Riz's arms were aching. He was never the strongest one in the group and the sleeping child in his arms had tested what little strength he did have. It wasn't a weight thing. She was actually very light (if he was honest, she probably weighed less than his briefcase). It was just a combination of things. Post battle fatigue. Hiking for a couple hours. Tired muscles holding something in an odd position. It was worth it though. She looked like she hadn't slept in a long time and needed a nap more than he needed arms that didn't hate him.

He had actually been planning on getting her some food out of his pack after she was healed. She would be hungry then and the food would be less likely to come back up. What he hadn't planned on was her dozing off in his arms. He wondered what had been going on in her little body that Fig's magic had targeted. Whatever it was, the relief she felt was enough to make her fall asleep so hard that she was dead to the world. It took both arms to carry her after that.

He shifted, leaning his body back so that more of her weight was on his chest, and held her awkwardly for a moment while he placed his now free hand on a nearby rock to help him sit down. Normally he would try to find something to sit on to keep from messing up his clothes, but he was tired and filthy and out of fucks. He let out a breath, his throbbing feet grateful for the relief. He shifted the child a bit to give his arms a break too. She didn't seem to mind... or even wiggle for that matter. Riz got a little chuckle out of it.

The others were off getting everything set up for the night. Tracker was preping the moon haven. The campfire crackled to life as they got out various supplies. Quiet chatter filled the air.

Adaine stood nearby, leaning against a tree. She was quiet, only occasionally adding to the chatter or shaking her head at their friends' antics. The spell she'd been working on for most of the hike was probably ready, but left uncast. Riz smiled. She was probably holding it until the child woke up. She had always been the braincell of the group. He wasn't sure why he was surprised.

Riz wasn't sure how long he had been lost in thought when the smell of food cooking hit him. He felt her twitch and looked down to see a little nose twitch, followed by sleepy eyes blinking open. There was a tiny jump as she took in her surroundings and her brain caught up with what was going on.

[Good morning], Riz said with a smile. She looked up at him with her eyes barely open and yawned. [You up for something to eat?]

Any hint that she was tired was gone in an instant. Her ears perked up and she looked at him with wide eyes. She looked so much like a puppy at meal time that Riz was surprised that she didn't start pawing at his shirt! [You can't have a lot at one time], he told her. Her brows lowered as she gave him an angry pout. [BUT, I'll make sure you get a lot of small meals to keep from overloading your stomach and you can have as much to drink as you want.] After a moment of deliberation, her faced relaxed. He supposed that was as close as he was gonna get to her agreeing with him.

Riz looked towards the campfire and the food cooking over it. It smelled good sure, but a little too heavy and vegetable filled for a goblin who's gone without food for a while. At least he knew how to get her what she needed.

"Hey Adaine," he called out. The elf looked away from the group and over towards Riz. "Could you come over here real quick?"

Adaine leaned up, wiping invisible dust off her legs before she made her way over towards the pair. She slowed as she approached, making eye contact with the child. Oops. He almost forgot. [This is 'Adaine'], Riz told the child. [I need her to come over here. Is that okay?]

The child looked at Adaine and then back at Riz. She watched Adaine as she carefully made her way over and sat down across from them. The child didn't seem to mind Adaine's presence. She looked more curious than anything. Riz wondered if it was a magical ability from Boggy or Adaine herself.

"I have a spell ready for her," Adaine said. She looked at the child as she spoke to Riz, her voice a steady calming tone. "I'll need to use it before I can do anything else. It will allow her to understand us, but only for an hour. I have to touch her for it to work."

Riz nodded and looked down. He rolled the words over in his brain, trying to figure out the best way to phrase it. ['Adaine' can... make you understand what everybody is saying for a little while if you let her touch you. It's kinda like what 'Fig' did, only 'Adaine' doesn't need music to make it work.]

The child was still a moment as she regarded Adaine. Then, she reached out a hand. Adaine slowly reached out, closing the distance. As she touched the small hand, her eyes shone with a blue light. It only lated a moment. The child examined her hand and looked back up at Adaine.

"Hello," Adaine said with a soft smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The child's eyes grew wide as she stared at Adaine. She blinked several times.

"My name is Adaine Abernant," she said to the child. Riz wanted to laugh at how formal she sounded. "I would like to be your friend, if you'll let me of course." The child only responded with more blinking.

"I want to try something," Adaine continued, "just to be sure that you can understand me. I don't want you to feel obligated to talk. You should feel comfortable around us. So all you have to do is nod," she said as she nodded, "or shake your head," she said, demonstrating. "A nod means yes. A head shake means no. Do you understand?" There was a pause followed by a single curt nod. There was a reason that Adaine was the braines of the party. "Fantastic," she said with a smile.

"Now," Adaine said, turning her attention towards Riz, "I understand that there was something you wanted to ask me?"

Riz had almost let it slip his mind. "We need to get some fluids in her," he said. "Some food too. Could you get her some of that electrolyte stuff for kids to start?"

Adaine nodded and reached in her pocket. She pulled out a plain water bottle filled with slightly thick liquid and handed it to the child. The child tilted her head and reached out, sticking her hand in Adaine's pocket only to jerk a bit and lean over farther, speading the pocket open to look inside. Adaine hid a laugh behind her hand.

"It's a magical jacket," Adaine told her. "I can pull things I want out of it... as long as they aren't too expensive." Adaine blinked and looked like she had an idea. "I'll pull out a few things for you if you let me get you cleaned up first."

The child considered for a moment and then nodded. Adaine cast prestidigatation. Riz was thankful that he was in range.

The child's hair seemed to expand as the weight of the mud was lifted. Her tangle of curls were redish-orange at the base, but transitioned into a pale orange at the end. It was like she was suddenly haloed by a mass of warm flame.

The color of her skin was also a surprise. Before, she had reminded him of a caramel latte, but underneath the dirt and grime was something closer to butterscotch. It was a warm yellow-orange that complemented her bright hair.

The child held up a hand to examine her clean skin. Riz cursed himself for being too perceptive. Without the dirt in the way, he could see scars litterered across her skin. Some were faded and small. Others looked like they must have been deep when they were fresh. He felt the rage trying to bubble up in him again as he silently wished that he had taken his time killing that bastard. Breathe in. And out. Just be grateful he's dead now. And in hell. Definitely in hell... where Bill Seacaster is. Huh. Maybe Fabian's dad would be willing to double murder him? The thought helped him relax a little.

"Much better," Adaine said with a nod. "I'll get you some better clothes after you've had something to eat. Oh Riz?" she asked.

"Hum?" Riz answered, still a bit lost in thought.

"What would be safe for her to eat?" Adaine asked. "I'm honestly unfamiliar with goblin dietary needs and you always seem willing to eat anything, so I'm at a bit of a loss."

Riz thought back to all the times he was sick as a kid. What food his mom would fix. What to avoid. "Probably meat with no salt and not a lot of fat," he said. "Chicken. Ham. That kind of thing. Maybe some rice... oh!" he said and then blushed. This was gonna be a little embarrassing to explain. "A lot of goblin moms make this dish when their kids get sick. It's... kinda like a rice ball?" He screwed his face. "No. Not exactly. But similar enough I guess. It is a ball of rice. Sometimes the rice is mixed with cricket flour, but not always. They also have this... bug filling. Like a puree of earthworms, crickets, meal worms... it's easy on our stomachs and has a lot of protein. Plants too, but they have already been broken down, so they wont bother us when we have a sick stomach. We... call them bug balls."

Riz stopped and looked up at Adaine. He expected to see her wrinkling her nose as most people do, but she looked more curious than anything. She thought for a moment before reaching her hand in her pocket and pulled out what looked to be three bug balls. She looked over at the child, about to say something when a little hand bolted out and grabbed one. It was gone in a flash. "I was going to say that maybe Riz should test these first," she said, covering up the remaining two to avoid them being snatched up as well, "but I guess you made that decision for me." She shook her head, unable to hide her smile. "Riz?" she asked, holding out one of the remaining balls, "Would you mind?"

Riz took the bug ball and bit down. It was hard not to inhale his food like he normally did, but he needed to make sure they were made right. "Not bad," he said as he ate the rest in a blink of an eye. "Maybe a little less salt? At least until she's feeling better." He looked down at the kid eyeing the remaining ball. "You can have the other one later," he told her. She pouted. "We gotta make sure your stomach handles the first one okay." He picked up the sports bottle and handed it to her, "For now, have some of this."

She looked at the bottle and tilted her head. Riz fought the urge to facepalm when he realized she wouldn't know what to do with it. "Like this," Riz said as he pulled a drink from the bottle and then handed it to her. She examined the bottle, took a drink,... and then made a terrible face, shaking her head at the bottle.

Adaine laughed. "I don't believe she's used to sweets," she said, pulling another water bottle out of her pocket. "This one," she said, pointing to the new bottle, "is just plain water. I'll refill it as much as you like, but I would also like you to finish the other bottle... if you can."

The child hesitantly took the new bottle and took a sip before nearly sucking it dry, squeezing the bottle to make the water come out faster. Adaine pulled a large container of water out of her pocket and refilled the bottle before handing it back to her.

"Could I share some tea with her later?" Adaine asked. Amber eyes looked at her, waiting on an explanation. "Oh! Hum..." she said, pausing to think. "Tea is like... well... you take hot water and mix special flowers or leaves with it to make it taste different." The child's brows furrowed at this. "It can also do stuff like... help you sleep or keep you awake. It depends on the flower or leaf." A nod followed.

"I don't see why not," Riz answered. "Just... maybe avoid the sugar."

A cheeky grin spread across Adaine's face. "I was planning on her actually drinking it, Riz," she said with a smirk.

The child handed Adaine the empty water bottle. She refilled it again and handed it back. The child put it back to her mouth and lazily sucked at the bottle, her desperation mostly gone.

Adaine looked at the child, studying something for a few moments before reaching into her coat. She pulled out a handfull of solid colored cloth and held it up for inspection. It was a simple sleeveless sundress. Instead of the fiery color Riz was expecting it to be, the dress was closer to a cornflower blue mixed with a splash of green. It looked soft, contrasting the rough burlap tunic she was currently wearing. The bottom hung losely, reminding Riz of a flower petal. There was a decent sized half moon pocket in the center of the chest, stitching dividing it into two smaller sections.

"Well?" Adaine asked, looking from the dress to the child. "What do you think?" Adaine was met with wide eyes and an enthusiastic nod. "Well then, let's get you out of those rags and into something fancy!"

The child stood up and took off her borrowed hat, placing it gently on Riz's lap. She grabbed the bottom of her tunic and Riz barely had time to look away before she pulled it off.

He realized then that the others had been watching the three of them as the group of teens made little sounds of surprise before turning their heads, save Fig who just said "huh." which he found a little weird. The adults mostly seemed to get a laugh out of it.

There was a beat of silence. "Oh..." Adaine said. "Hum, well. Oh Riz?" Adaine sounded nervous. "Do um... do goblins normally have tails?"

"Um... no?" Riz answered, a little confused. "I mean, it's a recessive trait. It CAN happen, but it's kinda rare. It's usually just a nub though. Why?" Riz asked. "Does she have one?"

"Yes..." Adaine answered, trailing off. "It's a very nice tail," she said sweetly, probably to the child. "Arms up please!"

"Dude," Fig said. She had moved closer and seemed to be staring at the child. "It aint a nub. It's long enough for her to wear it like a belt!" Riz's eyes went wide. I mean, sure it was possible. There were a few tribes scattered about that had them. He had just never seen one in person.

"Dude... you look so cool!" Fig said enthusiastically. "I hope if I ever grow a tail, it looks as cool as yours. You should leave it out. Show it off."

"Is it safe for me to look now?" Riz asked, still facing away.

"Oh!" Adaine answered. "Sorry Riz. Yes. You can look now."

Riz turned around and looked at the child. The dress fit her well, the bottom hanging lose and moving as she twisted softly side to side. Her hands were stuffed in pockets hidden in the folds of the dress, her shoulders hunched forward. The dress hung past her knees. A slinder tail hung down past the end of the dress, curling up to avoid the ground. The tail twitched slightly, maybe from anxiety over having it exposed, maybe just because of nerves in general. Riz tried not to imagine why she would feel the need to hide it under her clothes. He failed.

"You look great!" Riz said with a bit too much enthusiasm. "I like all the pockets. And it looks soft." She smiled just a crack and nodded as she continued to sway and watch the dress move.

"It cool," Fig said, tapping her chin, "but it could be cooler." She pulled out her bag and started digging for... something. Amber eyes watched her as she pulled out random jewelry, shaking her head and muttering to herself as she went. "Ah ha!" she said as she came up triumphant. She held up a necklace with a long dark chain. Hanging below it was an orange teardrop pendant, sparkling in the light. "Bought this back on Leviathan," she stated as she looked towards the child. "It was practically MADE for you. You want?"

The child paused before responding with an enthusiastic nod. Fig walked over and crouched down before handing over the necklace. The child held it up, examining the stone. Fig stayed crouched as she looked, waiting until amber eyes met hers. "You're supposed to wear it," Fig said pointing at the necklace. She was answered with a curious gaze as the child's head tilted to the side.

"Here," Fig said "I'll show you." She took the necklace from tiny hands and put it over the child's head. Despite the long chain, it couldn't get past her massive tangle of hair. It just sat there on top of her curls like a hair accessory. "Holy shit you have a lot of hair!" Fig said with a laugh. She reached out and tossled it a bit with her fingers. The child didn't seem to mind.

"Well," Fig said, patting her thigh, "that didn't work. Let me just..." Fig trailed off as she undid the clasp and put the chain around the child's neck before fastening it back together. "There we go!" she said, once again triumphant. "Looks great on ya kid."

Fig wasn't lying. The fiery stone suited her. She also seemed to love the way the light shined through it and the smooth texture.

While watching her, he caught Adaine fumbling for something out if the corner of his eye. He looked over just in time to see her pull out a large sunhat. "I noticed that the light seems to bother your eyes," she said. "Would this help?"

Tiny hands took the hat and examined it before nodding and placing it on her head. The hair inside the hat squished down to fit, making the hair outside the hat stick out. She adjusted the rim a bit and sighed happily. She nodded at Adaine again. Adaine smiled back.

"Would you like to meet Boggy?" Adaine asked. The child tilted her head. Adaine took out her frog and placed him in the child's lap. He let out a soft ribbit.

"No no no no no..." Riz yelped as he jumped up to place his hand between Boggy and the child's open mouth. "Boggy is not food," Riz clarified. He tried to ignore Adaine's eyes going wide over her pet nearly becoming someone's dinner. "He's a pet." She tilted her head. "Oh, um..." he took a moment to try and think of a way to explain. "A pet is... an animal that you... love? Love. Yeah. And um... they are like a friend. They help you out like... well Boggy helps Adaine not get upset and Baxter," he said, pointing to the griffin, "he can fly and stuff." God he was bad at this.

Somehow, she seemed to get the message. She put her hand on top of the frog. He croaked happily. She looked over at Riz and back at Boggy, the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly. She then started 'petting' the frog. At least, that's what Riz thought she was doing as she repeatedly slapped the frog's back. Boggy didn't seem to mind the rough treatment though, his body squishing and wiggling with the movement. Her eyes sparkled. A little sound escaped from her. It was rough and quiet, but it was without a doubt a giggle. Riz wondered if it was possible to die from cute.

The child stoped in the middle of a 'pet' and scrunched her face in concentration before going back to abusing Boggy. Sandra Lynn and Cathilda hummed in the background like they knew something the others didn't. "Did you remember to put her in pull ups?" Sandra Lynn asked.

"Um... no?" Adaine answered back, a bit confused. Riz however had already connected the dots.

"Well then," Cathilda said, "it's a good thing ya have prestidigatation dear because otherwise that would be a proper mess!"

They looked down at the muddy spot forming on the ground, quickly followed by a very distinct smell.

"Welcome to potty training kids!" Sandra Lynn yelled. She was enjoying this entirely too much.

*****

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