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ssuperficialspacecadett · 1 year

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Friday Fight Night

Chapter Four of the Through the Scope series | Chapter Five

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 3.4K

Chapter Overview: You help Benny and the guys get ready for FFN.

Notes: this chapter is just a bit shorter than what i usually like to post, but i didn't have a lot of time to write this week & i'm actually content with where i ended it ! sometimes u just have to stop a little short so u don't just start typing random shit to meet a bullshit word count u give urself u know? i updated the tag list so if i missed u PLZ LET ME KNOW & i will add u asap !! well as usual...my asks are always open & happy reading <3

*no use of y/n & female presenting reader*

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Why is this so difficult? It's just like every other day at work, except for the fact that it's not. You have been standing in front of your closet for a good 10 minutes now just looking at your clothes. Suddenly nothing seems good enough to wear. Maybe something would be good enough if you knew how to dress for a fight. Should you wear workout gear? No, you weren’t the one fighting. Should you wear a tank top and a tennis skirt? Probably not if it gets as rowdy as Benny says it will.

“Just pick a fucking outfit, you idiot.” You chastise.

After yet another once over of your closet you pick out a worn, white t-shirt with an image of Speed Racer on it. It had definitely seen its glory days years ago when you were still in college. If it worked then, it should work now. You take it off its hanger, along with some jeans, and put it all on. You’re tying your shoes when your phone chimes next to you.

???: Hey, we will be getting to the gym around closing time. Are you staying to help Benny set up?

???: Oh, this is Frankie BTW

Seeing his name on your screen makes your chest tighten with excitement. You obviously gave him your number so he could text you, but now it feels so real. Something about Frankie texting ‘BTW’ makes you giggle to yourself as you sit on the floor.

You: Yes, I figured I would make myself useful. No point in going home since the fights start at 10:00 P.M. and I might lose my parking spot.

You have to set your phone down before you overthink the most basic text you have ever sent in your life. Just for good measure, you leave it on your bed while you go into the bathroom. Despite your best efforts to remain nonchalant about the whole situation, you find yourself putting on a little more makeup than usual. By the time you have wrapped up and returned to your room an unread text is waiting for you.

Frankie: Good thinking. See you tonight then.

The rest of your morning has a bit more pep in it than before.

***

Your day at the gym passes by as usual. The only two exceptions were a truck load of last minute Friday Fight Night tickets sales and then compliments on how the gym was smelling. You made a mental note to smack Benny upside the head for throwing such a temper tantrum about it. In between customers you found yourself checking your phone more than you regularly do. You told yourself that it was just because you were excited about the fights and were counting down the minutes and not because you were hoping to receive another text from Frankie. Unfortunately, lying to yourself never really works out.

In an effort to keep yourself occupied, you answer emails from people that are applying for a gym membership, make laps around the gym to see if you need to replace any of the wipes used to clean the machines, and collect all of the dirty towels for a load of laundry. Much to your dismay, these tasks don’t take very long to complete. By 3:30 P.M. you reluctantly slink back to the front desk where the single most unwanted guest is waiting.

“There she is! My favorite receptionist! I’m still interested in knowing your name, darlin’.”

“Good afternoon, Brunson.” You plop yourself down in your chair and pull up the schedule on the computer. “Just working out today? I don’t see that you’re with Benny.”

“You caught me. I want to make sure that I’m in good shape when I fight in a few weeks time.”

For a few blissful seconds you allow yourself to indulge in the idea of Brunson getting clocked, hard, right in the jaw.

“Well, enjoy yourself.” You scan his card quickly in an attempt to move him on his way.

“I always do so when you’re here.” He clicks his tongue at you while he walks past your desk.

“God, he’s insufferable.” You mumble to yourself.

It’s 4:00 P.M. when Benny finally ventures up to the front lobby with you.

“Where have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you all day, man.”

“Because you haven’t,” He covers his face with his hands and whines into them before coming back up for air. “At first I couldn’t find where the white board I used to write out the fightin’ pairs was. Then there was somethin’ wrong with the beer delivery and they kept me out back for fuckin’ ever. That isn’t even coverin’ all the one on one sessions I've had today or the ones I’m still goin’ to have.”

It’s breaking your heart to see how stressed out he’s getting with all of the things he has to juggle today. You get out of your chair, walk over to him, and rub on his shoulder comfortingly.

“It’s going to be alright, Benny. I’m staying after work to help you set up and Frankie told me that the guys are coming to help around closing too. You won't be in this alone for much longer.”

He places both of his hands on his hips and exhales deeply.

“Thank you,” You can see the earnestness in his eyes. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course. That’s what friends are for, right?”

He smiles down at you from his 6’2 frame and before you can move he pulls you in for a deadly tight hug.

“Benny!” You can’t stop laughing. “Let me go this fucking instant!”

“Friends like hugs from other friends, right?” He yells over your incessant protesting.

“I’m going to kill you, you know that?!” Your tone of voice doesn’t even sound remotely serious.

Eventually you get him to unlatch himself from you so the two of you can finish up the work day in order to prepare for this evening.

***

You stand back proudly and admire all of your handiwork. Benny put you in charge of setting up the beer table, so set up the beer table you did. You designed a poster to hang on the wall above the table so people would be able to clearly see their options and their respective prices. You set a long, metal tub in the center of the table and filled it halfway with ice. Then you made a little arrangement out of the beer and poured the last half of the ice on it to keep it cold. The cash box was fully stocked and set to the side. All in all, you did a pretty good job. Thankfully, one of Benny’s regulars volunteered to work it this evening.

“All done over here!” You call over to Benny. “How’s the sign coming?”

You watch in horror as he stands up to reveal a barely legible fighting roster. He must have seen your face flounder when you looked at it because he just tosses the dry erase marker over to you and crosses his arms.

“Oh, Benny I-”

“I know it looks bad. I’ve never had a knack for all this creative shit.”

You squeeze his hand as you pass him while heading to the white board. He slides over the roster that has been printed on paper for you to use as your guide. You’re so engrossed with your new task that you don’t notice when the guys come in around 8:30 P.M..

“You sure are givin’ Benny a run for his money this evenin’. The place hasn’t looked this put together in…well ever.” That sugary, sweet southern drawl could only belong to one man.

“Thank you, Will!” You toss over your shoulder.

“Aw screw you, dude. Maybe it would have been if y’all had gotten here when y’all said you would.” Benny notes.

“Blame Fish.” Pope snickers. “He couldn’t find the perfect outfit.”

That got your interest peaked. You turn around to look at what Frankie is wearing. Regular work boots, soft looking denim jeans, a black undershirt, a worn blue button up with the top few buttons left undone, and finally his cap- oh god he’s looking at you. If you had been a smarter woman, you would have noticed that two thirds of the group standing behind you were looking at your sign. That damned one third of the group was watching you trail your way up his whole body. He’s like an oak; completely unwavering as you take him in.

“Well, I like it. ” You squeak out as you turn your attention back to the roster. “Now why don’t you guys go make yourselves useful and help Benny?”

You hear a unified ‘yes ma’am’ come from behind you followed by the scattering of three pairs of feet. There truly isn't anything more sexy than men who can follow orders.

All five of y’all work tirelessly for the next hour to get everything finished before the doors open to the public. When you cross off the last item on your to-do list, you decide that you have earned a drink. You sneak over to the beer table and open one of the coolers that you set up behind it that contains the excess bottles. Much to your dismay, the bottle caps don't twist off like you originally thought. You’re on your knees looking around in the extra bags and praying that Benny had the foresight to get a bottle opener when Frankie walks up next to you.

“Lose something?”

“Just my dignity trying to locate the stupid fucking bottle opener.”

He laughs jovially as he extends his hand to help you up. You take it and sheepishly hand him your bottle when he motions for it. The two of you walk around to the front of the table and you watch as he easily takes out his keys and pops the cap open with a bottle opener he had attached to them. You notice that instead of tossing the cap in the trash he places it back in his pocket along with his keys. Right when he starts to hand the drink back to you he pulls it back towards him.

“Hey! What gives?”

“I have to test it to make sure it isn’t poisonous or something.”

“Oh my god, you dick.” You lean back on the table behind you.

“You won’t be saying that when I save your life.” He takes a small sip and passes it over to you. “Nope. It’s not poison. You’re in the clear.”

Now it’s your turn. You turn to look out at the gym while you take a drink of your well deserved reward.

“Wait,” You look over at Frankie. “What if it's a slow acting poison and now we are both infected? I guess you have to stay here and finish this with me so we can go out together.”

He leisurely reclines next to you on the table and takes the bottle in his hand when you offer it to him. “That's some pretty sound logic. I can’t argue with that.”

You try to stop yourself, but you watch as he brings the frosty glass to his pouty lips. They look more pink than usual against the dark color of the bottle. His hands make the beer bottle look so much smaller than it really is. Your eyes wander to that nose you’re so fond of. God, what would it feel like on your clit as he ate his fill of you? Now that you’re closer to him you’re able to see the gray that's intricately woven into his beard and hair. Would it tickle the inside of your thighs when he buried his face in your pussy? Feelings you haven’t had for a man in a long time rock through your body the further you sink into your fantasy. Drifting even further, his adam’s apple bobs as he swallows the chilled liquid. You want to decorate the sensitive skin with blossoming purple marks.

“What?” He’s looking at you now. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No,” You say almost breathlessly. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t hog it all.”

“I would never.” The low baritone of his voice reverberates through you.

Benny, thankfully, yells from across the gym at the both of y’all before you do something questionable.

“Hey, lazy asses! It’s showtime!”

You and Frankie both let out a breath neither of y’all realized you were holding. He looks down at his watch and then faces his friend with a mild look of annoyance.

“It’s 9:30, man. It’s just the boxers and the ring girls coming in right now.”

You notice that Frankie’s body immediately tenses up after he says this. Confused, you look over at Benny who has eyes as bright as the sun and is making a beeline towards you.

“I’m sorry.” Frankie whispers down to you. “I’m so sorry.”

“Benny? What are you-?”

“I have a proposition for you.” He says while gripping both sides of your arms. “Do you wanna hear it?”

“I don’t think I have a choice by the look of things.”

“Please be my ring girl.” He gasps.

“Oh my god.” You let your head roll back. “Benny, are you serious right now?”

“Don’t say no yet. Just think about it before you decide.”

You roll your head over to face Frankie and raise your eyebrows. You’re met with a shrug that is just as innocent as his grin.

“Does this offer have an expiration date?” You inquire shifting your focus back to the man that currently has you in a vice grip.

“Just think about it.” He pleads.

“Fine, but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna say n-”

“La-la-la! I can’t hear you! La-la-la!”

“Don’t you have fighters to go hype up in the locker room?” Frankie cuts in.

“Nothin’ I hate more than when you’re right, Fish. Catch y’all in between the matches!”

With one final ‘think about it’, he bounds off into the locker rooms. All you can do is laugh hysterically at what just transpired. Frankie probably thinks you have lost your mind with the way you are doubled over right now.

“Hey let us in on the joke, why don’t you?” Pope sits next to you on the table.

“I could use a good laugh as well.” Will adds blithely.

“What you two could use is a reality check.” you walk around the table and grab a beer for each of them. “God, I can’t believe him.”

You hand Will and Pope their drinks completely forgetting about taking the tops off. Fortunately, that didn’t stop them. Will snatches Pope’s beer out of his hand and positions the bottles where one has its cap resting just barely on the edge of the other's cap. Then he slams them down on his knee and Pope’s opens with ease. After he hands the open one off, he pops his own with a thick ring he’s wearing.

“I’m thoroughly impressed, Will. What the hell was that?”

“You just gotta learn to make due sometimes.”

Frankie and Pope both mutter ‘show-off’ under their breaths as Will explains to you the physics behind his little trick.

“Okay, now back to what Benny was talking about.” You adjust your stance so you can better face the group. “Are y’all in on this? This ‘ring girl’ shit?”

“Can’t say it wouldn’t be fun though.” Pope prods his finger at you.

“Oh, yes I can.” You say swatting at him.

“You know, Benny. Once he sets his mind to somethin’ he’s pretty determined to see it through.”

“That doesn’t even begin to answer my question, Will.” You groan as you take the beer from Frankie’s hand.

The movements between y’all are so natural, so fluid that it feels like something you have been doing for years. You see Pope, almost in shock, watch you as you take a drink.

“Can I get some of that?”

“No way, man.” You shelter the bottle against your body. “Three is a crowd and you literally have an open one in your hand.”

“Will’s right,” Frankie reasons with you. “Benny is as one track minded as they come.”

“Tell him to get on another track then.”

“How about this?” Pope counters. “You go into the locker room with Benny and see what it takes to be a ring girl. Then and only then will he accept your answer of ‘no’ if that’s still what you want.”

“If that will get him off my case then that's fine with me.”

You start to turn towards the locker room doors when a blue sleeved arm reaches over your shoulder and plucks the beer from you.

“Hey, give that back!”

“I just want to make sure you don’t hog it all.” Frankie’s tone is thick with sarcasm.

“I would never.” You grin.

Pope waits until you have cleared the locker room doors before he whacks Frankie in the shoulder. Unfortunately, Frankie doesn’t see it coming because he is too busy hoping to catch one more glimpse of you.

“If that's how you act around women you think are ‘just cool’ then I’m terrified to see how you act around women you actually like.”

“The fuck was that for? And the fuck are you talking about, man?” He massages the spot where Pope smacked him.

“Will, please tell me you aren’t as blind as he is?”

“Sorry, Fish. I see it too.”

“See what?”

“That you look like a goddamn catfish whenever you look at her! Eyes all big and mouth agape.”

“I do not.” Frankie mutters.

“Come on.” Pope folds his arms across his chest. “You think she’s cute.”

“What are we in middle school? You’re being ridiculous. Will?”

“I’ll be honest, I wanna know too.” He flashes that signature boyish Miller smile.

All Frankie can do is laugh nervously while he removes his cap and runs his fingers through his hair. He knows that he’s in the middle of a losing battle and that he’ll have to concede. They are going to be ecstatic that a woman other than Rochelle has caught his eye. Especially when it's a woman that meshes so naturally with their group. No, what’s stopping him is that a part of himself wants to keep it a secret. To have something that is just his. No prying eyes, no unwanted advice, no consequences, and no one else has to get hurt but him. As soon as the acknowledgement of his affection for you falls from his lips, it's real. As selfish as it sounds, he wants to keep you at arms length. He feels like everything he touches breaks and he doesn’t want you to become the next casualty. You wouldn’t want him if you knew the truth about the things he has done. But then you smile or laugh and he can feel himself falling deeper and deeper into his delusions of grandeur.

“Well, if you don’t like her then maybe I’ll ask her out.”

“No, you won't because,” Frankie puts his cap back on. “I think she’s cute. Are y’all happy? I like her.”

“Atta boy, Fish!” Will cheers.

“I knew it!” Pope says as he pulls Frankie in for a hug. “She’s a good one, man.”

“I know she is. I just don’t know if I’m going to do anything about it right now.”

Will’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t want to fuck it up. To drag her into the shit show that is my life. I don’t even know if she feels the same way either!”

The two other men nod in understanding. Frankie takes a sip of the drink he stole from you and sighs as he looks up at the ceiling.

“All I know is…is that I like her.”

“Shh!”

“Pope, you were the one that wanted to talk about this!”

“Shut the fuck up! She's coming!”

“Y’all ready? I’m going to open the doors for everyone!”

The three of them use the time it takes you to unlock the doors and arrive back in order to regroup from their previous conversation.

“Did you,” Will clears his throat. “Did you like the view back there? See a future in being Benny’s ring girl?”

“I like the view from right here, thank you very much.”

“So,” Pope rubs his hands together. “Who ready to see some dudes get the shit beat out of them?”

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{tag list: @cutesyscreenname @rsquared31 @smol-beb @bitchwitch1981 @avastrasposts @hoeslingz @saltybutteredtoast @javicstories @c-justhere @pimosworld @modernperplexity @beboldbebravethings @modernperplexity @mxtokko @moonliqhtszn @tanzthompson }

#francisco morales #frankie morales #catfish #frankie morales fanfiction #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x reader #triple frontier #triple frontier fic #benny miller #will miller #ironhead #santiago garcia #pope #through the scope #read on a03

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the-soliloquies-of-sadists · 1 year

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#345

“Well look who has come back? I thought you would eventually grovel for your job. So you went to Daryl, hunh? You said what you had to say, and he, being the owner, just shrugged it off and told you to get back to work? It’s funny how shit like that happens, isn’t it? Would it come as a surprise to you that while you were complaining about me to him that he had my load in his ass?...

“Yeah he called me in before your appointment. I told him everything, including that your life is fucked for having to register as a sex offender for having consensual sex with a seventeen-year-old only two weeks away from turning eighteen. He doesn’t give a shit about all that. He just knows that you can’t find a job elsewhere in this tight town. So welcome back. My demands are the same. If you accept your role as my cunt employee, strip….

“…There you go. Damn, you are diving right in with our new arrangement. I like your enthusiasm. OK. So I am going to expect a lot more than the blowjob I initially asked of you last week. A lot more. Going forward, each day after the last delivery truck returns, you are to report to my office. If I am there you are to strip naked in front of me. If not, you are to strip and bend over my couch and wait for at least 15 minutes. If I don’t return, go back to work at your desk naked.

“If I recall, you were getting evicted because of your status. Well, I talked to the Daryl, and he’s fine with you moving into the apartment over the office. But he agreed on one condition, that he still has access to it to bring tricks back from the adult theater, Ruby’s bookstore, or the glory holes at the rest stop up the highway. I said that was fine. He, you, and I will all have keys.

“You are to always keep it clean, that includes the sex toys and the furniture. You will be living there rent free, that’s the least you can do. You will be making the same pay, but you will be expected to do more for me.

“I can’t take it anymore. Those titties are too soft. They need to be worked over. Hold still. Fuck yeah. There is a direct line from your titties through my fingers to my dick. Mmmm fuck. I promised Daryl that he could watch you get claimed by me.

“He and I go way back. I met him at Ruby’s and then at the rest area. I told him that I was looking for a job and he hired me on the spot as long as I promised to regularly fuck him. I’ve been here nine years since. We go out, every once in a while, into the city. He loves to see me cunt a fag. So you are going to be the fag tonight.

“These nips will be bloody by the end of the night…. Shut up! I’ll smack you again. I have no problem doing that. Look. We are setting you up very well. You have a rent free apartment and a well paying job. The apartment is far enough away so that you don’t have to worry about proximity to children. All you have to do is be my cunt bitch fag.

“Don’t give me that look. I know you can do it. Despite your protests that you are straight, I found out, just last week, that the seventeen-year-old, that you went to prison over, was a boy you picked up outside Ruby’s when he was kicked out for being under age.

“So you can knock off the ‘I’m straight’ bit. You can still fuck all the women you want, but you will submit to my cock whenever I demand. Thing is, I don’t ever want to hear about your escapades with women, you got that? I told Daryl the same thing.

“You will be required to tell me all the men you hook up with. That will include any of the drivers. Not all drivers we hire are in the know. Some are. This is a privilege I am extending to you. You can be the top if you want. But know that I own this pecker here. Shut up. If I want to squeeze so hard your balls pop I will, and it would be my right. So don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll lock this thing up.

“You understand our agreement?... You good with it?... I said, ‘you good with it?’… Good! Glad to hear. Now get on your knees. I got to take a piss.

“…Damn you must love being face slapped. You think our thing is just tit torture and fucking? Oh hell no. You are going to drink my piss for starters. I am going to do a lot of shit to you. If you think you were getting cunted in the apartment with Daryl looking on, you would be mistaken. After I finish pissing in your stomach, I’m going to tie you up naked in one of those delivery trucks and then we are going to this sex party in the city where you are secured in a sling. I will be the first of a long line of men to gang bang you. Daryl doesn’t know it yet, but he will be tied under you in a way that any ass slop that comes dripping out of your gape will go in his mouth.

“Now put my cock in your mouth and drink.”

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heyiwrotesomethings · 7 months

Note

hey hey, so trying my luck with the october request.

Since it's spooky time: halloween pumpkin carving date with they/them reader and Miroslava? I miss her. Maybe something like reader feeling jealous bc Miro spends so much time with Itsuki, not knowing that she just helps Miro planning a date she wants to ask the reader out to.

If I get in and you decide to write it: thank you so much!! <3

Carving Out Time

Miroslava Honebami x They/Them Reader

A/N: I just wanna say to the person who asked for that part two to Scholarships that I am sooo sorry it’s taking so long. I just can’t remember what happened in the manga enough to write out something without re-reading that part, but to find the energy to do it is not working out. And now sorry to this person, because now that I’m re-reading the prompt, I’m thinking this might’ve supposed to have been a first date situation and I messed up. Hope you still find it somewhat enjoyable? Sorry if the spacing is as weird to y’all as it looks to me, I’m posting this while in the car on a different device. Word Count: 1,384

“Good morning, Miro!” (Y/n) darted around the corner they had just seen their partner turn mere moments ago, somehow expecting to sneak up on her for a hug from behind, but of course, Miroslava was already staring over her shoulder, golden eyes boring right into (Y/n)’s the second they came into view.

“Good morning, (Y/n).” She replied a small, but genuine smile. “Did you sleep well last night?” She lightly ran a gloved finger over their cheek, “You look tired.”

“I’m just excited that it’s finally Friday.” They yawn. “You know how much I enjoy fall, and the leaves are just right so I’m really hype about spending time with you tonight!”

Miroslava winces almost imperceivably, but having a partner who regularly gambles and is getting better at reading her micro-expressions by the day, (Y/n) mood dampened.

“No way, you have plans? Again?”

Miroslava had been flaking on (Y/n) all week. Worse yet, it was always with Sumeragi Itsuki for some reason. Itsuki was fine, (Y/n) had no real problem with her, but to be put on the back burner for their partner to go off with her doing god knows what time after time made them feel more than a little jealous.

“Yes, (Y/n), I apologize, but I promise Saturday is all yours.”

“Can you at least tell me what you’re doing? Why can’t I come? I promise I’ll stay in the car this time if this has to do with the family “cleaning” business.”

Before Miroslava could confirm that it was not Bami related, Itsuki popped up looking all excited.

“Honebami-san, I got the—“ she noticed (Y/n) standing there and quickly switched gears, something (Y/n) caught and it made them uneasy. “(Y/n), hey! How are things?”

“Fine…” However, the tone (Y/n) was using was indicating that things were indeed not ‘fine’. Not when their partner was once again leaving them high and dry to hang out with the same person she had been hanging out with all week.

Both girls were quite aware of this and had the decency to look a little sheepish.

“So you’re hanging out with Sumeragi again today and I’m not allowed to hang around for a reason you keep neglecting to share with me?”

“I know it looks weird, but it’s nothing bad, I swear!” Itsuki promised.

“Yeah, I believed that excuse the first four times, but now I’m not so sure.”

Miroslava approached (Y/n), placing her hands on either side of (Y/n)’s face, staring deep into their eyes, “It will all become clear tomorrow. I’ll have a car drop by to pick you up. Can you hang on one more day, please, for me?”

(Y/n) tried to hold firm on their position on the matter, but the pure honesty Miroslava’s eyes held made it exceedingly difficult. Finally, they sighed,

“Alright, one more day.”

“Thank you.” Miroslava stroked their cheeks with her thumbs.

“It’s all going to be worth it, you’ll see!” Itsuki chimed in.

(Y/n) managed a small smile, but they still eyed the pair warily. Just what were they doing together that they weren’t allowed to be a part of, nor know about? They went through the rest of the day feeling uneasy, heart clenching jealously every time they would catch a glimpse of Itsuki and Miro throughout the day.

They couldn’t even enjoy the sweet goodbye Miroslava gave them after school that day because watching them leave school together in the same car while (Y/n) was left behind only made the uneasiness and jealousy grow.

They didn’t want to believe something was going on between Itsuki and Miroslava, because their Miro couldn’t possibly do something so distasteful, so heartbreaking, but the more time that passed by, the more the negative little voice in the back of their brain grew. They had another hard time sleeping that night, but not because they were excited about tomorrow, they were anxious for it.

***

They startled out of a stressful dream when their phone started to ring and they cursed when they took note of the time. They were supposed to be out the door almost half an hour ago and now Miro was calling them.

“Hi, sorry, sorry, I over slept. I’m getting out of bed right now.” They said a bit frantically, almost tripping in a tangle of covers.

“Take your time, darling. No need to worry, the driver won’t leave without you. As long as he doesn’t want to find himself at the bottom of the ocean, anyway. So just take your time, wear something comfy that fits the weather and I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, sure, yeah, see you soon.” It was clear (Y/n) was still a bit frazzled as they began digging through their closet for something nice to wear.

“(Y/n), I love you, take your time. I mean it. It’s only fair after I asked you to be so patient this week.”

(Y/n) finally slowed their movements, heart melting at how confident Miroslava sounded when she said she loved them.

“I love you too, I’ll be there soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it. See you soon.”

“See you.”

They hung up and less frantically, but no less quickly, got ready to leave the house. They apologized to the driver for their tardiness and sat on the edge of their seat the entire drive to Miroslava’s house.

When the car slowed to a stop in front of the the lavish home, Miroslava was waiting outside in a cute cream colored sweater, sleek black leggings and cream ankle boots. She looked so pretty and comfy. (Y/n) couldn’t wait to hug her!

When they rolled up to the curb, Miroslava came up to (Y/n)’s door and opened it for them, extending her hand to help them out.

“Welcome, my love.” She kissed their cheek. “I’m glad you made it.”

They got a little dreamy look on their face and smiled, “Me too.”

“Come, there’s much to do.” Miroslava grabbed their hand and lead them through the house to the backyard.

“Wow…!” (Y/n) gasped, they marveled at the changes the backyard had underwent since they had last visited.

There were many cute decorations, but the highlight was probably the lattices decorated with orange, black and white fairy lights. There was a projector screen set up along the fence in front of the outdoor furniture, currently playing a Halloween baking show, but (Y/n) could also see an array of movies sitting nearby. The outdoor kitchenette smelled like cinnamon and sugar. On top of the granite countertop were a few pumpkins of varying size accompanied by an assortment of tools and snacks.

“What do you think? It’s not too much, is it? Itsuki assured me it was perfect, but you know I’m somewhat new to all of this…” Miroslava gestured to the set-up, a faint blush dusting her pale skin.

(Y/n) hugged her tightly. “It is perfect, this is really sweet, thank you so much. I’m sorry for giving you a hard time this week. If I had known…”

“I don’t mind, I can understand why you weren’t happy, I wasn’t happy with having to spend time away from you either. Perhaps next time I should at least tell you it’s a surprise for you instead of being completely tight-lipped.”

(Y/n) squeezed her a bit tighter, “I love you.”

Miroslava melted into the hug, holding them gently, “I love you too. Now, how about we carve some pumpkins?”

“Absolutely!”

They stood next to each other talking and carving the pumpkins while the projector flickered and whirred. When the pumpkins were all lined up and lit, they washed their hands and took a big bowl of snacks to the couch in front of the projector and cuddled beneath the soft and fuzzy throw blankets, stealing a few kisses here and there. Occasionally they’d look back at the row of glowing jack-o-lanterns and chuckle at the more misshapen ones. (Y/n) would have to make sure to thank Itsuki as well for this later.

Laying on the couch in a tangle of limbs and blankets while the leaves rustled overhead and the scents of autumn and candied apple slices wafted over them, (Y/n) began planning their own special date. The fall season wasn’t over yet after all, and the apple slice Miroslava just bit into gave them the perfect idea.

#kakegurui oneshots #kakegurui x reader #miroslava honebami x reader #miroslava x reader #requests #anonymous

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oh-stars · 3 months

Text

Her Steve

Coworkers

a Stobin Month 2024 prompt | 933 words | CW: misogyny | Rating: G

Robin kind of loves working at Family Video. It’s perfect in every way that Scoops Ahoy was a nightmare — excluding the last week she worked there, of course. The customers are more direct most of the time, either dropping off their rentals or swapping it out for something they know they want to watch, and when they don’t know what they want, they don't pester her about it. They’ll browse for a while, maybe ask a question here or there, and then be on their merry way once a selection is made. And sure she still has to clean, even more than she did before considering Family Video is almost double the Scoops Ahoy store, but it’s not the same. Vacuuming and wiping down the counters once a day (and even that’s iffy) is nothing compared to the forever sticky booths and having to sweep every hour at least so the store isn’t overrun with crushed waffle cones and sprinkles. Don’t even get her started on the uniforms.

And best of all? She still works with Steve!

But now instead of antagonizing him and making him the butt of the joke, they’re joking together and bitching about other people. They spend most of their shifts watching movies and talking shit about everything and nothing. It’s perfect really.

Another perk of Family Video being so different from Scoops? It’s actually dead during the summer. Sure, there’s a boost of people at the end of the day when parents are getting off work, and you’ll find the occasional wave of people throughout, but for the most part, it’s dead during the week. Except for rainy days, which is so not today.

They finished all their tasks on Monday morning, and they really haven’t seen a big wave of customers this week at all. Most of the people who show up are just dropping off the rentals they snagged for last week’s heat wave but now that the temperature isn’t melt-your-face-off hot, Hawkins is back to their regularly scheduled program of spending time outdoors when they can.

To say they’re bored is an understatement.

Which is why Robin created this oh so brilliant game. She checks the timer, still ticking away, and peeks up to see Steve practically vaulting over the shelves to get to the next movie he has to grab. They both made a list of ten movies — no genres and they only included the first letter of each title — to see who could get the most right in the fastest time. Steve just started his turn, pushing the go back cart so fast around the store the stuck wheel is about to pop off for good.

“C’mon Harrington,” Robin goads from her throne behind the counter. Her feet are propped up on the surface, laying back as much as she can in the computer chair they have. “You know that’s not what I picked.” She can’t see what he has in the cart or his hand, so she has no idea if he’s right.

They never promised each other a clean game.

She can hear Steve grumbling but the bell on the door stops him from shouting back. He doesn’t, however, stop running around.

Robin turns to find Jerry S. from band, a trombone player in her year. “Looking for something specific, Jerry?” Robin asks, not bothering to get up from her spot.

Jerry opens his mouth, then turns toward Steve’s grumbling form as he pushes the cart down the action aisle. “Is that Steve Harrington?”

“Yup.”

“That blows,” Jerry says as he leans against the counter, shaking his head. “I think I’d quit on the spot if my boss hired him.”

Robin crosses her arms and drops her feet from the counter. “Well its a good thing you’re not here for a job, isn’t it?”

Jerry gives her a funny look, like he’s actually surprised by her sharp tone and bored expression that barely contains the rage bubbling within her. “Don’t tell me you actually like him?”

“Yup,” she says again as her eyes narrow. “Are you getting a movie or not?”

“Jeez,” Jerry says, holding up his hands, “no need to be a bitch about it.”

“Alright,” Steve says, dropping the tapes into the cart and walking closer to Jerry. “That’s it. Out!” He makes shooing motions with his hand as he starts herding Jerry out the door. “You can say whatever you want about me, but you’re not going to disrespect Robin like that.”

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly,” Steve says. “You can’t say anything I haven’t heard before, but we have the right to refuse service to disrespectful clientele. And might I remind you this is the Family Video, so foul language is not permitted within these walls, dickwad. Don’t like it, take it up with the manager.”

“Fine,” Jerry says, shrugging Steve’s hands away from him and pushing on the door. “Who is the–”

Steve just flips him off and shuts the door behind him. He waits a beat, then spins back to Robin, clapping his hands. “I want a redo. I had like two more videos to grab and you weren’t paying attention to start the timer.”

Robin glances down at the egg timer still ticking. “Mmm. I don’t think so.”

“Oh come on!”

“Fine. Go to the break room so I can make a new list,” she huffs. “But you’re reshelving everything after.”

Steve just gives her a thumbs up as he passes to the break room, smirking.

Robin rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t really mean it. That’s her Steve and he better not forget it.

Thank you @lady-lostmind for beta reading!

Ao3 Link

#ohstars fic #steve harrington #stranger things #robin buckley #stobin month 2024 #ohstars posting challenge #platonic soulmates stobin #platonic stobin #stobin

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h00nerz · 2 years

Text

who’s that girl!

FIVE / miss piggy impression

prev | masterlist | next

warnings: profanity

word count: 1.3k words

AS MUCH AS YOU HAD TRIED TO PLAY OFF YOUR NERVES, you had to admit to yourself that you were nervous as could be about meeting your potential roommates. It hadn’t fully dawned on you until just then that you were really considering living with three dudes. Three dudes who were basically strangers. You were really beginning to regret not letting Yunjin or Chaewon come with you.

With a deep breath, you finally lifted your fist to knock on the door, saying one last mental prayer that you weren’t about to get murdered. There was shuffling on the other side of the door as you stood, tapping your finger against your thigh in an attempt to control your buzzing nerves. And finally, the door opened, revealing a tall, black haired man huffing like he’d just ran a marathon.

“Hi. You must be Y/N.” He greeted with a charming smile, holding out his hand for you to shake. You stared blankly at him, reluctantly reaching out to shake his hand. “I’m Yeonjun. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“No, stop!” A voice called out behind him, then the door was fully swung open to reveal two other men behind him. One of them began to drag him away from you, while the other watched awkwardly. He was somehow even taller than Yeonjun, making you feel like a child standing next to him.

The two continued to wrestle while you and the giant watched, and you began to fear for your safety. “Oh, you can come in.” The giant suddenly spoke up, stepping out of the way so you had full access to the apartment.

Once you stepped inside, you were able to get a good view of the place. It had a lot more space than you had previously imagined, and also a lot cleaner. You wondered if one of them had a girlfriend who regularly came over, that was the only way a place where four guys were living would stay so clean.

“Hey, take off your shoes!” Yeonjun called out, finally getting the other guy off of him and straightening up. “Please.” He smiled, and out of fear for your life, you quickly obliged him. Out of the corner of your eye, you glanced up at the boy Yeonjun had ben wrestling, who was watching you with curious eyes.

Finally, your shoes were off, and the wrestling had stopped. Now, the room was uncomfortably silent as the three of them stared at you, so you decided to clear your throat and break the ice. “Hi. I’m Y/N.” You introduced yourself, smiling weakly at them. “Uh, is Taehyun not here?”

“No.” The boy with shaggy hair was quick to answer, frowning at his own response. “Had some kind of ‘gym emergency’? Sounds made up, if you ask me.” He rolled his eyes, and you nodded slowly.

“It’s okay, we’re the ones you might end up living with, anyway, come sit.” The tallest motioned for you to follow him over towards the living area, and the other two tagged behind. You opted to sit in the chair while they piled onto the couch, which made the whole thing feel like some kind of job interview. “I don’t know if I mentioned it yet, but I’m Soobin, that’s Beomgyu, and Yeonjun already introduced himself.”

“Right… Soobin, Beomgyu, and Yeonjun…” You muttered, hoping to make the names stick in your brain. Your gaze jumped around between the three of them, attempting to match their names to their faces.

“Why don’t you tell us about yourself, Y/N?” Beomgyu asked, and he put an emphasis on your name that almost made it sound like he was mocking you. Oh no, you really hoped you hadn’t already made him hate you.

“Um, well, I’m 22. I just graduated college, and I have a degree in education…” You began, then paused, trying to think of what to say next. And then you really regretted what you chose to say next.

“Oh, I just went to New York last week! But then I decided to cut my trip off early to surprise my boyfriend, and—you know in horror films, when a character is about to go into a room, and you’re like, ‘no! Don’t go in there, you’re going to die!’? Yeah, it was kind of like that. Except I wasn’t murdered, I just found my boyfriend of, like, almost a year cheating on me. We were living together! Which meant, obviously, I couldn’t live there anymore. And that’s how I ended up here.”

Yeah, that was definitely the wrong thing to say.

There three of them blinked back at you, eyes widened in horror. Oh, they probably thought you were insane, now.

“Also, I like to sing to myself a lot. A lot.” You tried to break up the tension, but it didn’t really work.

“Y/N, that is so awful, I am so sorry that happened to you.” Soobin said with a frown, and you tried to give him a reassuring smile to ease the mood.

“You know, I know something that will make you feel better.” Yeonjun said, and almost immediately Beomgyu and Soobin began to protest. Before you even had a chance to process what was happening, he was lifting his shirt up over his head, exposing his bare skin for everyone to see. “You see these?” He asked, gesturing down to his toned abs. “This is the LLY. Ladies Love Yeonjun.”

“What did you just say?!” Beomgyu turned to look at his friend with a horrified expression.

“Jar! Now!” Soobin yelled, and Yeonjun frowned.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes!”

You watched as he got up with an annoyed groan, pulling a dollar bill out of his pocket to stick in a glass jar with a sticky note reading ‘douchebag jar’.

“This place has such good lighting.” You spoke up, trying to deter away from whatever had just happened. “Chenle hated light. It’s hard to say his name.” You lowered your head, thinking back to your ex boyfriend for the nth time that day.

“That’s okay. Beomgyu would know all about that, he just got dumped.” Yeonjun said with a smile, finally pulling his shirt back on.

“What? No. I did not get dumped.” He laughed, then his smile almost immediately faded. “Yeah, I got dumped. She dumped me. But that was, like, six months ago! I’m over it!”

He continued to ramble on, trying to convince everyone (read: himself) that he was moved on from his breakup, and you took the opportunity to get a better look at the loft. It really was a nice place, especially for the price Taehyun had told you. And even though the guys were a bit… Weird, they weren’t too bad.

“Hey, could you guys show me to the bathroom?” You asked, hoping for a place to frantically text your friends free from their presence.

Once you decided you’d done enough hiding in the bathroom, you finally came out to see the three of them standing in the hallway, turning to look at you in surprise like you’d caught them deliberating on something very important.

“So…” You started, crossing your hands in front of you. “I really like this place. I would love to move in.”

“Hang on, hang on.” Beomgyu started waving his hand at you. “I just feel like we still barely know anything about you. We can’t have a stranger moving in here.”

You nodded slowly, understanding his point. “I get it. Um, I really like arts and crafts, I do a lot of sewing. One of my friends, Yunjin, she works at a coffee shop and can get us free coffee if we want. Oh, and Chaewon, she knows all about movies, she could recommend us some good ones. And Sakura, she’s a model—“

“A model?” Yeonjun quickly cut you off, a grin spreading across his lips. “How soon can you move in?”

authors note: omg first written chapter!!! and y/n is moving in woo!!! officially entering roommates era yass!!! i’m so excited to rly get into this smau

tag list: @therealhyunjingf @jakeshands @gfjunnie @wccycc @captivq @sansluvr @luvdokja @squishy-maimon @urfaveuserlana

#☁️.whosthatgirl #beomgyu imagine #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu #beomgyu smau #choi beomgyu #tomorrow x together #txt #txt smau #txt x reader #txt imagine #kpop smau #kpop x reader

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lonelywhalien22 · 1 year

Text

pretty lies - part nine (finale)

pairing: vernon x reader

rating/genre: enemies to lovers, slow burn, ANGSTY fluff, band au

summary: supporting your friend mingyu becomes way more than you ever could have bargained for when you become involved with one of his bandmates

warnings: cussing, vernon has issues in this story but please remember this is a work of fiction, mingyu stans don’t hate me but mingyu and reader are just friends

*credit: the lyrics referenced in this chapter are not mine, they are from the actual song black eye by vernon. and if you really wanna nerd out with me, listen to the band live session version he released, as that is what i imagined specifically while writing this part - trust me, it hits different.*

word count: 6.4k

prev. chapt. | series masterlist

~One year later~

“Ok, I think that’s enough for today,” you said to yourself, wiping the back of your hand across your brow as you stood up from your crouched position. You glanced around your apartment, trying to find your glass of water as you caught your breath.

Your living room was full of cardboard boxes, some of them taped shut with short descriptions scribbled hastily on the outside while others were still open, various items thrown inside haphazardly. It was spring once again, but instead of the seasonal cleaning you loved to indulge in at the first sign of sunny skies and warmer temperatures, you were moving out.

When you’d first been contacted about a competitive job offer a few months ago, you had immediately dismissed the idea. Though the hiring manager had been highly impressed with your skillset, the work would be notably different from what you were used to doing at your old job, and you doubted whether you could handle the requirements of the role. Your hesitation only became stronger when you were informed that you’d also have to relocate to take on the position.

What about my family? Mingyu and the rest of my friends? The life I have here? You’d spent weeks pondering the possible scenarios and all the things that would change if you took the offer, and you’d almost talked yourself into declining it. That was until you realized how much had already changed.

It had been nine months since the guys had left to go work on their recording with Woozi. You still remembered the final hugs you’d given to Jay and Mingyu at the airport before they’d gone through security, a certain third person having not yet arrived. You still wondered to this day if he’d purposely chosen to show up as late as possible or if it was you who had come extra early to avoid having to interact. Perhaps it was both.

You and Mingyu had facetimed pretty regularly for the first month that they were gone. Sometimes you’d even see Jay in the background during your video chats as well, the two of you exchanging greetings and asking how the other was doing. By the time the second month had come around however, the distance made it hard to always remember to keep in touch. Eventually you all became busier and busier, your lives naturally moving in different directions. No matter how much time passed though, Mingyu always made sure to at the very least share the bigger updates with you:

“Why’s it taking so long to finish recording? I thought you guys would have been back by now,” you asked during one of your monthly catch ups. It had been four months at this point since they’d left.

“Yeah me too. Woozi wanted it out sooner but his team advised against it. They thought it’d be best to let some time pass between the competition and the release so there would be less of a chance of his image getting tarnished with all the drama from the fight.” Mingyu skirted over that last part quickly, knowing that it was still a sore subject for you. “But in a weird way it works out well - with the extra time, we’re gonna be able to write some more stuff and put together a whole EP.”

“What is that? Like five or six songs? That’s so amazing, I can’t wait to hear them!”

“You know, you could always get a sneak peak if you flew out here for a few days,” Mingyu offered once again. He’d been trying to get you to come for weeks now. “Nikki’s already seen me twice since we left!”

“She’s your girlfriend, of course she has. And you know I don’t have the time anyways - my boss would never let me take off for that long.” It was true that your job was a pain in the ass, but you and Mingyu both knew you had other reasons for not coming to visit in person.

“Just promise you’ll come see us perform when the EP is released.”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

Now in the present, when you really thought about it, you realized that there wasn’t much tying you to the place in which you currently resided. Watching Mingyu and the guys for so long had given you a taste of all the possibilities life had to offer, and you were tired of limiting yourself to what you currently knew when it wasn’t really doing you any favors anyways. The job offer had just been the final push you needed, and at last you felt ready and excited to pursue your own little sort of adventure. Even if it wasn’t as glamorous as flying across the country to work with world-renowned producers, it was yours and yours alone.

You pushed the boxes you’d been working on packing up to a corner of the room, ready to call it a day, when you heard your phone ring from somewhere in your apartment. Taking a few moments to find it amongst all the disarray, you managed to answer right before it went to voicemail.

“Hey, what time did you say your flight was landing?” It was Mingyu. You could hear lots of commotion in the background wherever he was, voices and instruments faintly reaching your ears.

“Should be around eleven in the morning.” With the career change you had several weeks of cherished personal time before you began your new job. Besides the time you’d need to relocate, you were finally able to take a few days to visit Mingyu and see what the band had been working on for yourself.

“Shit, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to meet you at the airport. We’re putting the final touches on some stuff and won’t be done until around one.” You could hear the regret in his voice, but all you could do was chuckle in response.

“I’m gonna get there Thursday and I’ll be staying all the way through the weekend. Trust me, you’re not missing much. Airports suck anyways.”

“I know, but still. We’re all looking forward to seeing you. It’s been way too long.”

You couldn’t help but wonder who was included in that “we,” but there was no way you were gonna ask.

“Well, that’ll all be fixed very soon,” you said instead, glancing over at your half packed suitcase.

“I’ll see if Nikki can meet you at the airport instead since she’s also visiting,” Mingyu offered. You squealed in excitement. Since the guys had left, you and Mingyu’s girlfriend had become pretty close, unsurprisingly. What had at first seemed like an obligatory relationship born out of a common bond had over time blossomed into a true friendship. She was definitely going to be someone you missed hanging out with when you moved.

“You should have started with that option,” you joked as you tried to figure out how many pairs of socks you needed to pack and where on earth you’d put them. “Tell her I need someone to show me around when I get there.”

“She’ll be glad to hear that,” Mingyu said happily before he was interrupted by someone on his end. “Y/n, I gotta go. But we’ll see you soon, ok?” he finished quickly.

“See you soon.”

—————

When your flight landed, it only took you a handful of minutes to find Nikki, the brunette jumping up and down excitedly as soon as she caught sight of you in baggage claim.

“Hey -” you greeted, letting out a slight “oof” as she gave you a big hug before immediately taking the bags you’d been carrying out of your hands.

“I’m so excited you’re here! How was the flight?”

“Good, just glad there weren’t any delays,” you said as you took a deep breath. You couldn’t believe you were really here, about to see the guys in person again after nearly a year.

“I know you’re probably hungry, but do you think you’d be good with just some snacks for now?” Nikki asked. “I tried talking him out of it but Mingyu’s insisting on everyone meeting up for lunch after they finish for today.”

“That’s fine,” you said as you began looking around for some place where you could buy some fruit or a salad, craving something fresh after being forced to eat airplane food. Nikki noticed the look in your eye, the way in which you immediately distracted yourself at the mention of the lunch. It was something that only she could have picked up on besides Mingyu, the two of them knowing the most about your past with a certain someone.

“In case you were wondering, he will be there,” she said softly, following behind you as you picked out a snack from a nearby stall and found your wallet to pay. “I just thought you’d wanna know.”

You let out a sigh.

“I appreciate that, but I’m fine. It’s been months,” you said simply.

Nikki only stared back at you, her brow raised slightly as she tried to keep herself from calling you out on your bullshit.

“Really. I am,” you insisted. “Is it gonna be awkward at first? Yeah, probably. But this was bound to happen at some point. Let’s hope he doesn’t hate me and everything should be fine,” you said jokingly at the end, hoping she’d believe you then.

“Ok…” Nikki said. She piped up again after a few beats. “You know y/n, he’s changed - since being out here.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s not the same person he was the night of the Battle of the Bands competition.”

“Nikki,” you said with a warning tone, not liking where this was going.

“I’m not telling you to get back with him or anything,” her hands raised themselves innocently into the air. “I just don’t want you to let the way things ended between you two a year ago get in the way of you having a good time while you’re here,” she said gently.

“Thank you for that, but for the last time, I promise I am fine. Now - no more guy talk. Wasn’t there some thrift store you wanted to show me?” You brought up her weakness for clothes in an effort to change the subject once and for all.

“Say less,” Nikki said eagerly as she ushered you out of the airport and the two of you caught a ride to the hotel.

—————

“Y/n!”

Mingyu immediately pulled you into a hug that was even stronger than Nikki’s from earlier when he saw you. You couldn’t help the toothy smile that emerged on your face.

“Hey Mingyu,” you said simply. You really had missed your friend so much.

“Let her breathe,” Nikki chided playfully.

“Yeah, leave some hugs for the rest of us,” Jay said, arms open wide as you gave him a hug next.

“It’s so great to see you guys. I missed everyone so much.”

It was a little after one, and you and Nikki had finally met up with the guys to have a late lunch at a spot near the studio where they were recording. It was a bright and sunny day so you all had elected to eat at the patio seating out front. There was just one person missing though.

“Vernon’s running a little late but he’ll be here,” Mingyu said, seeing the question in your eyes. “He just had to finish going over some edits.”

Some things never change, you thought before you could stop yourself. You wondered if they were just covering for him with empty promises - if he’d somehow manage to avoid you for this entire trip.

You all finally sat down at a circular table outside. Mingyu and Nikki were to your right and Jay was to your left, leaving one last spot for Vernon just across from you.

“So what’s this I hear about you moving? And a new job? Congrats!” Jay started once a waitress had brought you all drinks. The four of you immediately began to catch up, most of the focus on you.

“I still can’t believe you’re gonna be gone,” Mingyu whined.

“I’m not dying, just moving. And now you know how I felt when you guys left,” you said playfully. “Who could have predicted we’d be spread all over the place like this?”

As you continued to chat, you couldn’t help but reminisce about where you all had been just a year ago - struggling to get by and constantly putting in overtime to make things work with the band, your day jobs, and your personal lives. And now look at you all, on your way to better things. It made you feel so proud when you really thought about it.

“I’m really sorry I’m late you guys.”

You all looked up at the interruption, seeing Vernon approach the table in a bit of disarray. He was clad in a simple white tee and light wash denim jeans, an unbuttoned light blue collared shirt layered over his tee. As he sat down, his hand came up to brush some hair out of his face, but a few stray strands fell onto his forehead anyways.

“Was it the sound engineer guy again?” Mingyu asked him knowingly with a smirk. Vernon laughed in response.

“Yeah - he went on a rant about compression techniques this time.”

“I told you to stop asking him questions,” Jay threw in, “you’re too curious for your own good sometimes man.”

“I know, I can’t help it, but anyways - ”

He looked over at you, a polite smile on his face as he scooted up his chair.

“Hi y/n.”

“Hi Vernon,” you said curtly with a tight-lipped smile. You looked down at the menu in your hands, eyes skimming over the entrees again even though you already knew what you wanted to order.

“So,” Nikki started, clearing her throat in the lingering silence. “What did you all work on today?”

“Just rehearsing the songs from the EP in preparation for the showcase,” Mingyu responded, the two of them tag-teaming on moving the conversation along.

“Vern’s been instrumental in helping us craft some amazing songs,” Jay propped the man up with a pat to his back.

“It’s all thanks to Woozi really,” Vernon brushed off shyly, but Mingyu shook his head adamantly.

“Don’t sell yourself short bro, you’ve done some great work on this.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Nikki piled on another compliment.

“Thanks guys.” Vernon let out a cheeky smile, looking down at his lap for a moment before fiddling with the menu on the table to distract himself, his cheeks burning.

You hadn’t really taken Nikki seriously at first when she’d said so earlier, but she was right - something was different about Vernon. He seemed lighter somehow. And it was quickly becoming apparent to you that the guys had grown much closer after working on music together for the last nine months. You could see it immediately in the way they interacted with each other, the three of them trading jokes and stories easily as you all waited for the waitress to come back.

“What’s that you mentioned about a showcase?” you asked.

“We’re putting on a performance the day after the EP is released,” Jay explained. “Woozi and Seventeen are gonna make an appearance as well, so we’ll likely be performing in front of thousands.”

“That’s incredible,” you said with a stunned expression.

“It’s part of the reason I wanted you to come this weekend specifically,” Mingyu said. “I’m not sure the timing would have lined up so nicely if you didn’t already happen to be moving -”

Nikki nudged Mingyu, cutting him off with a stern look, but it was too late.

“Wait, you’re moving?”

You looked back over at Vernon, his brow furrowing as he looked at you with a crestfallen expression. No one had told him?

“Yeah,” you said nervously, glancing over at him for a second before looking away again. You reached for your glass of lemonade, taking a sip so you didn’t have to say anything else, another awkward silence filling the table.

“So, what can I get you all,” the waitress finally appeared, ready to take your orders.

You’d never felt more thankful for a distraction.

—————

The rest of lunch had gone as smoothly as it could have considering the circumstances, with everyone mainly focused on their food. Mingyu, Jay and Nikki did most of the talking, sharing more stories from their time away from home as you politely listened along, soaking up just how much you had missed and throwing in a question or two from time to time. You tried your best to keep from looking at Vernon, which wasn’t really all that hard considering he stayed quiet for the rest of the meal. When his name came up in the conversation he’d always give a smile or a nod, laughing along at Mingyu’s ridiculous exaggerations, but besides that he gave no input.

“Well this was fun,” you said as you all walked out of the restaurant. “I guess we can hang out more tomorrow when you guys are finished with work again?”

“Actually…we were wondering if you’d come with us to the studio,” Mingyu suggested. “We wanna show you what we’ve been working on.”

“Really? Now?” you said in surprise. “Are you sure?” You’d assumed you wouldn’t be able to hear any of the actual songs until the official release of the EP.

Jay nodded before adding on, “As of today, the mastering is done so the songs are officially finished.” You noticed how he looked over at Vernon briefly, the man’s face a little red with eyes averted and hands tucked in his pockets quietly, before he continued. “We all agreed awhile ago that we wanted you to be the first outside of the production team to listen to it, as a thank you for all of your support.”

You felt honored, nearly tearing up at their words. It was such a kind gesture that you didn’t bother worrying too much about the fact that you’d have to spend even more time around Vernon. Like Nikki had said earlier, you didn’t want your history with him to stop you from sharing in such a precious moment.

“You guys…this is really sweet…”

“We know. Now come on,” Mingyu ushered you towards him eagerly.

You looked back at Nikki in confusion as she kept her place on the sidewalk.

“Go on,” she said with a smile. “The guys insisted you had to hear it first. Alone.” She said that last part with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I’ll be waiting for you back at the hotel.”

—————

“Wow,” was the first word that left your mouth when you and the guys arrived at the studio.

The main area was bigger than the living room of your old apartment, a bunch of fancy recording equipment with hundreds of knobs and dials against one wall to your right. Comfy couches and chairs adorned the wall that was directly across, with plush carpets and decorative little knickknacks accenting the space. The recording booth was its own room, separated from everything else by a shiny sleek glass. When you peeked inside you saw a plethora of instruments and mic stands, and you even recognized Vernon’s guitar sitting in one corner.

“Crazy, right?” Mingyu urged you on with an elbow to your arm before he plopped himself into one of the chairs near the control booth. Vernon and Jay had already seated themselves.

“Sit down!” Mingyu said, patting the last empty chair, which was beside him but also just so happened to be next to Vernon. You knew it was just by chance and that Mingyu would never set you up like that purposely, but that didn’t stop the nervousness that bubbled in your stomach.

“No way am I sitting that close to the controls,” you tried joking as an excuse. “I’m scared I’ll break something.”

You backed up towards the couch against the opposite wall, planning to sit there instead, but the devastated look on Mingyu’s face made you stop in your tracks. Unable to take anymore of his expression, you glanced over at Vernon on instinct and your heart fell even more when you saw the way he immediately looked down at his lap, scratching the back of his head despondently.

Fuck. Was I that obvious? you thought, immediately feeling stupid for making things awkward.

“I can switch with Jay if - ” Vernon started, but you quickly cut him off.

“No! No it’s fine,” you said, shaking your head before taking a step forward. “I’ll just - ” you didn’t bother finishing that sentence because what were you supposed to say exactly? No, it’s fine, I’ll just sit down next to my ex instead of making you all switch chairs because I still feel weird about breaking up with him? That would have been even more embarrassing. Maybe Nikki was right - you weren’t as over your past with Vernon as you’d thought.

You finished making your way to the final seat at the booth and promptly sat down, folding your hands in your lap as you tried to muster up some semblance of poise.

“Show me what you guys have been working on.”

Mingyu looked at you seriously for a moment, making sure you were really ok first. Once you gave him a genuine smile and elbowed him playfully, he released a breath, the anticipation growing on his face again.

“Jay, can you play the first track?” he asked.

“Sure thing man.” The bassist clicked away on a nearby monitor before sitting back, sound beginning to flow from the speakers.

For the next half hour or so, you listened to several of the songs the guys had spent months crafting, worries quickly melting away as you couldn’t help but absorb yourself completely into the music. At the end of each one you immediately gushed over the melody, production elements, or other details, Mingyu and Jay eagerly offering in-depth input on more of the behind-the-scenes process. Vernon also chimed in from time to time, slowly becoming more comfortable as he gave insight on lyrical choices or even helped to elaborate upon your comments when you struggled to articulate in technical terms what it was you’d noticed in each song - “We added some more reverb here in the bridge,” “Woozi had them redo the mixing so many times on this song so they could capture Jay’s pedaling,” “That bit you’re hearing is a layer of syncopation over the main melody.” It was hard not to notice the passion in his voice. It exuded from him every time he spoke - an unbridled joy you had never seen before. You found it endearing, a smile slowly growing on your face the more you watched him.

The fourth track was the official recording of Visions. The four of you stayed completely quiet throughout the entirety of this song, fully absorbing Vernon’s raw vocals and the way they glided over the rich instrumental. Goosebumps covered your skin by the end.

“Vernon…that was beautiful.”

You were the first to interrupt the silence that filled the space afterwards, unable to stop yourself from looking directly at him. Despite everything that had happened, Visions would always make you feel something that was hard to put into words. You two didn’t have to still be together for you to regard that song with incredible care and awe.

“Thank you…that means a lot,” Vernon said, holding your gaze timidly for a moment before looking down, rubbing his hands across his jeans. He hoped you couldn’t see in his eyes how much your words still meant to him, after all this time.

“Thank you for trusting us with it,” Jay added in, Mingyu nodding along.

No more words had to be said, the group of you sitting comfortably in the silence for a little longer before Mingyu quietly spoke up again.

“There’s just one more song left,” he said, eyebrows beginning to wiggle mischievously.

“There is?” you asked, curiosity peaked at the thought of even more music to listen to. But Vernon’s head jerked back up in panic at Mingyu’s words.

“N-No. There’s not,” he said abruptly, eyes wide as he quickly shook his head in denial. He looked legitimately scared.

“We discussed this already and you said you’d do it. I really think it’s best you stick to your word,” Mingyu said to Vernon, getting up from his chair and patting him on the back before walking towards the door. “Y/n. You good?”

“Yes…?” you said, appreciating his checking in before he seemingly left you alone with your ex.

“No - Mingyu wait -” Vernon said.

“You got this bro.”

“Rarely do I say it, but for once I’d have to agree with Mingyu here,” Jay said as he also got up and retreated towards the studio door. “Plus he stole my guitar pics and won’t give them back unless I agree to this plan so…”

The two bandmates exited the room, the door closing with a sort of finality as you and Vernon were left alone together in the studio.

What is happening right now? Why the hell would I tell Mingyu I was ok with this? Your mind went into overdrive as you fully processed the situation you’d so easily gotten yourself into, and yet, there was another part of you with so many questions that you found yourself glued to your seat.

If it was any consolation, Vernon looked just as unnerved as you.

“I’m sorry. I swear I had no idea they were gonna do this, I promise,” he said as he glanced over at you, immediately feeling the need to explain.

This wasn’t how he’d imagined sharing this last song with you. If he was being honest, he’d never been able to figure out how to go about it, or if he should even try at all. So now that you were right here, sitting beside him again after a whole year had passed, he felt himself panicking. When all he heard was your silence in response, he continued to ramble on nervously.

“You can totally leave if you want. I won’t stop you.” It may have sounded like a cruel suggestion, but to Vernon it would actually have been so much easier if you did - if you left him again just like you had at that bench by the river a year ago. That way he wouldn’t have to reopen an old wound - wouldn’t have to rub salt in something he wasn’t entirely sure had healed. He could just continue to live in denial, never again having to confront the pain that had been so much of his existence or the hurt from his past with you.

“Why did you decide to record Visions? After everything that happened?” Vernon finally heard you ask instead.

It was something that had tormented you nearly every day since your breakup, the question coming to you randomly late at night or when, against your better judgement, you’d listen to certain songs you knew would make you think of him. If you’d been in his shoes you didn’t think you could have done it, and so in this moment you found yourself desperate for an answer.

“I almost didn’t,” Vernon admitted, the confession spilling from his lips rather effortlessly once he’d recovered from his surprise. “But every time I tried to convince myself not to, I would think about the times I’d gotten to perform it on stage…” He looked forward, focusing on the recording booth before continuing. “I didn’t have the words for it then, but now I realize that it was healing - getting to share that song with others. And I think deep down there was a part of me that was tired of hurting myself as a way to cope with the things that had happened to me. So when you still asked me to record it, even after the way things ended, I couldn’t ignore that.” He looked over at you again, repeating your words from a year ago: “It’s like you said, I was tired of hiding in silence. So thank you - for encouraging me. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

You weren’t sure what you thought you’d hear, but you certainly hadn’t expected something so…introspective.

“I’m glad. That it was healing for you.”

His words were their own kind of salve, freeing you from a self-inflicted purgatory you hadn’t realized you were in until that very moment.

“Sometimes I worried that maybe you hated me for it,” you acknowledged the last bit of fear you’d been holding in your heart.

“I can’t deny that I wasn’t upset at times, but I’ve never once hated you,” Vernon said earnestly. “Not even the first night we met - and not after you told me goodbye either.” He desperately needed you to know that.

You let his words seep into your heart, the look in his eyes telling you that he truly meant it, before you finally moved on. Once and for all.

“So,” you said with a deep exhale, suddenly finding it hard to hold his gaze. “What’s this last song? The one the guys want you to play for me?”

“Right. The song…” Vernon began with an anxious gulp - he’d almost forgotten why the two of you were in this situation to begin with. He mulled it over in his head for a second, trying to find the right words to explain what the song meant and why he’d written it, but eventually he realized that defeated the purpose. The song existed for this precisely - because he had always struggled to adequately articulate his feelings in any other way. So instead of stumbling over his words for any longer, he leaned over the control booth and pressed play:

Running 'round the whole city for someone

To look me in my eyes and tell me pretty lies

Teardrops keep blurring up my sight

And right now I'm driving in my car

Going so fast, baby, so fast, baby

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Don't leave me in the dark

You said you won't be far

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I can't stand the quiet

Is anyone out there?

I'm on my worst behavior

Don't stop me now

I fucking hate this world

So show me a way out

Wake me up from this nightmare, please

I can't stand this reality

I'm on my worst behavior

How you like me now?

Put a muzzle on me

I'll spit in your mouth

Wake me up from this nightmarе, please

I'm scarred and bruisеd with a black eyed face

Woke up on the highway

I didn't go home last night

What you know 'bout me?

I ain't got nothing

So why you keep coming to me?

With your innocent eyes, you smile so bright

Stop wasting your sunshine on me

'Cause I can't tell if it's real or a lie

Solitude

I got a couple friends

Just me, myself, and I

We play with fireworks all night

I'm okay

I'll just let it burn everything around me

'Cause you can't save me from my sadness

No, don't save me

I'm on my worst behavior

Don't stop me now

I fucking hate this world

So show me a way out

Wake me up from this nightmare, please

I can't stand this reality

I'm on my worst behavior

How you like me now?

Put a muzzle on me

I'll spit in your mouth

Wake me up from this nightmare, please

I'm scarred and bruised with a black eyed face

Turn on the radio all the way up

'Til your eardrums explode

Let's dance all night long

But if you come too close

I might just burn you whole

Turn my back and shut the door

Knock, knock

Is there anybody out there?

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at Vernon as the song filled the studio, body frozen in your seat even after it was finished. So many lyrics had stood out to you:

pretty lies

tears blurring up my sight

don’t leave me in the dark

you said you won’t be far

I can’t stand the quiet

on my worst behavior

didn't go home last night

what you know 'bout me?

your innocent eyes, you smile so bright

stop wasting your sunshine on me

can't tell if it's real or a lie

just let it burn everything around me

you can't save me from my sadness

black eyed face

“Y/n? Are you ok?” Vernon asked, turning his chair to face you fully as he saw your expression. He was terrified of what your reaction would be.

“I’m not sure…” you said honestly, finally looking over at him. “Are you ok?”

“I am, I promise. This is something I started writing around the time I joined the band. Right before I met you,” he tried to explain.

“But clearly that’s not when you wrote all of it - black eyed face? ” The more you went over the bits of lyrics you could remember, the more you saw parts of your relationship and his time with the band sprinkled all over it. You didn’t really know how to feel.

“You're right - I added different parts at different times until it all came together. It was my way of coping with what I was going through at the time…and eventually that included pieces of you too - pieces of us.”

“Pretty lies? Wasting my sunshine on you? Is that really all you remember when you think of our relationship? The painful parts?” you asked quietly, a little afraid to hear his answer.

“No, of course not,” Vernon looked at you gently. He wished he could hold your hand in that moment but he held himself back.

“Then I don’t understand. Why write this -”

“Because I love you,” Vernon said finally, his stomach dropping at the confession. He couldn’t bear the thought of you misinterpreting his words any longer. “I love you and I’m sorry for how things ended. For what I put you through. This song was my way of acknowledging that - not by attacking our relationship, but by putting myself back in that negative headspace and being open for once about the fact that I still had things to work through. When it was too late to be better for you or for the guys, I had to find a reason to be better for myself. And so I wrote this song as a reminder.”

You heard everything he said, but you could only focus on one thing.

“You love me?” you couldn’t help but ask, feeling strangely emotional for someone who had supposedly moved on.

“I mean…yeah. I’m not sure the feeling will ever go away,” Vernon’s face turned red as he decided to be completely honest with you.

“I…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not asking you to take me back - it’s just something I want you to know.”

Just then you heard a noise on the other side of the door, the two of you looking over just in time to see Mingyu peek his head into the room.

“Sooo…the song’s good isn’t it???” the man blurted out, brows once again wiggling. “I was thinking we could call it Pretty Lies.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, ready to tell him to knock it off, but someone else beat you to it.

“Leave them alone!” you heard Nikki say, dragging him back by the collar of his shirt. You thought she was at the hotel, but apparently even she couldn’t stay away for long.

“What? I just wanna -” but the door promptly shut, blocking out Mingyu’s antics.

The two of them really were made for each other, you thought with a bit of admiration. You and Vernon couldn’t help but begin to laugh.

“I guess that means it’s time to wrap it up,” you started, standing as you gathered your belongings. Vernon followed suit, still facing you.

“Just so you know - the label doesn’t know about this song,” Vernon said. “And regardless of what Mingyu wants, I’m not sharing it unless you’re comfortable. The EP is great as is.”

“You’re right that it’s great,” you started, “but it’d be even better with this song. It’s really, really, good Vernon,” you said honestly. You couldn’t deny that, even if it had been a little surreal to listen to in the beginning.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure,” you said, walking towards him and reaching out for a hug. He was the only person you hadn’t given one to since arriving, though this one felt notably different from the others, the familiarity of his touch sparking something in you.

Vernon held on to you tightly, his head instinctively tucking into that familiar spot on the side of your neck while you rubbed his back softly, neither of you letting go.

“We’re gonna miss you. I’m gonna miss you,” he admitted once you two had lessened your hold enough to look at each other, the thought finally dawning on him that whenever he did finally return home, you wouldn’t be there waiting for him.

“I know. I will too,” you said wistfully. “But this doesn’t have to be goodbye forever, you know?”

You stood up on your tip toes then and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. It wasn’t one of fiery passion, nor was it one loaded with secrecy or shame or hurt. And to Vernon, it was his absolute favorite of any of the kisses you two had ever shared. When you looked up at him, you could barely hold in your laughter, his face morphing into the perfect mixture of bliss and confusion.

“But how? You’re moving,” Vernon couldn’t help but ask despite the happiness he felt.

“Slowly. We can visit each other. With my new job I’ve got more flexibility, and you’re all gonna be famous soon anyways,” you only half-joked. “Even when you guys finally do come home, I have a feeling you won’t be there for long…”

He looked down bashfully at that but you placed a hand to his face, angling it back towards you as you looked at him seriously again.

“Vernon. I want us to explore this - the way we are now. If you want to.”

“I do,” Vernon said confidently.

“Then we’ll figure it out,” you said assuredly. “I trust this. I trust us. Ok?”

“Ok.”

—————

When you and Vernon finally left the studio, you found Mingyu, Jay, and Nikki all waiting for you out in the lobby with bated breath. Nikki let out a near shriek when she saw that the two of you were holding hands.

“You guys have my blessing to include the final song,” you said immediately, deciding not to keep them in suspense for any longer.

“Oh thank god,” Mingyu immediately blurted out. “If I’m being honest it’s my favorite and I really wanna make it the single -” Nikki smacked Mingyu’s arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“‘Gyu would you please think before you speak???”

“What are you talking about??? You screamed before I said anything and have been gushing about double dates for the last five minutes.”

The two of them continued bickering playfully.

“What they’re trying to say is - we’re really thankful we get to share the song,” Jay translated. “And we’re happy for you guys.”

“I am too,” you chuckled lightly. “Although now that I think about it, I have one request - can you call it Black Eye instead of Pretty Lies?”

The guys all looked at each other for less than a second before speaking in unison.

“Deal!”

—————

It was the day of the showcase. You stood in the crowd once again, just a speck in a sea of thousands of fans as you watched the guys perform. It brought you back to the best parts of old times, sitting around on Jay’s beaten up couch when all they could have hoped for were a hundred people to show up if they were lucky. But now you got to see them on their biggest stage yet, Mingyu happily tapping away at the drums, his head of hair moving all over the place as he kept the beat going. Jay was his usual chill self, just vibing out on the bass contentedly. And then there was Vernon, looking a little shy as the opening chords of Black Eye began to ring out from the strings of his guitar for the first time live. It reminded you of when you’d seen him take the mic at the first gig the guys had ever performed at together, except that now there was a distinct sense of determination in his eyes despite the trepidation that you couldn’t help but admire - the sight awakening a long lost feeling of butterflies in your stomach. He caught you looking at him, gazing at you fondly for one last time before leaning into the mic and beginning to sing.

prev. chapt. | series masterlist

a/n: if you made it all the way here to the end, I just wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to read this story! if you've got feels, feel free to share them with me here or reblog the ml if you're so inclined. please take care <3

taglist: @twogyuu @yourfavoritefreakyhan

#vernon fluff #vernon smut #seventeen fluff #seventeen smut #seventeen #vernon x reader

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spaceorphan18 · 3 months

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WIP ASK ME GAME

I was tagged by @bitbybitwrites (thank you dear) who has a lovely header - I wish I was savvy enough with such things to have a banner for writing. <3

Anyway, here's where I am at with writing (and you guys are always welcome to come chat with me about them) but more so, an update for anyone who is interested.

WIPs I'm Actually Working On (in order of priority)

Head Over Feet - The canon divergent post-Season 5 reunion fic I always wanted to write. All of my writing got sidelined during my unfortunate excursion to Indiana last year, but now I'm back writing pretty regularly. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out maybe next week-ish. I've loved writing this one, as I've had the idea for this in one form or another for a long, long time.

In The City That We Love - Tells the story of the year leading up to what we see in the flashforward at the end of Season 6, and based on a sketch I wrote years ago for the 'last' season of the show. They're kind of individual stories tied together, and I've only written the first 'chapter' but I do plan on getting to this once I wrap Head Over Feet

The Spaces In-Between - The Following Kurt Through Cannon fic that I've been picking away at for years now. I know I'm not far, but I have an idea for this one that will follow a long with a giant rewatch and analysis of the show. I just need to get organized...

The CrossRhodes Saga - This is my mystery/noir fic where Kurt is a detective looking in on sketchy happenings at a bar run by Santana. I think I may revamp the first few chapters and start clean with it, but I really would like to get back to it once my other big things are done.

The Smut Challenge - I mean it is what it says on the tin. I feel like I should get back to this every once in a while just to keep it going. I feel like it'd be an impressive feat just to write 365 mini fics of porn.

And that's what I've got for now.

I have no new ideas, but as I was originally thinking of wrapping up my fic writing days in order to focus on some original fiction. But who knows -- I'm already thinking I'd miss writing fic if I stopped, so I'm kind of hoping I get a new big idea....

I think most of the people I know have already been tagged but please do this if you're reading it!

#s.o. writes things #wip ask game #klaine #klaine fic #glee fic

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jate-kara · 7 months

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Hold It Down | On AO3

Cayde's flown off to who the hell knows where to chase another piece of his past, Andal's so wound up he's practically climbing the Tower walls, and Shiro hasn't stopped moving in days. Tevis is just doing his best to help. Sort of. In his own way.

Even with their fireteam divided, they find a way to hold each other together.

---

His armor was pocked and marred and streaked with blood, his throat was clogged with ancient dust, and this was the last damn time he was doing Andal Brask any favors.

Even as he thought it, Shiro knew it was a lie. Ever since Andal had taken up the Vanguard post, he'd been under a hell of a lot of stress - more than what he'd ever had to deal with when he'd been out roaming the Wilds with the pack. There was a permanent line of tension strung through his shoulders that got worse every day he was up in that Tower, and he had dark circles under his eyes that rivaled Tevis's, so when he'd asked if Shiro could go down into a maze of catacombs beneath the EDZ to retrieve a Guardian who'd gotten themselves stuck there - Shiro had agreed immediately. It hadn't relaxed Andal at all; if anything, he'd gotten more tense. But it was one less mission for him to worry about assigning, at least. And Shiro had checked in as regularly as he could manage, up until he'd hit the Hive horde and had to focus all of his efforts on getting in, grabbing the idiot, and getting out in one piece.

"Thanks for doing this," Andal said, from the little hologram in his palm. Even at this resolution, Shiro could see him cataloging the sorry state of his gear.

"It was no problem."

"I'm sorry I asked it of you."

"You trusted me to get it done, Andal. That's enough for me." Shiro forced a smile he didn't feel. As much as he liked talking to Andal, he was covered from helm to boots in blood and grime and Traveler knew what else, and there was a piece of a sparrow lodged in one of his knee joints, from where one of Marcus's damned friends had run straight into him the second he'd set foot on the surface of the Cosmodrome with the wayward Guardian slung over his shoulders. Suzume had offered to heal it if he'd pulled the scrap out, but he'd been too pissed to really listen to her.

Andal frowned. Shiro scrambled to bolster his smile. It did nothing to smooth away the furrow in his Vanguard's brow. "Did you get hurt?" Andal asked. "Saint saw you in the Hangar after you dropped our missing Guardian off. He said you were limping. Is Suzume okay?"

"Suzume's fine. She'll heal me later."

"Why-" Andal cut himself off, then blew out a breath. "Is everything okay?"

Shiro sighed. Around him, City life carried on under the dim glow of the setting sun. His apartment's door was right there. Then it was up some steps and through his actual door, and he would finally be free to strip off the armor and scrub everything clean - if only Andal would cut the chatter.

"Shiro?"

"I'm fine, Andal. I'll talk to you later."

"Are you sure you're-"

Shiro cut the connection before he could think twice about it, and turned away from Suzume before she could catch him with the disapproving dip of her shell. "Don't," he muttered, tapping in his access code and starting up the stairs. "He'll go on all night with as wound up as he is right now."

"That's because he was worried about you," Suzume reminded. Her voice was deceptively gentle for the steel he knew was hidden behind it. "You have to call him back later."

"He's not just wound up because of me. Cayde went off on one of his damn personal missions again. He's been out of contact for two weeks. That always drives Andal up a wall."

Suzume knocked into his shoulder. "I know," she said. "But it would help if you talked to him so he knows you're okay."

Shiro closed the door behind him and blew out an exasperated breath. "I'll call Andal after I clean up, all right?"

"Let me fix your knee first."

Shiro yanked the obstructing shrapnel out in one brutal motion. Every nerve it hadn't deadened fired at once, and he heaved a gasp and set his jaw and tried to stay upright. The soothing glow of Suzume's Light fell over him a second later, smoothing the pain's jagged edges until it had been washed away completely, and the delicate nerves had reconnected enough that he could stumble a few steps toward his bedroom. Just had to get the armor off, get the armor cleaned up, get himself cleaned up, and maybe find the strength to get something to eat before he called Andal and tried not to nod off wherever he ended up.

A faint clatter came from his kitchen and he froze mid-step, knee still tingling from its restoration. He hadn't heard anyone when he'd come in, but between the stabbing pain and the overwhelming aggravation, he hadn't been paying a lot of attention to whether or not he had an uninvited guest rifling through his home. Shiro snapped Trespasser out of its holster and to the ready right as the soft shuffle of footsteps reached the kitchen's threshold and came to a stop.

"Shiro," Tevis said, "why the hell isn't there any food in your kitchen?"

Because he'd been on an assignment for Andal. Because he'd forgotten to pick some up after the last batch spoiled from being in there for so long. Because sometimes he ate those specially formulated rations rather than bother with cooking. Shiro didn't say any of that, though. All that came out as he holstered Trespasser was, "Tevis, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Tevis shrugged. If he was bothered by the harsh tone, he didn't show it. The sunlight streaming through the windows caught him in their waning beams and made him look softer than his usual scowl would suggest. His long dark hair was damp, and pulled up in a loose bun, and he was, for the first time in forever, not dressed in his field gear. Instead, he'd opted for a faded black and yellow hoodie that hung far too loosely on his wiry frame to actually belong to him, and a pair of soft grey pants Shiro was pretty sure he'd stolen from Andal, because they were identical to what Andal always wore when he was relaxing, and because Tevis had rolled the bottoms of the pant legs up so they weren't too long for him.

"Is that my sweatshirt?" Shiro asked, a long moment later.

"Maybe."

"Did you let yourself into my apartment?"

"You said any one of us was always welcome here. You excluding me from that now?"

"No," Shiro grumbled. "I'm just surprised you took me up on it. I thought you hated being in the City."

Tevis gave another half-hearted shrug. "You're out of food," he said, shouldering by on his way to the door, and the boots he'd left there. He snatched the piece of shrapnel out of Shiro's hand with an eyeroll. "Go clean up. I'll be back."

It took Shiro the entire time he was scrubbing his armor, then himself, plus the time he spent perched at the counter in the kitchen watching Tevis lay out ingredients and cook, to realize what else was different: th dark circles set against the pale skin below his eyes were faded. "You don't look completely exhausted," Shiro said. "What changed?"

"Slept on your couch."

"What?"

Tevis stared at him disdainfully. "I took a damn nap. Aren't you supposed to call Andal?"

A single nap wouldn't fix that kind of fatigue. Shiro cast him a skeptical glance. Tevis, despite clearly noticing the gaze, carried on cooking as if he hadn't. They stayed in that silent stalemate for a long few moments until Tevis sighed, slapped the spoon down on the counter, tugged his communicator out of his pocket, and tapped a few keys. It buzzed a few times, then clicked as it connected.

"Tevis," Andal said. He sounded surprised, but in a delighted way, like he always did when he didn't have to try seven times to get Tevis to pick up the comm. Shiro hid a grin behind his hand. "It's good to hear from you."

Tevis tried to scowl, but warmth bled around the edges of it until it was a poorly suppressed smile. "I'm with Shiro. He's fine."

Andal let out an audibly relieved breath. "Good," he said. "Is he getting some rest?"

"He will be after I make him eat something. Has the damn Vanguard buried you in reports again?"

Andal groaned. "You don't wanna know."

"Tev is making dinner. You should join us," Shiro cut in, and Andal laughed. It sounded just shy of desperation. Shiro caught Tevis's flinch, there and gone in the same instant.

"I'll be there," Andal promised, and paused. There was a loud slam, then another voice in the background: high and agitated, prattling on about something, something, Dead Orbit. Andal gave a resigned sigh. "I have to go. See you soon. I hope."

Tevis frowned as he slipped the comm back into his pocket. "Think it'd get him in trouble if I kidnapped him?"

Shiro hummed noncommittally. There was a nonzero chance that Tevis would try it if he said anything one way or the other: either because Shiro had encouraged it, or because he wanted to be a jackass and prove Shiro wrong. Both branches led to the same root, though: Tevis missed Andal the same as Shiro did. "I think," Shiro said, by way of diversion, "that you should tell me why you don't look half dead."

Tevis's expression didn't sour like he thought it would. Usually, the answer to 'why are you less zombified' was 'copious amounts of caffeine', which launched them into an argument that went back and forth with no real resolution. This time, Tevis's face shuttered. He didn't move from his spot by the stovetop, slowly stirring the mix of fried vegetables, but his shoulders hunched, and his grip on the spoon tightened until his forearm was trembling.

"You were gone a couple of days," he muttered. "I slept through most of them."

Shiro leaned forward to scrutinize him and Tevis turned his full attention to carefully checking each spoonful. It wasn't quite a refusal, but it was a step back, so Shiro let the silence be. More than once, Tevis had mentioned that the Void's Devour let him feel traces of Light, and that each trace was different depending on whose it was. Some he was indifferent to; they were noise and nothing more. Others set him on a knife's edge. But while he claimed that Shiro's and Andal's and Cayde's traces fell into the first category, none of them had ever believed him. Whether Tevis realized it or not, he relaxed the stiff set of his spine when he was in a place suffused by their presence, like he only felt safe enough to let himself rest if he was surrounded by those soft echoes.

He'd probably never say it unless someone was dying, of course, but that unspoken trust made Shiro's heart turn, and he reached out to clasp Tevis's wrist with a touch so light it was almost nonexistent. "I'm glad you got some rest," he said, and squeezed gently.

Tevis huffed a vague acknowledgement, though he let the touch be. His shoulders relaxed. "You heard anything from Cayde lately?"

"Nothing since he left."

"You think he'll be okay after he finds whatever's in the next journal?"

Shiro sighed. At some point in one of Cayde's previous lives, one of them had decided to leave notes and mementos in various caches, to forge a better foundation for whoever came after, and to give the next self a good shot at being a good man. Shiro didn't know which past Cayde had started it, or why, but he suspected one of them had been someone their Cayde-6 would have shot on sight, and that if he did enough poking around about Caydes one through five, sooner or later he was going to turn it up, in which case 'okay' was going to get really relative.

"I don't know," Shiro said honestly.

Tevis tilted his head in something like agreement. "I wish he'd at least check in with Andal," he grumbled. "Pretty sure we're gonna be out another Hunter Vanguard if he keeps stressing him out like this."

"I'll try talking to him about it."

"Good luck."

Shiro blew out a disbelieving breath. "You realize how it sounds when you complain about someone else not answering their comm, right?"

Tevis made a show of plucking Shiro's hand off his wrist, as if it had only started offending him after the jab. He did it with a blank expression that was so at odds with the drama of the removal that Shiro couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of him. "You're such a pain in the ass," Tevis said fondly, and reached across the counter to shove his shoulder. "Go get me the rest of the vegetables out of the fridge."

Andal didn't turn up until the rest of the food was nearly done, and he didn't so much stroll in as he did stagger. Tevis's eyes tracked him as he shrugged off his cloak and toed off his boots. When he finally looked up to meet their gazes, Shiro flinched. Andal's long hair was half pulled into a bun that must have come apart hours ago. His dark eyes were distant. There was a streak of dried blood on the warm brown skin of his cheek, like he'd cut himself shaving and forgotten to clean it off - or gotten grazed by a knife.

"You look like hell," Tevis said. "When's the last fucking time you slept?"

If Andal heard him, he didn't show it. He padded across the floor and eased down onto a stool next to Shiro, then slumped against the counter and buried his head in his arms. "Has anyone heard from Cayde?" he asked, and despite his valiant attempt to smother the ragged desperation, his voice still cracked.

Shiro's chest ached. "Not yet," he offered gently, before Tevis could spit whatever acrid opinion on Cayde's contact frequency he clearly had burning on his tongue. "He's usually back inside of a month, though, so it shouldn't be much longer."

Andal didn't answer, but the tense line in his shoulders curled that much tighter. Shiro rested a hand on his back, and Andal pushed himself upright in several halting motions. "You cooked for us," he said, with a faltering smile at Tevis. "Reviving an old tradition?"

Tevis scoffed. "It wasn't a tradition. I only made dinner back then because I didn't trust Cayde not to poison us. Wouldn't have been on purpose, but it also wouldn't have been pleasant."

"For you two, anyway," Shiro supplied. "And Lush, when he was still around."

Andal tried to laugh at that. It didn't make it to his eyes. Shiro exchanged a look with Tevis, and got to his feet to get the plates. "Dinner, shower, sleep," Tevis said, manhandling Andal to the table, where the chair had a back he could lean against. "In that order."

"Which one of us is Vanguard again?" Andal muttered, picking at the plate Shiro had set in front of him. At Tevis's stare, he managed a few actual bites, then went back to absently staring into the distance while he fiddled with an errant vegetable.

Maybe Tevis had a point about being out another Vanguard if things kept up this way. Shiro ate his own dinner slowly, mostly because the exhaustion he'd buried beneath his concern was now welling up again. His movements flagged, and he caught Tevis shooting him a sharp glance, but he was more concerned with the fact that Andal seemed to have given up pretenses entirely, and was now staring blankly out the window, dinner completely forgotten. Shiro had just made up his mind to say something when Andal jolted suddenly, set his fork down, and pushed the barely touched plate away. "Sorry," he blurted. "It's good. It's - I can't right now."

Tevis gave him a considering glance, then stood to round the table and haul him to his feet. "All right," he said. "C'mon. The shower and the sleep aren't suggestions."

"All of my clothes are back at the Tower."

"You're gonna borrow some of Shiro's."

Andal cast him an annoyed look. Shiro had just enough time to catch it before Tevis hauled Andal off to the bedroom, threw some of Shiro's clean clothes at his head, shoved him bodily into the adjoining bathroom, and slammed the door.

"You're an ass," Andal called, voice muffled, and Tevis banged a fist on the door twice in a wordless demand: get moving . He stayed there until the water started running, smacked the door one more time for good measure, and returned to the kitchen to start clearing the table. Shiro watched him blankly for a second, then moved to get up - and just as quickly found himself being pushed back into his seat.

"You look like death," Tevis informed him briskly. "Stay put."

"You know I don't technically get tired. I just feel-"

"Stay. Put."

Shiro shot him a side-eye. Tevis was too busy dumping leftovers into containers and storing them in the fridge to notice it. He was wound tight; Shiro could almost see the pressure physically building in his chest. "I can help clean up," he hazarded, bracing for a glower that didn't come. "You already made dinner."

"I don't need your help," Tevis returned, already elbow deep in dish suds. "Fuck off."

"It's not that you need me to help. It's that I want to."

Tevis's only answer was to roll his eyes and carry on scrubbing the dishes with more force than he really needed. Once he finished, he moved on to meticulously drying each plate, and Shiro risked pushing himself to his feet and crossing the small distance between them. Wordlessly, he held out a hand. Tevis smacked it away.

"I told you to stay put," he muttered, and there was a raw edge to his voice that he tried to pass off as anger. If Shiro didn't know him so well, he would've believed it. Instead, he gently settled an arm around Tevis's shoulders and squeezed once.

"I'm okay, Tev," he said quietly.

Tevis snapped to face him. His eyes swept over Shiro's face, at first scrutinizing, and then, more softly, in a careful scan. He stayed like that for a long few moments until, at last, some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed. "If you're gonna be a pain about it, fine, you can help," he grumbled, and flung the dish towel at Shiro's head.

They'd barely finished cleaning when Andal finally appeared, clothed in loose pants he'd had to tie twice and an oversized long-sleeve t-shirt with a ridiculous Sparrow racing league logo emblazoned on it. Shiro couldn't recall ever receiving it, but he knew Cayde was good friends with Marcus Ren, and Marcus Ren was known to produce both outlandish ideas and merchandise, on top of whatever death trap he'd cooked up for his next "competition". Odd shirts were probably the most normal thing to come from that workshop, and Cayde was just the sort of person to snatch one up on his way out.

Andal looked down at the shirt with a small smile. "I didn't know you were such a Sparrow league fan, Shiro."

Shiro sighed. "I'm not. And can you even call it a league? It's mostly just Marcus and Enoch doing crazy stunts on patrols in the EDZ."

Andal shrugged and sank onto the couch, nestling down into the cushions with a sigh. He settled on his side, with one arm curled beneath his head, but despite the fatigue that was clearly set heavy in every bone of his body, he didn't close his eyes. His gaze turned distant, and behind the haze of old stress and overwhelming exhaustion, there was only sadness.

Tevis flicked off the lights before he moved to sit carefully beside him. One of his hands hovered uncertainly, then slowly lowered to settle on Andal's hair. "Close your eyes and get some sleep," he said quietly, combing a few strands back. "You need it."

Andal pressed his eyes closed and grimaced. "I'm not going to sleep well while Cayde's not here."

"Better shitty sleep than no sleep. I think you told me that."

"Don't use my own words against me."

"Stop saying things that makes sense, then."

"If it makes so much damn sense, then why don't you listen to me more?" Andal huffed.

"That's what I keep asking him too," Shiro chimed in, easing down onto the floor in front of them and tilting his head back to rest against the couch's cushion. He was just getting comfortable when Tevis curled stubborn fingers around the collar of his sweatshirt and yanked until Shiro got the idea, fumbled half upright, and all but fell onto the couch on Tevis's other side.

"Sitting on the fucking floor." Tevis made a face that came very close to disgust. "The hell do you even have a couch for?"

With Andal lying on his side and Tevis right next to him, adding Shiro's large frame meant that they were all pressed tightly together, even with how much smaller Tevis was. Shiro shifted carefully. Generally, they as a pack tended to avoid crushing Tevis between them; he could be tense and flighty on his best days, so if they collapsed in a pile, he took a spot on the edge, no questions asked. It worked out fine, since Shiro was mostly okay with wherever he ended up, and Cayde and Andal craved physical affection and contact like nothing else, so they'd happily sprawl in a tangle of limbs any time. Tevis initiating anything like that, though - that was rare.

Gingerly, Shiro leaned back and rested an arm around Tevis's shoulders. "You should get some sleep too," he said.

Tevis snorted. "I slept for most of the last four days."

"You almost never sleep otherwise. Couple more hours can't hurt."

"Quiet," Andal mumbled. He was curled in on himself, like he always was when he wanted Cayde to lie down behind him and wrap himself around him. His eyes weren't so much closed now as they were squeezed shut. It made Shiro's chest ache.

Tevis noticed too. His thumb brushed a soothing line along Andal's brow. "Cayde'll be all right," he murmured. "He's got luck in spades."

"He promised me he'd stay in contact this time."

"Digging into that shit always messes with his head, Andal. He's probably just caught up in it."

"He always keeps his word." Andal's voice cracked, and not for the first time Shiro wished he'd pushed Cayde into telling them where he was going, so he could fly there and drag him back. Suzume and Astraea were constantly monitoring their usual comm lines and sending out requests for an immediate response, so if anything came through, they'd know immediately. The knowledge didn't soothe him, though, and he knew it wouldn't soothe Andal or Tevis, either. At this point, only Cayde could do that.

“He might be in a dead comms zone,” Shiro said. “I'm sure he'll check in when he can.”

He got a shuddery breath in response, and nothing else. In the dim light coming from the kitchen, he could make out the faint gleam of tears on Andal's cheeks. Tevis must have seen it too; he eased forward, tugging at Andal until he sat up and let himself be pulled in closer. He fell to rest against Tevis's chest, head tucked beneath his chin, and Shiro wrapped an arm around both of them and held tight.

“Cayde'll be okay,” Tevis repeated. Shiro felt him tense, and then relax, once, and then again, like he was reminding himself he was safe, and not trapped. “Try to sleep. Our Ghosts hear anything, they'll let us know.”

Andal didn't respond. Another tremor shivered down his spine as he breathed. Tevis smoothed soothing circles into his back, and Shiro reached over to rest a hand on Andal's shoulder. He hated the damn Vanguard sometimes: not the people, or even the body as an organizational concept, but as something that hurt Andal - something that kept him in the Tower, away from them, where they didn't know when he was close to breaking, and couldn't bring himself to say it.

“Try to sleep,” Tevis whispered again, once Andal stopped trembling. “We'll wake you if we hear anything.”

Shiro didn't follow suit, even when he heard Andal's breathing deepen. “I know you're still awake, Tev,” he said, as softly as he could manage.

Tevis's cheek pressed against his arm. “So are you. Shut the fuck up and pass out already.”

“You first.”

That earned him a warm chuckle, so soft and light that Shiro's first retort formed and died before he could say it. “You're nicer when you sleep for four days straight,” he managed at last. “You should do that more often.”

Tevis blew out a short breath that sounded more like a laugh. “My head's a lot quieter when you're all around.”

Warmth swelled in Shiro's chest. If he brought it up in the morning, Tevis would scowl and vehemently deny it. For now, though, he was safe in the familiar comfort of the darkness, and shielded from the bright glare of his own honesty. “I'm glad,” Shiro said. He wrapped the fingers of his free hand around Tevis's wrist and pressed them to the steady thrum of his pulse.

He didn't remember letting it lull him off to sleep, only snapping awake to the world rocking around him. It took him an embarrassingly long moment to realize it was because Andal had launched himself out of the tangle of limbs and across the room. It was still dark. The door to the apartment hallway was open, silhouetting a familiar figure standing just inside.

“Hey,” Cayde said. “Sorry to drop by unannounced. I-”

Cayde cut himself off with a loud oof that Shiro registered as him absorbing Andal's impact. “Hi,” Cayde croaked, like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him. “Miss me much?”

If Andal was coherent enough to talk, he didn't. Shiro was vaguely and then intensely aware that Tevis had gotten up too, because the lights turned on and sent a bright spike straight through his eyes. It only took a fraction of a second for his visual sensors to adjust, but it felt like an eternity, and he swept his gaze over Cayde as soon as he could make out more than a blurry outline.

Their gunslinger was clad in his field gear; it was scorched and torn. The pants were tattered, the entire left sleeve of the shirt was missing, and from what Shiro could see past Andal's clinging form, there was a large slash torn across the chest. He winced to think of what might have caused it, and he knew without having to check that Tevis had cataloged the same.

Still, it wasn't the sorry state of Cayde’s gear that made his heart turn over sickeningly. It was that Andal had been hanging on for a few minutes now, and Cayde hadn't moved at all. His arms hung at his sides, tense and trembling, as if he wasn't sure what to do with them. The glow of his eyes didn't have the usual gleam of mischief: only some vast distance, and a deep well of churning uncertainty. It was like he was trapped between his desire to stay and some overwhelming urge to escape, and the pull of the two opposing forces was tearing him apart.

Andal let go and eased back to look him in the face. His eyes were blown wide and searching, and they bled more desperation than he'd ever admit. He stood there silently for a few beats, and then slowly raised his hand as if to set it gently against Cayde's cheek.

Cayde flinched away, from the touch and from Andal himself. His breath hitched, and he took a decisive step back. “Sorry,” he blurted, like the words had been forced out of him. “I'm gonna go clean up. Back at my ship. Really shoulda done that to begin with, before I tracked dirt onto Shiro's nice floors. I'll, uh - we'll talk later, okay?”

“No.” Tevis's single word stopped him cold. “There's a damn shower here, Cayde.”

Cayde shrugged awkwardly. “Mine's better?”

Tevis stalked across the space between them and stopped a few inches away. He didn't grab him or push him or drag him in; he only raised a finger and stabbed it toward the interior of the apartment in a silent demand. Shiro watched Cayde start to protest, summoning whatever will he had left beneath the exhaustion set heavy in every line of his frame. He only made it as far as opening his mouth before that small surge of flame flickered and died, and he ducked his head and slipped past them. The bathroom door clicked shut, and the water started running.

Andal hadn't moved, except to let his hands fall to his sides. He blew out a ragged breath. “I'll find him some clothes,” he muttered, and brushed by. Shiro watched him until he disappeared into the bedroom, peripherally aware of Tevis closing the door.

“Guess that answers my question,” Tevis said, massaging the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. “Damn it, what the hell did he find?”

Shiro shook his head. It might not be exclusively related to Cayde's quest to turn up any other journals that could be out there; the universe was a big place, and he'd met as many people that loved him as he had people that wanted to kill him. Maybe it was an old enemy. Maybe it was a buried nightmare, resurrected to torment him again. Maybe it was the damn journal after all, and Cayde had learned something about a past self that he wished he hadn't.

“Could be a lot of things ” Shiro answered at last. “Whatever it is, it's hitting him pretty hard.”

“He stayed, though. That's good.” Tevis's voice bled relief as he moved to the kitchen and started unpacking leftovers from the fridge to be reheated. They both knew if Cayde didn't want to be here, he wouldn't. “Go talk him into coming out here when he's done.”

All the lights were off in the bedroom, save a single lamp. Shiro could just make out Andal, sitting with his back to the wall and knees pulled to his chest. He was at least half trying to seem like the sheen in his eyes was from exhaustion, and not because Cayde pulling away had hit him like a punch to the gut. “He'll be a while,” Andal said, without looking up.

“I know,” Shiro returned softly, easing to sit cross-legged in front of him. What he didn't say, Shiro already knew: Cayde usually let Andal help, after he got back from these kinds of missions - reached for him instead of pushing him away. Let himself stay close instead of suffering alone, even if they didn't talk about whatever he'd found for a couple weeks. Grief flared in Andal's eyes every time they darted toward the bathroom door: that he was out here, apart, instead of in there, holding Cayde together.

Tevis was rattling around the kitchen. There was a loud clatter, a series of creative expletives that Shiro wasn't completely sure were technically words, and then some distant grumbling, but no serious cries of pain, so he stayed where he was. Andal didn't comment on it, either - he barely seemed to have noticed the noise. He'd cleaned the small cut on his face when he'd showered, though he must not have asked, or allowed, Astraea to heal it. It remained an angry line on his cheek that he was idly tracing with a finger.

“How'd that happen?” Shiro asked, to fill the silence, and also to find out if he needed to shoot someone.

Andal started. His hands dropped into his lap. “It was nothing,” he said, and shrugged half-heartedly. “Someone broke into my office. I dodged when he threw his knife, but it still grazed me on the way by.”

Shiro jolted, suddenly wide awake. “Someone tried to kill you?” he demanded, in a harsh and disbelieving whisper. “Andal, what the hell? Why didn't you say something?”

Andal stared at him blankly. “I lived, didn't I?”

“Was it another Guardian?”

“Well, a Lightbearer. He kept babbling about the Darkness and salvation. I wasn't really listening. I took him down. He's in Vanguard custody now.” Andal touched the cut absently. “He did something to his knife, though. A corruption, or a poison. Astraea cleansed the cut, but she couldn't get it to heal.”

Shiro's stomach turned. It had missed his head, Andal had said. If he had been slower, or startled, or hesitated for even a fraction of a second, it would have speared his skull - and that wasn't an injury you bounced back from. Astraea couldn't heal the cut. Maybe she wouldn't have been able to bring him back from a corrupted death, either. “When did this happen?”

“Sometime after I talked to you but before Tev called. Why?”

Shiro didn't have words. Andal was overstressed, overwhelmed, and then almost assassinated, and all he'd asked when they'd called was if they were okay. All he'd wanted to hear about when he arrived was if they'd heard from Cayde. Shiro didn't know if he wanted to scream and shake him or hug him and never let go. Typical Andal. Typical idiot. “I'm telling Tev,” Shiro decided, once he regained the ability to speak. “What the hell , Andal?”

Andal shrugged again. “I know Tev said you're okay, but I never asked you. Was he right?”

“You could've died your Final Death today and that's what you wanna talk about?”

Andal snorted. “Have a little faith in me, Shiro. I might be the Vanguard, but that doesn't mean I've stopped training.”

“I do have faith in you,” Shiro shot back. “I always will. But someone was trying to kill you. Permanently. It could've gone sideways.”

“I know. But it didn't, and I'm still here.” Andal tried for a smile. “And I want to know if you're all right.”

Shiro blew out an exasperated breath. Andal wasn't unreasonable on most things; he'd back down in an argument if he thought he was wrong. But if anyone else had been attacked like that, he'd be climbing the walls over it, and somehow, despite all of the aptitudes that had earned him the title of mastermind, he'd convinced himself he wasn't worthy of the same - that because it was him, pack leader and Hunter Vanguard, he should shoulder the fallout alone. Not even Cayde had figured out how it worked, so Shiro wasn't about to try now.

“I'm fine. Just tired,” Shiro said, resigned. “Tev's been trying to help, in his own way.”

“I noticed.”

“He's a little aggressive about it.”

Andal huffed a laugh. “Just a little.”

His eyes drifted back to the door, and that grief flashed in them again, stark enough to make Shiro's heart turn. He leaned forward, took hold of Andal's shoulders, and pulled him into a crushing hug, and he didn't let go until that damned door finally opened and Cayde stumbled out, drowning in one of Shiro's many hooded sweatshirts, and fiddling with one of the strings you could use to tighten the hood. His pants, oddly enough, fit perfectly.

“Are you keeping stashes of your clothes in my apartment again?” Shiro asked, trying desperately for a bit of levity.

Cayde shrugged and jammed his hands into the hoodie's pocket. He avoided Shiro's gaze completely, but Shiro caught the quick, habitual scan he did of Andal. The expression he had when he realized he'd done it was oddly close to guilt. “Is Tevis gonna kill me if I don't eat his cooking?” he asked, rocking back on his heels and staring somewhere behind Shiro's head.

“He might.”

“Guess it's death by Tev's cooking, then.”

“You're just jealous because his food is better than yours.”

“It absolutely is not.”

The panicked vulnerability wasn't gone, only covered by a playful smile. It was Cayde's instinct to mask his pain with a joke and a grin, the same way Tevis deflected with a scowl and a jab, and Andal redirected with a gentle touch and a warm smile. Shiro knew that, he'd seen it a thousand times - and somehow, it never failed to make his chest ache. He gave Cayde a slight push toward the kitchen. “Go eat while it's hot.”

Cayde's gaze flickered to Andal again, before he tore it away and abruptly traipsed off to the kitchen with a sing-song, “Oh, Te-vis, Shiro said you're gonna make me eat your poison.”

Andal made a noise that was probably supposed to sound like a laugh, and came out as a miserable groan. He dragged a hand down his face. “I should go. Whatever's wrong, I'm making it worse.”

If Andal left, Cayde might implode. “Stay in here.”

“What?”

Shiro waved at the bed. “Sleep,” he said. “Give Tev and I some time to figure this out.”

Andal blinked at him skeptically. Still, when Shiro tugged the covers back, Andal moved to slide beneath them without complaint. Shiro took a minute to settle him in, then pressed a hand to his shoulder and squeezed gently. “Rest. I'll come and get you if we need you.”

If Andal heard him, he didn't respond. Shiro waited a moment, until he was sure Andal wasn't just faking relaxation, flicked off the lamp, and slipped out to join the others in the kitchen. Usually Cayde perched on a stool at the counter, balancing in increasingly convoluted ways while he steadily worked through his meal. Tonight, he was quiet at the table, stirring his food around his plate while Tevis sat across from him with his arms folded and pretended not to notice. Shiro slipped into a seat beside him.

“What happened to Andal?” Cayde asked, without looking up.

“I told him to rest. He had a hell of a day.” It wasn't what Cayde meant to have answered; he'd noticed the unhealed cut, too. But it wasn't like Shiro could explain that while he still seemed two seconds from bolting.

“Oh.” Cayde's eyes snapped to the open bedroom door with such a look of pained longing that it made Shiro's chest tight to see it. He stopped fiddling with the food on his plate, completely fixated, and completely unmoving. It was the same as when he'd first stepped through the door and hadn't been able to raise his arms to cradle Andal close: like he was afraid to, or not sure if he should, but he desperately wanted to anyway.

“You can go to him, you know,” Tevis pointed out, with an eyeroll. “Doubt he's even asleep yet anyway.”

Cayde's breath hitched. “Nope,” he forced out, past a weird little hiccup. His plate of ill-treated food regained his full attention. “Let him sleep.”

“You're just gonna sulk out here the rest of the night?”

“Nah, thought I'd head out after I eat.”

“Not with my hoodie, you don't,” Shiro cut in. “You still haven't returned the last one.”

Cayde clutched at the sweatshirt like he thought Shiro would actually try to wrangle it off him if he didn't have a tight grip on it. “They're comfortable.”

“If you leave, that stays.”

Cayde huffed at him. “Really not giving me a lot of choices here, are ya?”

“Eat,” Tevis reminded tiredly. “You're gonna have mush if you keep picking at it like that.”

“When did you become such a connoisseur?”

“Just eat your fucking dinner, Cayde.”

Cayde slumped in his chair. “Yeah,” he said, after a minute. “Sorry. Not happening. It's, uh, nothing wrong with the food.”

His gaze was locked on the bedroom doorway again. He tightened his grip on his fork, as if he could will himself to stay put that way, then opened his mouth and snapped it shut just as quickly. That strange guilt-ridden fear passed over his face for a second time. Shiro leaned forward to rest a hand on his wrist, so slowly and gently that it took him a solid few seconds to actually make contact after he started the motion.

Cayde stared at the touch like he wasn't sure if he should accept it. That kind of hesitation was an odd look on him. He was as tactile as they came: a hand on the shoulder here, an arm slung across the back there, always nodding off against whoever was closest. He'd never bothered with deserve , only with allowed . “Hey,” Shiro said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. “Something bad happen out there?”

Cayde didn't move: not to deny it, not to crack a joke, not to storm away, and not to collapse in on himself. What little Shiro could see of the glow of his eyes was sharp with panic. His jaw trembled. “Yeah,” he managed. “Something like that.”

“You wanna talk about it?” Shiro asked, and when Cayde glanced past him, tried, “You want me to get Andal?”

“I can't tell Andal,” Cayde exploded, a harsh and desperate whisper.

Shiro exchanged a look with Tevis, and smoothed a soothing circle against Cayde's arm with his thumb. The only sound between them was the hoarse rasp of Cayde's breathing, strangled and low, and the longer the quiet went on, the worse it got, until he tugged away to drop his head into his hands. “I should go,” he whispered. “This is my damn problem.”

“You've been making your problems my problems for centuries now,” Tevis scoffed. “The hell's one more?”

Cayde made a noise that was more sob than laugh, and Shiro settled an arm around his shoulders. “Was it the journals?”

Cayde's next inhale was higher and more ragged. “Yeah,” he croaked a long few moments later, and stopped to heave a nervous chuckle. “Was, uh, different, though. Never actually felt like I was - like it was me who…”

Shiro tightened his hold: not enough to spook him into bolting, only enough to ground him. He remembered with sickening clarity what he'd said to Tevis earlier, about Caydes one through five, and knew without having to ask that the tremors running down Cayde's spine were from his memories of someone else's nightmare. “It wasn't you,” he reminded.

“Felt like it was.” Cayde lowered his hands to look at them. They trembled, and he stared at them as if he expected them to be less unremarkable: to be scorched and battered and covered in blood. “This guy - this other me. Think he was a mercenary. Hurt a lot of people that didn't deserve it. I mean, a lot. He kept a log of all his jobs, too. The me that made the journal, he'd found it. And he put it in there. I think he was the one that started everything. All the record-keeping. All the notes for the next man, hoping he wouldn't turn out like the one before.”

Cayde stopped to draw a struggling breath. “Wasn't in the records, but when I read ‘em, I remembered. Like, really remembered. I don't know how long it was I was just sitting there. But this mercenary guy, he had a partner. Inseparable, for life kinda deal. I don't know what happened, exactly. If it was on purpose. I just know he killed him, the same as the rest.”

“Shit,” Tevis muttered, and Shiro tensed and braced, and saw him do the same: half a step ahead of Cayde’s recollection and already making the connection. His own chest was too tight. Cayde's breathing quickened. A staticky wheeze escaped him.

“It's not always the other me and his partner I see in my head,” Cayde forced, voice cracking and breaking in a rush. “It's me, and it's Andal. And he's dying, and I'm holding the knife, and I'm holding him, and his blood is…”

He flexed his fingers slightly, as if he was reminding himself they were clean, and not curled around a weapon. A choked sob wrenched its way out of his throat, and he curled in on himself while his shoulders heaved.

Shiro barely registered the soft pad of footsteps, but he knew it had to be Andal. So did Cayde. His head snapped up and around, and his fear-blown eyes locked on Andal, barely a few steps out of the bedroom.

“You been there the whole time?” Cayde whispered.

Andal shook his head. “I could hear you from the bedroom,” he answered, voice impossibly soft. He grimaced, and dragged a hand through his disheveled hair. “I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. It's just - you sounded like you were crying, and I couldn't just…”

His voice failed him, and he shrugged helplessly. When Cayde didn't move, Andal did, crossing the room and coming to a stop beside him. The whole way, Cayde's eyes never left him. For a long moment, all they did was look at one another, locked in some silent exchange that only they could understand. At last, Cayde raised a trembling hand and slowly, agonizingly, let it come to rest against Andal's cheek in the barest whisper of a touch.

“Sorry,” he said, punched out. “Meant to call you.”

Andal hesitated, then leaned into the warmth and lifted his own hand to press it atop Cayde's. “It's okay,” he returned, still with that impossible softness, and for all of the grief and pain written across Cayde's face, he melted at it. “You're home now. That's all that matters.”

Shiro squeezed Cayde's shoulders a final time and pushed himself to his feet to cede the space to Andal. No sooner had he moved than Andal was in Cayde's lap, holding and letting himself be held, smoothing his hands down his back and pressing their foreheads together and whispering quiet reassurance.

“They should still eat something,” Tevis muttered, from his new spot at the counter. Shiro slipped onto the stool beside him, and propped an elbow on his shoulder.

“They can eat in the morning. They're gonna have a hell of a conversation first.”

Tevis cast a glance at the clock, and then the window, where the faintest light of dawn was beginning to break the horizon. “It is morning.”

Shiro followed his line of sight blearily. “Oh. Right.”

Tevis glanced at Cayde and Andal, talking too lowly to be heard, and stood, pulling Shiro with him. “C'mon,” he said. “There's a market that's open at dawn.”

Shiro stared at him like he'd just said his dream was to be the next Hunter Vanguard. Fatigue sat heavy in every line of his frame. Go to a market at dawn? Sure, any other day. Right now, all he wanted to do was collapse in a quiet corner and sleep. Tevis knew that, he was sure, the same way he knew that if they stayed, Cayde wouldn't really talk to Andal about what had happened, and what he didn't say would fester like a wound. Better to give him the space now, exhaustion be damned.

Tevis's mouth twisted in faint regret. “Sorry,” he said, as he tugged him out the door. “You can pick a spot and stay there and I'll come back for you once I have everything.”

“I'm all right.”

“You're dead on your damn feet is what you are.”

“I'm staying with you.”

Tevis gave an exasperated sigh. That raw edge was back in his voice when he grumbled, “Fine, then keep up.”

Despite his words, Tevis led them through the quiet streets of the City at a leisurely stroll. The market was situated in an open square with a fountain in its center. Various vendors had set up shop around the perimeter, and while the walkways weren't packed yet, Shiro guessed they would be in a few hours. “You come here a lot?”

“Only when you get on my ass about not visiting enough.”

Shiro hadn't had to bother him about coming to see the rest of them in a long time, mostly, he guessed, because Tevis had finally begrudgingly admitted to himself that he missed them. Not that he'd say that. “Never pinned you as an early riser.”

Tevis snorted disdainfully. “Is it getting up early if you were never asleep?”

Shiro rolled his eyes. Tevis stopped suddenly to look over some fruit, and he only narrowly avoided knocking into him. “You like strawberries, right?” Tevis asked, scrutinizing the carton as though he expected there to be a tiny thrall tucked away in it, ready to attack.

Shiro shoved his head, lightly. “Yeah. So do Andal and Cayde. Stop looking at the fruit like that. It's not going to bite you.”

“Never said it was.”

“No, you make that damned face whenever you think something's going to attack you. I've seen you do it at Cayde, too.”

“I'm sure he deserved it.”

“Just get the damned berries, Tev.”

Tevis didn't argue on that point, at least, though he did shove the bag at Shiro after the fact. “Did you bring me along just to carry your stuff?” Shiro huffed, but took the bag anyway.

Tevis gave a low laugh and shook his head, and in the light cast by the sun's slow rise, he looked more at peace than Shiro could ever remember seeing him. The slight smile curling the corner of his mouth glowed with genuine warmth. There was still tension strung along his spine, and Shiro guessed maybe there always would be. Still, even so, this was miles from the bloodshot ghost of a man Tevis became when he spent too long on his own, running solo with nothing but the Void in his veins.

“It's good to see you like this,” Shiro said quietly.

Tevis tossed him a confused glance. “The hell are you talking about? I look the same as I always do.”

Relaxed. Happy. Safe with the people he cared about, and unwilling to admit it in the daylight under pain of death. “Nothing,” Shiro returned, trying to bite back the smile in his own voice. “Don't worry about it.”

Tevis arched an eyebrow at him, though he did let it be. “I meant to ask you before. You know what happened to Andal?”

“Someone tried to assassinate him with a corrupted blade. He dodged. They fought. He won. Apparently it's ‘nothing’.”

Tevis stopped dead in his tracks. “Fucking typical,” he groaned, and dragged a hand down his face. “What the hell?”

“That's what I said.”

“Bets on whether he tells Cayde?”

“If he doesn't, Astraea will.”

“Good. Someone's gotta get him to stop keeping that shit to himself.”

“You realize how that sounds, coming from you.”

Tevis gave an exaggerated huff. “Pain in the ass,” he said, and it was all warmth and fondness. He started walking again, and Shiro fell into step beside him. “You don't have to point it out every damn time.”

“Wouldn't feel right if I didn't.”

Tevis made a vague noise of amused acknowledgment, distracted by a vendor's fresh bread. He didn't talk again until they left that stall three bags heavier. His gaze had gone distant. “You think Andal'll get through to him?”

Shiro hummed. “If there's anyone that can, it's him.”

Tevis nodded agreeably, but there was a pinch to his brow that hadn't been there a moment ago. “Hell of a thing to go through.”

“He'll be okay, Tev.”

“I know.” Tevis was suddenly incredibly interested in a stand full of paintings and carvings. Shiro followed him around it for a while, until Tevis decided he'd spent a suitable amount of time avoiding the topic, and led them on. Shiro barely caught the flash of concern on his face, there and gone in a breath.

Shiro frowned. “What?”

Tevis didn't meet his eyes. “The memories,” he started, haltingly, like he didn't know if it was all right to ask. “The ones Cayde gets back when he reads those journals. You ever get anything like that?”

Nothing so intense or specific. Always scrambled. Sometimes cold. He was never sure if it bothered him or not. “No,” Shiro answered, after a beat. “Nothing clear. Why?”

Tevis inclined his head in his hack at an innocent shrug. “Just curious.”

“If I decide to start digging into my past, I'll leave the coordinates with Andal,” Shiro said dryly.

Tevis didn't answer for a long few moments. “Thanks,” he offered, avoiding Shiro's gaze again. “I mean it.”

Shiro clapped him on the back gently, and left his hand there, a grounding touch Tevis would, under other circumstances, shrug off with a scowl and a grumble. Today, he let it be without a word of complaint, and he didn't break his stride as he said, “Couple more things and we'll head back. They'll probably be done talking by then, and you can get some rest.”

Shiro followed him through the rest of the market, and then back along the waking City streets to his apartment. The lights were off inside, save the one in the kitchen. It cast enough of a halo to see Andal, curled up on the couch with Cayde wrapped protectively around him. “Hey,” Andal murmured, half awake, and with a content little smile. “Where'd you guys go?”

“To get breakfast,” Tevis said, voice pitched low and gentle as he toed off his boots. “Get some sleep. We can eat later.”

Shiro kicked his own shoes off and busied himself with storing their market purchases. Cayde had at least had the sense to put his unfinished food in the fridge, but had done so at such a haphazard angle that the container almost started an avalanche when Shiro moved it. He'd only just fixed it when Tevis's hands landed on his shoulders.

“Sleep,” Tevis ordered, maneuvering him to sit on the end of the couch. He left long enough to retrieve a pile of blankets from the closet, then meticulously tucked a few over each of them with intensely focused care. Cayde would have teased him about it if he had been more awake. As it was, he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like thanks.

Shiro caught Tevis's wrist before he could slip by. “You too,” he reminded, and tugged, once, to get Tevis to sit on the other side of him, at the end, because it was convenient, but also because it would be the easiest place to slip out of if the contact was too much.

“I already slept for almost four days,” Tevis pointed out. Still, he offered no resistance, and once he was settled, he nudged at Shiro's arm until he lifted it and settled it around him.

Shiro pulled the blankets up over them, pillowing his head on the back of the couch, and immediately felt Andal's fingers curl loosely around the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Cayde flailed his hand around until Tevis leaned over to take hold of it with a deep and unconvincing sigh, and Shiro stifled a laugh. By Tevis's side-eye, he wasn't completely successful.

“All of you shut up and pass the fuck out already,” Tevis muttered, and closed his eyes.

Shiro didn't follow suit - not for a while, anyway. It had been too long since they'd been together in the same place. He'd never thought about how much he'd loved the constant proximity until he'd lost it: until Andal had gone up to the Tower, and Cayde and Tevis off on their own into the Wilds. This, though - this was close enough. He had all of them around him, safe from everything that was always threatening to take them away, and he could feel their constant weight and let the soft rhythm of their breathing bring him peace.

That was everything, and it felt like enough.

----

#destiny #candal #andal brask #cayde 6 #shiro 4 #tevis larsen #my writing

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jordie-gvf · 1 year

Text

our love grows, josh kiszka

warnings : pregnancy, mentions of pregnancy

word count : 1.3k+

After the tour, you hadn’t been feeling well these past few weeks. You were throwing up, you were fatigued, and you didn't want to eat your favorite foods. You had taken an at-home COVID test and it came back negative. You gave it a few days and when it didn't stop, you went to your physician.

You were outside in your car, waiting for them to call you in. They came out and gave you a mask.

They asked you for your symptoms and you told them everything. They performed all kinds of tests. Dr. Wheeler came in and said, “Congratulations, Y/N. You’re pregnant.”

“No, I'm not. That can't be right. I'm on birth control.” you said to her.

“In some cases, you can get pregnant if you're not taking birth control regularly. When did you take it last?” she asked you.

“Oh god. I ran out two months ago, we use alternate protection! I can't be pregnant.”

“Honey, you are pregnant with a capital P. We have an Obstetrician here in the hospital. We can perform an ultrasound to confirm.”

She called the ultrasound technician in and you laid back on the table. You lifted your shirt and they said, “This is going to be a little cold, forewarning.”

They placed the transducer on your stomach and found it. “There is the heartbeat, soaring. Very healthy,” they told you.

You looked up at the monitor and saw your little baby, looking like a white dot on a black screen. “You are six weeks along!” they said to you.

“Before I leave can I get sonograms?” you asked them. They handed them to you and you went to your car. You started crying in your car, surprised that after all this time, you were pregnant.

How would Josh react? Would he be mad? Would he stay with you?

You couldn't rid the thoughts from your mind. You wanted to tell him in a cute way, so you went to Build-A-Bear and asked if they have anything.

“So I found out I was pregnant less than an hour ago, is there anything I can buy? And am I able to put the heartbeat into a recording?”

She nodded and got you a yellow teddy bear with a picture opening. “That is perfect! Thank you!”

She stuffed it for you and you made your recording. They sent you the heartbeat and you put the recording into the device.

You made a birth certificate and had the bear scented as well. You named it Goober Kiszka and put it in a box.

You went to the grocery store for ingredients to make dinner. You were making your deer chili with homemade cornbread.

You set the bear on the couch in the exact spot he sat in every night after dinner. You put the sonogram in the slot and filled out the card you bought.

You sealed it and placed it right next to the bear.

You got started on dinner an hour before he said he was going to be home. You made the cornbread and already had it in the oven.

When he came home, it was dinner time. You got him his drink and put his bowl in front of him. He thanked you and started eating. “How was your day, Mama?” he asked you. You blushed at the name he had been calling you for years, as now it had a second meaning.

“It was okay. How was yours?” you asked him.

“Good, really good. I ate the lunch you packed for me. They poked fun at my pink lunch box that you put it in, but I said “At least I have a homemade lunch.” and they stopped. Thanks for the lunch, it was good.”

You said, “You're welcome, Josh. Next time, tell them to piss off!”

He laughed and continued eating. Once you both finished eating, he grabbed the dishes and helped you clean up.

He wrapped his arms around you from behind and kissed your neck. You let out a low moan and said, “Come on, I got you something.” He perked up and followed you to the couch.

He saw the bear and said, “You got me a Build-A-Bear?”

You pulled his arm down and said, “Look at it, Josh.” He picked up the birth certificate and said, “You named him Goober?”

“Josh. Look at the bear.”

He picked it up and said, “What is this?”

“I think you know what it is, Josh.”

He grabbed your hands and said, “Mama, you’re pregnant?”

You nodded and held his hands. He put his forehead on yours and said, “When did you find out?”

“Today, I found out today.” you told him. He kissed you and put his hands on your stomach.

“I hope it's a girl,” he said.

SIX WEEKS LATER…

Josh had started taking videos of your growing bump every week, to see the progression. You both decided that you would keep your pregnancy away from the spotlight until they were born.

Today, you were telling his family, including Danny and his family. You had put together a summer get together and made a whole bunch of food. Josh was grilling and you were inside loading the fridge and the cooler.

You greeted everyone and they all got their food and sat down at the outdoor seating you had outside. Once everyone was done, you and Josh decided to announce that you were pregnant.

“So, we have an announcement to make, to everyone here.” Josh started.

Karen glanced over at you in anticipation. “In December, there is going to be an addition to the Kiszka family.” Josh announced. Karen shot up out of her seat and made her way straight over to you. She hugged you and then Josh, but went back to you.

You and Josh were showered with love from both of his families, which could not have been better for the both of you.

SIX WEEKS LATER…

Your bump had grown bigger and bigger. You were about 5 months and today, you were finding out the gender.

You and Josh had been waiting for this day. You both got up at the crack of dawn and got in the car to leave.

When you got there, you and Josh couldn't be more excited. You two walked hand in hand, ready to find out the gender of your baby.

They called you back and took all your vital signs. Mikayla, the technician, came in with the machine.

You laid down and Josh was at your head, holding your hands. She put the gel on you and scanned your belly.

“Great heartbeat! Very strong, soaring.” she said. She finished up and said, “Alright, are you ready to find out what you're having?”

You nodded and held Josh's hands tighter. “You are having a beautiful baby boy.”

Josh held your hands and closed his eyes at the news. You got teary eyed and kissed Josh's hand.

You two left and called Karen and Kelly. You told them and they were elated to have a grandson. You called your parents next and told them. You went to Sam’s house and told Jake to come over.

Once Jake was there and you were all comfortable on the couch, Josh spoke up. “Boys, get ready for your nephew.”

Sam went straight for you as Jake and Josh embraced each other. They both congratulated you and Sam offered to cook dinner.

On December 11, 2024, Denver Jacob Kiszka was born. He was 8 pounds and 6 ounces. He came out with a beautiful head of hair and big brown eyes, just like his father.

Josh took a video of Denver in the car seat on the way home from the hospital. He edited the video and put every single clip of your growing bump into a short. He used the clip of him in the car seat last and added a caption.

“Welcome to the World, Denver.”

#josh kiszka x reader #josh kiszka fic #josh kiszka fluff #josh kiszka #josh gvf #greta van fluff #gvf fic #greta van fic #greta van fleet fic

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marvelgirlstories · 9 months

Text

Hi my lovelies ❤️,

It's finally here!!!!!!! Sorry I haven't been posting, but I will start posting more regularly soon. Anyways here you are.💓🫶🏻💓

Stole my heart

Masterlist

Part 3

Warnings: Bad language, mentions of fighting and blood, gossiping (is that a warning??)

Steve was left puzzled, because Bucky was acting strange. Ever since you arrived he had closed up again. It's like you had awoken a memory in him. One that has been gone for years. If you were from the 40s, he would know. He has met every single person Bucky took on a date. That must only mean one thing. But... "Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark requests that you come down to the living area.", Friday interrupted his thoughts. "Now?", he asked. "Yes."

"What do you want, Tony?", he asked as he entered. He stopped in his tracks as he saw everyone. Well, everyone apart from you. "We need to talk about Y/N.", the billionaire replied. "So you called down everyone just to gossip about a new teammate.", Steve questioned. "Exactly!", Sam butted in. "What if she finds us?", Bucky said. He had suddenly appeared behind Steve. "She left this morning to do a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. She won't be back until tomorrow afternoon.", Natasha said. "And even if she is, I told Friday to tell us if she comes early.", Tony added.

"So what do you all think of her?", Sam asked, "I think she's ... strange. She lives here, but we hardly see her. We've never seen her in action, but we should just believe Fury." "Me and Steve have seen her", Bucky said breaking of Sam's rant, "She was training on the day when you all went swimming. We went down and saw her break multiple punching bags and fire a gun bullseye without looking. Hell, she almost took Steve down!" Everyone looked at Steve for confirmation. He nodded. "We were quite evenly matched." "Well, I will believe it when I see it.", Tony said, "She's to big for her boots." "You're still upset about last week?", Natasha asked. "Bucky! You knew her, didn't you?", Wanda butted in. "No!", he almost shouted back, a little to fast. Nat gave him a look. "Ok. Fine. I might remember her from something. "From what? And why didn't you tell us?", Steve questioned.

"She helped me in Romania. Happy?" Bucky was starting to get annoyed. "Ok. Sorry!", Steve said, "But why did you call her Shadow?" "She told me to.", he answered. "Wait wait wait, someone just came up to you, told you to call her Shadow and you trusted her?", Tony asked. "Well, I didn't have much choice, did I?", he asked indignantly, "Anyways, it was safe. She's a S.H.I.E.L.D agent." "You were just one of her many missions.", Sam said.

"Mr. Stark, Agent Y/L/N has returned early.", Friday interrupted. "Oh fuck! Act like you were doing something other than gossiping!", Tony almost yelled. "Oh carry on with your gossiping", you said appearing in the doorway. Their mouths dropped. "What happened to you?" Sam asked. Your suit was covered in blood and slashes and your face was covered in scratches. "Mission. Maybe you should try fighting of 20 Enemies of at once and come away with out a scratch." That shut him up quickly. "You took them down alone?", Bruce asked. "Yep." "And the blood? How badly are you hurt?", he added. "Don't worry, most of it isn't mine.", you said, while getting some water. "Why did your mission end early?", Wanda wanted to know. "Fury found someone else to finish it off. Have fun gossiping!", you said as you left the room. "We totally weren't gossiping!", Tony shouted. You chuckled. "Well, if we're done here.", Bucky said and got up out of the room. Steve followed.

You signed as you got under the shower. It was always nice to unwind after a mission. It was as hard as you described earlier. You let your thoughts run wild, as you carefully cleaned your wounds. They were definitely gossiping about you, but you didn't care. As long as Bucky didn't say anything, it didn't matter. But you needed to give them nothing to gossip about, otherwise he might let something slip. Your thoughts turned unpleasant as you relived your memories. You quickly turned off the shower, thus turning off your thoughts. You changed into something comfier and decided to go downstairs.

You walked down the corridor, when suddenly walked out of a door and pushed you through the opposite one. You groaned at the sudden, harsh contact of the wall. "What the fuck, Barnes?", you asked.

Hope you enjoyed! ♥️😘

Xxx

Tags:

@felicitylemon @kandis-mom @animegirlgeeky @cjand10 @capswife @tripletstephaniescp

#fanfic #fanfiction #bucky barnes #stucky #steve rogers #the avengers #bucky fanfic #bucky x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rodgers fanfic #stole my heart

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bunnakit · 6 months

Text

man last twilight hit me particularly hard today and i'm still crying after finishing the episode.

i spent a good chunk of my day at my specialist today and it wasn't great. my disease is getting worse. my weekly shots aren't enough anymore. i'm so tired and i can't stop fucking crying.

my immune system is fucked up, i produce too many white blood cells and those white blood cells have chosen to attack my skin. it leaves me with holes across my body - some of my wounds are now over a year old. when they heal they leave atrophic scarring - but they aren't even healing anymore.

the specialist gasped at the sight of me today. (i'd never seen her before, my state of being was new to her.)

"you're bleeding."

"i know."

"you're bleeding like, a lot."

"i know. i take iron supplements, it's okay."

"it's going to get all over your pants."

"it's okay."

"are you in pain?"

"yes. i'm used to it."

"are you in a lot of pain?"

"yes. it's okay."

she was so concerned, so alarmed, and i couldn't help but just smile and laugh it off. if i don't i'll end up like i am now, sobbing at my desk hidden away from my family because there's nothing they can do for me, they'll just hug me and say they're so sorry, they wish there was something they could do. but there's nothing anyone can do, this is just my life now.

"how often do you take your shots?"

"every friday."

"the recommended schedule for that medicine is once every two weeks"

"yes, they increased the frequency for me because i'm stage 3"

"and you never miss a dose?"

"no, i take it on schedule every week."

"i don't think it's working anymore."

i try to be strong about it, most of the time i am - this is just my life now, wallowing about it isn't going to fix it. i'm stage 3, the only thing that will fix it is a cure, but that doesn't exist yet.

i recently had to buy those washable period underwear because one of my year old wounds just won't stop bleeding and i'm so tired of washing the blood out of my pants. i've gotten so good at preventing bloodstains. (a mix of dawn dish soap, water, and baking soda as a pre-soak works wonders)

i bought an antimicrobial soap in bulk last week to prevent infection. it dries out my skin, but it's not as bad as the diluted bleach baths. i have to start using 10% benzoyl peroxide as a body wash. "do you have a fever?"

"no, i check regularly."

"your wounds are really deep, we're worried about you potentially going septic."

"i'm very careful and keep them clean."

i buy bandages and tape in bulk. my allergic reaction to the tape adhesives are the lesser of two evils. sometimes they get so bad i bleed, but it's just an abrasion. it's okay.

and now i have to take another round of antibiotics that make me nauseous.

and they're changing my medication. i'm 'lucky,' a new medication was approved by the FDA recently that shows good results in reducing the symptoms of my disease. but how long will it be before i don't respond to that anymore?

it's another biologic, an immunosuppressant shot, and i'm sure just like last time it's going to make me so, so sick. adjusting to biologics is so hard, it's not totally unlike low dose chemo (obviously there are differences) and last time it made me sick for weeks.

i don't want to be sick. i don't want to take these antibiotics that make me nauseous. i don't want to keep scrubbing the blood out of my pants. i don't want to use the soap that dries out my skin. i don't want to wear perfume to cover up the smell of my dying flesh. i can't even have sex with my husband. we recently went a year without having sex and i know he understands, he gets it, but i can't help but think part of him resents me. we got together when i was 22, when my symptoms were still mild, i got my diagnosis at 25. i quit my office job and lost my insurance. we eloped at 27 so he could add me to his insurance and i could afford my treatment. his family spent the next year asking why we were in such a rush to get married, we didn't know how to explain to them it was because my doctor was preparing to declare me completely disabled.

i don't want to be in pain anymore. it's been almost 10 years.

i'm okay, i'll feel better tomorrow, maybe even in a few hours, but i can see why people kill themselves over this. i'm so tired. i'm so defeated. i have to hope there will be a cure someday, something better than just pushing down the symptoms.

if you read this far thank you. like i said, i'm fine. i just wanted to get my thoughts and feelings out and i'm bad about talking to my family - they worry too much, pity me too much.

#personal #like very personal #cw gross medical shit #cw talk abt my sex life #or lackthereof #cw disease #cw medication

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strandbuckley · 11 months

Text

Champange Problems (Formula 1 Fic)

Hi, hello. I interrupt your regularly schedule programming to bring you this, brought to you by my Formula 1 brain rot

Basically I wrote a fic about the trophy "inchident" at today's Grand Prix and wanted to share it here. If you're not interested in formula 1 feel free to scroll on and enjoy your day. But if you are, here ya go

(I might also continue to post things from other fandoms I enjoy because I need something to fuel me during this hiatus 🙃)

Champange Problems (Read on ao3 here)

Summary: Lando breaks Max's trophy on accident during podium celebrations at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He askes Max to punish him for it

Lando was exhausted after the race. The media pen, post-race press conference, and debriefs he’d had to participate in following the grueling two hours of the race had drained the last bit of energy he had been clutching on to following the checkered flag and podium celebrations. Oscar had poured one of their secret Red Bull stash into each of their water bottles to keep them awake during the engineering meeting and Lando had never been more endlessly grateful for his teammate.

However, the burst of caffeinated energy had long since worn off and it took all of his remaining brain cells to navigate through the motorhomes to the car that was waiting to take him back to the hotel. He’d received a text from Daniel that he and Charles had already returned and sequestered themselves away in Max’s room with room service and were awaiting the return of their podium sitters. By finishing farther down the grid, the other two's media obligations were much less grueling than his and Max’s so they’d left the track hours before himself and Max. Lando was sure that Daniel was letting Charles pace the room and rant to relieve some of his frustrations before he and Max returned, not wanting to put a damper on their win despite the shitshow of Ferrari’s performance over the season. Lando could hardly wait for summer break when the four of them would be escaping to Daniel’s farm to pretend that the rest of the world didn’t exist for three glorious weeks.

What he could wait for was seeing Max. While his boyfriend had assured him he wasn’t angry about the trophy incident, he couldn’t help but feel guilty and the angry tweets and instagram comments hadn’t helped. He hadn’t meant to break the trophy, so caught up in his excitement of achieving P2 that he’d forgotten the Hungary trophy was porcelain, not the metal of most other circuits and that his slightly aggressive champagne pop might have been too much for the fragile item. It turned out that it was, the force of the bottle hitting the step causing the trophy to bounce and tumble to the ground. It had happened seemingly in slow motion as the top cracked and the bottom snapped clean off at his feet. He’d cringed, stepping over the shards of porcelain to spray Max and Checo. He’d leaned into Max as subtly as he could following the celebration, whispering an apology quietly so the microphones wouldn’t pick it up. Max had squeezed the back of his neck in reassurance, offering a gentle smile reserved only for himself, Daniel, and Charles. He’d apologized again on the way to the media pen and Max had only smiled again, that soft smile that made Lando want to curl up against him and hide in his arms, reassuring him once again that he wasn’t upset.

“I have plenty of trophies,” he’d chuckled. “This one won’t take away from the collection.”

He’d gotten tired of being asked about it during his media sessions. It had been an honest mistake and he wasn’t sure why people couldn’t understand that. He wasn’t being malicious and trying to damage his boyfriend’s (even though no one knew about that part) property on purpose.

As he made his way to the car Oscar spotted him outside the Mclaren garage and jogged to catch up, clearly on his own way out.

“Great race today,” Oscar said, bumping their shoulders softly. “Seriously, P2 twice in a row, that’s impressive.”

“P5 is nothing to scoff at mate. Moving up in the points, I’m proud.”

“Thanks,” Oscar ducked his head shyly, still not used to Lando’s praise and compliments being directed at him. “Are you flying back tonight?”

“Nah, tomorrow morning.”

“Oh. Max huh?”

Lando chuckled, “Of course. Who else?”

“Perks of your boyfriend having his own jet.”

“You can join the club when you get your first podium,” Lando teased.

“I’m holding you to that,” Oscar’s car pulled around the corner and he headed that direction, waving at Lando as he went. “See you Tuesday!”

“See you later mate!”

Lando bundled himself into the car, his driver offering him a short greeting before raising the partition and leaving him to his own devices. He immediately retrieved his phone from his backpack and Facetimed Daniel.

“Hello,” Daniel greeted, a wide smile on his face. He was lounging against the pillows on the bed, and a tuft of brown hair poking up at the bottom of the frame suggested he had Charles laying against his chest, listening in on the conversation. “Are you finally headed back?”

“Finally,” Lando agreed, leaning back in the car seats, getting as comfortable as he could.

“Perfect timing, Maxy just texted and he’s on the way back as well.”

“Great,” Lando said, anxiety spiking in his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Charles asked, poking his head up just enough that Lando could see his bright green eyes.

“Is Max mad at me?”

“Why would he be mad at you?”

“The trophy,” he mumbled.

“Oh baby,” Daniel said. “He’s not upset with you. He thought it was funny.”

“But-”

“But nothing,” Charles piped up again, sitting up properly this time so he could squeeze into the frame with Daniel. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You were celebrating and it was an accident. It’s not like you kicked it over and stomped on it.”

“Charles is right. It was just an inchident.”

Lando chuckled as Charles smacked Daniel’s arm in retaliation for the joke muttering asshole under his breath.

“I just feel bad about it and I can’t make myself stop. And the comments aren’t helping.”

“Lando, answer me truthfully okay?” Daniel said gently. “Would a punishment help?”

“Maybe.”

This part of their dynamic was relatively new but they were making it work. He’d known that Max and Daniel used to do something similar when they were teammates at Red Bull, helping to pull each other out of bad headspaces after bad races or bad interactions with Max’s dad. He also knew that Charles had gotten involved too, using it as an outlet for his Ferrari related frustrations. Lando, however, had only experienced it a few times since making their throuple a quartet a few months ago, usually lingering to the side and watching with whoever wasn’t currently over someone else’s lap.

“Lando cheri, be honest with us,” Charles encouraged. “Do you want Max to spank you? Will that make you feel better about what happened today?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Good boy for answering honestly,” Daniel praised. “We’ll talk to Max when he gets here and then when you arrive we’ll all have a discussion about it together. Alright?”

“Alright.”

“Good boy. We’ll see you soon okay?”

“See you soon. I love you.”

“We love you too baby.”

*****

When Lando arrived at the hotel, he hauled himself out of the car and thanked the driver before heading inside. Max had slipped him the extra key to his hotel room that morning and he’d kept it safely hidden in his bag since. How Max managed to get four keys so that they could each have one was beyond him, but he supposed that there wasn’t much a two-time world champion couldn’t talk his way into. He rode the elevator up to Max’s room on the fourteenth floor, thankful that this hotel was mostly reserved for Formula 1 teams, meaning he made his ascent alone.

Max’s room was at the end of the hall, tucked into a corner and Lando was endlessly grateful for the teams that arranged these things for them. A corner room gave them slightly more privacy, which was hard to come by on grand prix weekends. Lando used his key and pushed the door open, leaving his backpack next to Charles’s hideously red one and slotting his sneakers neatly next to Daniel’s Nikes. The other three men were huddled around the table, munching on the absurd amount of food that littered the table. They always allowed themselves a cheat meal after a race before getting back to their strict diets on Monday and Daniel always went all out.

Ignoring the food, Lando beelined for Max, dropping himself unceremoniously in his lap and hiding his face away in his neck.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, huddling in as close as he possibly could, relishing in Max’s warmth.

“Shh,” Max hushed him gently, rubbing a hand up and down his back. “Nothing to apologize for schatje. Eat first, we’ll take care of the rest once you’re fed. I know you’re starving.”

Max was right, he was starving, so he maneuvered himself to the empty chair between Max and Daniel, who pushed some fries his way. He picked at them for a few moments before he was grabbed around his waist and hauled into Daniel’s lap, who pulled more food in front of him to feed Lando by hand.

“You need to eat, baby. I know you’re anxious but having a stomach ache because you’ve gone too long without food won’t help.”

Lando nodded and let Daniel feed him a few fries before offering him small bits of chicken. Charles had pushed his plate away and Max was holding his hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles as they quietly chatted about Charles’s race.

“The car is a shitbox,” Max said bluntly, as Charles complained about the gap between himself and George, which hadn’t been helped by the penalty. “And your strategy could be better written by a toddler.”

“Maybe we should hire Penelope,” Charles snorted.

“I’ll ask Kelly if she’s available.”

Between bites of food, Lando reached out to take Charles’s other hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That you’re driving an expensive, garishly red tractor.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Charles laughed, bringing his hand up to kiss his knuckles. “I’m so proud of you for the race you had today, Lando. I will never be upset with you for winning, no matter how frustrated I am with myself and with my team.”

“Do you need me to spank you too?” Max asked, halfway between serious and joking.

“No, Daniel took care of it earlier.”

Both Lando and Max turned to look at the Aussie, who just grinned, “Forty-five minutes on your knees can do wonders.”

The other two laughed, but Max’s joke had brought Lando’s impending punishment back to the forefront of his mind.

“Can we talk about it now? The spanking?”

“Of course. Do you want to come sit on the bed?”

Lando nodded and Max helped him stand from his place on Daniel’s lap, leading him to the king sized bed in the center of the room. Daniel and Charles also abandoned the table, choosing instead to curl up together in the armchair positioned diagonally to the bed, Charles halfway in Daniel’s lap as they cuddled up to watch the show.

“Do you remember the words we use?” Max asked, placing a gentle hand on Lando’s thigh. Lando nodded. “Tell me what they are.”

“Red is for stop. Yellow means I want to slow down and talk about it but not stop completely. Green is all good.”

“Very good,” Max praised. “I know you’re nervous, but I’m going to take care of you, I won’t hurt you, Lando.”

“I know. I trust you.”

“Good. What’s your color now?”

“Green.”

“Good. I want you to pull down your pants, but leave your boxers on, then lay over my lap.”

Lando obeyed, pushing his jeans down but keeping his underwear in place before leaning over Max’s thighs. Max shifted him gently so that he was in a more comfortable position, then rucked up his hoodie just enough that he could place a comforting hand on the small of his back.

“I’m going light since this is your first time. You’ll get fifteen with just my hand. You can count them if you want, but I won’t make you. Remember that I’m not doing this because I’m angry at you or want to hurt you. You did nothing wrong. I’m doing this because you told me this is what you need to feel better and that is what I want. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good boy. What is your color?”

“Green.”

“What do you say if you need to stop at any time?”

“Red,” Lando answered dutifully, squirming on Max’s lap, feeling exposed and ready to get on with it.

“Good boy. Stay still, let me take care of you.”

The first hit shocked him and he let out an involuntary squeak. The next two he was more prepared for but they still stung.

“Breathe Lando,” he heard Charles say encouragingly. “The more you tense up, the worse it is. Just relax and let Max take care of you.”

Max found a rhythm which Lando was grateful for. He’d witnessed some of the spanking Max had delivered to Charles that were brutal and he’s had a hard time keeping up with the pattern even from his position on the sidelines. He was glad Max had decided to take it easy on him for his first time. Somewhere around the eighth hit, he felt his brain start to go fuzzy around the edges, a feeling he’d only ever had described to him. He felt peaceful and he found the swats not hurting quite so much as he settled into the feeling. No wonder Charles liked this so much.

Eventually the pain stopped all together, just a dull burning sensation remained. He prepared himself for another swat but nothing came. It took him a few moments to register that there were voices and that they were talking to him. With some difficulty, he pried his eyes open and found Daniel kneeling in front of him.

“There he is,” Daniel brought a hand up to his cheek, wiping away his tears. When had he started crying? “How do you feel?”

“Good.”

“Floaty?” Charles asked, kneeling next to Daniel and running a hand through his no doubt wild curls. Lando nodded, pushing his head up into Charles’s hand, asking for head scratches. The other man chuckled but complied. Eventually, he was lifted up and moved so that he was sitting sideways across Max’s lap, head leaned on the older man’s shoulder.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes,” Lando said, snuggling closer. “Much.”

“Good. I was never angry at you, you know that right. It was an accident. Even Christian said so.”

“I know. It’s just that, everyone kept asking me about it and I couldn’t let it go. I needed to get out of my head I guess.”

“I understand. Thank you for trusting me to help you do that.”

“I love you Maxy,” he said, and turned his head to kiss his jaw.

“I love you too. Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, yes?”

Charles joined him in the shower, praising him softly for how well he’d raced and how well he’d done with his punishment, telling him he was good for asking for what he needed and allowing them to give it to him. He toweled them both off and dressed Lando in a clean pair of underwear and a large hoodie that belonged to Daniel, but smelled like all three of them, as if they’d passed it around before bestowing it on Lando.

Max and Daniel were in bed waiting for them, the table cleared of food and some American sitcom playing on the TV at low volume. Lando wedged himself between them, making himself comfortable with his back to Daniel's chest and his legs tangled with Max’s. Charles slid in behind Max, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck as he did.

Daniel ran a comforting hand up and down Lando’s chest and Lando snuggled back further into him, chasing his warmth.

“I told you it would all be okay,” he said softly into Lando’s ear. “It was all an accident and it’s been taken care of. Everything is okay.”

“Yeah,” Lando mumbled sleepily. “Just an inchident.”

“I hate you all.”

#formula 1 #formula 1 rpf #lando norris #max verstappen #daniel ricciardo #charles leclerc #maxiel #lestappen #dando #charles x lando #max x lando #my works #norstappen #quartet verse

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bteezxyewriter12 · 2 years

Text

Love Motel/ 2

Pairing- Changkyun x Named Reader

Word count- 5.3k

Includes- Oral, fingering, pussy eating, face fucking, hair pulling, marking, sex from behind, tummy bulge, multiple orgasms

Tag list- @90s-belladonna @mingtina

@direitobulando @chansbabydoll

@anthropologymajorkpopmultistan

Series Masterlist

J POV

Getting out of the car, I follow him inside the motel

He waves to the receptionist, grabbing a key card that's on the desk

"Come here a lot?", I ask

"No. Why?"

"Well uh she had the key card out for you already. You didn't even pick a room or anything"

"I told you my friend owns this place. The top room is his best room and he reserves it for friends. I know where it is and I know what the card for the room looks like. It was already out so clearly he called and told her someone was coming"

"Oh", I say, "Have you been here before then?"

"A few times when I was younger. Not any time recently"

So does that mean he doesn't have sex or he just brings the girls to his place?

I do know that I shouldn't ask him that

It's too personal and this is not a personal thing we have going on

We get in an elevator and he presses the button for the 8th floor

Silence ensues as the elevator goes up

For me it's awkward but he looks like it doesn't bother him at all

Maybe this isn't such a good idea

I'm contemplating on backing out when the elevator dings and the door opens

I stand there for a second then decide, once again fuck it and I follow him out

There's only one door at the end of the hall

He takes my hand, surprising me and leads me to the room

He flashes the key card at the lock, it turns green and he opens the door

I walk in, looking around the room as he turns the light on

I'm surprised at how clean the room looks

Spotless

It looks like a normal motel room with a desk and chair in the corner, a couch by the window, a tv on the wall opposite the bed

And the bed?

Fucking huge

Night stands with lamps on either side

A huge closet across from the windows by the door

Another door is open by the closet and I assume it's the bathroom

This is a big room

Must be expensive

"Hey", he says, taking my hand and turning me around to him, looking up at him

Jesus he's tall

"I just wanted to tell you, I'm clean. I get tested regularly. I don't have anything"

Oh shit

I didn't even think about that

"When was the last time?", I ask

"Three weeks ago"

"You haven't slept with someone in three weeks?"

I find that hard to believe since he looks like a fucking god

He snorts, "No Joanne. I'm not a kid anymore. I don't just fuck anyone. I'm picky"

Oh shit, he's picky and he picked me?

Over Milena and Saeyan?

That blows my mind

And I have no clue what to say to it so I just ignore it

"I'm clean too. I uh...was tested after my boyfriend and I broke up. That was like seven months ago"

"And you haven't had sex in seven months?", he gapes

"I'm extremely picky", I answer

He comes closer to me, smiling, "Guess that means I'm extremely lucky"

I blush looking down, "Guess so. But I haven't slept with a mob boss before"

He takes my hand, the gesture making me look at him

"Don't be scared", he says, "I won't hurt you"

I am nervous but I nod anyway

I'm not sure I believe him

He lies for a living so he could be lying to me

But when I look into his eyes, there's a sort of softness there

And honesty

Maybe he is telling the truth

He leans down to me, softly pressing his lips to mine

The second his lips touch mine stars blast in my vision

Holy shit

His mouth moves against mine, his tongue licking my lip

Opening my mouth, I let him in, pressing my tongue against his

Jesus Christ he's an amazing kisser

I'm actually shocked he's kissing me

I though he only wanted sex

I thought he'd take my clothes off, throw me on the bed and do whatever he wanted

He seems like the rough, get right to it type

I should stop thinking

I like kissing him and I don't want to ruin anything

Pushing all thoughts out of my head, I continue to kiss him, focusing on his full soft lips against mine, his wet tongue against mine

His arms move around my body, pulling me closer to him and I go willingly, sliding my hands up his chest, wrapping around his neck

His hands move under my shirt, chills running up my back when his fingers touch my hot skin

He presses one hand against my back, his other trailing up my right side making my skin tremble

It feels so good

God how is his touch causing me to feel this way?

None of my boyfriend's touches ever felt this way, never made me feel this way, never made my body react this way

But his, a stranger, does

Suddenly he pulls away from me, my shirt flying over my body

He reaches around and undoes my bra, tossing it behind him

His hands cup my cheek, pulling back to his lips for another kiss

As I kiss him, I undo the buttons of his suit jacket and push it off him

He lets it drop, his hands untying my sweatpants strings

He pulls everything, including my panties down

Kicking my sneakers off, I get out of every piece of clothing, leaving myself completely naked

He maneuvers me around, pushing me back until the back of my knees hit the bed

He pushes me back all the way, my back hitting the bed

He stands, his eyes roaming all over my body

I feel so exposed and a little shy but I keep my hands at my sides

"Fuck, you're even better than I imagined"

Wait...he imagined me?

Me?

Why?

I'm nothing special

Hell Milena and Saeyan are better looking than me

"Close your mouth", he smirks

I snap it shut, not even knowing it was open

His hands touch me, starting from my thighs

I watch the dragon and tiger tattoos on his hands move as he moves his fingers and Jesus it's hot

I shiver when his hands move on my stomach, slowly gliding up and wrapping around my breasts

He squeezes them a few times, his eyes on my body

"You're so hot"

I just raise my eyebrows

He's very complimentative and I like it

His eyes move to my arms, his hands letting go of my breasts to instead run along my arms

"I didn't know you had so many tattoos", he says

I don't know what to say

I wore tshirts to the bar so he had to see some of them

The ones on my lower arms

"Dinosaurs?", he asks

"Yeah", I answer, "I like dinosaurs"

"You a nerd?"

I look at him about to tell him off when I see him smirking teasingly

"I like nerds", he says

"Then I'm a nerd", I answer, smirking back

"Good"

His lips are on mine again, kissing me deeply

I fall into his kiss, letting him take over me

His hands roam my body for a little but then go back to my boobs

He is a guy after all and guys like boobs

He squeezes softly, his thumbs running over my nipples, sending pleasure right down to my pussy, making me more wet than I already am

Moving his lips to my neck, he presses kisses to my skin and I moan softly

"Fuck that was pretty. Do it again"

He sucks on my skin hard and I know he's gonna leave a hickey

I don't really care

Letting go of my skin, his tongue rolls over the spot he sucked on, then moves to a new spot

One of his hands moves down, his fingers running between my legs

"Ooo", I moan, pleasure increasing

"Fuck yes, let me hear you", he demands, his fingers moving to my clit and rubbing in circles, sending my body into so much pleasure

Oh my god

I haven't felt pleasure in so long and god I missed it

His lips keep kissing and sucking me, leaving his marks all over me, down between my breasts

As he's sucking on my stomach, his fingers slide inside me and I gasp, immediately throbbing on his fingers

"Fuck so tight. So little", he groans against my skin, his hand not inside me digging into my thigh

He moves his fingers back and forth and fuck me it feels so amazing, I drench his hand

"My god you're so fucking wet. God does your cunt get this wet every time?"

No actually, I don't get this wet

Maybe it's because I haven't had sex or done anything in months

Or maybe it's because he knows what he's doing, his fingers sliding and pumping the right way, spreading them slightly while inside, stretching me so well

"No...I don't get this wet", I answer, closing my eyes against the pleasure

"Oh, is this all for me then?"

I lift my head, looking at him and seeing his wide cocky grin

Even with that grin, he's so fucking hot

It's not fair

"Hmm?", he prods, his fingers rubbing my spot, pleasure blinding me as I moan loudly

He smirks, keeping his fingers inside, rubbing that spot, "Answer me"

"Yes, all for you", I agree, laying my head back down

"Feels good baby?"

That's an understatement

"Yes fuck yes", I cry

"This your spot"

"Yes", I whine

"I'll remember where it is", he assures me

I find that a strange thing to say

Why would he remember?

Why does he care?

I can't worry about it now because my mind goes blank when his tongue licks my clit

"Oh god", I moan as his tongue keeps rolling over my clit, faster and faster each time, his fingers not stopping, hitting my spot every time

The pleasure is astounding and I'm gonna cum any second

Fucking seriously, nothing has ever felt as good as his fingers and tongue

He licks with the tip of his tongue and that's it

"Fuck!", I cry, gripping the comforter hard as my body arches, pleasure taking over me as I cum

His doesn't stop any movements, not his fingers, not his tongue as I orgasm, instead helping me through it

Jesus Christ it's the best orgasm I ever had

"Oh fuck this cunt is gonna feel so good coming around my cock", he murmurs

God damn

I want to cum all over his cock too

He's not the only one dying to feel it

When my orgasm is over, I breath hard trying to catch my breath

I feel his fingers leave my pussy, his voice saying, "Oh damn"

I lift my head, watching him look at his fingers, spreading them apart, my cum all over

"Fucking hell, your cum is so fucking creamy. Fuck"

Has no other girl he's been with cum this way?

He keeps looking at his fingers, then suddenly puts them in his mouth, sucking on them

My mouth drops open seeing this

"Oh fuck", he moans, "You taste so good. Fuck"

"Oh my god", I whisper

He looks at me, his eyebrow raised, "You haven't had anyone tell you your cum tastes good?"

I shake my head

Nope, can't say that I have

"Well that's a damn shame", he says so matter of fact, "You may be the best thing I ever tasted"

I'm so fucking surprised he's saying this

I don't think this is something you say to a one night stand

"I don't know yet though. I gotta taste more"

"More?"

"Oh yeah. More", he smirks

Before I can say anything, his mouth is on my clit, sucking at me hard

"Oh my fuck", I gape, watching his mouth move on me

God he's still so pretty, so hot even with his face in my pussy

How?

I don't know

Closing my eyes and laying down, I concentrate on feeling his mouth suck, his tongue on my clit too, moving at the same time

His arms move under my thighs, keeping them open while his mouth pleasures me

"Mmm fuck baby, your clit is so good. Pulsing in my mouth so fucking fast. Love it"

"Fuck", I moan

Well I'm glad he loves it?

Fuck I don't know, my mind can't think right now

I'm in so much pleasure, I don't even realize that my hand is moving into his hair

It's only when he grunts that I realize I'm pulling on the strands

Hard

Oh shit

I immediately pull my hand away, putting it back on the bed

Without stopping, he grabs my hand and puts it back in his hair

"Pull all you want baby. I like it"

Uh ....ok

"Are...you ssss...sure?", I stammer, the bliss making it hard to talk

"Yes baby. Pull"

I grip his hair hard, twisting my hand in it, just as he sucks harder

"Oh my god! Oh my god!", I cry, falling into another orgasm, his pretty mouth not stopping

The pleasure is unreal and I don't get a break because as soon as it's over, his tongue is licking down, immediately going right into my cunt

"Fuck!", I yell, clenching on his tongue

"Mmm", he moans, pulling his tongue out

He licks around my slit, then up between my lips, swirling around

He is so fucking good at oral, it's insane

After playing with my cunt for a little, his tongue goes back inside, making me scream

"Oh so you wanna be tongue fucked huh? I can do that", he murmurs, turning me on so much

His tongue goes in again, then slides out then dips back in

Over and over, feeling out of this world

He moves my legs on his shoulders and as he fucks me with his tongue I can't help but move my hips, snapping them into his face

"Such a good girl", he moans, "Fucking my mouth. Keep going baby"

I don't think, I just do and I keep going, his tongue entering me over and over

I throb as much as I can around his tongue, pulling his hair as hard as I can

He's bringing me so close, every thrust of his tongue so good

"Please don't stop", I gasp, right there

His tongue fucks in again and I lose it

I shout in pleasure as he shoves his tongue in as far as he can, making me cum all over it, swallowing over and over

Oh my god, it's so good, so fucking good, I can't, fuck

My whole body seizes and I grip his hair, holding his face against my pussy until I finish and come back to my senses

I realize I'm keeping him against me and I let go of him immediately, so embarrassed

He doesn't say anything, just licks me a few more times, kisses my pussy then stands up

"Ready for my cock now?"

I nod, so ready

He flips my over easily, moving me on my hands and knees

I hear his belt opening, then hitting the floor

I'm so fucking excited

I feel him grip my hip, the head of his cock rubbing along my pussy

"Please", I beg, "Go inside"

"I am baby. Don't worry. I've wanted to fuck this hole for a long time. I'm definitely going in"

Everytime he says something about wanting me, I'm in such disbelief

It just doesn't make sense that someone like him, someone that looks like him wants me

He stops my thinking when his head enters me

Jesus it feels big

He sinks into me slowly, forcing me to open around him

Christ he is huge

He has to push in hard, almost like he doesn't fit inside me

"Oh fuck, you are tight", he moans, "So very tight. Almost like you've never been fucked before"

Yeah well not by a monster cock like his

I feel every single inch of his length as he moves in, giving me so much pleasure already

He stops moving, his cock filling me up, a tight fit with no extra room, his head snugly against my spot

"Good god you feel so good", he moans, his hands rubbing my ass

"You too", I moan, "Are...are you all in?"

"No. I'm too big. I'm going to hu-"

"Go all in", I cut him off

I need to feel his whole cock

I want his whole cock

"Joanne"

"All in Changkyun", I demand, "I can take you. You won't hurt me"

I feel him hesitating and I'm not having it

"Please, I want to feel all of you"

"Fuck", he groans, moving inside more

"Oh god", I whimper, shivering, "All of you?"

"Yeah", he gasps

I reach my hand in between my legs, to my hole, feeling for his cock

My hand touches his pelvis and nothing else

He's all in

"Told you", he groans, gripping my hips hard, "I need to move. I need to fuck you. Please"

"Yes", I answer

I feel his cock leave, the drag so fucking blissful

He thrusts hard into me, his cock barreling in, stretching me around him, his head hitting my spot

"Yes fuck", we both cry as he moves in and out faster and faster with every thrust

"Oh my god, so fucking tight", he moans, "So wet. So warm. Fuck best pussy I've ever been in"

My mind is reeling from his words as his cock works my pussy and my body so fucking amazingly

I grip the comforter hard, his thrusts so hard, my body keeps inching up the bed and he keeps bringing me back to him at the edge of the bed

Goddamn, Milena was right

I need to get laid

And Changkyun is the perfect one to do it

Stars blast in my vision from the pounding I'm getting and I'm loving every second

"You're taking me so good baby. Fuck I love watching that hole swallow my cock, leaving me soaked and sucking me back in", he compliments, "So fucking pretty"

I can't stop moaning like a slut, crying out for more, for him to go faster

Harder

"Fuck baby, you like being fucked open?"

"Yes yes. I love it. Yes", I cry

His hand moves around me and I expect him to touch my clit but as he's moving his hand, it stops against my stomach

"Oh shit", he whimpers, his hand pressing against my stomach as he continues to fuck me senseless

"Give me your hand", he says

I'm confused, but I move one of my hands back

He takes it and presses my hand against my lower stomach

"Just feel", he tells me and I'm confused

He keeps moving and I feel my stomach bulging then going back to normal, again and again

"You feel that baby girl?"

"Yeah", I answer, still confused

"That's my cock fucking you"

Wait what?

"Huh"

"You are so small baby and my cock is so big that when I fuck you, you can feel my cock in your stomach"

Holy shit

I've never experienced this before

But then again I've never taken a cock as big as his feels

I keep my hand against my stomach, feeling his cock move inside me and getting more and more horny

"You like feeling that?"

"Yes, god. Shit. No one has ever fucked me as deep as you"

"And how does it feel?", he asks

"So good", I moan

"Good enough to cum?"

I nod, "Yes fuck yes. Please. Make me cum"

"Gladly baby"

He increases his pace, hitting me so hard, rubbing my spot, his cock amazing

Squeezing the comforter, I feel it coming

I'm so excited

I've never orgasmed from just sex alone but I know, I know he's going to be able to give me one

He barrels inside again and I scream, thrown headfirst into an incredible orgasm

"Changkyun!", I scream, the ecstasy so much it's blinding me

He shoves his whole cock inside, letting me cum on him, my pussy clenching and throbbing on him so much

"Oh fuck", he yells, "Oh fuck. So good. Fuck, your cunt baby, fuck so fucking good"

Fuck, he's getting pleasure from me coming too

That's amazing

"Jesus, so tight. God you're creaming my cock so fucking much. So pretty", he moans

When I finish, I'm so tired, breathing so hard

"Again", he demands, pounding my cunt

"Yes fuck, yes", I cry

I can't believe I want more

But he's just making me feel so good

So fucking amazing

And I was to make him feel the same

Not just good

Amazing

I start moving, sliding up and down his cock, bottoming him out with every move

"Oh yes baby, fuck, don't stop"

"Stop moving", I tell him, "I wanna give it to you"

"Shit"

"I wanna make you cum"

"You're going to baby girl. God just looking at you, feeling you...fuck me, it's so fucking good", he groans

I move faster on his cock, spreading my legs wider, so I can fuck him harder while also fucking my spot at the same time

The sound of skin hitting together sounds in the room among our moans as my ass hits his thighs over and over

I gonna cum already and it has never been this quick before

It's because his cock is perfect for me

Going back again, my brain shuts off as I orgasm, screaming his name, fluttering around his thick length

"Changkyun!", I cry, still moving, fucking myself through the pleasure as I bring him closer

"Yeah fuck...Joanne...yes", he cries, gripping my hips and sheathing his cock inside me, holding me on him, his cock throbbing and spurting hot cum

"Oh fuck", I whimper, loving the feeling of being filled up by him

I feel his cum leaking out around us, down my thighs

I love that feeling

He pulls out and I move, forward laying down on bed to breath for a minute

"Oh god", I hear him say as the bed dips, "That was...Jesus Christ"

I know

I feel the same

"Amazing?", I ask

"So much more than that", he answers, "Was it like that for you too?"

"Oh yeah", I tell him, "The best I've ever had"

Why lie?

It won't do any good and I don't feel like lying

"Really?"

"Yup", I answer

"It was the best I ever had too"

I snort, "Oh c'mon. You don't have to say that"

There is no way I was the best

I didn't do anything

He ate me out, he fingered me, he fucked me

I didn't do anything until the end

And it wasn't much

"I'm telling you the truth"

Looking over at him, I say, "I just laid there. I didn't do anything"

He shakes his head, "You did. You felt good. Taste so good. You pulled my hair, you moaned my name, you fucked me until I came. You did enough"

Ok if he says so

I notice he's dressed, his pants pulled back up while I'm still naked

"I guess we should leave?", I say

There's no other reason to stay here now that we fucked

He nods, "Yeah"

"Ok. I'm gonna go to the bathroom to uh..clean up", I say

"Sure. Take your time"

Standing up, I walk to the bathroom, his cum running down my legs

Fucking embarrassing

Closing the door, I lean against it for a minute, still shocked that I fucked a stranger

Well he's not a total stranger

I know who he is

I have to stop thinking about this

It happened and it's over now

He's never going to want me again

One and done

Sighing, I clean up between my legs then go to the sink and wash my hands

I glance up in the mirror and I stop what I'm doing

I look at my body in the mirror, at the trail of hickeys starting from my neck to my pussy

All of them dark purple

It's...so pretty

I bring my hand to my neck, softly touching the marks, my fingers following the trail he left on me

I find that I really like having his marks on me

Like I'm his

I drop my hand

I need to stop

He's a fucking crime boss, I don't want to be his

I don't need danger in my life

I don't need to be murdered

This was sex and nothing else

Getting a grip, I leave the bathroom

He's still sitting on the bed, looking through his phone

I quickly get dressed then check my phone

Ten missed calls and dozens of texts from Milena, Taehyung and Saeyan

Shit

I forgot all about them

Milena is gonna rip me a new one

"Ready?"

I look up to see him standing by the door

Like he can't wait to leave

That hurts a little

Like now that he fucked me he doesn't want to be near me

Whatever

"Yeah", I say, walking towards him

We leave the room, walk down the hall and into the elevator

"I can take you home", he says

"Oh no, that's ok. You don't have to"

He shakes his head, "You can't be alone around here. Especially not at night. They're low lives, criminals that will take you. Rape you or worse just for walking down the street. If you were with your friend then it'd be safer but you're alone. I'm not taking the chance of anything happening to you. I'm taking you home"

Well alright then

I find it ironic that he's talking about criminals when he is one

But I guess he consideres himself a better criminal?

Whatever

"Ok. Thanks"

"Sure", he nods

The elevator doors open and we exit, with him dropping off the key card as we pass the desk

We get to the parking lot and head to his car

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

"Where the fuck we're you?", Milena yells as soon as I walk into our apartment

"Out", I answer, walking towards my room

I need a shower then I need sleep

"You are not getting away with that answer!", she exclaims following me into my room

"I was out Mi", I repeat, dropping my bag on my chair

What am I supposed to tell her?

How could I tell her I was with a jokop boss?

She'll freak out even more

"Joanne!", she yells, making me look at her, "Where were you? When Tae and I got to the bar you weren't there. You weren't answering our calls or texts. I was freaking out. You cannot just come in and say you were out! I've been worried the whole night!"

She's right

I just disappeared

I worried her

I can't just blow her off

"I uhh-"

"Is that a hickey?", she shrieks, turning my head

"Uh yeah"

"That's a lot of hickeys", she gapes

If only she knew

"How far down do they go?", she asks, pull my shirt collar down

I lightly push her off, "Nosey much?"

"How far?"

I roll my eyes, "All the way"

"To your cunt?"

God, does she have to know everything?

"Yes", I answer through clenched teeth

"Ok so...you were with a guy?"

I nod

"Well that makes sense on why you didn't answer your phone", she says, "But doesn't make sense as to why you didn't tell me where you were going"

"It uh...was unexpected. It happened fast and I forgot"

"Fine. Just don't do it again. Tell me where you're going so I don't worry"

I nod, "Yeah. I promise. I'm sorry"

"You're forgiven", she forgives me, "Now who was the guy?"

"I uh...I..."

What do I say?

"Was it Yeosang?"

Yeosang?

The guy who works at Starbucks and is in our dance class?

"Uh no"

"Really? Because he likes you"

"What?"

What the hell is she talking about?

"He asked me about you after class one day. If you're single. I told him yes"

"Yeah great", I sigh, "But no, it wasn't him"

"Well did you get back with Yunho?"

God no

Not after he cheated on me

"Not a chance in hell"

"Good because I would have slapped you if you said yes"

Ha well she may just slap me yet

"So who was it?", she prods, "I don't know who else to guess"

Yeah she does but she's not thinking about him

"You know who he is", I tell her

"No, I don't know anyone else who-", she stops, realization in her face

I swallow then look away from her

"It's not...him?", she gapes

I nod once

"You fucked Changkyun?", she yells

"Stop yelling!", I snap

"Joanne what the fuck? He's a criminal! He's a gangster! He dangerous!"

"I know ok? I know", I answer, running my hand through my hair

"Then why did you agree to it?"

I shrug helplessly, "I don't know Mi. I was at the bar waiting for you guys and he came over. He talked to me. He told me what he wanted. He was straightforward about it. And I just went"

"You just went. You, who said you'd never fuck a stranger"

I know

I just did something I said I'd never do

"Where did you go?"

"To uh a love motel", I cringe

"What?", she shouts, "You we're just saying that you'd never go to one a little while ago. And now your going to one to have a one night stand with a jokop boss. What the hell?"

I don't say anything because I don't know what to say

Silence falls between us for a few minutes

"Well how was it?", she eventually asks

I look at her and she looks at me expectantly

"Well?"

"It was....amazing", I confess

"Really?"

I nod

"What did he do?"

I blush as I tell her about our encounter

When I finished, she stares at me shocked with her mouth open

"He ate you out three times?"

I nod

"And you didn't blow him?"

"He uh said I didn't have to. And after he went down on me, he immediately wanted sex"

"How many times did you cum?"

Jesus, she wants specifics

"I don't know like five time?"

"Five!", she squeaks, "Goddamn"

"Is that a lot?", I ask

"Uh duh!", she nods, "How hot is his body? Does he have a six pack"

"I uh...I don't know"

"How do you not know? You had sex with him"

"He uh...was dressed when he ate me out and then he ah...he fucked me from behind. He kept his shirt on dropping just his pants. And it felt too good for me to look back at him while we were....you know"

"Damn. Well maybe you'll see him naked next time"

"Next time?"

There isn't going to be a next time

It was once

I don't think he'd want to again

I don't know if I'd say yes again

"Oh please Jo. There's gonna be a next time. The way that man stares at you. Like he wants to throw you on the nearest table and fuck you stupid. That man has the hots for you and he's gonna keep trying to get you"

I gape at her

Is she insane?

How can she tell that just by him looking at me?

"You're so wrong but ok"

"No I'm right"

"Mi, he couldn't wait to leave the motel after we were done. It was a one time thing and that's all"

"Sure Jo. Keep telling yourself that", she says, walking to my door, "Just be prepared to hear me say I told you so when it happens again"

"Mi-"

"You should shower. Then sleep. You have class tomorrow"

Then she's gone

She's wrong

Changkyun isn't going to want me again

The thrill of the chase is gone

I gave into him and now that he got what he was after, he's gonna move on to someone else

I know it

I have to forget about what happened

It's over and I need to get back to my life

Grabbing PJs, I head to the bathroom to shower

#ksmutclub #love motel #changkyun fanfic #changkyun smut #changkyun fic #i.m fics #i.m smut #monsta x fanfic #monsta x fic #monsta x smut #monsta x changkyun #monsta x i.m

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