AN: This is a piece that is very self indulgent BUT it has a plot despite being like 80% smut. I am thinking of making more parts if people like thisÂ
Word count: 5kÂ
TW: like its smut.. so like what do you expect. (Wrap it before you tap it) spanking light dom!Roope female readerÂ
You could never quite understand how you got into this situation. Youâd sworn to never fall in love ever. The pain of watching the gruesome divorce of your parents, the way your friends seemed to find âthe oneâ left and right, only to be heartbroken, was simply too much. So you decided to simply donât fall in love ever.Â
And youâd kept that promise to yourself, ever since 15. Sure a few crushes came up now and then, but you never acted on them, and you made sure no one knew about the feeling. The only person in your life that knew about this promise to yourself was your best friend Jamie.
The first person youâd met in Dallas when youâd first moved there. You had been a freshman in college and he had been, ironically so, the first person to hit on you in Dallas, and you hadnât even officially gotten there yet. It happened on the plane ride. He was seated beside you and you couldnât for the life of you remember the pick up line he used. You just know it was bad, cause you remember laughing at it and the way he tried to manage his long limbs into the airplane seat. It had gone uphill from there on, and you were glad he didnât get offended by you laughing at him.Â
Now, however, you were sitting in the stands of the American Airlines Center, watching him and his team scramble across the ice in a turnover, passing the puck up the ice. Roope Hintz picks it up and flicks it into the goal, just over the left shoulder of the Blackhawks goalie, making the Stars take the lead with three minutes left in the third period. The stands erupt in wild cheers and the team celebrates on ice. You jump with the rest of the crowd, and clap enthusiastically. Knowing that itâs gonna be an insufferable team to meet afterwards. After all, athletes tend to be after winning a game like this.Â
The buzzer goes off and the Dallas Stars have officially ended their losing streak. The crowd is going wild, jumping up and down, making the stands shake just a little. Thats when you decide to sneak out of the stands and find your way to the outside of the locker room, where Jamie had promised he would meet you.Â
You have been around a few times, and sure enough you find your way. Jamie had made sure to let the security staff know that you would be around after the game. There is a soccer ball laying around so you pick it up and start bouncing it on your jeans clad thigh, then dropping it down onto your foot and up again, alway in control. You lose yourself to the ball, concentrating on keeping it in the air, so much so that you donât notice the door slamming open until the boom of it makes you drop the ball.Â
âJesus fuck.âÂ
You whisper as you look up to find the source of the noise. What you find shouldnât surprise you, but seeing a shirtless Roope Hintz standing there with a frown on his face, makes heat rush up your neck regardless.Â
âWho are you?âÂ
He looks suspiciously at you, taking in the skinny jeans and the absence of a jersey. As well as the forgotten soccer ball.Â
âSorry, just here for Oleksiak.âÂ
You try to shrug it off, looking for the ball again. His eyes squint suspiciously at you, but his head tilts backwards as he calls for Jamie. He comes bounding out of the locker room, shirtless, but fresh out of the shower. Heâs in the middle of zipping up his game day slacks, and the smile already on his lips gets wider. Â
âYou could have waited with the others you know?âÂ
Jamie says cheekily to you. The heat to your face returns, but not in full force. You look at his tall stature and the smaller man beside him. And for some reason, the blonde star of the night is the one to make you look away. You shoot daggers at Jamie instead.Â
âYou know, you could have told me where they were, so I didnât have to stand here like some other crazed fan.âÂ
Roope slowly turns around and walks away, closing the door with one last curious look directed at you.Â
âOh come on, we all know youâre crazy for me.âÂ
Finally you can feel yourself relax a little, with a sigh you take a step closer to him.Â
âYeah, crazy for you to leave me alone.âÂ
He wraps you up in his arms and lifts you up in the air, laughing as you gasp at the surprise of being lifted up.Â
âCongrats by the way, you played well today.âÂ
You say to him, as he lets you back down on the ground again. Â
âThank you Sparks.âÂ
âNow go get dressed completely, I suppose you want to celebrate tonight?âÂ
His signature, tooth lacking smile is on full display as he slings an arm around your shoulders. Jamie looks at you with a mischievous look.Â
âWe really want to celebrate this, and besides, we really need to get you laid.âÂ
You wrench your way out of his grip and scowl at him, pushing him in the direction of the door to the locker room.Â
âGet dressed you idiot.âÂ
You say with a flat voice, trying to remain serious, and failing when you see Jamie wink at you last minute. You immediately go back to juggling the soccer ball, as the door slams shut.Â
A couple of girls are walking towards you, and you suspect theyâre here looking for their boyfriends or husbands. Thatâs until you see the flustered cheeks and whispers of âI canât believe we made it all the way here.â and the agreements that follow.Â
Their eyes land on you and your soccer ball, and their expressions instantly sour. You try to shrug it off, but when the whispering starts again, you look up from the ball. You start getting suspicious when one of the three girls flicks her long, perfectly curled, brunette hair over her shoulder and opens her immaculately painted lips to say something.Â
âYou shouldnât be here you know.âÂ
The confidence in her voice almost has you fooled for someone who belongs there. Almost. Youâve never seen her close to any of them ever, even if you had managed to stay out of the public eye yourself. Something about this trio didnât feel right. You stop juggling the ball and drop it to your foot, catching it without bounce and then placing your foot on top of it. Â
âWhy not?âÂ
You ask out of curiosity of what the answer would be.
âWell, itâs reserved for the wags, you know, so you donât belong here.âÂ
You tilt your head and raise a brow, questioningly.Â
âIsnât that what the owner's box is for? you know with reserved seats, food and really comfortable sitting options?âÂ
A blush seems to rise through her make- up and you restrain yourself a little, you really donât want to make her an enemy. Just in case.Â
âYeah.. I just need to see my man before we head home.â
She stutters out, looking at her two friends who nod encouragingly at her.Â
âOkay, just remind me who it is again?âÂ
You play dumb, knowing that the media is about to get out of the room in a minute.Â
âJamie ofcourse.âÂ
And her voice is so confident as she says it, you let a smile show before chuckling. They really thought they could fool anyone with that. Just in that moment, the door opens and cameras and notepads or tape recorders start filing out of the door.Â
You walk over to the door, holding it open for the stream of reporters and crew. Then you duck a head in and yell for Jamie.Â
âOleksiak, your girlfriend is hereâŠâÂ
It isnât intentional all the way, but it comes out in a sing- song voice. Â
The entirety of the team turns to face you. Briefly you meet the eyes of Roope, whoâs still shirtless. Just as Jamie passes you by with a confused look, you tap his now clothed arm to make him bend down just a little.
âEhh, so someone somehow got past security, apparently youâre her boyfriend.âÂ
You say to him, loud enough for the closest teammates to hear.Â
âJesus Christ, not again.âÂ
Jamie mutters. Stephen Johns is closest and has his phone in seconds calling someone. You let a glance out the door and see the girls huddled together, suddenly looking unsure. Jamie takes a look over your shoulder and sighs.Â
âGuess I should distract them until security gets here, just stay here.â
You roll your eyes, but stay put. Then suddenly you realise where you are, feeling like an intruder.Â
âSorry guys, didnât mean to intrude, just thought you should know about the girls outside.âÂ
You say, trying to not look too closely at anyone. You can feel the heat rising up your neck.Â
ââS alright, not everyday we get to know a girl from Jamie's side.â
Tyler Seguin says from his seat by his gear.Â
âOh I know, he has a hard time finding decent ones.âÂ
You say it absentmindedly, but the entire team seems to crack up at that. You feel a little bad, but you also know it as true and it's already said, so you canât take it back.Â
âSeems like he did alright with you.âÂ
Roope says as he pulls his button up over his arms and starts pushing the buttons through the holes.
âAhh, a common mistake. Not a girlfriend and not sleeping with him either.âÂ
His brows raise and a cheeky smile forms on his face. But he doesnât say anything else. You feel off, of sorts. He doesnât irk you like the girls did. And it was kind of scaring you. Itâs the feeling you get when you start being intrigued, and you don ât need that now.
-------
Youâre sitting at the bar, alone, not that you mind it, because the girl who finally got Jamie had been ogling him all night and talking too loud, and it was a relief when you saw them walk out the door. He had asked multiple times if it was okay for him to leave, so much so that you almost drove the uber back to her place yourself.Â
Staring down at the drink in your hand, you realised you were too sober and too far behind on studying (not really) to be sitting here, in a place you didnât want to be. So you got up, turned around and immediately crashed into a hard chest. Looking up, you find a wild head of blonde curls and a heavenly cologne. Roope Hintz.
âCan I help you you mr. Star?âÂ
You said ask as he leans closer, if that was even possible, without touching you. He at least has the decency to chuckle and look a little bashful as you address him that way.Â
âYou sure youâre not even a little infatuated with Oleksiak?âÂ
Rolling your eyes, you lean back onto the bar and cross your ankles.Â
âWhy? Are you jealous?âÂ
You give him a flirty smile, just for the hell of it. Roope steps forward so his feet are planted on either side of yours, not touching this time either, and leans an arm beside you, making him come impossibly close to you.Â
âWhat if I am?âÂ
He asks, and his eyes are roaming all over your face, ignited with a desire you havenât seen in far too long. It makes a heat pool in your stomach, and a little in your cheeks. Just purely out of the close proximity.Â
âThen youâre gonna be sorely disappointed.âÂ
You try to sound casual, but Roope leans a little closer.
âAnd why is that?âÂ
You can tell he is curious, and your judgement is compromised from the closeness of him. Maybe one night wouldnât hurt, right?
âIâm a one time offer, an-âÂ
Roope doesnât even let you finish your sentence, before he has your hand in his. Just as you touch it feels like a wave of something indescribable washes over you. Youâd never felt anything like it.Â
âI can do that. Come along now, we havenât got all night.âÂ
Roope drags you away from the bar and you scramble to keep up the first few steps. When you catch up, he laces his fingers through yours, and heads out the door. Itâs cold out, and since you havenât really been outside today, all you have is the sweater you came to the rink in. You hadnât been dressed for a club at all, but he didnât seem to mind. You wrap your arms around yourself, to try to preserve some of the heat from the inside. Roope has a keen eye and steps behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist.Â
âOne time offer, remember?âÂ
âOh yeah, that doesnât mean I canât be nice, or no?âÂ
And as he pulls you closer to him, you can feel in your bones (and your lower back) that he isnât nearly as nice as heâs pretending to be. And you catch yourself thinking that you canât wait to see what this turns into.Â
âJust, doubting what you define as nice, thatâs all.âÂ
At that Roope, let out a little chuckle, before leaning down a little and placing small kisses on your exposed neck. He works his way up to your ear.Â
âI can be very nice, it all depends on you though.âÂ
With a final kiss to your cheek, he steps away from your heated face, and looks at the uber thatâs now in front of you, double checking that itâs the right one. How in the hell had you missed the car pulling up to the curb? Roope opened the door to the back seat and let you enter first. Then he entered shortly after you, told the lady driving the car his address and turned to face you.Â
âDidnât think you were that shy, sweetheat.âÂ
He gestured to the entire middle seat between the two of you. You just shake your head, with a coy smile on your lips.Â
âJust been a while.âÂ
You say quietly, not wanting the driver to hear. Regardless, she looks at you, very discreetly, through the rearview mirror. You give her a reassuring smile trying to convey that you feel safe and that youâre okay. She gives you a wink in return.Â
âIâll make it worth your time.âÂ
Roope leads you into an elevator and punches one of the higher numbers, all the while his eyes are roaming you, mentally undressing you. Most definitely wondering what he would find underneath the sweater and jeans. You are absolutely feeling a little shy with the way he looks at you. However, at the same time youâre looking at him, wondering what he is going to do, if he will be soft or hard in demeanor, if heâs gonna be rough or boring, but somehow something in his eyes tells you, itâs gonna be anything but boring.Â
The elevator stops, and he steps closer, taking your hand in his, entwining your fingers and leading the way out of the elevator. Just two doors down he pulls some keys out of his back pocket and steadily unlocks the door, no fumbling. You take it as a good sign even if you already knew that he wasnât even close to being drunk. The lock clicks in place and the door slides open, revealing a dark hallway. Roope steps in first and flicks on the light. Itâs neat, considering what you had been expecting. The door shuts behind you, and you hear the lock clicking.Â
Toeing off your shoes you turn and find Roope already staring at you. His eyes are considerably darker. He drops the jacket he had been wearing to the floor and beckons you with a finger to follow him, all silent and a little domineering, half a smile on his lips. You see the light flicker on in the hallway as you follow him down to the left and then the first door on the right hand side itâs the only open door, but itâs not fully lit inside. Carefully you step inside, when nothing happens, you take one more step in and the room is suddenly full of tension.Â
The light here is turned on low, and Roope is standing in front of you taking slow steps towards you. Determined to stand your ground you remain unmoving, but your eyes roam him, and he seems to notice. With a smirk he takes a hand behind his neck and promptly yanks the shirt off of his upper body. You feel your jaw dropping just a little as you scan him over.Â
âLook at me in the eyes babe.âÂ
Heat rises to your cheeks, but you remain in your spot steadily holding his gaze. He takes a step closer, and then another, until heâs standing mere inches from you. A devious smile is playing on his lips, when one of his hands lands on your waist. His thumb rubs circles on your hip, just underneath the emerald sweater of yours.Â
âAre you sure about this?âÂ
He asks, taking his other hand up and caressing your cheek. You nod your head yes.Â
âIâm gonna need you to use your words for me.âÂ
The hand thatâs on your cheek is suddenly forcing your face upwards to meet his eyes.Â
âIâm sure about this.âÂ
You whisper, again meeting his eyes. Just as the sentence leaves your mouth, he immediately goes to kiss you, but you pull back just slightly, just to tease, and maybe test him a little. He sees the mischievous glint in your eyes, and his smile widens.
âOh you wanna play like that, huh?âÂ
Roopeâs hands slip from your body, before meeting again behind your thighs, lifting you up into his arms. You stare down into his darkened eyes, and lean into him. He lets you kiss him for a couple of seconds, before he deepens it. You let him, not really feeling like fighting him. His lips move from yours and down your neck, as he walks towards the bed, you can feel him leaving a few hickies before dropping you onto the bed.Â
âOff with the sweater, kaunis.âÂ
You look up at him, while crossing your arms and gripping the bottom of the sweater, letting him take in all of you as the green top comes off. Underneath is a simple black bra and you can see his pupils dilate at the sight of you.Â
âThat one Iâm gonna take off myself.âÂ
He leans over you, until youâve laid down flat on the bed. Heâs hovering over you, resting on his forearms, yet his hips have already settled between your legs. You can feel him there hard and heavy. His breath playing across your collarbones, makes you feel the anticipation building in your entire body.Â
He presses a quick kiss to your lips before he starts leaving open mouth kisses down the valley of your breasts, he shifts his weight so he is leaning more on one arm and slides the other underneath your back, and makes quick work of unfastening your bra. The tension leaves the straps and you let them fall off. Then with his teeth he bites the middle of the bra, lifting it off your body and chucking it away with his free hand.Â
âUpea.âÂ
You donât question his words, honestly feeling a little more turned on as he speaks to you in a language you donât understand. With a wink he kisses each of your tits a few times, before moving further down.Â
âStill good?âÂ
He asks, and you feel your heart ache a little at it, and immediately shove the feeling aside.
âYes, so good.â
You say, all out of breath as his fingers pop open the button, and slowly pull down the zipper of your jeans. In a swift motion he has his fingers in what you assume is the belt loops and has pulled down your jeans along with the black underwear you had been wearing. Instinctively you try to close your legs, but two calloused hands on either of your knees stops that motion.Â
âIâve got you.âÂ
Roope says as he leans into your right thigh and starts leaving kisses again. Closer and closer to your core, and when he finally is there, he switches to the other tigh, repeating the process. Your hands, which have been clenching the sheets, finally go to his long hair, tugging a little. Roope lets out a little groan and you swear you can feel it in your entire body.
âAww, look how wet you are, all for me?âÂ
He asks in a husky voice.Â
âAll for you, all for you.âÂ
Roope seems to revel in the admittance rolling off your tongue, before he lets himself have a taste. At least thatâs what you think is happening. You feel his hot breath fan over your core, and he is painfully close, you lift your hips just slightly to meet his mouth, just as he pulls away.Â
âMy bed, my rules. Now, youâre gonna have to ask really nicely to cum, before I let you. Got it?âÂ
Youâre so lost in desperation for his mouth that you can only nod. You both hear and feel the sigh escaping him, before he lands a little smack on the inside of your thigh. It causes you to let out a strangled moan and clench around nothing.Â
âDidnât I tell you? Words.âÂ
âIâm sorry, Iâll ask to cum.âÂ
And then heâs all over you. The pent up feeling you have in your body only seems to grow as he spends his time licking and lapping at your folds. With his arms around your thighs and eyes firmly set on yours, your body's working overtime trying to feel everything. You feel your grip on his hair tighten as his mouth finds you clit and a finger easily slides inside you.Â
âFuuuck, feels so good.âÂ
You draw out the vocals as he hums against you. Your breathing went uneven a long time ago, but now youâre struggling to control anything that comes out of your mouth. Especially as the second finger enters you and he makes a âcome hereâ motion with his fingers, finally finding that one particular spot. It nearly sends you over the edge.
âAh ah, ask first.âÂ
Your brain feels like mush as he continues his assault on your pussy.Â
âPlease may I cum?âÂ
Roope hums against you, before leaning away a little.Â
âNo, I want you to beg.âÂ
He goes back in, feeling the way your body is wound so tightly you donât know where to turn, not being able to think clearly.Â
âPlease, Iâll be so good, just please please let me cum.âÂ
Again Roope hums.Â
âOkay, only if youâre a good girl though.âÂ
He says looking up at you, with that smirk of his, before he dives back in. You can feel the tension in your body tightening, and when his tongue does a particularly intense stroke over your clit you canât hold it anymore. Your legs clamp around his head and you let out a drawn out moan of pleasure as he lets you ride out the high on his face.Â
When you canât take it anymore, you gently guide his face away from your core. Roope has this cocky grin on his face and you canât help but like it being directed at you. You pull him up towards you and kiss him deeply, not really caring if you can taste yourself on his lips. Finally he lets your hands wander over the planes of his upper body, feeling the muscles tense and flex as your fingers trace every ridge of his body. He seems to really like kissing you, but he does notice that your hands go lower and lift his hips up a little to make room so you can pop the button of his jeans. As soon as the zipper is down, your hand traces the waistband of his boxers.Â
âYou gonna play with me like this all night, rakas?âÂ
He asks with a playful tone of voice.Â
âMaybe.âÂ
You tease, pulling on the waistband of the boxers, before releasing it, making it snap against his skin. He leans away from you completely, getting up so heâs on his knees, but otherwise full height. Your legs are caught between his, so you can only sit up as far. Not that you mind though, with the way he towers over you, giving you perfect access to the bulge thatâs now in your direct line of vision. Without really meaning to your jaw goes slack. His pointer finger is under your chin, making you look up at him. Â
âEyes up here, yeah?âÂ
You nod innocently at him, making him groan at the sight of you.Â
âGood girl. Now letâs see if we can put that mouth of yours to good use.âÂ
You blush at his words and the smirk on his lips. Regardless, you start peeling the boxers and jeans down his legs. Slowly. Since this is going to be a one time thing, you think, youâre gonna savour this moment. His skin is hot beneath your fingers, but not as hot as your cheeks the moment his cock springs free of itâs confinement. Youâre definitely not complaining about any aspect of it.Â
Without a second thought you put your lips around the angry red tip, letting your tongue explore every inch of his dick. Roope seems to like what youâre doing, judging by the groaning and panting above you. One of his hands is in your hair, doing a makeshift ponytail as you continue to suck him off. Suddenly, he all but pulls you off his cock, which now seems even more red than it was before. With strings of saliva hanging from your mouth, connected to his dick. Roope lets out a groan that makes your inside tingle before he slides back off the bed.
âIâm going to ruin you so good, rakas.âÂ
He kicks off his jeans and boxers before he is over you again. You look him in the eyes nodding, before spreading your legs, letting him settle between them. He cages you in with his arms, and for some reason, even with his dark gaze upon you, you feel safe. And when he grabs your arms, pinning them beside your head you let out a content sigh. Not only because youâre completely letting go, but because you can feel his cock brushing against your stomach. The anticipation is almost killing you.Â
Roope, kisses up and down your neck, whispering dirty somethings in your ear, because they arenât nothing. They are all his fantasies, of what he has come up with that he wants to do with you. As well as to you. Most of all though, you think he just enjoys watching you squirm in need of him. When he lets go of your right hand, it traces your throat.
âNow, put my cock inside yourself.âÂ
Itâs a demand, and you follow through, out of desperation to feel him inside. You wrap your hand around his dick, carefully tugging at him, running your thumb over the tip, teasing. With a little smile on your lips. Roope is quick to kiss it away, delving into you, with a passion youâve never felt before.
âInside, now. Or this teasing of yours is gonna have some serious consequences.âÂ
He mumbles against your lips, so you do as told, guiding him to your entrance. You both let out content sighs as he finally sinks into you. He is going slow at first. Letting you adjust to having him inside you.Â
âLook so good for me like this.âÂ
You can only nod as he starts moving his hips in slow, deep thrusts. He finds a pace and as soon as you start clenching around him, when he hits that part of you. His pace picks up. The hand thatâs still holding onto yours, they are now intertwined in each other. His other hand is caressing your hip. Youâre pretty much just a blubbering mess of his name and curses as he hits all the right parts.Â
With a final kiss to your lips, he leans up a bit, so his thighs are resting on his calves creating a steep angle, so you almost slip off him. Almost. He pulls you closer by the hips, making you yelp out, before your legs are planted on either side of him, giving yourself a little more leverage as he hits deep inside of you. The moan that escapes you is genuine, and you squeeze your eyes shut in pleasure. At that you feel a sharp sting on your thigh again.Â
âEyes on me.âÂ
In the fog of pleasure all you manage to get out is a weak. âYes, sir.âÂ
Opening your eyes, you see Roope straining a little as well. His cheeks are tinted and his breathing is really uneven. But his eyes are blown with pleasure, and as you guide his hand to your lower stomach where you can vaguely feel him moving in and out of you. It looks like a new fire has been ignited inside him.Â
His hand slips from yours as he lets it go to rub at your clit again. The pleasure almost becomes too much, and your eyes roll a little at the feeling.Â
âMay I please cum, sir?âÂ
You manage to moan out, barely remembering his demand from before.Â
âHold it for like three seconds, Iâm gonna count you down.âÂ
So you look him in the eyes and let him blow out your back for a few more thrusts, and then he starts counting down.Â
â3â
His rhythm changes as he slows down and goes harder, deeper.Â
â2âÂ
He moans as you clench around him.Â
â1, cum for me.âÂ
And you do. It starts in your stomach, and like a warm tide it washes over your entire body. Roope fucks you through it, before he finally pulls out and with a loud groan he is jerking himself off, letting go in hot spurts all over your torso. He finishes and stares down at his personal masterpiece. With your rapidly raising stomach and chest covered in his cum, you can tell by the smirk on his lips. Heâs satisfied.
âIâll be right back.âÂ
Roope says with a wink, and you just nod. Because even though you just had the best sex to date, you were trying to gather your thoughts. On how to get home. You donât see where he goes, but you hear water running from a sink. When heâs back from the bathroom, you assume, he has a wet washcloth in hand and is wearing a fresh pair of boxers. Gently he wipes his cum from your chest and stomach, and a little in between your legs.Â
And youâre almost completely ruined by how gentle he is. But you have a promise to keep, and youâre not planning on betraying yourself. He leaves again to toss the cloth into the hamper. When he comes back, you have gathered your underwear and bra, and are standing on the floor on slightly shaky legs.Â
âYouâre leaving?âÂ
And that was really the first sign.Â
âYeah, one time offer. Remember?âÂ
You answer, looking for your jeans. Roope sweeps them off of the floor and hands them to you.Â
âYeah, right.âÂ
You get dressed in silence, and when your last sock is on. You straighten up.Â
âIâll just find the way out myself.âÂ
Itâs meant to be casual, but Roope immediately refuses.Â
âNo no, Iâll walk you out.âÂ
And he does, following close behind you. Youâve just gotten your shoes on, when your phone pings. Itâs a notification from uber that your ride is here. Youâve put your hand on the door knob and opened the door, when Roope, who was leaning against the wall, pulls you back and kisses you deeply.Â
âNext time you need an orgasm, give me a call.â
He says with a wink.Â
In the car back to your apartment, you can feel it. Youâre not gonna get rid of Roope after what just went down in his bedroom. The worst part of it is that youâre not sure you want it to be a one time thing. Fuck.Â
âIf youâre talking to Jamie Oleksiak about body art, he laughs when asked if his siblings have tattoos. His sister Hayley has steered clear of them. But younger sister Penny, sheâs gotten a few - much like she collects Olympic medals in swimming.