Garrett Graham should have known better than to leave the bathroom door unlocked.
Not because he was careless, exactly. More because he lived in a hockey house full of idiots, and privacy was a concept that existed only in theory. Still, he was in the shower, the water running, steam curling through the bathroom, and he had at least assumed he was safe for another five minutes.
He was wrong.
You pushed the bathroom door open without knocking, calling his name as you stepped inside. âGarrett, have you seen my,â
The words died in your throat.
Because Garrett was there. Very much there. In the shower. Water slicking down his shoulders, his hair dark and damp, one hand braced against the tile while he turned toward the sound of your voice.
And you saw everything.
Your brain stopped working immediately.
So did your feet.
Garrett, for his part, froze with the soap still in his hand and one brow lifting in slow, horrified realization.
Neither of you moved for a full second.
Then he blinked. âWell,â he said, voice low and rough over the sound of the water, âthis is embarrassing.â
You stared, absolutely incapable of pretending you had not just walked into the most distracting view in the history of the world. âI,â Your voice cracked. You cleared your throat. âI did not mean to,â
âNo kidding.â
You dragged one hand over your face, still standing just inside the bathroom door like a complete idiot. âYou did not lock it.â
âIâm in a house with three guys.â
âI knocked.â
He gave you a flat look. âYou walked in anyway.â
You opened your mouth, then shut it again because, unfortunately, he had a point. A very unfair point. A point that looked annoyingly good with water running down his chest.
Garrett watched you take in the sight of him,because he absolutely knew you were,and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Oh, he was enjoying this.
That made your embarrassment burn hotter, which only made you stare harder, which only made him grin wider.
âYouâre staring,â he said.
You snapped your eyes to his face. âI am not.â
He raised a skeptical brow. âSweetheart.â
The way he said it,lazy, amused, knowing,made your stomach flip.
You crossed your arms over your chest as if that would help. It did not. âYou are standing there naked.â
His grin went sharp at the edges. âYou did not seem to mind.â
You made a noise that was somewhere between outrage and a laugh. âGarrett.â
âWhat?â
âThat is not a fair thing to say when you are literally in the shower.â
He tipped his head back under the water for a second, then looked at you again through wet lashes. âYou came into the bathroom.â
âI was looking for my shampoo.â
He glanced at the bottle sitting on the sink. âThat one?â
You looked over, then scowled. âYes.â
âUh-huh.â
You could feel heat crawling up your neck, and the worst part was that you were not even sorry for looking. You were very, very sorry for getting caught looking.
Garrett set the soap down and folded his arms loosely over his chest, water running in thin lines down his skin. âAre you planning to keep standing there and ogle me, or are you going to hand me a towel and be normal?â
You stared at him. âYou are impossible.â
âAnd yet,â he said, âyou still came in.â
That should have been illegal. The smugness. The tone. The fact that he looked like that and knew exactly what he was doing to you.
You reached blindly for the towel hanging on the hook by the sink and tossed it at him. âHere.â
He caught it easily, still smiling. âThanks.â
You stayed where you were, though now you were very aware of the fact that your heartbeat had gone from normal to a full-on sprint.
Garrett shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, toweling off his hair with one hand. He was still wet, still warm, still devastatingly distracting, and the sight of him made your brain short-circuit all over again.
He caught you looking for the second time.
This time he didnât even try to hide his amusement. âYouâre doing it again.â
You lifted your chin. âDoing what?â
âThat thing with your eyes.â
âWhat thing?â
âThe one where you look like youâve forgotten how to breathe.â
You made a strangled sound and reached for the counter to steady yourself, mostly because you had suddenly forgotten how your own legs worked. Garrett noticed immediately, of course. Garrett noticed everything when it came to you.
His expression softened just a fraction.
âHey,â he said, quieter now. âYou okay?â
You looked up at him and immediately regretted having eyes at all. âNo.â
A slow smile spread across his face.
Not smug this time. More pleased. More dangerous.
âYeah?â he asked.
You should have said something clever. Something sharp. Something that sounded like you still had the upper hand.
Instead, you just stared at him and said, honestly, âYou are very distracting.â
That made him laugh.
It was low and warm and impossible not to love. He stepped closer, stopping just in front of you, his towel slung loose around his waist, water still dripping from his hair. He smelled like soap and steam and Garrett, and you hated how much you wanted to lean into him.
âYou walked into the bathroom,â he said. âAnd Iâm the distracting one?â
âAbsolutely.â
His eyes dropped to your mouth for a second before returning to your face. âYou sure about that?â
Your stomach dropped.
âGarrett,â you warned, but it came out weaker than you wanted.
He tilted his head. âWhat?â
âYou are being smug on purpose.â
âIâm always smug.â
âNo, youâre being extra smug.â
âI think this situation calls for it.â
You stared at him, trying very hard not to melt into the tile floor.
He reached out, slow enough that you could have stopped him if you wanted to, and brushed his knuckles lightly along your jaw. His touch was warm and careful, a ridiculous contrast to the teasing in his voice.
âYou really were checking me out,â he said quietly.
You went red instantly. âI hate you.â
âNo, you donât.â
âYes, I do.â
He smiled like he knew better. âYouâre blushing.â
âIâm aware.â
âAnd standing very close.â
âYouâre the one who came over here.â
His hand slid to your waist, not pushing, just resting there, as if he wanted you to know he was there and had no intention of moving unless you wanted him to. âThatâs not what I meant.â
Your breath caught.
The air in the bathroom felt different now, tighter somehow, the steam wrapped around both of you like a secret.
You looked up at him. âThen what did you mean?â
His thumb moved once against your side, small and absent and completely unfair. âI mean,â he said, voice lower now, âyou walked in, saw something you werenât supposed to see, and now you canât stop looking at me.â
Your heart thudded hard.
âGarrett.â
âWhat?â
âYou are so full of yourself.â
He bent just slightly, enough that his mouth was near your ear, and said, âAnd youâre still here.â
Your face went warm all over.
You should have stepped back.
Instead, you stayed exactly where you were, looking up at him like he was a bad decision you had already made twice.
His hand tightened briefly at your waist, then relaxed again. âYou want me to stop teasing you?â
You swallowed.
The answer should have been yes. It should have been obvious. But the truth sat right on the edge of your tongue, heavy and electric.
âNo,â you admitted.
Garrettâs expression shifted.
Not by much. Just enough.
The flirtatious edge in his face softened into something deeper, something that made your pulse race for a very different reason. âYeah?â he murmured.
You nodded once.
He looked at you for a long second, like he was deciding something.
Then he leaned down and kissed you.
It was not rushed. Not messy. Not anything like the kind of reckless thing that could have happened if one of you had been less careful. It was slow and warm and deliberate, his hand steady at your waist while your own fingers curled into the towel at his side.
The kiss made your knees weak instantly.
Garrett noticed, because of course he did, and made a quiet sound against your mouth that felt far too pleased with itself.
When he pulled back just enough to look at you, his forehead rested lightly against yours. âStill think Iâm distracting?â
You let out a shaky breath that was almost a laugh. âYou know the answer.â
He smiled. âGood.â
You looked at him, stunned by how quickly the teasing had melted into something softer, heavier, more real. âThat is not fair,â you whispered.
âWhat isnât?â
âLooking like that and kissing me like that and then acting like Iâm the one causing problems.â
His grin came back, slower this time. âYou did walk into the bathroom.â
âYou were naked.â
âAnd you survived.â
You put a hand against his chest and pushed lightly, though not enough to actually move him. âYou are the worst.â
âIâm the worst?â He sounded offended. âYou came in, stared at me like I was a snack, and now youâre blaming me?â
You laughed despite yourself, the sound breaking the tension just enough to make the whole room feel warm again.
Garrett dipped his head and kissed the corner of your mouth this time. âYouâre cute when youâre flustered.â
âI am not cute.â
He looked at you, dead serious. âYou absolutely are.â
You rolled your eyes, but the smile on your face gave you away. âYou are so annoying.â
âAnd yet youâre still standing here.â
That time, you had no comeback.
Garrettâs expression softened when he noticed. He nudged your chin gently with his fingers, making you look at him. âHey.â
âYeah?â
His voice dropped into something quieter, more intimate. âIf you keep looking at me like that, Iâm going to stop being nice.â
Your breath caught again, and this time there was no pretending you did not like the sound of that.
You swallowed. âMaybe I want that.â
Garrett went still.
Then his mouth curved slowly, all confidence and heat and trouble. âYeah?â he said again, and this time the word sounded entirely different.
You stared at him, your pulse hammering.
He moved in closer, his forehead brushing yours again. âThen maybe you should stop pretending you came in here for shampoo.â
You glanced at the bottle on the counter, then back at him, and he laughed when he saw the look on your face.
âFine,â you muttered. âI did not come in here for shampoo.â
âI knew it.â
You huffed and looked away, only for Garrett to catch your chin and turn your face back toward his. âStay,â he said quietly.
The word was simple.
The way he said it was not.
Your breath caught, and all the teasing faded into something that felt more dangerous than anything you had walked in on. More intimate. More real.
So you stayed.
And Garrett, still damp and warm and smiling like he knew exactly what he was doing to you, kissed you again like he had no intention of letting the moment end anytime soon.
A/N: this is a love letter to my dearest @houseofhyde, I hope whatever is wrong with me helps cheer you up, my love. I love u <3. The title was Hyde's idea too, the numbers I chose are the diagnosis code for generalized hyperarousal/hypersexualization.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Word count: 8.5k
Warnings: dub-ish con (sex pollen)?, SMUT!! (p in v, face fucking, mating press, oral (m receiving), overstimulation (m&f), tears of overstimulation, begging?, beefy bucky looking that feral is its own warning, BCB (big cock bucky), size kink?
Summary: How many times has Steve told you not to touch weird shit in old labs?
Easy mission. In and out. Get intel, meet at the extraction point, get in the Quinjet and make it back to the compound in time to get pizza delivered from Donatello's, watch trashy TV while Sam talking shit about said trashy TV, and pass out on the couch.
At least, it would've been, until Joaquin decided to touch whatever definitely not innocuous shit he found in one of the labs and, in an attempt to get Bucky's old HYDRA expertise, made the small vial explode into a puff of pink smoke right in front of his face.
You were sweeping the lower lab levels when the comms crackled.âOh wow, this stuff is so old.â
You groaned. âThat sounded like the voice of a man about to do something stupid. Joaquin, do notââ And then you heard Bucky choke, cough, and groan like he was about to twist Joaquin's neck like an old farmer would do to a chicken before dinner.
You jogged around the corner, footsteps echoing in the old no-so-sterile halls, and met up with both of them bumping straight into Bucky's chest in the process, making him grunt at the impact.
"Oh, hi." You smiled at him like you always did: sweetly, kindly, like you weren't trying to hide the fact that you'd rearrange the tiles on every subway station in New York if he asked you to. "You guys okay?"
Joaquin shrugged and nodded, "Just got some old school glitter all over grandpa."Â
Bucky gave you a breathy "yeah, all good." before all of you nodded your heads in agreement and moved along.
You got to another wing of the old base, and the three of you got stopped by a heavy reinforced door preventing you from moving further into the hallway. âYou gotta be kidding me,â Joaquin sighed, smacking the reader with the heel of his palm.
You leaned in to inspect it, raising a brow. âLooks like the power lineâs fried in this section. Weâll have to backtrack throughââ You didnât finish, because Bucky swayed out of the corner of your eye.
Not dramatically, not theatrically, just enough that your hand shot out, instinctively catching his elbow. âWoah, hey,â you blinked up at him. âYou good?â He didnât answer.
His jaw flexed, teeth grinding. His breath came sharp, deeper, as if the air had suddenly gotten heavier around him. His pupils were⊠wide. Obscenely, almost. Swallowing the blue.
Joaquin noticed too. ââŠUh. Sarge?â
Bucky squeezed his eyes shut. Once. Twice. Like he was trying to blink something back into order.
âI said Iâm fine,â he rasped, voice low and not fine at all. But his shoulders trembled, he felt the fabric of his shirt start to cling to him like heâd just stepped out of a sauna, the collar of the tac vest becoming chafy and uncomfortable.
You felt heat radiating off himâlike his skin was cooking under the surface. Bucky inhaled sharply, not a normal breath, a slow, wrecking, deep inhale, eyes closing as he tumbled back, bracing himself on the wall.
ââŠBuck?â Your voice came out softer this time. You could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and the way his eyes were having a hard time focusing. His head lolled from side to side against the cold steel wall until you steadied his face to look at you. "Hey, talk to me."
"I feelâ" He couldn't get words to come out, the throughts were there but his tongue felt heavy, like it wanted to give away secrets his brain hadn't allowed it to."I think I'm sick." And God, the way that you took a glove off and put the back of your hand to his forehead just barely helped relieve the heat his body was producing.Â
Heat that went up a degree or two when you touched your cheek to his forehead, and he inhaled the sweet scent of your skin. Nothing perfume-like, or lotion, justâŠÂ you, right at the space where your neck met your shoulder, like the smell of you had hooked him by the throat and reeled him in.
"You're burning up." He felt a whine bubble in his throat when you pulled away to talk to Joaquin. "What exactly was in that lab?"
ââŠOkay. So remember that old glitter? Couldâve been, uhâbio-aerosol? Or something from that weird Cold War pheromone vault section?â It was almost cartoonish the way Joaquin's face formed into a wince. A very "we're so fucked and he's gonna kill me" wince.Â
You stared. âYou mean sex pollen.â
ââŠI did not want to be the guy to say that out loud.â Both of you turned your heads to the sound behind you, not quite a growl, or a moan, but something animal and hurt.
"Okay, how long do we have?" Your mind was going a mile a minute. "Is he gonna die before we get back?" You walked back to crouch in front of Bucky, looking for his eyes with yours. âHey,â you murmured, guiding his gaze back to you, âlook at me.â
His breathing stuttered. âYou shouldnâtââ he croaked, voice shredded raw. âI donâtâthis isnâtââ
âI know,â you whispered. "Can you hang on until we get to the jet? Bruce and Tony must have something that can help." All you got back was a nod.
After talking the long way out, you managed to get back to the team, Steve's face like a worried mother hen when he saw the three of you, Bucky insisting on walking on his own, telling Joaquin to stand between the two of you.Â
Steve jogged down immediately. âWhat the hell happened?â
Bucky jerked back like Steve reaching for him was a knife being drawn. âDonât,â he bit outâvoice shredded, almost unrecognizable.
âWhy do you look like youâre about to pounce on something?â
Steve pulled his hand back, palms up, tone softening instantly. âOkay. Okay. Not touching you. Just talk to me.â Joaquin stepped forward like he was testifying in court.
âSoâfun storyâturns out Cold War Russia kept, um⊠letâs call it biologically weaponized pheromone particulate in some of the older R&D labs andââ
Sam blinked, looked directly at Bucky, then you, then right back to Joaquin when he almost couldn't contain his laughter. âSo he just inhaled airborne horny juice.â
Steveâs face did every emotion at once. Concern. Fear. Confusion. A level of Catholic repression so strong it couldâve powered a city. While Sam just exhaled through his nose like someone who was seconds away from clocking out of reality.
Your body went still.
"I justâ I need to lie down, andâ" You reached out to help him onto the jet, but his hand shot our making you jump back. "Don'tâ" He sighed, trying to level his voice. "Just stay away from me."
You'd be lying if you said that didn't hurt a little. Like having the guy you've been pining over for the past two years tell you to buzz off didn't sting like lemon and rock salt on an open wound.Â
Okay, it hurt a lot.Â
It was visible the way that you retreated back into yourself, like it would protect you somehow. "Copy that."Â
Steveâs jaw ticked, Sam looked down like he suddenly found the floor very, very interesting, Joaquin winced like heâd just watched someone get smacked with a folding chair.
âWaitââ His voice cracked, caught in his throat. âI didnât meanââ
âItâs fine,â you said quickly. Too quickly. The verbal equivalent of throwing a sheet over a shattered glass and calling it clean. âWe need to get you stabilized. Thatâs all that matters.â
âNo. Donâtâdonât do that.â
You swallowed. âDo what?â
âThat.â His eyes held yours, unsteady, and almost pleading. âThat look. Like I pushed you into traffic.â
Steve took one step forward, voice gentle. âBuck, sheâs just giving you spaceââ
âI donât want space,â Bucky snapped. "I wantâ" Another wave of whatever the compound was hit him, and he doubled over in pain. Steve helped brace him and held a hand out to stop you when you instinctively stepped forward to help.Â
âLetâs get him on the cot,â Steve murmured to Sam and Joaquin, gentle, smooth, easing into triage leadership.Â
Sam mumbled to Steve on the way there. âWe gotta get him to the medbay before his bloodstream goes full Discovery Channel.â
The flight home was torture in slow motion.
Bucky sat hunched forward on the med-cot, elbows braced against his knees, hands fisting and unfisting like he was holding on to the last thread of himself. Every breath shook. Every exhale came rough, uneven, punched through clenched teeth. The fever didnât just burnâit crawled. Beneath his skin, along his spine, curling up behind his ribs like it was trying to get out. And every time the jet hit the slightest patch of turbulence, every sway of the cabin, every shift in yourbreathingâhe reacted. His head would lift like he was tracking you by sound alone, pupils blown wide, like you were the only oxygen in the room.
And youâGodâyou sat across the jet from him, arms wrapped around yourself like that could hold you steady, eyes tracing the floor, the ceiling, anywhere but him. Because looking at him meant seeing the raw need he was fighting to keep contained. It meant seeing him hurt.
After briefing Tony and Bruce, and getting a âThat man inhaled weaponized lust dust?â said over a pair of glasses and raised brows, Tony locked Bucky in a super soldier-proof room with bulletproof glass windows and an amazing vitals monitoring system. But if you asked for Bucky's opinion, the quarantine quarters were sterile in an unsettling way.Â
The lights were too bright, the sheets were chafy and uncomfortable against his skin, and everything was too white and clean. He managed to sweat through a shirt already, pacing around like a cautionary tale, and was on his way to doing so a second time. Not even the AC was able to help cool him off.Â
His eyes kept flickingâto the glass. To you, every few seconds, like his body knew exactly where you were even when he forced himself to look away.
Bruce was scrolling through old SHIELD and Hydra files on a tablet, voice low, clinical, steady.
âThe compound works by hijacking limbic and hypothalamic pathways,â he murmured. âDrives instinctual bonding and reproductive compulsion. Increases cortisol and dopamine at unsafe levels. If we donât neutralize it, he could go into cardiac stress within the next 12 to 24 hours.â
Your stomach dropped.
Tony glanced over. âBut hey, great news. He wonât die from horny. Probably. Unless he, you knowââ he mimed an explosion near his chest. âPops like an over-microwaved hot dog.â
Steve glared. âTony.â
âWhat? Humor is how I cope with things trying to kill us. Or in this case, trying to rail someone into a medically concerning state.â
âHeâs getting worse,â you whispered. âHis breathingâs all over the place. The pacing isnât helping anymore. We canât just let him ride this out.â
Steve scrubbed a hand down his face. âBruce is working as fast as he canââ
âStop talking about me like Iâm not here!â Bucky's voice snapped through the intercom, ragged and pained, and incredibly frustrated.Â
The room froze for a second. Steve flinched just slightlyâguilt flashing across his face, Bruce and Tony looked up, and Sam turned around from where he was, back facing the windows Bucky was now bracing his hand on.Â
And Buckyâ
Bucky had turned around, from his pacing back and forth, and settled in front of the glass walls. His chest rose and fell in heavy, uneven breaths. His jaw was set, eyes blown wide and dark, and sweat made his shirt cling to him like a second skin.
What stopped you dead in your tracks wasn't that, though. It wasn't his shirt starting to get soaked through, it wasn't his forehead shiny with sweat, it was the fact that the sweats he changed into did absolutely nothing to hide the state he was in.Â
You hadn't meant to look, but like the moon pulls the tide, your gaze found the almost offensive tent he was pitching in his pants. Long, heavy, solid, straining against fabric that was doing absolutely zero work as a barrierâjust pressed up the left side, the outline unmistakable.
Your pulse thundered behind your ribs like your heart wanted to sprint out of your chest and run to him. Steveâpoor, earnest, helpful Steveâinstantly jerked his head away like heâd just accidentally opened a strangerâs bathroom door.
âOh my God,â Steve muttered, eyes locked firmly on the ceiling tiles. âYep. Okay. Yep. Weâve reached that stage. Great.â
Sam spoke, turning back around, voice flat and so exhausted it could have been legally declared a sigh. âYeah, Iâm not making eye contact with any of that. Iâm barely managing my own dignity today.â
Tony lifted his coffee mug like a toast to misery. âWeâre all fighting for our lives right now, Wilson.â
Joaquin muttered something that sounded like holy mother of thirst traps, and immediately shut his mouth when Sam elbowed him.
He dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated and burning and so far past okay he had lapped the field. âThis is ridiculous,â he snapped, voice hoarse. âThereâs no reason for me to be locked up like someâsome feral animal. I said Iâm fine.â
âBucky,â you murmured, tone unimpressed. âYour heart rate is at one-seventy and you are five minutes away from humping the corner of the room.â
âIâm fine.â He snarled the word like it personally insulted him.
He turned againâanother pacing lap, another moving target distracting you from the actual problem. Or making you focus on it, depends who you ask.Â
Swing.
Swing.
Your eyes followed it like it had its own orbit. With every step he took, his breathing got worse, and his cock bobbed and swung with the movement. Did they even bother to get him a pair of boxers? For god's sake.Â
You tried to look away and failed. Spectacularly.Â
Bucky stopped mid-step when he noticed. Tilted his head once he followed your gaze, and then slowly focused his back on you, like he was studying you. The same way a jaguar tilts its head before crushing a prey's skull between its teeth. So slow, you felt it in your knees.Â
He wiped his face with the hem of his shirtâlifting itâexposing the deep, carved lines of muscle, the stretch of his abdomen, the line of hair disappearing downâ
You nearly whimpered.
âYeah,â he rasped, voice shredded, ânow imagine what it feels like." Oh, you did. "Inside my skin. Constant. Pressure. Heat. And I canât fucking touch anything because the second I doââ The thing is, Bucky didn't know every word out of his mouth at any given moment would, in fact, find its way to burrow under your skin.Â
Each word from his mouth meant another step towards the glass that was separating you both.Â
And against your better judgement, you had imagined it. You've imagined your hands wrapped around it, you've imagined the weight of it on your tongue, you've imagined it so far in the back of your throat thatâ
"Stop breathing like thatâI can hear it.â
Your breath caught, like a well trained animal obeying its master. "I'm not breathing in any different way."
"I can smell you too." And that made your brain short circuit. "It's sweet, andâ" He groaned, letting his head fall forward. "Fuck, you smellâ" Not even Stevie Wonder could've missed the drool that was pooling on his bottom lip and falling onto the floor.Â
âWanna taste it. Lick you open right here on the floor. Tongue-fuck your pussy until you canât remember your own name.â
When he lifted his head again, it felt like the entire world narrowed to just you two. With thick super soldier proof glass in between.Â
His breath fogged the glass at the same time his eyes narrowed at yours, looking for a sign that he was affecting you as much as you were affecting him. âYouâve thought about it.â Damn him, James Barnes and his ability to read you like a book written in a language only he could speak. âOh, sweetheart.â
It's almost like he could hear your thighs clenching together. âYou smell like youâre already wetâfuck.â Definitely not what you wanted him to announce over intercom to the entire team, but the blush creeping up your neck really didn't allow you to focus on anything other than the image in front of you.Â
Bucky Barnes, in a heathered grey shirt that he was sweating through, with a sinfully thin pair of sweatpants that could be an HR violation if anyone didn't know the contect of why anyone in the room with eyes could tell that was a perfect outline of his hard cock swinging around like it owned the place.Â
With previous icy blue eyes that were now blown black with lust, looking at you like you were the next meal of a very starving beast. A beast that was frothing at the mouth at the though of the taste of you.Â
âYou smell warm,â he murmured. âLike your skin would taste soft.â He continued, like taunting you was making anything better and not just riling both of you even more. âAnd youâre trying so fucking hard not to move,â he said, voice breaking into a whisper. âNot to come closer.â
"You're not exactly making it easy."
Another wave hit him and he winced. "I can't think with you here." He swallowed hard. "All I see when you're near is just your back hitting plaster and your legs around my hips.â
His breathing fracturedâlike something inside him had finally tipped past reason into pure, raw instinct. âI wish this glass wasnât here,â he said, teeth gritted like the words hurt. âIâd have you on your knees already⊠drooling around my cock.â
The air left your lungs. The more he talked the more it felt like one of those moments in the late summer into fall, where the pool is too cold and you jump in anyway. The moment where your lungs feel too small and the atmosphere feels too much and all you can really do is hyperventilate and try to breathe the shock away.Â
âYouâd let me, wouldnât you?â he said, like he was discovering something and confirming it all in the same breath. His tongue dragged over his bottom lip without him thinkingâmessy, desperate. âYouâd open your pretty mouth and take me all the way down just to make me stop begging.â
âYouâd look up at me while you did it,â he murmured, fever-slow, obscene in how sure he was. âEyes wide, tears in the corners, letting me fuck your throat until you couldnât speak.â
âStop making me picture it.â It was barely above a whisper, really. You're not sure anyone heard it over the sound of both of you breathing as hard as you were.Â
The drool slid from his lip againâslow, heavyâhanging for a moment before it fell to the floor. He didnât notice, he couldnât. His hips shiftedâjust a slight forward rollâand you bit your lower lip so hard you nearly bruised it.
Bucky's voice cracked down the middle. âFuckâpleaseââ His metal hand scraped against the glass, fingers curling. âI needâ I need toâ I need youââ He swallowed, jaw trembling, breath stuttering like holding himself together physically hurt. âJust let me wreck you,â he whispered.
He asked like your answer would ever be no. Like being that close to him without having him inside of you didn't physically hurt sometimes. Like you didn't have vivid dreams of his teeth on the bare skin of your ass and his hand wrapped around your neck like jewelry that belonged in the Louvre.
Steve stepped in between you two, ushering you away from Bucky. "That's enough."Â
Buckyâs head snapped toward him, eyes blown wide and dark like storm clouds about to break âNo,â he snarled, voice rough with panic instead of anger. âNoâdonâtââ
Bruce came forward, gentle hands on your shoulders. A doctor moving someone out of a blast radius. âCome on,â he murmured, soft. âGive him a second. His vitals are spikingâhe needs distance to stabilize.â
âHe doesnât need distance,â Bucky barked, hands slamming against the glassâpalms flatâevery tendon in his arms standing out in painful, shaking relief.
âHe needs her.â
âBuck. You need to stop.â Steve kept his voice low, even. âListen to yourself.â
Buckyâs chest was heavingâbreaths quick and hot and uneven. "I'm sorry, fuckâ Iâ" He didnât look at Steve, didnât look at Bruce. He didnât look at anything except you as Bruceâs hand eased you back.
âDonât take her away. Please. Pleaseââ Bruce kept moving you carefully, slowlyâgentle pressure between your shoulders.
You tried to go about your night.
You really did.
You showered. You changed. You sat on the edge of your bed with your hair still damp, staring at the wall like it might offer you a door out of your own head. But every time you closed your eyes, you saw himâforehead pressed to the glass, voice cracking when he said please, the kind of sound someone makes when theyâre falling and they already know the ground is going to hurt.
You lay back, staring blankly at the ceiling. You tried to count your breathsâsteady, even, controlled. But your breathing only reminded you of his. That ragged, uneven, burning inhale that came when he was trying to keep himself from breaking.
You turned onto your side. Then your back again. Pulled the blanket up. Pushed it off. You tried to be rational. To be logical. To be the good, responsible, emotionally stable adult in this situation.
But there was something tugging at you, something far deeper and quieter than lust. Something warm and sore and impossible to ignore.
So you did what any sane (not) person would do, and snuck away from your quarters, through the corridors, and into the med bay to be alone and unsupervised with a super soldier under the influence of super soldier viagra mixed with preworkout to say the very least.Â
The med bay was washed in low overnight lighting, the kind meant to soothe but doing absolutely nothing to calm the electricity tangled in the air. Bucky had been pacing for long enough that it was surprising the floor hadn't given in to the shape of his path.Â
His hair clung to his temples, damp and curling where it stuck. His breath came in harsh, uneven bursts, chest rising too fast, like his lungs couldnât catch air fast enough to match the fire under his skin.
Every few steps his metal hand flexed involuntarily, fingers clenching like he needed somethingâsomeoneâto hold on to.
He didnât see you.
He was somewhere inside the fever.
âFuckââ he grit out, stopping long enough to brace both hands against the wall, muscles in his back rippling as he bowed his head, throat exposed to the floor like he was trying to bleed the heat out of himself.
He took another stepâstumbledâcaught himself on the exam tableâ and then something in him just broke. He dragged his hand up his chest like he was trying to tear the heat out of himself, jaw clenched so hard a vein pulsed at his temple.
Your voice came out softer. âBuck.â He froze completely. He had hallucinations of your voice earlier that day, sweet little mewls you'd let out if you were there with him to siphon them out of you, while he tried to take care of the issue on his own.Â
Slowly, he turned his head toward the sound, and his eyes found you. And something in his entire body gave out. His breathing stutteredâhardâlike his ribs were suddenly too tight to contain the relief.
He took a full, instinctive step toward youâbody moving before thoughtâand then something in him seized. The sensible part of his brain stopped him from getting closer to the glass.Â
"Get out of here."
Your brows furrowed in confusion. "Bucky, Iâ"
"Get the fuck out of here." He doubled over in pain again. "It hurts worse when you're so close and I can'tâ"
Your voice came out thinâfragileâalmost unrecognizable to your own ears. âBucky⊠Iâm begging you. I canât just stand out here and watch you suffer.â
"It wouldn'tâ I couldâ" If his brain started leaking out of his ears, you wouldn't be exactly surprised. "It's not safe for you." He flinched like the words actively hit him.
"You'd never hurt me."
"You could beg me to stop and I wouldn't be able to."Â
He was still bent over, hand braced on the wall, every muscle in his back trembling from restraint. His breath dragged ragged through his chest, sweat rolling down his sternum in a slow line that made your own pulse stumble.
âIâm begging you,â you whispered. âLet me help.â
He shook his head onceâsharpâlike the motion hurt. âDonât sound like thatââ
âLike what?â
âLike you want me.â The words tore out raw, like heâd ripped them straight from the center of him.
The room went quiet for a moment, and you had yet another brilliant idea that wouldn't get you in trouble bigger than you could handle at all. Your feet moved you to stand by the control panel, and his head snapped upâeyes blown wide, panic flaring under the fever.
âDonât do that. Donât come in here. Iâm telling youâI canâtââ You typed in your override code with steady hands, changed a single setting in the lock, and despite Bucky's protests, the door hissed open, and you bolted into the room before it latched closed again.
âIâm not leaving you alone in here.â Bucky grabbed you by the arm and attempted to open the door, not knowing you locked it from the outside.Â
"Are you insane?!" He didn't sound angry, he sounded terrified. Terrified of not being able to hold back from everything he wanted to do to you.Â
You moved toward himânot with impulse, but with a quiet, controlled resolve that came from somewhere deep in your chest. Bucky didnât step back this time. He just watched you, breathing unevenly, shoulders tense like every muscle in his body was wound tight enough to snap.
You lifted your hand slowly, giving him time to stop you if he needed to. He didnât. So you let your palm settle against his bare chest, right over his heartbeat. His skin was hotâfever-hotâbut under your hand the fire shifted, softened, just enough to change from a burn to an ache. The air left him in a long, shaking exhale, like your touch let him breathe for the first time in hours.
His forehead dropped to your shoulder, not in collapse, but in relief. A small shudder went through him, his ribs expanding against your hand as he tried to steady himself. You could feel his pulse hammering, fast and uneven.
âItâs a little better,â he murmured, voice rough against your collarbone.
âNot enough,â you said quietly.
He shook his head, and you felt the motion against your skin. âNo. Not nearly enough.â
Your thumb traced a slow, grounding arc just beneath his sternum, the simplest touch offered as reassurance. His metal hand hovered near your hip, not touching you, shaking with restraint. Every part of him was working to not grab, not pull, not give in to instinct.
âBucky,â you murmured. Your hand slid up, fingers brushing the line of his collarbone before you cupped the side of his jaw. His skin was hot beneath your touch, flushed. âLet me help.â
His eyes squeezed shut, his brow furrowing like the words physically hurt.
âYou donât know what youâre asking.â
âYes, I do.â Your voice stayed soft, steady. âI know you. I know you would never hurt me. And Iâm standing right here choosing you.â
His breath caught, a shaking inhale that didnât quite make it all the way in. You leaned in slowly, giving him time to stop youâeven nowâand pressed your lips to the sharp angle of his jaw.
He made a soundâlow, involuntaryâsomething between a groan and a gasp, his grip tightening on your hip without meaning to. The heat of him was overwhelming now that you were fully inside his space, and when you shifted closer, your thigh brushed the unmistakable, urgent press of him against the front of his sweats.
He joltedâlike the contact shocked himâbut he didnât step back.
You whispered against his jaw, your lips barely moving. âLet me help, Buck.â
His breath stuttered, chest rising too fast against yours.
âPlease,â you whispered, the word soft and warm and devastating. âLet me take care of you.â
His resolve buckledânot shattered, not brokenâbut gave.
You slid your hand down, slow and deliberate, until your palm hovered at the waistband of his sweats. He didnât pull away. Didnât breathe. Didnât speak. His eyes locked on yoursâwide, dark, waiting.
So you touched him.
Your palm cupped him through the fabric, the heat and weight of him filling your hand instantly. He let out a sound that came from somewhere deep in his chestâraw, ragged, helpless. His forehead fell forward until it nearly touched yours, his breath shaking against your cheek.
You kept your touch slow. Gentle. Controlled. No teasing, no sudden movementsâjust steady pressure, your hand molded to him through the soft cotton, up and down in a rhythm meant to soothe the fever thrumming under his skin.
His fingers dug into your hipânot hard, just anchoring.
âSweetheartââ His voice was barely a voice, just breath and need. âIf youâif you keep doing thatâIâm not gonnaââ
You kissed his jaw again, slower this time.
âThatâs the point,â you whispered. His breath collapsed against your neck and you stroked him againâfirmer this time.
The roughness in his breathing started to shift, not easing but changing, gathering into something more focused, less chaotic. But the fever was still burning too hot, crawling under his skin like an electric current with nowhere to go.
So you sank to your knees.
The floor was cold beneath you, a stark contrast to the heat bleeding off of him. Your fingers found the waistband of his sweats and tugged. He didnât stop you. Couldnât. His head hit the wall behind him with a dull thud, chest heaving as he triedâfailedânot to look down at you.
You freed him from the confines of the fabric, and he sprang forwardâthick, flushed, already leaking, and twitching with need. Your breath caught as you wrapped your hand around him properly for the first time.
He let out a strangled groan so loud it echoed off the sterile walls. One hand reached down blindly, threading through your hair like it was the only lifeline he had left. He whispered your name like a curse, like a prayer, like salvation.
Your tongue flattened against the underside of him first, tracing the thick, pulsing vein that ran along the length of his cock. You felt him twitch in your hand, heard the harsh stutter of his breath above you as his grip in your hair tightened just enough to sting. When your lips wrapped around the flushed, leaking tip, Bucky actually whimpered.
âFuckââ he choked, hips jerking despite himself. âJesus, baby, that mouthââ
You hollowed your cheeks and took more of him, inch by inch, until your lips kissed the base and your throat fluttered around him. The way he gaspedâit was like heâd been drowning and finally broke the surface.
âGod, youâreâfuck, I knew it, I knew youâd take me like this,â he hissed. âSo good. So fucking good. Like you were made for this.â
His knees almost buckled.
The sweat rolling down his chest gathered at the sharp lines of his abdomen, and he looked down, glassy-eyed and wrecked, watching his cock disappear past your lips over and over. You stroked what you couldnât fit, twisting your wrist, drool slipping from the corner of your mouth to join the obscene, wet sounds echoing off the walls.
He didnât last long.
He couldnâtâhadnât been touched in hours, hadnât let himself feel anything in months, maybe years, and now here you were, mouth full of him, eyes blown wide with submission and need, and he could feel the fever receding under your touch, like you were the cure he didnât deserve.
His head slammed back against the wall again, both hands in your hair now as he held you there, not forcingâjust anchoringâjust begging. âJust a little more, baby. Justâfuck, Iâm so close, pleaseââ
âItâs still bad, isnât it?â He didnât answer. âYou donât have to hold back with me.â You rose up just enough to press your mouth to the inside of his thighâsoft, slow, intentionalâthen looked up again, voice thready but determined. âTake what you need from me, Bucky.â
You take him into your mouth againâno hesitation this time, no slow pacing. You hum around him; you donât even realize you do it. His whole body jerksâhips twitching forward, instinct overriding restraint for a split second.
His hips roll forwardâslow at first, testing, like heâs afraid of how much he needs this. But when your hands grip his thighs and you pull him closer, the last of his restraint just⊠slips.
âSweetheartââ His voice drops, a gravel-soft moan. âOkay. Okay, Iâshitââ
His rhythm finds you, and it pushes his cock inside of your mouth over and over again, bruising the back of your throat, making your eyes water.Â
Bucky, on the other hand, was losing his mind. He feels like this could only really be a fever dream. The vision before him being one that he only saw seconds before waking up in a sticky mess of his own cum in his room some nights.Â
âYou have no ideaââ A thrust, shallow but desperate. âIâve wantedââ Another, deeper now, hips stuttering. âGodâthisâthisââ He chokes on your name.
Your moan around him sent him right to the edge.
He came hard, with a broken cry that echoed with pain and relief and something that sounded suspiciously like your name. Hot, thick ropes spilled onto your tongue, down your throat, and you took every drop, swallowing around him while his body trembled, legs unsteady, heart thundering behind his ribs.
He looked down at you afterward, wrecked beyond recognition, jaw slack and pink lips parted like he couldnât believe you were real.
ââŠholy fuck,â he rasped.
You didnât even need to say anythingâyour eyes said it all. Your fingers curled tighter around the base of him, guiding him back to your lips, already red and slick with spit and the remnants of his release. You pressed a slow kiss to the tip, and Bucky swore under his breath, hips twitching.
âYouâre still hard,â you murmured, voice low, almost disbelieving. âYou need more.â
He didnât answer right away. Just looked at youâhead cocked, eyes wild and glassy, like he was still fighting himself even while his cock throbbed in your grip, fully hard again. His breath hitched when you opened your mouth, letting your tongue flatten against the underside of him again, licking him like you missed it.
That was all it took.
A rough groan tore from his chest as his hips surged forward, pushing himself back into your mouth. You moaned around him, taking him deeper, your throat already used to the stretch. His grip tightened in your hair, holding you steady this timeânot pushing, not yet, just anchoring as he began to roll his hips, slow at first, dragging himself against your tongue.
But he couldn't hold back. Not when you looked like that. Not when you made those sounds.
âOpen wider,â he grit out, voice almost guttural. âLet meâfuck, let me use your mouth.â
You did. You relaxed your throat, looked up at him through heavy lashes, and let him have it.
He began to thrustâdeep, slow at first, but building with every breath. Each time he bottomed out, your throat flexed, gagging just a little, tears slipping from the corners of your eyes. And he loved it. Ate it up like a man starved.
âShitâshit, baby,â he groaned, hips stuttering. âLook at youâtaking it so fucking well, like itâs what your mouth was made for.â
He was leaking again, throbbing inside you, grunting with every pass of his cock down your throat. You could feel him fighting the edge again alreadyâhis whole body shaking, hair falling into his eyes, thighs tense beneath your hands.
He came again. Harder this time. The first shot hit the back of your throat as he choked out your name like it was the only word he knew. His hips didnât stop moving. Even as he emptied himself into your mouth, he was still hard, still needing.
When he finally stilled, breathing like heâd just run ten miles, he looked down at youâruined, wrecked, flushedâand exhaled your name like a plea.
âI still need more.â
Your lips were swollen, spit-slick, eyes glossy and dazed as you slowly released him from your mouth with a wet pop. Bucky was panting above you, flushed all the way down his chest, body still trembling from his second orgasmâand still hard. Angry and flushed and leaking again, like his body didnât understand that two shouldâve been enough.
You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, but your gaze never left him. Not for a second. And he looked down at you like he was about to fall to his knees. Or break through the floor. Or both.
Then you stood.
Without a word, you reached for his wrist and guided himâslowly, steadilyâtoward the exam table. The padded med bed sat cold and untouched, the thin clinical comforter shuffled under your grip as you leaned against it and looked over your shoulder at him.
His hands were on your hips before you even breathed, gripping you like you were the only tether he had to this fucking world. He yanked your sleep shorts and underwear down in one swift, rough motion, groaning when he saw how wet you wereâslick, glistening, thighs trembling.
âAll this for me?â he muttered, almost in disbelief, dragging the tip of his cock through your folds. You gaspedâmore from the weight of it than the tease.
âIâve been yours,â you panted, looking back at him over your shoulder. âYou just havenât fucked me like it.â
That did it.
He lined up and shoved in with one brutal, gorgeous thrustâsplitting you open on his cock so deep you almost screamed. Your hands scrambled for purchase on the med bed, fingers clawing at the sheets as your body struggled to accommodate him. He was thick, long, heavyâand unrelenting. No time to adjust. No warning. Just full.
âJesus fucking Christ,â he hissed, bottoming out inside you. âYou feel like heaven. Hot, tightâfuck, I can feel your pussy fluttering alreadyââ
You were already trembling under him, already dripping down your thighs. He grabbed a fistful of your hair and tugged your head back gently, just enough to murmur in your ear as he rocked into you.
âYou wanted this,â he growled. âWanted to help? Mmm? Did you? Or did you just want and excuse to have my cock inside of you?â
You whimpered, unable to speakâyour brain blank, body overstimulated, mouth falling open.
âSay it,â he snarled, thrusting harder. âTell me you begged for this cock.â
âIâI begged for it,â you gasped. âBuckyâoh my Godâyouâre soâfuckâyouâre so deep, I canâtââ
âYes, you can,â he said, and then he was railing into youâbrutal and beautiful and ruthlessâhis cock driving into you so hard your toes curled and your walls clamped down around him. Your stomach was pressed to the cold med bed now, knees buckling as he fucked you through it, chest bouncing with every thrust.
âPlease,â you sobbed. âPlease donât stopââ
âNever,â he growled. âIâm not stopping until youâre filled up and leaking for me. Until you canât walk straight. Until they smell me on you.â
His rhythm faltered.
You could feel itâhow his thrusts turned erratic, his breath shortened into harsh, broken gasps against your skin, every nerve in his body set to burn. He was so deep inside you, so swollen and throbbing, and even though heâd already come twice, he was barely holding on now, just riding the edge with ragged desperation.
âTooâfuckâcanâtââ he growled, hips snapping hard and fast as his chest collapsed against your back. âYouâre gonnaâfuckâmilk me dry, baby.â
You barely got a gasp out before he slammed into you one last time and bit down on the curve of your shoulderâhard.
It wasnât gentle. It wasnât controlled. It was animal.
Teeth sinking into skin just below your neck, like claiming you was the only thing keeping him alive. The sting of it only made your orgasm crash harder, clenched around him like a vice just as he spilled inside youâthick and hot, cock pulsing violently through the aftershocks, moaning into your skin like it broke him.
But Bucky didnât pull out.
Didnât move away like someone who just had his third orgasm in less than an hour. Noâhe collapsed over your back for a moment, panting, shaking, and then lifted his head, wrapped his arms around your waist, and lifted.
You gasped as your spine straightened, as he manhandled you into the center of the bed with strength that made your head spin.Â
âI need to see your face,â he muttered, voice wrecked and low. âNeed to watch you come around me this time.â
He flipped you over, sweat-slick hands gripping the undersides of your thighs and pushing them up, folding you into a tight mating press before you could even think. Your knees were practically pinned to your chest, legs spread wide, cunt exposedâwet and puffy and already leaking with him.
Bucky looked down at you like a starving man finally given permission to devour. And even though his cock was still twitching from the last orgasmâsensitive, too sensitiveâhe lined himself back up, and pushed inside again with a groan that bordered on agony.
âFuck, fuckâhurts so good,â he panted, hips rolling slow this time, deep. âToo much. Too fucking much, but IÂ canât stop.â
You moaned, head thrown back, fingernails digging into his arms.
âLook at me,â he growled. âWant you looking at me when I fuck you full again. Want you remembering who did this to you. Who made you this wet. This messy.â
His hands pressed your thighs deeper, nearly folding you in half, angle so intense you could feel him in your stomach.
âFeel that?â he whispered, voice rough and wrecked. âThatâs me. Right fucking there.â
Your fingers reached for him, tangling in his sweat-damp hair, needing him closer. He dropped his forehead to yours, breath mingling, mouths nearly brushing as his cock dragged slow and deep inside youâwet and squelching from how much heâd already spilled.
âTell me you want it,â he panted. âTell me you want more.â
âI want it,â you breathed. âWant everything.â
His cock twitched at the sight. At the mess heâd already made of you.
But it still wasnât enough.
âFuck, look at this pussy,â he groaned, lining up again. âStuffed and still begging for more. Youâre leaking down the backs of your thighs and I havenât even gotten serious yet.â
Then he slammed back into you.
You whined, mouth falling open, hands scrabbling at his arms, nails dragging down his sweat-slicked biceps. The sound of his cock driving into you, the wet slap of skin against skin, was obsceneâechoing off the cold med bay walls. Each thrust was brutal, hungry, unrelenting.
âYes,â you gasped, back arching, eyes wide and wild. âFucking ruin me, Bucky.â
He snarled like youâd just handed him a license to break you.
âGonna stretch this pussy until I mold you to the shape of my cock,â he growled, sweat dripping from his temples as he drove deeper, harder, each thrust punching a breath out of your lungs. âYou were made for this. For me. Just like this.â
Your thighs trembled where he held them pinned. Your cunt clamped down on him like your body didnât want to let go, and it made him growlâlow, animal, primal.
âI can feel you squeezing meâfuckâmilking my cock.â
âBecause youâre fucking perfect inside me,â you moaned, wrecked. âSo fucking deep, BuckyâI feel you in my throat.â
He didnât let up. He wanted you boneless. Brainless. Gone. He needed you raw and crying and fucked full. His balls slapped against your ass, cock driving into the tight, wet clutch of you over and over, chasing the next high like a man possessed.
âGonna breed you, baby,â he whispered in a wrecked, breathless voice. âWanna fuck it in so deep youâll be dripping with me for days. Wanna see your belly swollen from how much I put in you.â
You cried outâclenching around him like your body wanted that, like it needed it.
His thrusts turned downright feral, pounding into you so hard the med bed squealed beneath your bodies. You held onto him like youâd fly off the earth otherwise, like he was the only real thing in the universe.
âYouâre mine,â he snarled into your ear. âThis pussy? Mine. This fucking body? Mine.â
âAll yours,â you sobbed, overwhelmed and blissed-out. âPlease, Buckyâdonât stop.â
âI wonât.â He pressed your legs even tighter to your chest, bent down until his chest was against yours, and fucked you into the bed like the world was ending.
You didnât know how long it had been.
How many times heâd come. How many times you had. You were shaking, soaked, stretched so wide around him that it felt like you were being fucked into another dimension. Your thighs burned from being pinned open in the tightest press imaginable, your body locked beneath his. Sweat pooled between your bodies, his skin slick and hot, his muscles trembling with effort.
You sobbed when he thrust againâslow, deep, dragging the head of his cock along every oversensitive inch of your cunt.
âBuckyââ you whimpered, voice broken. âI canâtâI canâtââ
âYou can,â he groaned, still moving inside you. âYou are.â
Your tears were hot as they spilled down your cheeks. Not from pain. Not from fear. From bliss. Pure, ruined, brain-melting pleasure that had nowhere else to go but out through your eyes.
And stillâhe didnât stop.
He couldnât stop. Not when your walls were fluttering around him again, your cunt choking his cock like your body was begging for one more release.
âBaby,â he rasped, voice wrecked beyond repair, âI canâtâfuckâIâm so closeâagainââ
You were babbling now, hands clawing at his back, words slurred through cries. âPlease, please, come againâfill me up, Bucky, donât stop, donât stopââ
That shattered him.
His hand found your jaw, gripping it firm but careful, tilting your face to the side, tears still streaking your flushed cheeks. His mouth dropped to your jawline, teeth grazing your skin before he bit downâjust enough to make you cry out. To mark you. To claim.
His lips dragged against your wet cheek, breath hot and ragged as he whispered filth directly into your skin.
âYouâre gonna be ruined for anyone else,â he growled. âNo one elseâll ever fuck you this deep. No one elseâll fill you like I do. Youâll think about thisâevery time you sit down and feel me leaking out of you.â
You gasped, your pussy clenching tight again, and that made him snarl.
âOh, you like that,â he panted against your cheek. âYou like knowing Iâve come in you three times and Iâm still fucking goingâfilling you to the brim like this pussy belongs to me.â
âIt does,â you sobbed. âItâs yoursâitâs only yours.â
He bit down againâright beneath your cheekboneâand his hips bucked hard, cock twitching, and then he spilled inside you again.
Hot, thick, endlessâyour body taking it all, your womb aching with how much he was pumping into you, filling you again and again like some primal need had taken hold and wouldnât let go.
You clung to him, nails dragging down his sweat-slick back, body convulsing with overstimulation, your own orgasm cresting again, tears slipping freely down your cheeks, wet between your legs and everywhere else.
And through it allâhis voice stayed right in your ear.
Sunlight filtered through the high, frosted windowsâgold and soft, painting long lines across the floor and sterile white counters. Machines hummed faintly. The scent of antiseptic still clung faintly to the air, but it was dulled now, overpowered by the unmistakable smells of sweat, sex, and fabric softener.
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose before they even turned the corner.
âIâm just saying,â he muttered, tablet in hand, âif he exploded in the middle of the night, itâs your fault, Rogers. Youâre the one who insisted on the glass enclosure.â
âHe didnât explode,â Steve replied, voice calm but tight. âBut we need to check his vitals. And see if the feverâs gone for good.â
âAnd you donât think maybe knocking first would beââ
The door hissed open.
Tony stepped in first, looking up from his tablet. Steve followedâand froze halfway through the threshold.
There, on the exam bed, tangled in sheets and wrapped around each other like two vines too stubborn to separate, were you and Bucky.
Naked.
Dead asleep.
His arm was slung over your waist, metal hand curled possessively around your hip. Your leg was draped over his. His nose was buried in your neck. One of your hands was splayed on his chest, and both of your mouths were parted in very unflattering, very loud, synchronized snoring.
And the sheets?
The sheets were barely covering anything.
âOh Jesus,â Steve hissed, immediately turning around so fast his shoulder knocked into a tray of sterile wipes. âNope. No. Thatâsânope.â
Tony took one look, blinked, and quietly said, âSo the mating press was successful.â
Steve groaned. âTony.â
âWhat?! Theyâre alive. Theyâre breathing. No heart attack. Just aâyâknowâthorough night ofâŠÂ clinical bonding.â
âStop talking.â
Tony didnât stop talking. He just raised the tablet and started typing. âGotta say, though, Barnes is kind of a legend.â
Steve made a strangled noise somewhere between a cough and a choked-off scream. âI am not listening to this.â
âYou know,â Tony continued, ignoring him completely, âmost guys tap out after two. Maybe three if theyâve got performance enhancers. But your boy over there looks like he went five, maybe six rounds. Give the man a medal.â
Steve was red in the face now. âTony.â
And on the bed, completely oblivious, Bucky grumbled something about peaches and tight little throats in his sleep, nuzzled deeper into you, and pulled you even closer.
Tony paused.
ââŠokay, maybe a warning label instead of a medal.â
a/n: as always, if this is buns donât perceive me!!!! I'll blame it on the fact that I had to write most of this while working a slow 12.
"You could beg me to stop and I wouldn't be able to."Â
âIâm begging you,â you whispered. âLet me help.â
He shook his head onceâsharpâlike the motion hurt. âDonât sound like thatââ
âLike what?â
âLike you want me.â The words tore out raw, like heâd ripped them straight from the center of him.
yeah i'm rereading this shit later holy. bbl you have a way with words and storytelling. your plots eat up every time and i know i'm going to eat this shit up too. ALSO BCB (big cock bucky) ?????????????????????????????
All you'd wanted was to satisfy a dumb curiosityâwhether or not Viagra had an effect on women. It wasnât like you were going to pop a whole pill and throw yourself at the next human being in sight. It was just a fun, stupid experiment for a boring Wednesday afternoon. Youâd split the dose in half, dropped one into each of two steaming cups of black coffeeâone for you, one for JJâand left them on your desk while you stepped away to make Dr. Spencer Fucking Reid his usual. Like you did everyday.
The man had a freakish internal clockâhe always took his second coffee at exactly 3:17 PM. You were the one who usually made it for him, and this time, that was your downfall. You had left your desk to go make his usual cup, completely forgetting youâd left the two tainted ones sitting there.
When you walked back in, everything went to hell. JJ looked chipper, a little pink in the cheeks, sipping from one of the cups. Spencer was holding the other spiked one. You stared at the third cup in your hand, the safe, non-Viagra-laced cup youâd made specifically for him, and your stomach dropped.
âFuck,â you muttered.
He noticed you staring, eyes narrowing behind those glasses.âWhat?â
âNothing!â you blurted, voice too high, too guilty. âJustâcoffee. You know. Love it. Canât live without it.â JJ gave you a sidelong glance over her cup, one eyebrow rising looking over at Reid, who of course, had already half-finished the drink.
Fifteen minutes later, he shifted in his seat. Twenty minutes in, he tugged at his tie. Cleared his throat. His cheeks were flushed. You didnât want to believe it was happening, but it was.
The Viagra was definitely working.
At twenty-five minutes, Spencer Reid stopped typing mid-sentence. His hands froze over the keyboard. His brows knitted in concentration, he glanced at you. His expression unreadable. Then he stood abruptly. His chair rolled back. His hand pressed low to his stomachâalmost reflexivelyâand he muttered, âI need to step out.â
You blinked. âWhat?â But he didnât answer. He was already halfway to the hallway bathroom. You turned slowly to JJ. She looked back at you. Eyes wide. âDid he justâ?â
âHe drank yours,â you hissed. JJ nearly choked. âThen whoâ?â
âI have his.â You looked at the untouched cup beside you. âYou took mine. He took yours.â JJ snorted so hard she had to cover her mouth. âOh my God.â
âThis isnât funny!â you whisper-yelled.
âI canât believe you accidentally drugged Reid!â
âI didnât drug him! Iâokay, technically, yes, Iââ You groaned. âJJ. I gave Spence a goddamn boner pill.â You dropped your face into your hands.
It took him thirty-six minutes to come back. And when he did? You knew immediately. Because he knew. His eyes landed on you with laser precision. He didnât speak, not at first. He just walkedâcalmly, slowlyâover to your desk. You looked up, throat dry.
âYou wanna tell me,â he said angrily hushed, âwhy I just spent half an hour in the menâs room trying to hide a completely inexplicable erection?â
You stared at him before looking around for JJ to be your saving grace, of course that bitch was nowhere to be found. âSpencer, I can explainââ
âCan you?â His voice was low, sharp. âBecause the only logical explanation is that someone laced my coffee with sildenafil citrate.â
You winced. âWe were justâcurious. JJ and I.â
His jaw ticked. âWe?â
âLook, I wasnât trying toââ You fumbled. âIt was for JJ and me! I made two cups, left them on my desk, and then went to get your usualââ
âAnd you didnât think to label them?â His voice cracked at the end, furious and scandalized. âYou didnât think to mention the presence of a powerful vasodilator in the office kitchen?â
âOkay, youâre being dramatic.â
âI am hard in trousers I canât stand up in.â
You bit your bottom lip. âOh my God, Spencerââ
âDonât use that toneâlike Iâm the one in the wrong here.â
You were fighting a laugh. He looked so mad, and so flushed, and so painfully, obviously turned on.
His slacks betrayed him completely. The sharp cut of his jacket couldnât hide the tension in his body, couldnât cover the way he shifted, subtle and controlled, like every move was an effort not to feel too much.
âAre you seriously mad at me?â you asked, voice low, eyes darting around.
He leaned in, his mouth near your ear. âIâm hard,â he whispered, âand Iâve been hard for forty-five minutes. You drugged me. You think this is funny?â
You swallowed. âNo.â But your voice said otherwise.
âItâs not funny,â you said, grinning. âItâs justââ
âWhat?â His voice dropped. âItâs what?â He just sat there, visibly hard, visibly panicking, eyes darting toward his lap like his own body was betraying him in real time.
âReid,â you whispered, âdo you want me to take you somewhere private?â
âIâuhâwhat? No. I mean, yes, I justââ He exhaled sharply and pressed the heels of his palms into his thighs, like that would help the situation. âThis is not... I donât normally feel like this. Not around you. I mean, not because of you. Notânot that I donât find you attractive, because youâre very attractive, obviously. Itâs justâI wasnât prepared for this. You dosed me.â
You tried not to laugh. âI didnât dose you, I made a coffee laced with a questionable pharmaceutical as a joke for JJ, and you drank it.â
His eyes narrowed. âThat doesnât make it better.â
âNo,â you agreed, biting your lip. âBut it does make it kind of hot.â
He gawked. âHot?â
You leaned in, your voice hushed. âYou. Like this. All flustered and mad and trying really hard to pretend you're not turned on in front of me.â
He made a wounded, embarrassed sound and ran a hand through his hair. âOh my god. Youâre enjoying this.â
You tilted your head. âA little.â
âI could report you to HR,â he muttered, though it had no real bite. His cheeks were flushed, jaw tight with discomfort and... something else. He refused to meet your eyes.
âAnd what would you say?â you teased gently. ââShe accidentally gave me a hard-on in the middle of the bullpen and then looked too hot about it?ââ
He groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face. âYouâre the worst.â you noticed he didnât move away when you inched a little closer, nor did he stop you when you rested your hand lightly on his knee.
He looked down at it. Then up at you. And his voice cracked a little when he asked, âWhat... are you doing?â
You smiled. âMaking it up to you.â
âYou canât justâjust seduce your way out of this,â he stammered. âThis is medical. Physiological. IâIâm experiencing venous occlusion andâand increased nitric oxideââ
âGod, even flustered, youâre the most ridiculously hot person Iâve ever met,â you muttered, half to yourself.
He stared at you, lips parted. âAre you serious right now?â
You nodded, still smiling. âDead serious.â
âYou donât have to do anything, Spence,â you said softly. âJust come with me. Somewhere private. Iâll take care of it.â
He hesitated. Eyes searching yours like he was weighing every possible outcome. Then he stood suddenly, stiffly, clearly trying to adjust himself without making it worse.
He stared at you. Then he looked toward Hotchâs office. Empty. Toward the hallway. Quiet. Back at you.
He grabbed your wrist. You barely had time to register it. He pulled you down the hallway, fast and quiet, past the copier, past the tech room, past the old conference wing. His grip was hot and firm around your wrist
You knew where he was going before you saw the door: Storage 4C â Surplus Tech.
Dead zone. No cameras. Half the time even Garcia forgot it existed. He pulled you in. Shut the door. Locked it. Watching him pace in a tight circle, he looked like he might combust.
âThis is insane,â he said. âIâve got dopamine overload, I canât think straight, my pantsââ He gestured wildly toward his zipper. âI canât even sit down like this.â
You took a slow step toward him. âThen donât sit down.â He opened his mouthâprobably to ask what the hell you meantâbut before he could speak, you dropped to your knees.
âWhâwhat are youââ His voice cracked halfway through the sentence, sharp and panicked.
You looked up through your lashes, palms dragging slowly up the backs of his thighs. âYou said you didnât know what to do, right? So let me.â You reached up to undo his belt, watching the muscles in his stomach tighten beneath the fabric of his shirt.
âYou donât have toââ he choked out.
âI want to,â you said simply.
He made a soft, moan when you freed him from the confines of his slacksâthick and flushed, already straining with pressure. The tip was leaking, glistening, and you could tell just how sensitive he was by the way his thighs trembled the second your breath ghosted over his skin.
âFuck,â he whispered. âOh my god.â You wrapped your fingers around the base and leaned in, licking a slow, teasing stripe up the underside of his cock. His whole body jolted.
One hand shot out instinctively and tangled in your hair, the other hovered helplessly in the air like he didnât know what to do with himself. His head tipped back against the wall, breath ragged.
âY-youâre gonna kill me,â he whispered.
You smiled around him as you took him into your mouth, slowly, letting him feel the heat, the suction, the way your tongue curled just right. He gaspedâa sharp, disbelieving soundâand his hips jerked forward before he forced himself back, muttering a frantic, âSorryâsorry, I didnât mean toââ
You moaned around him in response, letting him know you liked it, and the sound dragged another whimper out of him.
He looked down at you, his face flushed, his lips parted, his expression somewhere between awe and desperation. His fingers tightened in your hair again when you took him deeper, your throat relaxing around him.
âGod, youâreââ He cut off with a moan, teeth digging into his lower lip. âYou feel... fuck, you feel so good.â
You bobbed your head slowly, deliberately, watching him unravel. He was panting now, trying and failing to keep it together. His knees buckled slightly and his grip in your hair more needy.
âIâmâI canâtââ he stammered, trying to pull you back gently. âYouâyou have to stop or Iâm gonnaââ
You hummed low in your throat, and that was it. His cock twitched in your mouth as he came. you sucked harder, mouth still wrapped around him, swallowing everything, hands steady on his hips while he sagged against the wall,
You let him go with one last slow drag of your tongue, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand like it was just another Tuesday.
His eyes were still closed when you stood. Like he couldnât quite process as you leaned in close, your voice a whisper at his ear, âI said Iâd fix it,â you murmured, âconsider us even.â And then you turned and walked outâleaving him dazed, pants half-open, jaw slack, completely wrecked in the supply closet of the BAU.
No shame. Just the soft sound of your boots against the tile, echoing back to him
Spencer Reid didnât move for a full five minutes. And when he finally did, all he could say was: ââŠHoly shit.â
a/n: omfg itâs confirmed Matthew is coming back for season 18 of criminal minds im losing my shit
Summary: Spencerâs changed, but JJ hasnât realized it or the aftermath of JJâs confession and how it shouldâve gone [3.3k]
Warnings: Fluff, Spencer being in love with you, angst
âĄ
JJ never saw it coming. Â
Not at first. Â
She had seen every version of Spencer Reidâthe awkward genius, the baby profiler, the grieving man who had lost so much. She had seen him at his highest and his lowest, and through it all, she had always thought she knew him better than anyone else.Â
So when you entered the picture, she didnât think much of it. Â
You were fresh meat, eager to prove yourself, and naturally, you gravitated toward Spencer. Everyone did, at first. His mind was a magnet for curiosity. He was brilliant, fascinating, full of facts that would bore most people into the ground Â
But you werenât most people. Â
JJ noticed that much early onâhow you never seemed annoyed by Spencerâs ramblings, how you never cut him off or rolled your eyes the way some of them did when he rambled on for too long. You actually listened. You asked questions. You encouraged him. Â
At the time, JJ thought you were just kind. She appreciated it, really. Spencer had been lonely since Morgan left, and he needed someone. She assumed that was all you wereâsomeone filling a space, a way to keep him from retreating back inside himself the way he had after Maeve. Â
She didnât realize it was anything more. Â
Not when Spencer began seeing more of you outside work.
Not when you were the first person he asked for after a case.Â
Not even when he hugged you a little too tightly after a tough day. Â
â
She convinced herself it was just a close friendship.Â
And then prison happened. Â
JJ had cried in response to the verdict, but you were broken. Â
She found you in the hall after they carried Spencer away. You were propping yourself against the wall, eyes on the floor, hands trembling at your sides. When she called your name, you didnât look up at first.Â
"You okay?" JJ asked, echoing her question to Spencer from the night before.
You let out a short, humorless laugh. "No." âHe didnât deserve this,â you croaked, voice heavyâwith emotion.
âI know,â she said. Â
âHeââ You took a deep, shuddering breath. âHeâs not going to be okay in there.â Â
She stood beside you. "Heâs strong. Heâll get through this."
You shook your head. "You donât get it, JJ." Your voice cracked. "I canât lose him."
JJ didnât understand. Not then. She had always been protective of Spencer, but the way you said it was different. It wasnât just concernâit was something deeper, something raw. And for the first time, she wondered just how much Spencer meant to you.
â
Then he got out. Â
And the first person he hugged was you.
JJ had been right there, had reached for him instinctively, but before she could even take a step, Spencer had gone straight to you. Â
He buried his face in your shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around you, like he needed to feel you to believe this was real. And youâGod, the way you held him, whispering reassurances, grounding himâJJ had never seen anything like it. Â
That should have been her first clue. Â
But it wasnât. Â
Not until she told him she loved him. Â
The moment the words escaped her lips, she saw the way his whole body froze. He didnât look at her the way she had hoped, the way people do in movies when they realize theyâve been in love all along. Â
He looked shocked.
And maybeâjust maybeâ a little disappointed.Â
After they were rescued, after the chaos, after everything settled. He had gone straight to you. He didnât come to her. Not to ask how she was doing. Not to talk about the confession. Not to do anything.
That, more than anything, sent a burning, ugly rage surging through her. Â
Then, not long after, she saw him kiss you.
Before she could look away, his hands were on your face, and he was kissing you like he had been waiting his whole life to do it. Â
JJ felt something crack inside her. Â
It wasnât just the kiss. It was the way he kissed youâthe certainty, the desperation, like he couldnât bear to go another second without showing you how he felt. Â
She had never seen Spencer like that before. Â
Not with Maeve. Â
Not with anyone. Â
â
So when Spencer finally came to find her, she was already bracing for a fight. Â
"You shouldnât have told me, it wasnât fair" he told her the second he walked into the BAUâs empty break room, his voice strained with tension. Â
JJ blinked, caught off guard by the directness. "What?â Â
"You shouldnât have told me you loved me," he said again, firmer this time. "It was selfish, JJ."Â Â
She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh, so now itâs selfish to tell someone how you feel?"Â Â
"Yes!" Spencer snapped, stepping closer, his eyes dark with something she couldnât quite name. "Because I didnât need to know that. You didnât need to say it. What did you think was going to happen? That Iâd justâwhat? Drop everything? That Iâd throw myself at you?"Â Â
JJ flinched. "Spenceâ"Â Â
"You donât get to do that," he cut her off, a sharp edge to his voice. "Iâm not your backup plan, JJ."Â Â
"Thatâs not what this is about!" she shot back, feeling the heat rise in her chest. Â
"Then what is it about?" Spencer demanded. "Because as far as I can tell, you dropped this confession on me after years of nothing, when I finally found someone who makes me happy. And nowânow what? Iâm supposed to apologize? Iâm supposed to feel guilty?"Â Â
JJ exhaled sharply, her fingernails digging into her arms. "I didnât know I was going to say it, Spencer. I didnât plan for this, I didnâtââ. "I donât know what I expected!â She yelled, tears of frustration stinging her eyes. "But I didnât expect you to justâjust disregard my feelings like this! I didnât expect you to move on so fast!â Â
"Fast?" Spencer laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Fast? JJ, I have spent years thinking I wasnât good enough for anyone. I have spent years being alone, thinking no one could ever love me the way I wanted to be loved. And now, when I finally have someone who does, you think I should justâwhat? Erase that? Drop everything? Forget that you have a husband and a family? To wait for you?"
JJ swallowed hard, the words hitting her like a blow. Â
"You never even gave me a chance to begin with," Spencer said, his voice soft, but still fierce. "And maybe, maybe there was a time where I would have jumped at thisâwhere I would have given anything to hear you say you loved me." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "But that time has passed, JJ. And youâyou need to be happy for me. The way Iâm happy for you and Will."Â Â
JJ felt something in her snap. Â
"Youâre choosing her over me," she accused, her voice breaking. Â
Spencerâs face twisted with something like disappointment. "JJâ"Â Â
"You are!â she insisted. "Iâve known you longer than she has, Spencer! Iâve been there for you! Iâve seen you at your worstâ"Â Â
"And yet you never saw me at all."Â Â
The words stopped her cold. Â
"You may have known me longer," Spencer said, his voice quiet, more raw. "But you never really knew me. You never cared to understand me."Â Â
JJ opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Â
Because she knew, in that moment, that he was right. Â
â
JJ didnât go straight home after the argument.
She sat in her car for a while, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, Spencerâs words repeating over and over in her mind.
"You may have known me longer, but you never really knew me. You never cared to understand me."
She had never seen him that angry before.
JJ wasnât even sure what she had been expecting when she confessed to him, but it wasnât that. Not the sharp edge in his voice, the sheer finality in the way he spoke. Like whatever bridge that had once existed between them was now burned to ash.
Eventually, she made herself drive home, even though she didnât feel ready to face her family.
But the moment she stepped inside, Henry sprinted into her arms, and Michael wasnât far behind, chattering excitedly about something he had done that day.
JJ swallowed the lump in her throat and crouched down, hugging them both tightly.
Will was in the kitchen, finishing up dinner, glancing over his shoulder with that easy smile of his. "Hey, babe. I heard from Emily, Are you okay? Did you get checked out?"
JJ hesitated. Then she nodded. "Yeah, just feel like shit."
Will didnât press. He just wiped his hands and walked over, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Go sit, I got everything."
She watched him as he moved through the kitchen, effortlessly balancing cooking and keeping an eye on the boys. He had always been like thatâsteady, reliable, taking care of things before she even needed to ask.
She had never doubted Willâs love for her. That he would always put her and their family first.
And she had always wanted that for Spencer, too. She wanted him to be happy, to find someone who would love him the way he deserved.
On the drive home she tried to convince herself thatâs all this was. That she was just watching out for him. Making sure he didnât get hurt again.
But now, standing in her warm, bustling home, with Will taking care of dinner and the boys playing at her feet, she felt something ugly crawl up her spine.
Because Spencer finally had a chance at happiness- happiness with someone else, someone that wasnât her.
And she was jealous.
She thought about how Spencer had gone straight to you after his release. The way he held you. The way he kissed you. The way he chose you.
Did he take care of you the way Will took care of her?
When you had a bad day, did Spencer know exactly how to comfort you? Did he cook for you? Hold you? Brush your hair out of your face, without a second thought, the way Will did for her?
If she and Spencer had gotten togetherâif she had realized her feelings soonerâwhat would they be doing right now? Would Spencer be standing in the kitchen, making dinner, smiling at her like she was his whole world?
JJ clenched her fists.
She had no right to feel this way.
She had a family. A husband who loved her. She had made her choices, and she had never regretted them.
So why did it feel like she lost something?
Why was there an ache inside her she couldnât quite name?
Maybe because, for the first time, she was coming to terms with the fact that she and Spencer were never going to happen.
And it was her fault.
â
JJ tried not to let it get to her.
She and Spencer had years of friendship between them. A bond that couldnât be broken so easily.
One nightâone argumentâdidnât change that.
And yet, things between them hadnât been the same since.
There was an awkwardness now, something heavy that settled between them in the quiet moments. It wasnât that Spencer was avoiding herâif anything, he was trying. She could see it in the way he made an effort to talk to her, the way he still offered her those random tidbits of information he knew sheâd find interesting, the way he searched for cracks in the wall she had built.
But JJ wasnât sure if she wanted to let him back in.
Because every time she looked at him, she remembered the fight. His words, sharp and unforgiving. The way he had looked at herânot like a friend, not like someone he trusted, but like someone who had failed him.
She knew Spencer well enough to know he wasnât trying to hurt her. But that didnât change the fact that she still felt angry.Â
At him.
At you.
You, who knew nothing of the pastâwho had no idea about her history with Spencer or the complicated web of feelings she had buried so long ago that she convinced herself they didnât matter.
And yet, she couldnât escape you.
You were everywhere.
Weeks had passed since that night. Since Spencerâs words cut deeper than she cared to admit.
The way Spencer gravitated toward you in the bullpen, how he always seemed to position himself near you, even when there was plenty of space elsewhere. The way he looked at youâsoft and unguarded, as if you were something precious and rare.
She realized, with a strange sort of ache, that she had never seen him look at anyone like that before.
And it wasnât just him.
You never seemed exasperated when Spencer launched into one of his long-winded rants, the kind that had even the most patient members of the team zoning out. Instead, you listened intently, nodding along, asking questions, actually absorbing the information.
JJ had spent years learning how to keep up with Spencer, but you? You made it look effortless.
Then there were the subtler things, the things that spoke volumes even in the silence.
Spencer had always been fidgety, his mind moving a mile a minute, his body following suitâbouncing his knee, tapping his fingers, shifting from foot to foot. But she noticed now that whenever his leg started bouncing under the table, all it took was the briefest touch from youâa gentle hand on his arm, a slight brush of your fingersâand he immediately stilled, his entire body relaxing.
JJ wasnât sure if you even realized you did it.
But Spencer did.
And he let you.
He wasnât a huge fan of pda, at least not in front of the team. But lately, it seemed like the distance between you two had disappeared. She wasnât sure when it had happened, but he seemed to be doing little thingsâthings she would have never imagined him doing with anyone else.
She noticed it now: the way his fingers casually brushed against yours when you passed him a file, the way he gave you a soft smile when you caught his eye, the way he kept looking at you like you were the only person in the room.
And the others had noticed, too.
Luke had raised an eyebrow when Spencer absentmindedly reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Emily had smirked when Spencer leaned down to whisper something in your ear and you laughed, nudging him with your elbow. Even Rossi had made a passing remark about how Spencer seemed different lately, more at ease.
But what struck JJ the most was the way you and Spencer seemed to exist in your own little world, oblivious to how obvious it all was.
It was frustrating, the way she kept catching herself looking for somethingâsome proof that she still knew Spencer better than anyone else. That he wasnât really different, that you werenât the only one who saw him.
She wasnât sure what she was looking for. Maybe she was just trying to remind herself that she still knew Spencer, that there was still some part of him that was hersâeven if it wasnât in the way she had once imagined, but in the way that came from years of friendship, of understanding each other in ways no one else did.
But it was getting harder to fool herself of that.
Because the way Spencer was with you⊠it was different.
JJ had spent years convincing herself that she and Spencer had a connection that no one else could touch. But now, she was starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe, she had been wrong.
And the worst part?
She wasnât sure what to do about it.
â
The three of you were stationed at a table, going through case files late into the evening. JJ had barely said a word to Spencer that didnât pertain to the case, and she knew he noticed.
âDo you want something to drink?â Spencer asked after a while, his voice tentative, another olive branch extended her way. âCoffee? Water?â
JJ glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. He was trying, she knew that. But it still didnât sit right with herâthe way he was acting like things were fine, like they could just slot back into place without addressing the damage that had been done.
Before she could answer, you spoke up.
âIâll get it, Spence,â you said, shaking your head lightly as you stood. âI need to stretch my legs anyway. Both of you relax for once and stop thinking about the case, at least until Iâm back.â
Spencer hesitated, but at the slight nudge of your hand against his arm, he gave in, slumping back into his chair.
JJ watched the exchange in silence.
It was so easy for you, the way you just knew what he needed before he even did.
The awkwardness was palpable, even as you walked back into the room, three cups in hand. The atmosphere between her and Spencer had been tense, but now, it was like everything had shifted.
You placed a cup of coffee in front of JJ, a cup of tea in front of yourself, and a cup of tea in front of Spencer, your movements careful, but sluggish from the lack of sleep.
âTwo teas and a coffee,â you said lightly, your back to them as you made your way over to the board, eyes scanning the case notes.
JJ blinked, her gaze drifting from Spencer to you, then to Spencer again.
âYou donât drink coffee anymore?â she asked, trying to sound neutral.
Spencer shifted in his seat, his posture suddenly stiff. âNot really.â
JJ swallowed. âSince when?â
Spencer didnât look at her immediately. Instead, his gaze was on you, the familiar soft smile that had been reserved for so few people now spreading across his face. His gaze lingered on you for a moment before he shrugged, a subtle but unmistakable affection in his posture.
âI donât know. A while, I guess,â he answered simply, his voice low and easy.
JJâs stomach twisted in a way she couldnât quite explain. Sheâd seen itâthe way Spencer looked at you, the way he sounded when he spoke to you. He was different now, and the realization hit JJ hard.
She hadnât been paying attention. She hadnât been listening, hadnât truly seen what had been right in front of her.
And suddenly, it felt like the weight of her frustrationâthe anger that had been building for weeksâwas slipping away. Maybe, just maybe, she had been looking at the situation all wrong.
JJ looked at Spencer for a long moment, realizing just how wrong sheâd been. She had let her own bitterness and hurt cloud her judgment, had let the past define their friendship, when what really mattered was the present. And she wanted to fix that.
With a deep breath, she smiled at Spencer, the tension in her shoulders easing.
She stood up, walking over to where you were standing at the board. You looked up briefly as she approached, and JJ could see the soft warmth in your eyes.
âI was thinking about the timeline,â JJ began, standing beside you now, glancing at the board, eager to refocus on the task at hand.
You nodded. âYeah, the key thing is we need to tie everything togetherâlook for patterns in the victimâs movements.â
As JJ stood there, side by side with you, she knew now that Spencer was right. And as she watched you bothâwatched you understand him, steady him, love himâshe realized something painful. There had never been a chance for her. Not really. Not since you walked into his life. Maybe, if you had never entered the picture, there would have been a future for her and Spencer. But thatâs all he was to her now.
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader
Summary: Going to prison changes relationships, but you were determined to withstand it until Spencer broke up with you in a letter. His return changes things.
Themes & Warnings: Prison!Reid, i am addicted to writing angst with happy ending
You were happy. You were so, so incredibly happy.
You met Spencer at the university where you taught forensic psychology. He was consulting on a case involving a former student, and his presence was magnetic. His voice -- soft, precise, laced with more knowledge than most tenured professors -- filled the lecture hall with calm authority. He quoted studies off the top of his head, spoke of human behavior like it was poetry, and didnât so much walk as glide through conversation.
Youâd never met anyone smarter. Honestly, you doubted anyone smarter existed. His genius IQ, his eidetic memory, and his multiple phD's made it evident.
He was awkward and sweet and a little too fast with his facts, but he never talked down to you. In fact, he always looked awed by you -- by your wit, your lectures, your stubbornness. He remembered your favorite tea after one conversation and quoted your syllabus back to you a week later.
It didnât take long to fall for him. It was easy.
Within months, you practically lived at Spencerâs apartment. You had a routine, a quiet rhythm that made the chaos of the outside world feel far away. He came home from work, jacket half-shrugged off, his tie loosened. And youâd be there waiting. You always sat and talked first. Not because you had to. Because he needed to. His head was always full -- of cases, of trauma, of things he didnât know how to say -- and you were the only person who ever made it all quiet enough to sort through.
While he showered, you made dinner. Simple meals he always claimed were better than anything in Quantico. You'd plate it for him just the way he liked -- never too much, everything not touching. You knew his quirks. You loved his quirks.
Afterward, you'd curl up on the couch, some old noir or classic foreign film playing, and heâd play with your hair absentmindedly while reciting the filmâs trivia under his breath.
Then, you'd crawl into bed. Sometimes you'd talk until 2am, whispering nonsense between kisses and laughter. Sometimes you'd fall asleep immediately, tangled in each other, warm and safe and whole.
It didn't matter if he was on the brink of sleep or wide awake. Before you drifted off, Spencer always said, "I love you, darling." Never failed. Like clockwork.
You went to bed happy. Giggling. Overjoyed at yet another day of loving each other.
Sometimes, it was hard. Sometimes, Spencer was gone for a long time. And now, he'd been gone a while. But you stayed at his apartment, keeping it clean and tidy and warm with your presence for when he came back. He needed your presence right now. His mother was getting sicker by the day, cases were getting more brutal, and the only thing that made it better was that you were always there waiting for him.
You didnât believe it at first.
The call came early in the morning -- a colleague, hushed and panicked, asking if youâd seen the news. You turned on the TV, bleary-eyed, your heart already tightening with dread before you even found the right channel.
Dr. Spencer Reid.
FBI profiler.
Arrested for drug possession and murder in Mexico.
You stared at the screen like it was playing a joke. Like any moment, Spencer himself would walk through the door, rambling about how the media misrepresents facts and how probability makes false accusations more likely in cross-border cases.
But he didnât come home.
And it wasnât a joke.
Spencer had been arrested in Mexico, alone, without authorization, without backup, trying to obtain medication for his mother. It didnât matter that it was compassionate. It didnât matter that it was Spencer. He was caught with narcotics and implicated in the death of a doctor who had tried to help him. A setup. Clearly. But it didnât stop the trial. It didnât stop the sentence.
And it didnât stop him from being sent to prison.
The man who recited Baudelaire in the kitchen and alphabetized your spice rack for fun was now behind bars -- bruised, cornered, alone. The letters started coming then, short at first. Then longer. Then emotional. You read each one a hundred times, your fingers brushing over the creases like you could smooth away his pain.
You cried for him. His friends and colleagues comforted you. Penelope had been by with one too many casseroles and cupcakes decorated in pink glitter. JJ tried getting you out of the apartment, even just to sit on a park bench and talk in the fresh air.
Finally, you were taken by David Rossi to visit him. They said you wouldn't want to see him. Said he looked rough. But you never stopped asking until they gave in.
You remembered every step through that prison like a dream you couldn't wake from. The clink of doors. The sterile, suffocating scent of bleach and old paper. The fluorescent lights that made everything feel too sharp.
Rossi kept a steady hand on your back, guiding you gently. He didnât say much. Just, âBrace yourself.â
And you did. Until the moment Spencer walked in.
He looked nothing like the man you knew. His curls were wild, uneven, untamed. There was a cut on his cheek, a bruise blooming beneath one eye. His frame -- already lean -- seemed thinner. Clothes hung awkwardly on his bones. But it was his eyes that gutted you. Still the brown eyes you loved. But cold. Wounded.
They didn't light up when he saw you, like usual. But they did soften.
They softened until he got angry.
A fiery glare was directed at Rossi, one you'd never seen Spencer wield.
âI told you not to bring her here,â Spencer snapped, his voice low and ragged but edged in fury. âIt's not safe for her here, these men are like animals, and I didn't want her to--â
Rossi didnât flinch. âShe asked. Repeatedly. You think I enjoy watching the two of you suffer?â
Spencer shoved back from the table slightly, the chair legs scraping loudly against the concrete. âThat doesnât mean you shouldn't have listened. I needed her to be safe, away from this. Away from me.â
You stepped forward before Rossi could respond, your voice softer than either of theirs -- but stronger, too. âYou donât get to make that choice for me, Spencer.â
His gaze snapped to you. Raw. Defensive. Cracked open. You glanced at Rossi, a look that told him it was finally okay to step out.
Spencerâs jaw tensed as he looked at you. âYou donât understand,â he said, voice low and gravelly. âYou shouldnât be here. You donât want to be here.â
You moved closer anyway, heart aching. âI do. And I am. And Iâm not leaving.â
His mouth opened like he wanted to argue -- like he had a hundred reasons why you should walk away and never look back, but nothing came out. His eyes dropped to the table between you, his hands curled into fists.
âYou donât know what this place does to people,â he finally whispered. âI'm not the same.â
You sat across from him, hands folding in front of you. âThen let me get to know this version of you, too. All of them. Iâm not here because I want the perfect version of you, Spencer. Iâm here because I love you.â
His breath hitched.
âYou think I havenât imagined this?â you asked. âWhat it would look like? Seeing you like this? I have. And it still doesnât scare me off.â
Spencerâs eyes were red-rimmed now, and his voice cracked when he finally said, âI donât deserve you.â
You exhaled, eyes softening at the tears developing in his.
âSpence..â
You thought the visit had gone well. You thought he was finally letting you in.
He'd squeezed your hands in his before you left, his eyelids squeezed shut as a tear dropped from his eye. Like he'd forgotten what it felt like to touch you. To talk to you and have you close to him.
When you went home, a few days passed before you received a letter from Spencer. You opened it eagerly, expecting to see how he'd changed his mind and he was happy you came. How he'd missed you and wanted to see you again. How he "loved you, darling," as he'd said to you for years.
But that wasnât what the letter said.
Not even close.
I need you to understand something very clearly: Iâm not the man you think I am anymore. This place changes people and not for the better. I donât want you anywhere near it, or me. You deserve better than the husk Iâve become.
What we had was a mistake, a foolish hope in a situation thatâs already lost. Holding on to me will only drag you down into a life of misery and pain. Youâre stronger than that, and you donât need me poisoning your future.
Donât come looking for me. Donât send letters. Donât wait. Forget me, because Iâm gone. The man you loved died the day I walked through those gates. This is the last time youâll hear from me.
-- Spencer
You read it once.
Then again.
And again.
Each word like a hammer blow to your ribs.
Tears blurred your vision, and your fingers curled around the paper, threatening to crush it -- but you didnât. You couldnât. It was still his.
This wasnât a breakup. It was a severing.
A mercy killing of the most sacred thing youâd ever had.
He hadnât signed it love, Spencer.
Just Spencer.
And that alone shattered you.
You let the letter fall from your trembling hands, your knees buckling beneath you. The world blurred as tears spilled freely, raw and endless. Your chest heaved with sobs that clawed at your throat until your voice was stripped away, until your body convulsed with silent agony.
You curled in on yourself, the sharp sting of heartbreak twisting deep inside, and when your body could take no more, your pain spilled over, leaving you empty and broken on the cold floor.
You went through phases.
Awful depression was the first. All you did was sleep -- sometimes sleeping days away without eating. You'd lost a considerable amount of weight, but the sleep didn't help. All you did was dream of Spencer.
Your friends were concerned. Your mom was concerned. She began staying over at your apartment, forcing meals down your throat and waking you up every morning. She even held you while you cried, wiping your eyes and the snot from your face.
Next, you were angry.
Not just irritated -- furious. Blindingly, bitterly angry. At Spencer, at yourself, at the system that swallowed him whole and spit him back out as someone you barely recognized. You smashed a coffee mug when you re-read the letter. You ripped one of his old shirts out of the laundry basket and tore it in half with shaking hands. The quiet, aching grief hardened into something sharper, something that boiled behind your ribs like acid.
How dare he? How dare he shut you out, cut you off like you were nothing? Like what you had meant less than the pain of keeping you?
Youâd stood by him. Youâd waited. Youâd believed in him when the world didnât.
And he still left you bleeding with nothing but a letter. Just Spencer.
You didnât cry that week. You paced. You snapped at people. You dug your nails into your palms just to feel something other than the sting of abandonment. Anger, at least, gave you control -- and control was the only thing you had left.
The anger stayed with you, burying the anguish. Until Spencer got out.
You saw it on the news first -- a quiet headline, a fleeting mention: Dr. Spencer Reid released after wrongful imprisonment. No fanfare. No apologies. Just a footnote in a week of chaos.
You stared at the screen, heart pounding, coffee forgotten in your hand.
He was free.
And he didnât tell you.
Of course he didnât.
That night, your rage came back in full force, but it was quieter now. Sharper. More refined. It didnât explode -- it simmered. You cleaned your apartment top to bottom, tossing the last remnants of him into a trash bag. That scarf he always wore when you visited bookstores. The annotated copy of Lolita he left on your nightstand. A pair of mismatched socks. The tea he used to brew just right.
You didnât cry. Not this time.
You just whispered to the empty room, âDonât come back.â
And he didn't.
For weeks, you didn't see him. You didn't hear his name when you went shopping with Penelope, as if she knew you wouldn't want to. It was like your life before this evaporated into smoke. No mention, no sign of Spencer at all.
A month later, it was Luke's birthday. There was a party for him coming up, a little get together at his house. He begged you to come, and Penelope, and JJ, and Prentiss, until you finally caved. You could do it, right? You could withstand it, whether Spencer was there or not. You didn't care. It was in the past.
You told yourself it didnât matter. That it was just a gathering. Just old friends. That youâd walk in, make polite conversation, maybe even laugh once or twice. Youâd wear something nice, something that made you feel like you â not like the hollow ghost youâd been when Spencer vanished from your life.
Luke greeted you with a hug that lasted a beat too long, like he was bracing you. JJâs smile faltered for just a second before she pulled you into her arms. Penelope beamed at you, glittery and brave, but her eyes scanned the room anxiously -- almost like she was trying to prepare you for something she couldn't say out loud.
"I'm so glad you're here." Luke smiled, trying to disarm the tension. "Wouldn't be a birthday without you."
âYeah, well. I owed you a drink and an awkward hug, so here I am.â
Luke laughed softly, squeezing your shoulder. âYouâre stronger than you think, you know.â
You rolled your eyes, giving him the first genuine grin you'd had in months.
"Don't bullshit me."
It was almost familiar. Almost comfortable and warm. A party with old friends who loved you.
And then you saw him.
Spencer.
Standing in the kitchen, hair trimmed now but still wild, wearing a soft gray sweater you hadnât seen before. He was thinner still, but no longer fragile. He was composed. Collected. Familiar in all the worst ways.
And when his eyes met yours, they didnât just soften -- they broke.
He looked like heâd stopped breathing. Like seeing you had hit him harder than any prison wall ever had.
You stood frozen in the doorway, one hand curled tightly around the strap of your purse.
You hadnât prepared for this. Not for the way your stomach twisted. Not for the way your heart stuttered at the sight of him. Not for the way every inch of you remembered -- vividly -- how it felt to be loved by him. And left by him.
You blinked once. Slowly.
Then, you turned away and headed straight for the liquor table.
Prentiss followed.
Shakily, you poured yourself a glass of whiskey, lifting it to your lips in a hurry. You hoped the liquor burning down your throat would arm you, hardening around you like a shell and making you impossible to break.
Prentiss didnât say anything at first. Just stood beside you, watching you pour and drink like it was survival -- like this party was a battlefield and the whiskey was armor.
âYou okay?â she finally asked, voice low.
You gave a humorless smile. âPeachy.â
Prentiss leaned a hip against the table. âYou donât have to talk to him.â
âI know.â You stared down into your glass.
âEase into being around him. There's no rush.â
You nodded slowly, swallowing the next sip with a wince. âYeah..â
Prentiss was quiet for a moment. Then, âDo you want me to stick around? Watch your six?â
You smirked faintly, heart pounding. âI think I can handle one skinny genius.â
She gave a soft snort. âAlright. But if you need backupâŠâ
âI know,â you said, finally meeting her eyes. âThanks, Emily.â
She squeezed your arm gently, then stepped away, giving you space.
You drank there silently for a while. It wasn't helping like you thought it would.
The burn in your throat faded too fast. The warmth in your chest settled into nothingness. You were still too aware of the room -- the quiet laughter, the conversation, the way people kept glancing toward the hallway like they were tracking someone.
Like they were tracking him.
You gripped the edge of the table until your knuckles ached, breathing slow through your nose. It wasnât working. The whiskey wasnât a shield. It wasnât dulling the pain or the memory of his letter. Just Spencer. The cruelty of it. The cowardice.
And yet⊠you still felt him. Like gravity. Pulling at you even across the room.
You turned your head just slightly, and thatâs when you saw him.
He was standing half-hidden near the archway to the kitchen, hands in his pockets, looking smaller than you remembered. His eyes were already on you. Not moving. Not blinking.
Like heâd been watching the entire time.
You almost looked away.
Almost.
But you didnât.
You needed some air. You quickly walked towards the door, muttering apologies and promising to come back, before you reached the front porch. You sat on the porch chair, threading your hands through your hair and inhaling deeply.
You thought you could do this. Hell, you even thought it would be easy. But you just couldn't.
The dreaded tears came to your eyes before you noticed them, dripping down. You sniffled, looking up at the stars.
The stars blurred above you, gentle pinpricks of light in a sky that didnât care how much your chest ached. You wiped at your face roughly, as if that could erase the entire last year: the prison, the silence, the letter. Him.
Youâd told yourself you were over it. Over him.
But here you were, falling apart on someone elseâs porch like the wound had never closed. Maybe it never had. Maybe it never would.
The screen door creaked behind you.
You didnât turn. You didnât have to.
You knew it was him.
There was a long pause. Then footsteps, soft and hesitant, and the subtle rustle of fabric as Spencer slowly sat on the step beside your chair, not too close, not touching. Just there.
For a moment, neither of you said anything. The silence wasnât comfortable. It was sharp, cutting, full of all the things that should have been said months ago.
âI didnât think youâd come,â he said finally, his voice low, almost broken.
You laughed bitterly through your tears. âI shouldn't have.â
Another silence.
âI'm glad you did. I didn't even know if I'd talk to you.. I just wanted to look at you again.â
Spencerâs voice cracked on the last word, and when you glanced sideways at him, his profile was haloed in porchlight. Soft, tired, and somehow still beautiful in the way that only he ever was to you. His hands were folded tightly in his lap like he was afraid theyâd shake if he let them move.
âI used to dream about this,â he admitted quietly. âJust⊠being near you again. Seeing your face. Hearing your voice.â
Another wave of tears washed over you. You just listened to his voice. Part of you hated him. Part of you missed his voice.
âI counted the minutes I was in there. One-hundred and thirty-nine thousand and six-hundred eighty minutes," He continued, looking across the lawn at the cars that occasionally passed on the street. âWith every minute that passed, it got more probable that I wouldn't leave. After all, the statistics for false imprisonment are..â
He stopped himself with a tight, humorless laugh, shaking his head. âSorry. Iâm doing it again -- hiding behind numbers.â
You didnât say anything. You couldnât. Your throat was too tight with grief and memory and the ache of loving someone who had broken you in the name of protection.
Spencer glanced over at you, his expression open and fragile. âBut I did count the minutes. I counted them because I was scared that you'd waste a good life waiting for me.â
âIt wasn't your choice.â You hissed quietly, refusing to look at him. âBut you made it your choice with that damn letter. Cruel.â
Spencer didnât respond right away. You could feel him flinch beside you, like your words had physically hit him, maybe harder than anything heâd taken inside those prison walls.
âI know,â he said eventually, the words barely more than breath. âI read it back a thousand times after I sent it. And every time, I thought: I hope she hates me enough to forget me. I kept a copy. To remind myself not to reach out. Not to pull you back to me.â
You laughed, bitter and wet. âI didnât. I couldnât. I hated you, but I couldnât forget you. You donât just forget the person you built a life around, Spencer.â
Finally, you looked at him. He was already staring at you, devastated, like he was watching something crumble that he could never put back together.
âI wrote that letter like I was dying,â he admitted. âBecause I thought I was. Not physically. Just⊠everything that made me who I was, it was getting chipped away. I thought if I died to you then, at least I wouldnât take you down with me.â
âIt wasn't fair. What happened to you wasn't. But it wasn't fair of you to shove me away,â your voice began to wobble, tears coming down your face again. âI loved you, Spencer. Wasn't it enough?â
Spencerâs face crumpled -- not all at once, but in small, controlled fractures, like he was trying desperately to hold himself together for your sake, even now. Even after everything.
âIt was,â he whispered. âGod, it was more than enough. It was everything. Thatâs why I let it go.â
You shook your head, the ache blooming sharp again. âThatâs not how love works. You donât just⊠take someoneâs heart and decide for them whatâs best. You donât destroy them to save them.â
âI know,â he choked out. âI know that now.â
You let out a trembling breath, wiping your face with the sleeve of your jacket. âI wouldâve waited. I was waiting.â
âI know, baby,â he said softly, his voice watery with tears he was trying to force back. The pet name slipped -- he hadn't even noticed he'd used it. It was too natural for him. âBut I didn't know if I was coming back. And I didn't know who I'd come back as.â
You exhaled, but your lungs felt punctured.
âGod, I hate you, Spencer. I hate that I still..â
Spencer froze, his eyes wide and glistening. He didnât speak, he couldnât. Your confession seemed to punch the air from his lungs the same way it had yours.
You shook your head quickly, wiping your cheek with the back of your hand, ashamed of how raw you sounded. âI hate that even after everything, the silence, the letter, the fucking goodbye, I still see you and my chest hurts in a way that feels like home.â
Spencerâs lips parted, but nothing came. Just another tear trailing down.
âI used to think if you ever came back, Iâd slam the door in your face,â you said, laughing bitterly through your tears. âBut I didnât. I let you sit here. I let you look at me.â
âI donât deserve it,â he murmured. âI donât deserve you. But I love you more than anything in the world. All I did was pray to a God I don't believe in for you to heal.â
âThen how could you walk away? Like I was nothing?â
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped so tightly his knuckles whitened.
âBecause I was nothing in there,â he said hoarsely. âI was a number. A threat. A punching bag. Every day, I woke up wondering who Iâd have to fight to stay alive. What part of myself Iâd have to let die just to make it to the next hour. And the one thing that kept me going was you. The memory of you.â
You whimpered like the words had stabbed you.
âThe only things I had in my cell were photos of you. That's all I wanted,â he said, his voice cracking with a fresh wave of tears. âWhen I felt human enough to read, I only read your favorite literature and poems.â
âSpencer--â
âI started with Jane Eyre. Because you said it was the first book that made you cry. I wanted to cry with you, even if you werenât there.â
Your breath caught.
His voice was shaking, but steady enough to recite what heâd clearly read over and over, committing it to memory like a prayer.
âI have for the first time found what I can truly love --
I have found you. You are my sympathy -- my better self -- my good angel;
I am bound to you with a strong attachment.â
He looked at you, his voice barely above a whisper now.
âI think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you.â
Tears streamed down your face freely now. You remembered reading that line to him once, years ago, curled together in bed.
âI used to repeat that in my head just to fall asleep,â he admitted. âI read the book hundreds of times. It was your voice.â
You covered your mouth, shoulders trembling.
âI thought I could bury it. Bury you. But I couldnât. I canât. And if I never get to hold you again,â he said, crying entirely, âI needed you to know⊠you were never nothing. You were the only thing that made me anything at all.â
âSpencer, I'm begging you not--â
âLet me finish,â he pleaded, hands reaching out for you but not quite touching you. âIf there's any chance at all, any chance you'd let me come home, I'd make it my mission to love you for the rest of our days on this doomed Earth.â He said, his words rushing out as if he couldn't control them.
You were silent. Shocked. Your jaw dropped, but lips still quivered.
âI'll go right now and buy a ring if that's what you want. I'll recite your favorite poetry every single night. I'll scratch your back without asking for it in return. I'll listen to your favorite song in the car on a loop every damn time we go anywhere even though I hate it.â
He was breaking open in front of you, pouring himself out in fragments: hopeful, desperate, all the pieces you never thought you'd get back.
âIâll memorize every meal youâve ever loved and learn how to cook it perfectly. Iâll fix the leaky sink. Iâll reorganize your bookshelf a hundred times until it makes sense to you again.â His voice wavered desperately, rising into something raw and aching. âJust -- please. Please give me the chance to make it right.â
You stared at him, stunned. That flood of emotion -- grief, fury, heartbreak, love -- came crashing down at once. Your body shook from it. You had waited for this moment for so long. You had dreamed of it. But now that it was here, you didnât know if you could move.
Spencer inched forward on the porch step, slowly, as if afraid to scare you off. His hands trembled between you, still waiting for yours.
âI donât want anyone else. I canât want anyone else. You were it for me before prison. You were it every day in there. And you're it now. No matter what you say.â
You squeezed your eyes shut.
âWhat if you leave again if things get difficult?â
His breath hitched.
âI wonât,â he said, instantly but then gentler, more broken, âI canât.â
You opened your eyes. He was looking at you like the question had gutted him, like heâd been waiting for it.
âI left because I thought it was the only way to protect you,â he continued, voice low and shaking. âBut I see now -- God, I know now -- that hurting you to keep you safe wasnât protection. It was fear. And I let it win.â
He leaned forward just enough for you to see how wrecked he was, eyes glassy and wide. âBut Iâve lived through the worst thing imaginable. And it wasnât prison. It wasn't Tobias Hankel. It wasn't Dilaudid, it wasn't those damn headaches, and it wasn't losing Maeve. It was the thought of you moving on, thinking I didnât love you. It was living with the idea that Iâd made you feel abandoned.â
His hand finally touched yours, featherlight. âSo no. I wonât leave again. Not when things get difficult. Not when Iâm scared. Not when Iâm hurting. Because Iâd rather face every nightmare in the world than ever look into your eyes again and see pain that I've caused.â
A pause.
âPlease,â he whispered, âlet me stay this time.â
You didnât say anything at first. The silence was heavy, aching, filled with all the memories of the man he used to be and the one breaking before you now. His fingers were still barely touching yours, like he didnât believe he deserved to hold your hand, only to beg for the chance.
Your chest rose and fell in uneven breaths. You had imagined this moment a hundred times. In the best versions, he came home with flowers, apologies, promises. In the worst, he never came at all.
But this raw, desperate truth from him was something else entirely.
âI donât know if I can,â you whispered. âI want to. But I donât know how to stop being afraid.â
Spencer closed his eyes, nodding like the words bruised but didnât surprise him. âThen Iâll stay outside your door every day if I have to. Iâll write you letters I sign with love this time. Iâll sign my soul away to you if that's what it takes. It's yours now anyways.â
You looked at him, really looked, and saw him again. Not the hollow shell whoâd walked out. Not the angry, scared man from prison. But the Spencer youâd loved. A little more broken. A little more changed. But still him. Still yours.
Your hand turned, slowly, fingers curling around his. He gasped quietly at the touch, like it shocked him.
âDonât make me regret this,â you said softly.
His eyes met yours, glassy with hope. âNever again.â
And suddenly, you were yanked forward. A watery giggle, half laughing and half crying, escaped you as you were pulled into Spencer's chest, your cheek coming into contact with the gray threads of his sweater.
His arms wrapped around you like they were made for it: tight, trembling, like he couldnât believe you were real. His face tucked into your neck, breath shuddering against your skin, and for a long moment, neither of you said a word.
You just held each other.
The night around you was quiet, broken only by the occasional hum of a passing car, the soft rustle of leaves, and the ragged breathing of two people who had survived too much.
âI missed you so much,â Spencer whispered into your shoulder, voice cracking. âMore than I knew a person could miss someone.â
He smelled like memories. Like all the nights you'd spent cuddling on the couch watching old Russian romances that you didn't understand, but he translated for you in his soft, lovely voice. Like kissing in the rain, but being scolded for âcommon cold inducing behavior.â Like a long hug after an especially drawn out and difficult case.
You felt the goosebumps climb your skin as his gaze fell upon you. Without looking you knew who it was.
Conrad Beck Fisher
The man who fills every inch of your brain, the man who makes your skin flush at the thought of him, the man youâve desperately been in love with since childhood.
His hand grazed your shoulder, as he pulled you close to him. Taking in his cedar scent of his cologne that you got him last Christmas.
âNow what are you doing here alone?â He said, a smirk gracing his features as he watched your cheeks flush at the attention.
If there was one thing Conrad Fisher knew, it was he loved you with everything he has. He just needs to know if you feel the same.
Summary: Missing your husband, you surprise Scott by tracking StormPar down to Oklahoma. He now has to literally wrangle you: (1) out of harmâs way when you insist in joining the stormchasers, and (2) away from Tyler Owens, who still tries to shoot his shot with a visibly pregnant woman.
Scott Miller (Twisters) x Pregnant!Reader
tags: mostly crack; pregnant!reader is the #1 scott miller ragebaiter, scottâs blood pressure increases dramatically, tyler flirting with a pregnant woman
david corenswet characters masterlist âĄ
The town was the kind of place StormPar passed through without a second thoughtâone main street, a gas station, a diner, and a couple of weary motels for chasers and locals alike. The team was parked out front of the diner, trucks lined up in the gravel lot while Kate went over radar and Javi and Mike ran through gear checks. Scott had been leaning against his SUV, arms crossed, impatient to move.
And then he saw you.
At first he thought it was his brain playing tricks on himâwishful thinking after days on the road. But no, it really was you, stepping carefully out of a beat-up rental car, your overalls unmistakably snug around the curve of your belly. Your baby bump was on full display, like you werenât even trying to hide it.
You visibly lit up when you finally met his eye, waving at him excitedly.
Scott pushed off the truck so fast Javi actually muttered, âWhat the hellâ?â as he jogged past.
âJesus Christ. Youâve got to be kidding me,â Scott said when he reached you, his voice tight with disbelief. His eyes dropped immediately to your stomach, then back up to your face, storm-blue with worry. âWhat are you doing here?â
You smiled nervously, tugging on one strap of your overalls. âSurprising you. Thought itâd be nice.â
âNice?â His voice pitched higher, his hands flying up in disbelief before he ran them through his hair. âYouâre pregnant. You came to Oklahomaâin the middle of storm seasonâto surprise me?â
âI missed you,â you said simply, shrugging like that explained everything. âWeeks on end with nothing but phone calls wasnât cutting it. I wanted to see you.â
Scottâs jaw tightened, his hands flexing as if he wanted to reach for you and hold you still at the same time. âYouâreââ He cut himself off, exhaling through his nose. âYouâre pregnant. With my child. And you thought the best idea was to walk straight into tornado country?â
Your smile softened, even as you stepped closer. âI thought the best idea was being with my husband. Youâre out here every day risking your life, and Iâm supposed to just sit at home counting the hours? No. I needed to see you. Needed you.â
That last part cracked through his armor. His shoulders slumped, and he dragged a hand down his face, muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like unbelievable. When he looked at you again, the irritation had shifted into something more rawâfear stitched with affection.
âYou know Iâm glad to see you,â he admitted, quieter now. âMore than glad. But I canât have you anywhere near a storm. Not now. Not with the baby.â
You reached for his hand, threading your fingers through his. âI just want to be nearby. To see you. To remind myself why weâre doing this, why we put up with all the distance.â
For a long moment, Scott just looked at you. The storm-light reflected in his eyes, blue and unsettled, but his thumb brushed over your knuckles in a gesture that betrayed the truthâheâd missed you just as fiercely.
Finally, he exhaled, conceding. âFine. You stay in town, at the hotel, or with the locals if weâre stationed here. Nowhere near the field. You donât argue, you donât negotiate. If I find out youâve even thought about stepping foot into a chase zoneââ He broke off, shaking his head. âYouâll make me lose my damn mind.â
You grinned, leaning up to kiss his cheek. âDeal.â
Javiâs excited yells of your name broke you apart from Scott, who sighed before tilting his head towards the team, âCome on,â he pressed a hand to the small of your back, guiding you.
-
Kate was still getting her bearings with StormPar. Sheâd only been with the team a short while, and though she admired their skill, she couldnât quite figure Scott Miller out. He was brilliant, sure, and his instincts were sharpâbut he was also blunt to the point of arrogance, a man who treated downtime as wasted time and carried himself like the storms bent to his will.
So when she stepped out of the diner with a coffee in hand and saw you standing by the convoy, chatting animatedly with Javi, her brain almost short-circuited.
You were nothing like the picture sheâd built in her head of âScott Millerâs other half.â She didnât even know that Scott had another half. You were warm, laughing easily, your overalls stretched comfortably around your belly. You nudged Javi with your elbow after some joke, earning one of his rare grins, and then teased him about being the only one responsible enough to keep the equipment dry during lunch.
Kate blinked, staring between you and Scott, who was lurking a few feet away by his SUV, arms crossed, jaw tight, his gaze flicking constantly in your direction like he expected a tornado to materialize beside you at any second.
âYou okay?â Kate asked him carefully.
Scott gave her a look like sheâd asked if water was wet. âShe shouldnât be here.â
Kate tilted her head. âShe seems fine to me.â
âSheâs pregnant,â he said flatly, his eyes narrowing as you tipped your head back in laughter at something Javi muttered. âPregnant. In the middle of Oklahoma. During storm season.â
Kate raised her brows. âAnd youâre letting her hang around the convoy?â
Scottâs scowl deepened. âI didnât let her. She showed up.â He ran a hand over his face, muttering under his breath. âDrove halfway across the damn state just to âsurpriseâ me.â
Kate hid a smile behind her coffee. âYou donât sound very surprised. More⊠rattled.â
Scott cut her a sharp glare, but she noticed the way his shoulders eased slightly when you turned and caught his eye. You waved at him, bright and unapologetic. He shook his head, but his mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile.
When you finally crossed the lot to join him, Scott straightened immediately, arms uncrossing as if to make room for you. You slipped easily under his arm, your hand finding its way to his chest.
âDid you eat?â you asked, tilting your head up at him.
âYeah,â he muttered, though Kate noticed how his voice softened in a way she hadnât heard before. âYou?â
âHalf a burger.â You grinned. âBabyâs been hogging all the space.â
Scott huffed out a laughâan actual laughâand pressed a quick kiss to your temple before glancing down at your belly. âFigures.â
Kate stared. She couldnât reconcile it. This was the same Scott who, hours earlier, had snapped at her to recalibrate the radar faster, who hadnât cracked a single joke since she joined the team. And yet here he was, letting you tease him, letting you lean into him, letting his edges soften like it was second nature.
When you looked over and caught Kate staring, you smiled wide and waved her over. âYou must be Kate! Iâve heard about you. Come on, tell me everything. Howâs Scott as a boss? Brutal?â
Scott groaned under his breath. âDonât encourage her.â
Kate couldnât help it, she laughed. âOh, I think she already knows the answer to that.â
You winked. âOh, I know. I just like hearing it from someone else.â
-
Tyler Owensâ trucks came skidding into the lot like they were pulling up for a rock concert instead of storm chasing. His crew piled outâlaughing, loud, hyped up on adrenaline and caffeine. Tyler himself hopped down from the driverâs seat, sunglasses on even though the sun was dipping low, grin as wide as the horizon.
You were sitting on the tailgate of Javiâs truck, sipping water and stretching your legs. Overalls on, hair a bit windswept, hand absently resting on your belly. You didnât think much of the new arrivalsâuntil Tylerâs eyes landed on you.
âWell, hello there,â he drawled, striding over with all the confidence of a man who had never once been told no. âDidnât realize this town came with its own welcome wagon.â
You blinked at him, caught off guard. âUh⊠what?â
He leaned one arm against the truck beside you, giving you his best smolder. âLocal girl, right? Figured someone as gorgeous as you wouldnât let us outsiders just blow through without saying hi.â
For a beat, you just stared. Then you glanced down at yourselfâat your very obvious baby bump pressing against your overallsâand then back at him. Surely he had to notice.
ââŠIâm pregnant,â you said, deadpan.
That only made Tylerâs grin widen. âHey, I donât discriminate. Beautiful is beautiful.â
Before you could come up with a responseâbecause your brain had short-circuited at the sheer audacityâyou noticed the sudden drop in temperature around you. Not from the weather. From the shadow that fell across both of you.
Scott.
He was standing there, arms crossed, jaw set, looking every inch the brooding storm chaser whoâd sooner wrestle a tornado barehanded than let Tyler Owens breathe the same air as you. He didnât say anything at firstâjust stared at Tyler with an intensity that made even Tyler falter.
âUhâŠâ Tyler cleared his throat, shifting slightly under the weight of that glare. âSo, uh, this yourâŠ?â
âMy wife,â Scott said flatly.
The words landed like a thunderclap.
Your lips twitched, fighting a laugh at the way Tyler actually leaned back, like the revelation had physically shoved him. âWife,â he repeated, the cocky edge in his voice wobbling.
Scott stepped closer, close enough that Tyler had to crane his neck to keep eye contact. He was taller, broader, radiating a quiet, simmering possessiveness that said more than any threat could. âSheâs not a local. Sheâs not interested. And if you ever so much as look at her again like that, Iâllââ
ââbuy me a coffee and call it even?â Tyler cut in quickly, his grin snapping back on, though it wavered under Scottâs glare. âGot it. Loud and clear, big guy. Congratulations on the kid.â
With that, he backed away fast, practically jogging to rejoin his crew.
Scott exhaled slowly through his nose, his arm sliding automatically around your shoulders, drawing you into his side. You could feel the tension humming through him, the possessiveness that had spiked the second heâd seen Tyler lean in.
âYou okay?â he asked you quietly, his thumb brushing over your arm.
You tilted your head up at him, fighting a smile. âI think I should be asking you that. You looked about ready to flatten him.â
Scott didnât deny it. His eyes still tracked Tyler across the lot, like he half-expected the man to circle back. âHeâs lucky he stopped when he did.â
You snorted, nudging him. âScott Miller, storm chaser, baby-on-board bodyguard.â
His mouth twitched, almost a smile, but he shook his head. âNot funny.â
âItâs a little funny,â you teased.
âNot funny,â he insisted again, though his arm tightened around you as he steered you back toward the SUV. âAnd for the record, youâre not talking to him again.â
You laughed outright at that. âJealous much?â
Scott didnât answer, but the glare he shot Tylerâs way spoke volumes.
-
The diner lot had transformed into chaos. Radios crackled, gear clanged, engines roared to lifeâStormPar in full launch mode. The radar lit up with a cell just a few miles west, and Scott was in his element, pacing between vehicles like a general on the battlefield, barking orders with that clipped, no-nonsense tone.
He was so focused, so commanding, that you knew now was your moment.
While Scott stalked toward his SUV, you casually strolled in the opposite direction, aiming for one of the trucks. You even whistled innocently as you went, like you were just stretching your legs. Nobody questioned it; they were too busy scrambling.
You swung the door open, grinning as you climbedâwell, waddledâinto the passenger seat. The bump made it a bit awkward, but you got there, strapping yourself in like you belonged.
âPerfect,â you murmured. âFront-row seat to science.â
âAlright, Mike, youâre with me! Javi, take the east road withââ Scott turned, scanning the line of vehicles, and his words died mid-sentence.
Because there you were. Sitting like a queen on her throne, buckled in, already reaching for the glovebox like you belonged there.
For a second, Scott just⊠stared. His jaw worked, no sound coming out. Then his face went red, ears and all, and he stormed across the lot like a thunderhead about to burst.
Unfortunately, youâd barely started rummaging the glovebox for snacks before the shadow fell across the window. A very large shadow.
You froze. Slowly, you turned your head.
Scott.
He stood outside the truck, arms folded, jaw clenched so tight you were surprised his molars didnât shatter. The vein in his temple pulsed like it had its own heartbeat.
ââŠhi, honey,â you said sweetly, giving him your best innocent smile.
âWhat,â he bit out, yanking the door open so hard it nearly swung off its hinges, âdo you think youâre doing?â
You batted your eyelashes at him. âGoing storm chasing, obviously. Thought Iâd keep you company.â
âAbsolutely not.â His voice jumped an octave, his hand braced on the frame of the door. âOut. Now.â
âBut ScottyâŠâ you whined, patting your bump for emphasis. âBaby and I want adventure. We canât just sit around eating diner pie all day.â
Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something that sounded a lot like blood pressure, through the roof, gonna kill me early. He reached for your seatbelt, being very careful with your baby bump.
âOh, come on,â you pleaded, clinging dramatically to the seatbelt. âI just want to observe!â
Scott unbuckled you with one swift, practiced motion. âYou are not observing anything except the Weather Channel in a safe, stationary building.â
Then he leaned in, practically scooping you under the arms like you weighed nothing at all.
You squealed dramatically as he hauled you out of the seat. âScott! You canât just manhandle a pregnant woman!â
âWatch me,â he gritted, setting you down firmly on the gravel.
âScottâ!â
âNo.â He crouched slightly so you couldnât miss the fire in his eyes. âYou think this is funny? That storm could eat this town in ten minutes. You are pregnant. You are not stepping foot in a chase vehicle.â
You crossed your arms, sticking your chin out. âSo youâre saying I canât come.â
âIâm saying you absolutely cannot come,â he snapped, exasperated. âNot now, not later, not ever. End of discussion.â
âWow.â You gasped theatrically. âMy husband, the tyrant. Crushing my dreams of scientific discovery.â
Scott pinched the bridge of his nose like he was begging some higher power for patience. Behind him, Javi and Kate were openly watching, biting back grins.
âDonât encourage her!â Scott barked at them without looking.
âI wasnât,â Javi deadpanned, though his shoulders shook.
Kate muttered, âI mean, points for effort,â earning herself a death glare.
You smirked up at Scott, deliberately baiting him. âYou know, I read somewhere that stress is bad for pregnant women. Maybe if you just let me come along, my blood pressure would be lower.â
Scott groaned, dragging a hand down his face. âYouâre going to be the death of me.â He jabbed a finger at you. âInside. Motel. Now. Or so help me, Iâll tie you to the bedpost.â
Your eyes widened. âKinky threat. Noted.â
He choked, sputtering, and you laughed all the way back to the motel while the rest of StormPar looked like they might collapse trying not to laugh themselves.
Behind you, you heard Javi mutter to Scott, âYouâre doomed.â
And Scottâs immediate snarl, âShut it!â
-
The convoy thundered down a back road, dust pluming behind the tires, storm clouds rolling like bruises overhead. Radios chattered, Javi rattled off radar readings from the passenger seat, but Scottâs grip on the wheel was⊠murderous. Knuckles white, jaw set, every tendon in his forearm straining.
Javi glanced sideways, waiting. Scott didnât say anything for a solid thirty seconds, and then it all came out like a dam breaking.
âSheâs doing it on purpose,â he growled, eyes fixed on the road. âShe knows she canât come with us. She knows how dangerous this is. And what does she do? Sneaks into the damn truck. Straps herself in like sheâs about to go joyriding into a tornado. Do you know what that did to my blood pressure?!â
Javi, ever calm, just marked something on the tablet. âOh, absolutely. Sheâs doing it on purpose.â
Scott snapped his head toward him. âThank you! Finally, someone sees it. Sheâs baiting me, I swear.â He swung the truck around a bend, tires spitting gravel. âShe sits there with that little smile, acting like sheâs innocent, but I know. I know sheâs laughing in her head.â
âShe was laughing out loud, actually,â Javi corrected smoothly.
Scottâs nostrils flared. âExactly. She thinks itâs funny. Sheâshe actually accused me of being a tyrant! In front of the whole team!â
âMm-hmm.â Javi didnât look up from the radar.
âAnd thenââ Scottâs voice pitched higher, halfway between outrage and disbelief. âThen she said I was being kinky! Kinky, Javi!â
That was too much. Javi slapped a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking.
Scott glared. âDonât you dare laugh.â
Javi failed spectacularly, snorting into his hand. âYouâpfftâyouâre killing me, man.â
Scott groaned and thumped the steering wheel. âThis isnât funny. I canâtâI cannot chase storms and babysit my pregnant wife at the same time. Sheâs gonna give me a heart attack before the baby even gets here.â
âMm,â Javi said, finally pulling himself together, still smiling. âOr maybe she just missed you so much sheâd rather risk tornadoes than be away from you.â
Scott opened his mouth to argue. Closed it. Swore under his breath. His ears went red.
Javi smirked knowingly, jotting down another reading. âThought so.â
Scott muttered, âSheâs still never getting near a chase vehicle again.â
The storm had burned itself out by the time StormPar rolled back into town, their convoy pulling into the motel lot like a caravan of the worldâs most exhausted warriors. Engines cut off one by one, doors slammed, boots scuffed over gravel. Everyone looked wreckedâwindblown, damp, hair sticking in odd directions from hours of chasing down dirt roads.
Scott was the last to climb out of his truck. He rolled his shoulders, exhaustion pressing into him like a weight, but his mind was already on one thing: you.
He walked the narrow hall to your room, keyed open the door, andâ
His chest tightened.
There you were, sprawled in the middle of the motel bed like you owned the place, hair mussed from napping, a paperback open but forgotten at your side. Your overalls were unbuttoned at the top for comfort, your baby bump rounding the thin motel blanket. The lamp cast you in warm light, softening the edges of a day that had been nothing but chaos.
You looked up when the door clicked, your face brightening instantly. âScott!â
You shoved the book aside, bracing your hands to push yourself upâbut the bump got in the way. You rolled once, twice, tried to leverage a pillow. Nothing. You made a sound halfway between a grunt and a growl. âOh, come onââ
Scott leaned against the doorframe, biting back a laugh as he watched you struggle like a turtle flipped on its back. His lips twitched, and then the chuckle slipped out before he could stop it.
You froze, glaring at him. âDonât laugh at me.â
âIâm not,â he lied, voice rough with fatigue but warm with amusement. âI swear Iâm not.â Another laugh broke free. âOkay, maybe a little.â
âScott Miller,â you huffed, flopping dramatically back onto the mattress, âyouâre supposed to help your poor, immobile wife. Not stand there laughing at her suffering.â
He pushed off the frame and crossed to you, that faint smile lingering as he sat on the edge of the bed. âYouâre not suffering,â he said gently, slipping a hand under your back to help ease you upright. âYouâre just⊠adorable.â
Your eyes narrowed, suspicious. âAdorable?â
Scott bent down, pressed a kiss to your temple, then another to your bump. âYeah. Adorable.â His voice softened even more. âAnd mine.â
You melted into him, arms circling his neck. âFine. Youâre forgiven. But only because you look like youâve been wrestling with tornadoes all day.â
âFunny,â he murmured against your hair. âThatâs exactly what Iâve been doing.â
When you finally managed to sit upright, he stayed close, one hand absently rubbing over your bump, the other tugging you against his side. For the first time all day, his shoulders loosened.
âStay put,â he ordered softly, a smirk tugging at his mouth. âIâll get cleaned up and then come back. Donât you dare try sneaking into a truck again.â
You gasped in mock offense. âWould I do that?â
âBelly?â I ask as I open the front door to the beach house.
It was a cold night in November. I finally took a week off at the oncology office to spend time with y/n in cousins. It was only supposed to be us two, but seeing that belly showed up at 11:34pm- I donât think itâs just the two of us anymore.
âConrad, hey. I didnât know youâd be here this week.â She tucks her hair behind her ear.
âYeah, I took the week off to come here. Come in, itâs cold.â I let her walk in and lock the door behind her. âIs everything okay? I thought you were in Paris?â
Leaving out the part that Iâm here with y/n, and sheâs currently wrapped up in my bed sleeping. No one except Steven and Laurel knows about her. I like to keep it that way. As much as I love Jere and Belly- I just donât want them to ruin it. Y/n has been the best thing Iâve ever had for the last two years. After belly called off the wedding last minute and decided to go to Paris- I went back to SoCal to get away from this life. Realizing that Belly probably called her wedding off because of me was a lot to process.
I chased after Belly my whole life. Did everything in my power to make her choose me, and she never did. I was willing to wait my whole life for the moment she decided that she wants me. That was until I met y/n.
Y/n is a nurse at the oncology hospital that Iâm at. She has the most caring, empathetic, easiest soul that Iâve ever encountered. Seeing her work with patients and their families has made me realize a lot in my life. From day one, she was there with open arms. She really wore her heart on her sleeve. Rarely has bad days, and if she does she doesnât take it out on me or anyone.
Meeting y/n made me realize that I didnât love belly like I thought. I loved belly because she reminded me of my mom being alive. She was in so many memories with my mom. But y/n is just like my mom in every aspect. Compassionate, caring, strong-minded, loving, and just so loving. I didnât have to beg her to see me.
âNo no, nothings wrong. I just wanted a break and to come back for a couple weeks. How have you been?â She smiles at me, shifting back and forth on her feet.
âReally good actually. Yeah, been good.â I smile back. It feels good to be able to think clearly around Belly. Before I worried about everything, now itâs just Belly.
âThatâs good. I will make some Hot Chocolate, do you want one?â
âââââ
1:44am
âYes! I was so scared she would throw me off the balcony. She got kicked out the program not even a week later. Crazy times.â Belly laughs tiredly in front of me.
The blanket is heavy over my knees, firelight dancing across Bellyâs face like Iâve seen a hundred times before. It feels⊠familiar. Like the old summers when the house smelled of sunscreen and saltwater, when my mom was still alive and Belly was still the girl with scraped knees who followed me around. But itâs not the same anymore. I can feel the shift inside me, the one Iâve tried to hold onto for years, breaking away into something softer.
She leans her head back on the couch cushion, giggling at her own story, and I smile politely. Sheâs still Belly. Still beautiful, still that magnet everyone canât help but orbit. But I donât feel the same pull. Iâm surprised by that. Maybe a little relieved.
Iâm about to say something back when I hear a sound. Bare feet against the wood floor upstairs.
The fire crackles, and Belly keeps talking, but Iâm listening to the steps. Soft, familiar, half-asleep. And then her voice. The most beautiful voice ever.
âCon? Are you okay?â
I turn toward the staircase, and my chest fills in that way it always does. There she is, y/n. My y/n. Her hair is messy from sleep, one of my sweatshirts hanging loose on her frame, her eyes blinking against the light of the living room.
Belly freezes beside me. I can practically hear her inhale, sharp and quiet.
âYeah, Iâm okay,â I answer, standing up without even thinking. My whole body reacts to y/n, I canât sit still when sheâs near. âSorry, did we wake you?â
She shakes her head, padding toward me with that soft smile that makes my heart ache. She doesnât even notice Belly at first â too tired, too focused on me.But when she does, her steps falter.
âOh,â y/n says quietly, glancing between us. âI didnât realize you had⊠company.â She knows about Belly. She knows that she has nothing to worry about. Ever.
I reach for her hand, needing her to feel secure, needing Belly to see this clearly.
âBelly,â I start, my voice firm but gentle. âThis is y/n. My girlfriend.â
The words feel good. Solid. Like truth.
Bellyâs lips part, her smile faltering for just a second before she recovers. âOh. Hi. IâI didnât know.â
Y/n offers a kind smile, the kind she gives to strangers in hospital hallways, to patientsâ families who are hanging on by a thread. Sheâs never cruel. She doesnât even have it in her. âHi. Itâs nice to meet you.â
Thereâs a pause â heavy, but not hostile. Belly shifts under the blanket, her hands twisting in her lap. She looks at me, then back at y/n, then nods slowly.
âYou didnât tell me you were seeing someone,â Belly says, her voice quieter now. Not sharp. Not bitter. Just⊠careful.
I rub the back of my neck, guilt threading through me even though I know I donât owe her an explanation anymore. Old habits, I guess. âYeah. Weâve been together a while now. Two years.â
Belly blinks. âTwo years?â
Y/n squeezes my hand gently, grounding me. I can tell she feels the tension, but sheâs not afraid of it. Sheâs never afraid of feelings â thatâs one of the things I love most about her.
I nod. âYeah. We met at the hospital. Sheâs a nurse there.â
Bellyâs eyes flicker between us again, and I can see the shift in her expression. Sheâs processing. Maybe comparing. Maybe wondering how I moved on without her knowing.
âThatâs⊠great,â she says finally, though her smile doesnât quite reach her eyes.
Y/n sits down in the armchair across from Belly, pulling her knees up to her chest. Choosing to sit there and instead of next to me- so that she doesnât seem like a âthreatâ and to show Belly that she respects her. Sheâs calm, but I can see the way her fingers fidget against the fabric.
Belly tucks her hair behind her ear, the silence stretching too long before she speaks again. âSo youâve been⊠happy? With her?â
I donât hesitate. âYeah. Happier than Iâve ever been.â
The truth tastes right leaving my mouth. I glance at y/n, who meets my gaze with that soft smile that tells me she believes me, even when I canât always believe myself.
Belly nods slowly, biting her lip. I know that look. Iâve seen it a hundred times on her â jealousy, confusion, the struggle of letting go of something she always thought would be waiting for her.
But she doesnât say anything cruel. Doesnât roll her eyes or snap. Instead, she takes a breath and says, âIâm glad. You deserve that, Conrad.â
The words should feel like closure. And maybe they do.
Y/n leans her chin on her knees, watching quietly. Sheâs always careful in moments like this, letting people feel what they need to feel without intruding.
Belly pushes the blanket off her lap and stands. âItâs late. I should probably go to bed. I go home in the morning. I didnât mean to interrupt anything.â
âYou didnât,â I say automatically, though we all know she did. Not in a malicious way, but in the way Belly always has â by walking into a room and making it hers without even trying.
Belly nods, her eyes flicking to me once more. Thereâs a weight there, like sheâs holding back something she wants to say. But instead, she just whispers, âGoodnight.â
We both watch her walk upstairs to her bedroom.
When I turn back, y/n is watching me carefully, her arms crossed loosely over her chest.
âYou okay?â she asks.
I step toward her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. âYeah. Iâm more than okay.â
Her head rests against my chest, and I breathe her in, the lavender of her shampoo, the warmth of her skin. This is home. Not Belly. Not the ghosts of summers past. Her. Always her.
âI didnât know if you wanted her to know,â y/n whispers.
âI did,â I say simply. âI wanted her to know. I wanted it to be clear.â
She tilts her head back to look up at me, her eyes shining in the dim light. âClear?â
âThat Iâm with you. That I love you.â
The words come easier now than they ever have in my life. With Belly, love always felt like a battle. With y/n, it feels like breathing.
Her smile softens, her fingers tracing the hem of my sweatshirt on her frame. âI love you too, Con.â
We stand there in the quiet house, the fire crackling low, the night wrapped around us. For the first time in a long time, I donât feel haunted.
I feel free.
ââ-
When I wake, the sheets are warm beside me but empty. Y/n is already up. I roll over, squinting at the faint winter light sneaking through the blinds, and the smell of coffee drifts from downstairs. For a moment, itâs just peaceful.
And then I remember â Belly.
The floor creaks when I walk down the staircase, and I hear voices. Y/nâs voice, soft and polite. Then Bellyâs, sharper, like a blade glinting in the light.
When I step into the kitchen, I see them. Y/n at the counter, pouring coffee into mugs, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing that same old sweatshirt of mine. Belly sits at the island stool, elbows braced on the counter, watching y/n with narrowed eyes that she disguises as curiosity.
âGood morning,â I say, my voice still rough with sleep.
Y/n turns with a smile that immediately softens me. âMorning, Con. I made coffee.â
I kiss her cheek before taking the mug from her hand. Belly watches the gesture, and I can practically feel the jealousy radiating off her.
âSoâŠâ Belly begins, twirling a spoon in her mug. âY/n, right? How long have you two been⊠together?â
âTwo years,â y/n answers calmly, offering her the sugar bowl.
Belly blinks. âWow. Thatâs⊠a long time to keep something secret.â
The words are coated in something sweet, but the edge is sharp. Y/n doesnât flinch. She never does. âIt wasnât a secret. Just private.â
I canât help but smile into my coffee. Thatâs y/n â grace under pressure.
Belly tilts her head. âPrivate from everyone? Even from us? I mean, Conrad, we grew up together. You didnât think to tell me?â
I lean against the counter, meeting her gaze. âBelly, my life doesnât have to be an open book for you.â
Her cheeks flush, but she covers it with a small laugh. âRight. Of course. Just surprising, thatâs all.â
âž»
Breakfast
Y/n plates scrambled eggs and toast, sliding them onto the island. She always makes enough for whoeverâs around â itâs instinctive for her. She sets one down in front of Belly, who hesitates before picking up the fork.
âThis is really good,â Belly says after a bite, though her tone makes it sound like an obligation more than a compliment. âYou must⊠cook a lot, huh?â
âSometimes,â y/n replies. âMostly for Con and me. But my job keeps me busy.â
âOh right,â Belly says, sipping her coffee. âYouâre a nurse? At the oncology hospital?â
âYeah.â Y/n smiles politely.
âThat must be⊠exhausting.â Bellyâs voice lilts, like sheâs fishing. âI canât imagine having time for a relationship with that kind of job. But I guess it works for you two.â
The jab is obvious. My jaw tightens, but y/n only nods. âItâs a lot sometimes, but we make it work.â One thing about y/n- she does not complain about her job. She absolutely loves her job and every single patient.
Belly forces another smile, then looks at me. âSo this is serious then? You really see this going somewhere?â
Before y/n can answer, I put my fork down, my tone firm. âYes, Belly. Itâs serious. Sheâs the best thing thatâs ever happened to me. Now stop making comments like she isnât 5 feet from you.â
Y/n blinks at me, surprised by the force in my voice, but I mean it. Every word.
Belly presses her lips together, her eyes dropping to her plate. The silence stretches, heavy and uncomfortable.
After breakfast, y/n goes to take a shower, and Belly corners me by the sink.
âConrad,â she says quietly, her voice low like sheâs offering me a lifeline. âAre you sure about this?â
I stare at her. âWhat do you mean?â
She shrugs, pretending nonchalance. âI mean⊠she seems nice. But⊠you and I, weâve always had this connection. And now youâre telling me youâve been with her this whole time, and I canât help but wonder if youâre just settling because of what happened with us.â
Her words hit like an echo from the past â the same cycle I lived in for years. Waiting for her to decide. But Iâm not there anymore.
âBelly,â I say firmly, âIâm not settling. Iâm finally happy. Y/n gives me peace. She doesnât make me feel like I have to prove myself every second of the day. Thatâs not settling. Thatâs love. Please stop.â
Her eyes flash, but she doesnât argue. Instead, she mutters, âOkay. If thatâs what you want.â
âIt is,â I say. âItâs exactly what I want.â
By noon, Bellyâs mood has shifted from snark to sulking. She lingers in the living room while y/n and I move around each other in the kitchen with the ease of routine. Y/n hums under her breath, sliding me the knife without asking when I reach for the cutting board. Belly watches, her eyes flickering with something she doesnât say out loud.
Finally, she stands. âIâm gonna head to my momâs. Stay there for the rest of the week.â
I nod, relieved. âOkayâ
She hesitates, then steps forward and hugs me. Itâs awkward, too long, her perfume overwhelming. âIâm happy for you, Con,â she whispers, though I can hear the crack in her voice.
I donât answer. Because happiness for me has never looked like jealousy on her.
When the door clicks shut behind her, the house feels lighter.
Y/n looks at me with raised brows. âThat was⊠something.â
I exhale, pulling her into my arms. âIâm sorry you had to deal with that.â
She shakes her head, her smile soft. âCon, you donât have to apologize for someone else. Iâm fine. Really.â
I press a kiss into her hair, holding her tighter. âYouâre more than fine. Youâre everything.â
And I know, in that moment, that Bellyâs chapter in my life is closed. For good.
A/N: I headcanon that Jacob Black is a SLUT for some good ole fashioned breeding
---------------->
âDonât. Please, just.. Just open the door.â He panted, his arm resting against the doorframe. His eyes were drowning in tears and something you couldnât name.
Uncomfortableness? Distaste? Pain?Â
âIâm..Iâm not even supposed to be here. Billy, he- my dad, he told meââ He licked his red lips. They were puffy, swollen, bloodied. It was like he was chewing on them out of hunger or something. âHe said it would be a bad idea. That I should just.. Ride it out.âÂ
The way he stared at you, his eyes devoured yours. It was like if he looked away, youâd disappear.
Sweat dripped down his forehead and his tears dripped down his cheeks and onto the wood flooring on your porch, leaving wet stains at your feet.Â
His chest rose up and down in shallow breaths, the muscles in his arms flexed as though it was painful. It was now you had realized that he was sweating through his white tank top.
It was completely soaked and stuck to his tan skin, his abs tensed with each inhale, and the more you stared, the more his breathing would stutter. His black sweatpants seemed normal, although you could probably guess that they were damp with sweat too.Â
âP-please, baby.â He whined and more tears streamed down his face.Â
Oh. Thatâs new. This is so different from his usual ignorance.Â
Usually, heâs attitude filled, arrogant. He ignores whatever advice or opinion you have. Usually, heâs rude.Â
Now, heâs needy. Begging at your feet to enter your home. Pleading for your mercy and your touch. Jacob Black is filled withâ
Hunger. The same thing in his eyes.
âPlease. Just, just touch me. Talk-talk to me. Say something, anything. Iâll⊠Iâll be so good for you.â He sniffled, his fist clenching and his nails digging into his palms like he needs to distract himself from some kind of pain.
âIâll-Iâll be a good boy. Iâll do anything you tell me, any-anything you want. Please, p-please, please. Just touch me.âÂ
And that is how you got to where you were now.
Pressed against your hallway wall as Jacob tore his shirt off and kissed your jaw feverishly.
His hands clawed at your pajamas, his fingers making their way under your shirt and slowly dragging themselves up your sides, causing goosebumps to raise on your skin.
He mouthed at your neck like he was starving and he breathed in your scent. It was faint, but he could smell your perfume. The sweet smell of roses and the soft smell of coconut milk. It always made him crazy.
The first time his and your parents introduced you both to each other, you were just children.
Freshly starting middle school, barely starting puberty. It was the end of summer and you were helping your parents move into the neighborhood, moving boxes and going up and down stairs. It was hot outside, and you were sweating like crazy.
When he first picked up hints of your scent when his dad made him shake your hand, he knew you were going to be a problem for him.
And then he caught the smell of your perfume on his hand when he went home, and he realized he needed to ask his dad why his stomach felt like it was eating itself.Â
âCan you, can you take this off? Please, I-I canât, I donât-â He was a total mess. You pitied him. His hands climbed out from under your shirt and he tugged on it, barely backing away from you to let you take it off.
When you took it off and your bra, his hands and lips were immediately back on your skin like they belonged there.Â
âJacob, honey, slow down.â Your eyes fluttered when his teeth scraped against your sternum. He made sure his lips touched everything they could as his head dipped lower, catching your breast in his mouth.
You gasped and your hand instinctively reached up to grab his hair. He groaned and a spark blew up in his stomach. He sucked harder, lapping at your nipple like if he sucked it enough, itâd produce milk.
His hips rutted up into yours without thinking and his eyes rolled back into his head when you gasped.
He detached from your nipple with a pop, his lips puffy and covered in drool.Â
Jacob dropped to his knees and kissed his way down your chest and to the waist of your pajama pants, his fingers hooking into the waistband of it and your underwear.
âPlease, maâam? Can I please eat you out?â He kissed just below your belly button and looked up at you, tears brimming his sweet brown eyes once again. âIâll be so good for you.â
He looked at you like you hung the stars. You honestly didnât even know if he could see anymore with all of the tears puddling up in his eyes.
It took your breath away, made your heart beat faster. All you could do was nod and let him take the reins.Â
Your clothes were off before you even realized he moved. You were completely bare to his eyes, and now it was his turn to have no words.Â
You were beautiful.Â
His hands rubbed softly up and down your legs while he stared at you, admired you. Could this be love?Â
He didnât want to think about it too much when he could just enjoy the moment. And enjoy it he did.
Jacob licked a stripe up your center and groanedâ no. He growled. He needed more of you.Â
His head made its way between your thighs, and you clenched them around his face. You didnât mean to, but when you tried to spread your legs, his hands grabbed your outer thighs and put them right back where they were.
If he was going to die, he wanted it to be this way.
His head moved up and down your heat, his tongue catching on your clit and sucking on it harshly. It was your turn to cry, and youâd sob any time his lips wrapped around your bud.Â
Your sounds were like if angels reached inside his head and pulled out the song he loves and made it come from you. You were the best thing he had ever had in his grasp.
But he felt like he wasnât close enough to you.Â
You, on the other hand, were quite close. Your chest was heaving up and down, and the coil in your belly was starting to tighten. âJake, Iâm so close. Please, Iâm-â
His hands wrapped around your legs and he pulled them onto his shoulders, making you lock your legs behind his head. His hands moved to your ass and lifted you up on his shoulders against the wall while he stood.
That was your breaking point. You screamed while his tongue dipped as far as he could reach it into your hole and the coil snapped. You slouched over his head and panted, fingers tight in his hair while he continued to lick you clean.Â
Jacob didnât stop. In fact, he only quickened his pace.
He breathed your scent in like it was air, drank you like you were water, ate you like you were his last meal. No matter how many times you tried to push his head away, he only pushed you against the wall more and lapped at you like you were nectar gifted to him from the gods.
His face was soaked in your slick, eyes still draining with hot tears, and he kept moaning.
If anything, it was like he got more pleasure out of this than you did. Every time he could feel your walls clench against his tongue, his hips bucked into the hair and he whimpered.
He wouldnât stop and couldnât stop. He needed you. He needed everything you could give him.Â
âJ-jake, no more.â You almost couldnât finish your sentence when he whined out a sob and pulled you impossibly closer, burying his tongue as far into your hole as he could.
You were starting to see white again, and you felt like your voice was ripped out of you when you threw your head back and came, grinding against his face and pulling him closer.Â
Your eyes opened and suddenly you were on your back on your bed in your room and he was ripping off his tank top and rushing his sweatpants off of his body.
His grey boxer briefs were soaked with pre-cum in the front and his bulge looked like it was about to rip open the fabric.Â
You bit your lip and stared back at his eyes, and he searched through yours. His eyes were filled with a fire that could never be put out.
They drank in every inch of you, your body, and your soul. He could see you.
âHere. Letâlet me help you.â He suddenly went to the drawers under your bed and pulled out all of the extra blankets youâd use in the harsh winters. You tilted your head, muttering a soft âwhat?â
He could smell you on them. Your perfume, your shower products. Everything. He could smell you everywhere in your room and it intoxicated him.
Jacob surrounded you in the blankets and your pillows, your clothes from your closet and hampers and his clothes, trapping you in a⊠a nest of fabrics. Fabrics that were yours and his.Â
This was where he wanted to be forever. With you, surrounded by you. With you there, too.Â
He looked at you with his chest puffed, sniffling and breathing hard. Inspecting the sheets and making sure they were where they should be.
It made you laugh, how much time he had just taken into making this pile of sheets. He looked at you in confusion, and tilted his head to match yours.
Jacob Black looked like a sweet puppy who was so very lost.Â
âCome here.â You called, reaching your arms out. If he had a tail, it would definitely be wagging.
He crawled into the bed, careful not to mess up any of the sheets, climbed on top of you, and kissed you.Â
He was gentle, his hand rested softly against your throat, and tender. After practically throwing you against the wall, he was so delicate. Jacob pulled away, a worried look on his face.
âAre.. are you sure you want this? I wonât be able to stop.âÂ
âSo donât stop.â You put your hands on his chest and kissed his jaw. âI want everything youâre willing to give me.â
He was out of his boxers soon after.
Jacob rubbed a careful finger against your slit and you hissed. It felt so good, too good. You held him closer to you and rested your head on the side of his neck and mouthed at it.Â
He sighed and slipped his middle finger inside of you with ease, pushing in and pulling out. He kept it up for a minute before adding another finger, and another. You were whining into his ear now, rocking back and forth against his hand.Â
âJacob..â You whispered, and a shiver ran down his spine. He pulled his hand away and you chased it before he moved his fingers to his mouth and sucked, gazing into your eyes while he did.
He licked them clean and interlocked his fingers with yours with his other hand. His lips caught yours again, and he reached down and tapped your thigh.
You spread your legs and wrapped them around his waist, sighing into his mouth. He grabbed his cock, lining it up with your hole. You pulled away from him and rested your head on his shoulder, softly biting it. He waited for the go ahead, and you nodded.Â
He started with the tip, slowly pushing it in. You moaned and bit harder, which caused a guttural groan to come from his chest.
He rocked his hips back and forth to let you get used to the stretch of his head before he went deeper, slowly pushing it in further, and constantly pulling back to the tip when heâd get further.
You didnât even notice him bottoming out until he stayed there, softly grinding his hips into yours.
You were drooling all over his shoulder, eyes rolled to the back of your head, tongue lolled out and panting.Â
He chuckled when he felt you moan something almost incomprehensible against his skin, something along the lines of âdeeper.â
Kissing the side of your head, he almost completely slipped out, and you gave him your first whine of the night.
At least, until he shoved himself right back inside, this time, finally thrusting in and out of you.Â
It completely took your breath away and you couldnât do anything other than look at his back muscles while he pounded into you like an animal.
He didnât stop, and only sped up more and more as he growled, groaned, and whimpered. You were almost too fucked out to notice, but you did feel that it was harder for him to bottom out completely when he pounded into you. He got whinier, his voice broke more, and his hips were starting to stutter.
You had moved yourself to look at your stomach and saw the giant bulge from his cock moving in and out. He was so deep it felt like he was rearranging your guts and almost hitting your cervix, just how you wanted him. You had looked further down and finally saw it.
There was a swelling bump at the base of his cock and it was growing. And that definitely made you come to your senses.
âJacob, baby, slow down.âÂ
He cried out, hips stuttering as he did what you said, although not stopping.
âWhen you said..you were just gonna ride it out.. Whatever it is. Did you fail to mention that you were in a rut? And that thatâs why your father told you not to come here?â You gritted your teeth and pulled his hair to look at you, and he gasped and licked his lips.
âI..I need you so badly. I canât go another season without your lips on mine. IâI should have told you, aâand I understand if you hate me. But pleaseââ His voice broke and the tears were back, and his hips humped against yours, his bottom lip quivering and his cock twitching inside of you. âPlease. Let me breed you.â
You put your hands on his shoulders and flipped him over so that he was under you. Jacob huffed out a sigh of relief when you straddled him and locked your legs around his waist.
You clawed your nails down his chest and his abs until you reached the base of his dick and lifted yourself up to line it back into you. He moaned and gripped his hands onto your hips and sobbed, pathetically trying to put himself back inside of you.Â
You slowly lowered yourself down onto him, holding back your moans.
He was vocal for you, though. Telling you he was going to be so good and that you wouldnât regret it. When you reached his knot, you didnât immediately put it in, and instead slowly bounced up and down while he cried.
You were already almost at another climax, and you rubbed your finger against your clit quickly and clenched against him while you dragged yourself up and down.
âPlease, please just put it in.â He pleaded.
âBeg for it.âÂ
âPlease, please, please. Iâll be such a good boy. Iâll be so good for you, so good for you mommy.â Oh.
âJust let me treat you right, please just give me a chance, let me fuck you. Mommy, mommy please I need it so badâ I need you so bad. Only you, only you can make me feel good. Please, mommy.âÂ
He choked when you slammed down from the tip to the knot and came around him, and he hit his own climax.
He was so loud that you had to cover his mouth with your hand while you slapped your other hand around yours and moaned.
Your legs were shaking and eventually gave out, and you fell against his body while he kept going. His load didnât stop once, and he bred you as he promised.
He filled you up completely, and if it hadnât been for his knot, he wouldâve had it dripping out of you and all over your bed.
You nestled against his chest and he wrapped his arms around you, playing with your hair.
âI canât wait to shower after this.â You sighed and closed your eyes, your cunt still pulsing against his cock. He let out a laugh that reverberated through his chest and smiled sweetly at you.
âYeah, youâre not leaving this room until my knot is settled and my rut is done.âÂ
You lifted your head and propped yourself up with your hands on his chest, an eyebrow raised. âWhen is it done?â
Hey đ would you like to do a Tyler Owens imagine where the reader is also part of his crew and they both are like stupid idiots in love but not talking about it. So when Kate comes to Oklahoma the reader gets jealous of her spending so much time with Tyler. But he only wants to help her with her weather project to destroy the Tornados. So after the events Tyler notices how distant he was towards the reader and he feels bad for making her feel jealous. He decides to finally make a move and comes to the motel she's staying, simply kissing her as soon as she opens the door and they end up sleeping together. Afterwards he's a big cuddler, not letting her go and telling her how much he loves her? đ Hope that alright !
JEALOUS EYES- TYLER OWENS X READER
I hope you enjoy :)
WARNING: SMUT
The sky was turning this purple and pink color, the telltale sign that the storm is coming to an end. You sat in the backseat of Tylerâs truck, watching him smile as the storm faded and the funnel dissipated. The thrill of the storm gone, while the aftermath started to shine through.Â
A gentle smile crossed your features as you watched him, and Boone talked to their YouTube subscribers. Promising next week, they were going to be shooting more fireworks up into the funnel. You laughed remembering last week when they did that, and the poor journalist lost their lunch in the field. Â
 You watched as the crew pulled up next to the truck, Lilly rolling out of the car to pick up the drone. You carefully got out of the truck and headed over to meet her.Â
âNice visualâ you said, high fiving her. She smiled back, âIt was a killer storm, how was the funnel?âÂ
A smile graced your features, âAmazing as usual, it will never get old seeing them so close upâÂ
Movement caught your eye; you watched as Kate made her way over to Tyler. Their conversation hushed, seemingly a secret no one else should know. A frown began crossing your features.Â
You watched as her hand caressed his shoulder, bringing herself closer to him. Lilly hip bumped you, âYou okay?â She asked, nodding towards them while talking in front of the truck.Â
You shrugged your shoulders, âIf he likes her, who am I to stand in the way?â turning back to face her. Â
Lilly is your best friend, she knows you like the back of her hand. In so, she knows how you feel about Tyler. Starting when you were younger, to being crew members and now you have developed this funnel-sized crush on him. Falling more in love every day, but now with Kate around he seems more interested in her and her secrets.Â
âI think he is more interested in her idea of taming a tornado than herâ Lilly said softly. You knew she was trying to bring you comfort. But you felt it, the shift in your relationship with Tyler since Kate had been around. Â
The distance was no longer comfortable, instead it was filled with what ifs. What if he fell for Kate? What if he left you behind? What if you lost him? You could feel your heart break more at every instance that ran through your mind.Â
 âYour mind is wanderingâ Lilly murmured bringing you back down to earth. You rolled your eyes âIt always wanders, how do you think I decided to chase tornadoesâ Â
You both laughed, feeling the pain of heart break fall off of you. You caught Tylerâs eye as he continued talking to Kate, a shy smile crossing your features. Â
âLetâs get to the motel, we should get some rest while we canâ He stated to the team, as everyone piled into their vehicles. But you made the bold choice to turn away from the red truck that was your safe space and head to the RV. A choice you very rarely made.Â
A hand catches your arm, turning you towards them. âYou, okay?â Tyler asked, his scent invading your senses. The smell of his cologne, sweat, and the slight smell of rain.Â
Your eyes danced along his features before meeting his eyes, âJust thought you could use some time with Kate.â you said, a soft smile crossing your face.Â
You could see him trying to read you, to find if there was a problem.Â
âYou donât have to. We were just talkingâ he said, soft.Â
You just nodded, before turning back towards the RV. Meeting up with Lilly and Dexter. Shutting the door behind you, you felt his eyes follow you before heading back to the truck.Â
They turned to you, âYou okay if I ride with you?â you asked, eyes clouded with unshed tears. Knowing you just sent the man you loved to flirt with the new girl. Â
The ride back to the motel was quiet, no one questioned you or pestered to know if you were okay. Everyone knew where you fell with Tyler, they knew you loved him, but they also knew he loved you. Â
The idea of that love being oblivious to the both of you. Tyler didnât want to scare you, and you never wanted to lose him. Â
The motel parking lot was filled with tornado chasers, all hanging out and talking about their day of chasing. You and Lilly pulled out the chairs, and grill as the guys checked into the motel. Â
You put Tylerâs chair next to yours, where it always was. The forever constant even on days when you didnât feel like talking or you were in an argument. Â
Lilly pulled her chair up next to you, as you watched Tyler and Kate talk as they walked back to the group. Â
You knew what she was attempting to do was impressive, and it is something Tyler would love to be a part of. The idea that she could launch a super-absorbent polymer into a tornado to absorb the moisture and force the storm to shrivel up and die out. In other words, taming the tornado. Â
The whole reason you and Tyler came together was to âwrangler tornadoesâ, and now he has Kate to quite literally make that happen. It was impressive, but also hurtful that he was doing this with someone else. Â
Since day one, Tyler has been by your side. Through the first tornado you both experienced in his auntâs car. Knowing that you both were meant to be scared, but the thrill was something worth chasing. To building the Tornado Wrangler brand, to holding your hand in the hospital when your Jeep was thrown in a storm, supporting each other through each and every heartbreak. But this felt different. This change, this chapter felt different, and you couldnât tell if it was good or bad. Â
You pulled yourself out of your thoughts when you turned to talk to Tyler. Only to realize he wasnât sitting there; Boone was. Your eyes wildly looking through the circle before finding him. There he sat in all his glory next to- Kate. Â
Your stomach turned, as you realized he didnât want to be with you when he had her. Her brains, her knowledge, her project. You were runner up in a competition you didnât even have a stake in. You felt yourself wanting to hide, to hide the fact that you loved him but had nothing to offer him. Â
He caught your eye, as you felt your chest get tight. You quickly turned to Lilly whispering a soft, âI gotta goâ before grabbing your bag and heading into the motel. Â
You found your room quickly. Swiftly shutting the door and locking it. You felt the tears pricking your eyes as you rushed towards the bathroom. Ready to scrub the storm and this day off of you. Â
The hot water fell down your features, dirt sliding off, the smell of your shampoo filling the room. But all you could do was cry. Tears ran down your face as the shower water fell. Â
You cried for the future you imagined for yourself. You cried for the love you had for Tyler and the fact it would never be reciprocated. You cried for the fact something was changing, and you werenât okay with it. Â
You got out of the shower, trying to pull yourself together. Throwing on your shorts and oversized shirt that was Tylerâs. Carefully pulling the sheets down, turning on the tv, finding your comfort movie- Sweet Home Alabama. Â
You crawled in, laughing and crying through the love story. Watching the main character, Melanie realize her love for her kinda ex-husband but kinda not. Watching the moment of, âSo, I can kiss you anytime I wantâ knowing you werenât going to get to experience that love with Tyler. Â
Your eyes felt heavy when a knock came at the door. You sighed, pulling yourself out of bed before opening the door. Knowing it, it was most likely Lilly to check on you. Â
âIâm not in the moo-â you started before being cut off. Rough lips pressing to yours, as your eyes opened wide. Â
It was Tyler. Â
You shoved him back, an unfamilar feeling in your check, âWhat was that?â you hissed at him. Â
His expression filled with guilt, âI know I have been treating you badly. I know I have been so absorbed with what is happening with Kateâs projectâ he startedÂ
Your eyes rolled, if there was one thing about Tyler- he brought out the best in you but also the worst. Â
âOh, did you figure that out? Or did someone tell youâ You stated. The way his hand rubbed his neck, you could tell he got chewed out by someone. That someone made him feel guilty. Â
âJust go back to Kate, Iâm sure she is much more interestingâ you said, opening the door wide for him. He started walking towards the door, you felt yourself holding your breath. Â
He shut the door, staying close to you. âNow why would I want to go out there, when I can stay here with you?âÂ
Your eyes rolled once more, âConsidering this is the longest we have talked in days. Not sure why you want to be here?â Â
He stalked towards you, â Youâre my best girlâ he smirkedÂ
âYes, because I totally felt that when you whispered in the corner and were connected to her hip for days.â the snarky tone falling off your lips. Â
His expression fell, the teasing personality changing to something more serious, âBecause her project is interesting. Not her. There is no one who I want to be with more than you. I wouldnât keep doing this every day if it wasnât for youâÂ
You just distanced yourself from him, knowing he was trying to drag you into him. The overwhelming aura of Tyler Owens. Â
âYou used to tell me, if you feel it, chase it. So, chase Kate, chase what that future has to offerâ you snarked back. He took too big steps towards you, âI would rather chase youâÂ
His lips found yours again, rough hands finding their way under your shirt. His grip on you tightened, pulling you into him. Your hands found their way into his hair pulling softly, a small moan escaping from his lips. Â
Your clothes slowly found their way to the ground, shirt softly pulled over your head and shorts being discarded. Your hands undoing the buttons of Tylerâs flannel, softly pulling it off his shoulders. You smirked into the kiss as you undid the buttons of his jeans, feeling his bulge straining against the fabric. Â
Pulling away, your eyes met his. Slowly taking him in, the fact he was standing in front of you vulnerable, naked, and most of all looking at you like you were the only person on earth.Â
He pushed you back slowly, your back meeting the mattress. Back arching as his hands explore every crevasse of your body. Your eyes caught his; he looked transfixed, wild, obsessed with every ounce of skin he was taking in. Â
His eyes continued to follow your frame, carefully spreading your legs. The cold air hitting your clit, back arching off the bed. The neediness fills the air. Â
Your eyes met his, as he lowered himself between your legs. His hot breath fanning your thighs, âYou have no idea how long I have wanted this,â his eyes dark.Â
âSo, take itâ you whispered, hand weaving into his hair, tugging softly. Â
His tongue dipped into your entrance, finding that bundle of nerves that made you squirm. You felt his finger find your entrance, as his tongue danced on your clit. Carefully dipping his fingertips in- once, twice, before sinking deep.Â
A moan erupting from your chest as he hit that spot, you never felt before. Â
âTyâ you moaned, almost in a whisper as you felt his finger curl, adding another finger before finding that spot again. Back arching off the bed as you felt the intensity of your orgasm growing.Â
âRight there?â he asked, pressing kisses to your exposed skin, you nodded like an idiot as you felt your orgasm begin to take over. Your eyes met his, pupils blown wide with lust as his tongue found your clit again.Â
A loud moan filled the room as your orgasm took her, the squelching sound of your pussy as his fingers fucked you through it. Â
Your eyes blown, you looked down at him. A smile crossed his features as he watched you reach for him. Bringing his lips to yours, as you kissed him hard. The kiss filled with lust as well as the taste of you. Â
He gently pulled away and pushed down his boxers. The wet spot of precum present, making you squirm.Â
âPleaseâ you murmured, trying to drag him back down. A wild smile crossed his features, âBegâÂ
You smirked, âTy please baby I want your cock deep inside of meâ. You felt his body weight fall onto you, feeling him line up with your entrance. His tip gently bumped your clit, making you squirm beneath him again. Â
âTyâ you started to protest, as he slowly entered you. Sinking halfway into your pussy, moans escaping both of you as he stretched you. Â
Tyler braced his hands on the headboard as he sank the rest of the way into you. Soft curses falling off his lips as he felt your tightness around him, âFuck Y/NâÂ
His hips rolling as he slid deeper into you. The fullness taking over your senses, as he gripped your hips. The moans falling out of you as he began snapping his hips forward setting a rougher pace. Â
âYou look so fucking pretty... Under me like this... Who do you belong to?â He moaned, fucking your hard and rough. His hand leaving your hip to rub circles over your clit. The impending orgasm taking over your senses. Cockdrunk, mind swimming with desperation and lust. Â
âYo-u--- Ty. You.â you moaned brokenly as you tightened around his cock. He grunted âCome for meâ he moaned, pace picking up. Â
His thrusts growing rougher and sloppier as your orgasm overcame you. You squirmed as the pleasure became overwhelming. His head fell backwards as he filled your cunt with cum, the both of you riding out the white hot bliss.Â
He leaned forward kissing you softly, âI love youâ he murmured, drawing you out of your post orgasm haze. âI love you tooâ you murmured back, pulling him down on top of you. Â
He carefully shifted both of you, pulling you into his chest. Knowing this is exactly where he was meant to be. With you, in this moment. He won the chase. Â
Cedric Diggory was a good boyfriend. He was loyal, and kind, and handsome. He was smart, and thoughtful, and hardworking. He was a great boyfriend, even. Just not for you.
Fred is insistent that the two of you simply arenât a good fit. He doesnât know your favourite things, his hobbies donât align with yours, andâŠwell, he just canât seem to figure you out. Not the way Fred has.
Inspired by the song âFigure you outâ by VĂŹola.
The Gryffindor common room glowed with the amber hues of sunset, stained glass casting dappled patterns across the floor and over the velvet-worn cushions of the overstuffed furniture. The fire crackled lazily in the hearth, its warmth battling the crisp, late-autumn chill that had crept into the castle. You were curled up on the middle sofa, legs stretched over Fredâs lap like it was the most natural thing in the world, which, it sort of was. Youâd been best friends since first year. This was normal. Casual. Totally platonic. Supposedly.
Fred was absently tracing shapes on your shin with the edge of a Sugar Quill wrapper, eyes flicking between your face and the Exploding Snap cards George was reshuffling on the floor. The two of you had been locked in a battle of wits for well over ten minutes now.
George rolled his eyes dramatically as he looked between you and Fred. âHonestly, do you two even hear yourselves?â
Fred smirked. âEvery golden syllable.â
You smacked his shoulder with the rolled-up sleeve of your jumper, laughing. âWhat, jealous we have banter and youâre just stuck with charm and mildly acceptable looks?â
George huffed, feigning offense. âExcuse me, I am the full package. Banter and bone structure included.â
Fred wiggled his eyebrows. âYou forgot modesty.â
You grinned, eyes crinkling, and Fredâs hand stilled briefly on your leg, his fingers curling slightly against your knee before he forced himself to look away.
âSpeaking of charming packages,â you said suddenly, fiddling with the fraying edge of your sleeve, âCedricâs taking me to the Three Broomsticks on Saturday.â
The words hovered in the space like smoke. Fred blinked once. The smile on his face didnât drop entirely, but it tightened, lips pressing just a little too firmly together, his jaw shifting as he looked back down at the wrapper in his hands. George glanced at his brother, but said nothing.
âOh?â Fred said after a beat, voice overly casual. âDidnât know Cedric was the pub type. Thought heâd be more intoâŠbutterfly gardens and brooding poetry.â
You laughed, tilting your head back against the couch. âI think itâs sweet.â
Fred made a noise, something halfway between a cough and a scoff. âSweet, right. Like curdled milk.â
You rolled your eyes. âCome on. Heâs trying.â
âHeâs taking you to get Butterbeer,â Fred said, the sharpness in his voice catching you off guard. âThat got to be the most unoriginal, boring date Iâve ever heard. You hate Butterbeer!â
Your brows furrowed. âI said I wasnât a huge fan.â
âYou said - and I quote - âit tastes like sugar water that lost a bar fight with a marshmallow.ââ
George snorted behind his deck of cards. You flushed slightly. âOkay, yeah, maybe I havenât liked it before. But Cedric thinks he can change my mind.â
âSounds like heâs trying to get you explore new things,â George muttered quickly, clearly trying to cut the tension as he dealt out cards to himself. âReal open minded stuff.â
Fred leaned back, shifting your legs a little higher on his lap. His voice was quieter now, but no less pointed. âYeah. Taking someone somewhere they donât even like is real intuitive.â
âFred.â You sat up slightly. âItâs a sweet gesture.â
Fred looked at you then. Really looked. His gaze flicked to your lips before darting away again, jaw tight.
âSure,â he said. âReally thoughtful.â
The silence stretched. You pulled your legs back to sit cross-legged beside him, suddenly unsure of what just happened. âYouâve been so weird about Cedric lately.â
George coughed a spluttered, trying to cover it up by smacking his own chest as though something had tickled his lungs.
Fred blinked. âWeird?â
âYeah.â You nudged his shoulder. âEvery time I bring him up, you get all sulky.â
âI donât get sulky.â
âYou do, actually,â George offered helpfully. âLike a puppy that didnât get picked for fetch.â
Fred shot him a glare. âThank you, Georgina.â
You folded your arms. âIf itâs about Quidditch or something, I swearââ
âItâs not,â Fred cut in quickly. Too quickly.
You raised an eyebrow, waiting. Fred scrubbed a hand through his hair, then leaned forward, elbows on knees, eyes trained on the flames. âI justâŠI donât think he gets you.â
Your expression softened. âFredâŠâ
âI mean, you say you donât like something, and instead of listening, he tries to prove you wrong. Thatâs not sweet. Thatâsââ he stopped, biting his tongue. âForget it.â
You hesitated, unsure what to say.
George, sensing a powder keg about to blow, stood with exaggerated grace. âWell. Iâve got detention with Filch in ten. Gonna go polish suits of armor and question all my life choices. You twoâŠenjoy the awkward tension.â
He was gone before either of you could stop him. You sat in silence for a moment before finally speaking again.
âOkay, so heâs not perfect,â you said quietly. Fred looked at you, a flicker of hope dancing in his chest. âBut heâs trying,â you finished.
Fredâs shoulders slumped.
âMaybe Iâll give Butterbeer another go,â you added, more to yourself than anyone else. âWho knows, the Three Broomsticks might be better than the Leaky Cauldron.â
Fred didnât answer. He just watched the flames flicker, your words settling heavy in the spaces between.
It was late Saturday afternoon, the dying light bleeding through the tall common room windows, casting an orange-gold sheen across the wood-paneled walls and red velvet drapes. A fresh fire had been lit in the hearth, crackling softly as the castle settled into weekend stillness.
Fred and George were lounging on opposite ends of the couch, legs tangled up in a lazy stretch as they passed a Chocolate Frog card back and forth in some made-up game of flicking and catching. Fredâs shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, collar slightly wrinkled. He looked at ease, until the portrait hole creaked open.
âHi, uhâFred? George?â
Fred didnât have to look up. He knew that voice, low and impossibly calm like everything he said was pre-planned. Cedric bloody Diggory.
George glanced up with a mild smile. âHey, mate.â
Fred looked up slowly, expression unreadable as Cedric stepped fully into the common room. He held a bouquet of tightly wound red roses in one hand and looked irritatingly perfect, as usual. Neatly pressed robes, chestnut hair just slightly tousled like it had been styled to seem unstyled.
âHey,â Cedric said, shifting awkwardly. âSheâs not ready yet?â
George shrugged. âUpstairs still. You know how it is, theyâre say five minutes but they really mean a half hour.â
Cedric chuckled politely and perched on the edge of the adjacent armchair, careful with the bouquet as though it might bruise. âThatâs alright. Iâm early anyway.â
Fredâs eyes dropped to the flowers. His mouth twitched, just barely.
âNice roses,â George complimented, voice casual, leaning back with one arm flung across the back of the sofa.
Cedric flashed his perky white teeth in a smile. âTheyâre classic, right?â
Fred snorted. âYeah. Basic, too.â
Cedric frowned slightly, confused. Fred leaned forward now, elbows on his knees, voice quiet but sharp with intent. âShe doesnât like roses. Thinks theyâre overrated.â
George stayed silent, watching with thinly veiled amusement as the undercurrent of tension thickened. Cedric sat up straighter. âShe told you that?â
Fred didnât answer right away. He was looking at the bouquet now, like it had personally offended him.
âShe likes peonies,â he said eventually. âAlways has. Big ones, the kind that look like theyâre exploding with petals. White or pink, sometimes coral. And carnations, especially if theyâre that peachy kind. Babyâs breath too, but only as filler.â
Cedric blinked again, obviously startled. âRight. Wow, youâŠknow that offhand.â
Fred gave a shrug like it was nothing. Like it wasnât something heâd memorised on purpose. âShe mentioned it once,â he said, deliberately vague, though the memory was sharp and vivid in his mind. You, during third year, lounging on the grass during Herbology break, talking about how your mum used to charm peonies to bloom early in the season and how roses always felt too forced, like they were trying too hard to be romantic and had no personal thought put into them.
Cedric was quiet for a moment. Then, almost shyly, he lifted his wand and whispered a charm under his breath. The bouquet shimmered faintly, and the crimson roses folded and bloomed outward, petals shifting shape and tone until the tight bouquet melted into a wild, soft collection of pale pink peonies, peach carnations, and airy babyâs breath that swirled gently in the warming charm.
Fred hated how good it looked. He hated even more that youâd like it.
âThanks,â Cedric said, glancing up at him. âThat was reallyâŠhelpful.â
Fred nodded once, jaw tight. âSure.â
The creaking sound of the stairs drew their attention, and Fred immediately leaned back, slipping into his usual mask of cool detachment.
You stepped into view with your wand twisted in your hair, sleeves rolled up and sweater buttons loose. Your outfit was simple but lovely - fitted in all the ways that made Fredâs stomach twist uncomfortably, his eyes catching on the delicate slant of your collarbone.
âThere you are,â you said, smiling at the sight of Cedric.
Then your gaze dropped to the bouquet in his hands and stopped dead. âWaitââ you stepped forward, astonished, âYou got me peonies?â
Cedric looked sheepish. âYeah. Thought youâd like these.â
You reached for them, cradling the bouquet like it was something magical. âThese are my favourite. I never even mentioned that, thoughâŠâ You turned to Fred and George with an appreciative smile. âDid one of you tell him?â
Fred shrugged without looking at you, suddenly very interested in the Chocolate Frog card now flipping between his fingers.
George grinned innocently. âMustâve been a lucky guess.â
You beamed back at Cedric and kissed him on the cheek, then, impulsively, on the mouth - a quick press of affection that made Fred go utterly still.
He didnât watch the kiss. He didnât have to. But he did catch the way you flushed slightly, your fingers tightening on the bouquet as you turned toward the portrait hole.
âSee you later!â you called to the twins.
Fred only nodded, jaw clenched so tight it ached, as the portrait swung shut behind you and Cedric.
Silence stretched in the common room again. The fire crackled. Fred slumped backward on the couch and threw the Chocolate Frog card toward the flames.
George whistled low. âYou alright there, Romeo?â
Fred stared up at the ceiling. âBloody brilliant.â
Monday morning came with cold air and early fog, mist curling across the stone floor of the Hogwarts courtyard like smoke. Autumn had well and truly settled over the castle, biting at fingers and noses and making scarves a necessity rather than a fashion statement. The scent of damp earth and chimney smoke lingered in the air, and the crunch of frost underfoot echoed faintly through the castle.
Fred and George were slouched against the wall outside the Charms corridor, books open but mostly forgotten. The two had spent the past half hour flicking bits of parchment at a distracted Ravenclaw prefect across the hallway and keeping count of how many had hit him in the back of the neck.
âSeven,â George said with a smirk as his latest flick landed. âNew record.â
Fred grinned faintly, but his eyes werenât on the prefect anymore. His gaze was angled just to the right, toward the tall group of Hufflepuff boys clustered outside Professor Flitwickâs classroom.
Cedric was in the center of the group, hair windswept, one hand jammed casually into the pocket of his robes while he talked animatedly with a few mates from his year. Fred couldnât hear the whole conversation, just fragments, but it was enough to piece it together.
ââfront row seats,â one of them was saying, âlooking right over the pitch. Imagine the viewââ
âCanât wait,â Cedric said. âThinking of taking her. Would be perfect.â
Fredâs stomach dropped.
âSheâd love it,â the other boy agreed.
âYeah,â Cedric went on, his voice low but clear. âTop of the stands, middle section, those are the ones Iâm aiming for. You can see everything from up there.â
Fredâs knuckles went white around the edge of his textbook. He didnât even realize heâd stood up until George reached out and caught his sleeve.
âMate,â George said in warning. âDonâtââ
But Fred was already moving. He crossed the space in a few long strides, dropping right into the edge of their conversation like he belonged there. His voice was deceptively casual, but his eyes were sharp.
âSheâs scared of heights.â
Cedric blinked, turning to face him fully. âWhat?â
Fred met his gaze evenly. âY/N. Sheâs terrified of heights. Anything higher than the greenhouse roof and she wonât go near the edge. You book seats at the top of the pitch, sheâll spend the whole match watching her feet.â
âRight. Thanks, I guess.â Cedric didnât sound annoyed. MoreâŠconfused. And maybe a little impressed. âIâll get us different seats.â
Fred nodded once and walked away without another word, shoulders tense as he crossed back to George. He didnât sit. Just leaned against the wall, arms folded, jaw clenched so tight it felt like his teeth might crack.
George studied him for a moment. âThat was subtle.â
Fred didnât answer. After a pause, George sighed. âYouâre not helping yourself, you know.â
Fred closed his eyes briefly. âHeâs going to take her to the bloody World Cup, George. And the great big oaf would have had her shivering in her boots the whole time because he wouldnât know the difference between her and any other girl in this hallway.â
âYeah. And instead of letting her figure that out, youâre feeding him the bloody playbook.â
Fred let out a bitter laugh. âYeah, well, I want her to be happy.â
The Gryffindor common room buzzed with soft chatter that evening. Just a low hum of students curled up in armchairs, scribbling essays, trading Chocolate Frog cards, and pretending not to be anxious about the Transfiguration quiz in the morning.
Fred was seated cross-legged on the rug in front of the fireplace, a half-built card tower in front of him and a handful of Bertie Bottâs Every Flavour Beans scattered around as makeshift weights. His eyes were fixed on the structure, but his attention wasnât.
George was perched on the couch, flipping lazily through Quidditch Weekly, while Fred fidgeted with a card between his fingers, bent at the corners from how often heâd twisted it.
The portrait hole creaked open.
âEvening,â came Cedricâs voice as he stepped in, looking just a touch awkward surrounded by so much red and gold.
Fred didnât look up. He knew that tone.
George lowered his magazine. âDidnât think we were expecting visitors.â
Cedric smiled, holding up a small brown box tied with gold twine. âJust dropping something off.â
Fredâs eyes flicked to the box. Cedric stepped closer, clearly proud of himself. âShe mentioned sheâs been stressed about her History of Magic paper, so I thought Iâd surprise her. These are her favourites.â
George quirked a brow. âOh yeah?â
Fred finally looked up then, mouth tight. âWhatâs in the box, Diggory?â
Cedric opened it with a flick of his wand and a puff of sugary steam escaped. Inside were neat rows of licorice snaps wrapped in parchment, a stack of honey fudge squares, and - Fred grimaced - three raspberry truffles topped with spun sugar.
He didnât even try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. âWow,â Fred said. âRomantic and potentially fatal.â
Cedric frowned. âWhat?â
Fred stood up, brushing his hands on his trousers. âShe hates licorice. Thinks itâs like chewing black shoelaces.â
George snorted. Cedric blinked. âReally?â
âAnd fudge makes her nauseous,â Fred added casually, circling the coffee table like he wasnât personally invested. âToo dense, she says. Makes her feel like sheâs eaten a brick.â
Cedricâs brow wrinkled, glancing at the box. âBut she told me she liked sweetsââ
âChocolate frogs,â Fred said sharply. âFizzing Whizbees. Sugar quills when sheâs revising. She doesnât even look at the Honeydukes licorice rack.â
There was a long pause. George closed the magazine, watching closely now.
Cedric sighed and shook his head, embarrassed. âMerlin. Thanks again, Fred. You keep saving my arse, donât you?â
Fred forced a smile, but it didnât reach his eyes. âYeah,â he muttered. âGuess I do.â
Cedric glanced toward the girlsâ staircase. âWould you mind giving these to her dormmates to leave on her bed? Iâll write her a letter, let her know I was thinking of her.â
Fred nodded, taking the box reluctantly.
âRight,â Cedric said, already heading toward the portrait hole. âNext time Iâll double check about the sweets. Cheers, mate.â
And with that, he was gone. The fire crackled. Fred stared down at the box in his hands like it had turned into a ticking time bomb.
George whistled softly. âYou gonna start writing his love letters for him too?â
Fred exhaled through his nose and dropped the box on the coffee table with a dull thud. âIâm going to end up watching him propose - and do it entirely wrong - arenât I?â
George raised an eyebrow. âOnly if you donât explode first.â
Fred didnât answer. He was already retreating to the boysâ staircase, fists stuffed deep into his pockets, tension radiating off him in waves.
The Gryffindor common room was glowing in the golden haze of early evening, warm firelight flickering against the stone walls and casting dancing shadows across the crimson and gold banners. Laughter bubbled from one corner where Seamus Finnigan had just turned someoneâs book bag into a animated face. A record spun low and slow on an enchanted gramophone in the corner, humming out an old Celestina Warbeck ballad, soft and romantic.
You were sitting cross-legged on the plush rug in front of the fire, nursing a cup of cocoa - actual cocoa, courtesy of Fred, whoâd whisked it away and remade it after you grimaced at the first sip of the powdered rubbish someone else had made.
Fred sat beside you, one arm braced behind him, watching the firelight dance on your features out of the corner of his eye while pretending to listen to George rant about a professor docking points again. You laughed at all the right moments, teeth flashing in the soft glow, and Fred couldâve watched you like that for hours.
He was just starting to relax - just starting to forget that Diggory existed - when it happened.
A flutter of footsteps. A cluster of younger girls - Lavender Brown and the Patil twins, Padma and Parvati - approached in a haze of giggles, all beaming like they were about to burst.
âOh my Merlin,â Lavender breathed, her voice shrill with excitement. âYour boyfriend is actually the most romantic boy alive.â
You blinked. âCedric?â
Fredâs body stiffened beside you. His easy posture turned sharp. Alert. George immediately side-eyed him like a war was about to start.
âWe heard he left a note on your bed!â Parvati gushed. âAnd sweets! Itâs so cute it hurts.â
âLiterally hurts,â Padma added with a grin. âIf it were me, I might have cried.â
Lavender sighed dramatically, plopping onto the ottoman nearby. âHeâs so thoughtful. How do you stand it?â
You gave an awkward smile, cheeks flushed. âYeah, it wasâŠkind of him.â
Fred stared into the fire, unmoving. George nudged his foot under the table.
But Lavender wasnât done. âAnd donât even get me started on that bouquet he gave you the other day! Peonies?! I didnât even think boys knew what peonies were!â
Your smile faded just a fraction. You glanced toward Fred instinctively, but he was staring stonily at the flames.
âOh, and i heard he said heâs planning a surprise for summer break,â Parvati added. âSomething about World Cup tickets?â
Your brows knit together slightly. Fredâs hands curled into fists against the rug.
âHeâs just perfect,â Lavender concluded, utterly dreamy. âYouâre so lucky.â
And thatâs when Fred snapped. He stood abruptly, voice loud and sudden, cutting through the cozy hum of the room like a blade.âHeâs not perfect.â
The girls froze. You blinked up at him, startled. Even George lowered his cocoa. Fredâs voice was rough around the edges now. Bitter. Barely restrained.
âHe doesnât know her favourite sweets. He bought her fudge which she hates, and nicotine, which she despises. He doesnât know that sheâs allergic to bloody peanuts. He kept trying to give her flying lessons when she can barely even stand at the top of the staircases without gripping the railing so hard her knuckles turn white.â
You stared at him, mouth parted slightly. Fred wasnât looking at anyone. His gaze was locked on the fire like he needed something to keep him grounded.
âHe didnât get her the right flowers,â he continued, voice low now, but still sharp. âNot really. He brought roses, and I told him they were wrong. I told him what she actually liked. Iâve told him everything heâs ever actually got right about her.â
It was so silent, you could hear the fire crackle. The soft shuffle of Lavender shifting uncomfortably.
âAnd thereâs plenty more that heâs already stuffed up - like taking her for butterbeers when her favourite drink is hot chocolate. Or buying her that silver heart necklace that she wears out of pity because she only owns gold jewellery and thinks hearts are tacky. And he always wears that cologne that she thinks smells like old cars because she hates strong scents.â Fred went on, words flowing freely along with his frustrations. âHe really doesnât know anything about her, and the real kicker is, I didnât even need to be told any of those things. I just paid attention.â
George closed his eyes with a wince. âOh, hell.â
Fred realized it then. The weight of what heâd said crashed down on him all at once - every confession, every bite of resentment that had been twisting in his chest for weeks. It was all out now, spilled into the common room like shattered glass.
And thenâ
âCedric!â Lavender squeaked.
Fred turned slowly to see him.
Cedric stood in the entryway to the common room, just inside the portrait hole. The warm firelight spilled across the floor toward him. âHey, guys. Howâs it going?â He grinned and it only made Fredâs blood boil.
He didnât say anything. Didnât wait. He just turned and left, storming past Cedric and out the portrait hole without a word, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room.
Wind whispered around the stone spires of the Astronomy Tower, tugging at your clothes, sweeping strands of hair across your face as you stepped out into the open. The sky was velvet-black, spangled with stars. The moon hung low - silver and solemn - its light casting shadows across the carved balustrade. Your heart thundered in your chest, and you were sure of it was because of the height, or because of him.
Fred was leaning forward with his elbows on the railing, the wind brushing through his hair, jaw set tight as if holding himself together by force alone. He didnât turn when he heard the door creak open. Didnât look at you.
You stepped closer, even though it terrified you to approach the edge. âFred.â
He flinched. Just barely. Just enough to know he hadnât expected you to follow him.
âY/n,â he said, voice rough. âWhat are you doing up here?â
You ignored it. Crossed the tower until you were standing beside him, even though your head almost sounded at the sight of the steep drop to the ground. He still didnât look at you. Just stared out over the dark grounds of Hogwarts, eyes fixed somewhere between the Forbidden Forest and the black glint of the Black Lake.
âI broke up with Cedric.â
That made him turn. His expression cracked wide open in shock, disbelieving the word that had come out of her mouth. His lips parted, but no words came out.
You held his gaze. Steady. Honest. âHeâs sweet,â you said quietly. âThoughtful. Kind. He really did try. He was a great boyfriend, butâŠhe never really knew me, Fred. Not like you do.â
Fred exhaled hard, like someone had punched the air from his lungs. âDonât,â he whispered again, but this time it wasnât a warning. It was a plea. âDonât give me hope because youâŠI donât know, because you feel sorry for me or something.â
You stepped closer. âYou knew about the heights. The sweets. The flowers.â
His throat bobbed as he swallowed. âI didnât mean toââ
âYou knew all of it because you paid attention. Because youâve always paid attention.â You interrupted him, needing to get your point across. Needing to do what you came here to do.
Fred turned away, dragging a hand through his hair. âYeah, well. Thatâs the problem, isnât it?â
You frowned. âWhat do you mean?â
He laughed, but it was hollow. âIâve spent months watching someone else be the boyfriend I wanted to be. Watching you smile at flowers I picked out for him. Watching you kiss him because of something I told him to do.â
Your heart ached at the crack in his voice.âFredâŠâ
âI thought I could handle it,â he said, shaking his head. âI thought if you were happy, thatâd be enough. Even if it wasnât with me.â
Silence. The wind stirred your loose strands of hair. Stars spun slow above. You reached out and touched his hand. Cold fingers. Tense.
He looked at you and you smiled - gentle, soft, unguarded. âI wasnât happy. Not really. As wonderful as he was, it just didnât feel right. He didnât laugh at my jokes as hard as you do. And he didnât challenge me back when I teased him. And the longer I was with him the more I realised I was disappointed in the fact that he wasnât anything like you. Because youâre the one I want, Fred.â
His chest stilled, unable to draw in a breath but unable to let one go either.
âI think maybe Iâve always wanted you,â you said. âBut I didnât see it until you were everywhere - in everything he got right. Every sweet, every bouquet, every careful little gesture. It wanted it to be you.â
Fredâs jaw tightened like he was fighting it. Fighting hope. Fighting want. And at your confession he finally broke. He surged forward and kissed you.
It wasnât soft. It wasnât careful. It was urgent, like heâd been holding it back for years and it finally snapped loose. His hands cradled your face, fingers sliding into your hair, and you melted into it, fisting the front of his jumper as the stars spun above you.
When he finally pulled back, your foreheads stayed pressed together, breath mingling in the cold night air.
âYouâre sure?â he whispered.
You smiled, brushing your thumb against his jaw. âFred Weasley. Iâve never been more sure of anything.â
He laughed, real this time. Warm and bright and a little breathless.
âThank Merlin,â he said. âBecause if I had to sit through one more week of that bloody idiot making the simplest mistakes, I was going to hurl myself off this tower.â
You grinned. âDonât be dramatic.â
âToo late.â He kissed you again, slower this time, with all the things he hadnât said out loud. And you kissed him back with all the things you never knew youâd been holding onto.
Below, the castle slept. Above, the stars burned bright. And in the quiet space between, Fred Weasley finally got the girl.
Title: We Couldnât Stop
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader x Steve RogersÂ
Summary: Â During a sweep of a forgotten HYDRA lab, you, Steve, and Bucky trigger an old aerosol dispersal system. No one realizes what hit you until itâs too late. Now stuck in quarantine- burning, aching, and caged in with two dominant, unraveling super soldiers- youâre forced to ride out the drugâs effects together.
Word Count: Â 7k
Warnings: Â / Explicit Content /18+, Minors DNI, Sex Pollen / Drugged Lust, Threesome MFM, Dubious Consent (due to drug influence), Double Penetration, Oral (F & M receiving), Praise Kink, Rough Sex/Overstimulationm Fingering, anal ply, cum play, Competitive Doms
A/N: my entry for  @avengers-assemble-bingo for April Kinky Bingo
Square: A3- Threesome
Card Number: KB003
The mission was supposed to be a simple sweep- an old HYDRA lab buried deep beneath the forest floor, long abandoned, just a routine retrieval run for leftover tech and encrypted files that could pose a threat if they fell into the wrong hands. You, Steve, and Bucky had done that sort of thing more times than you could count. Clear the rooms, grab the drives, secure any volatile tech, and call for extraction. In and out. Easy.
You shouldâve known better the moment you stepped inside. The facility was too quiet, too intact. Dust settled thick on the floors, but the lights still flickered dimly overhead, and the security systems were half-alive, humming low like they were waiting.
You were the one who found the sealed door- reinforced, heavily protected, and drawing power. It was locked down tight, tucked at the end of a corridor where the flickering lights didnât quite reach. You called the others over.
"You think itâs storage?" Bucky asked, frowning at the biometric pad.
"Locked and powered," you muttered. "Could be data. Or maybe just a lab they forgot to scrub."
"Let's not poke the bear," Steve said, but he stepped up beside you anyway, scanning the door. "Looks like it's sealed for a reason."
That should've been the moment you backed off. But your fingers were already dancing over the keypad, overriding the old security system. The panel blinked. Clicked.
"Iâve almost got- "
The door hissed. Not wide- barely a few inches.
A soft spray hit you all in the face.
It came fast. Silent. A puff of pressurized mist like compressed air, followed by the faintest scent- ozone, chemical sweetness, almost floral.
You stumbled back, coughing once.
"What the hell was that?" Bucky barked, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Steve grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the door. "You okay? Did you breathe it in?"
"Yeah, but- I donât feel anything."
"Weâre all covered in it," Bucky snapped, glaring at the faint sheen settling over Steveâs shoulders. "Fucking hell."
"Close it," Steve ordered.
Bucky slammed the door shut, sealing it again with a growl. "Old security measure. Shit."
"Weâll report it," Steve said, but his jaw was clenched.
The spray clung to your skin. Sweet. Heavy. And whatever it was, it was in all three of you now.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
By the time the jet touched down back at the compound, you were already flushed and aching, your heart thudding too fast in your chest. Whatever had come out of that door- it clung to your skin, settled in your lungs, and made everything inside you feel off. You werenât the only one affected. Bucky was pacing the perimeter of the quinjet like a caged animal. Steve hadnât spoken for the last twenty minutes, but his white-knuckled grip on the back of a seat said everything.
Youâd hoped the decontamination shower would be the end of it. But blood was still taken. Swabs run over your skin. Scans. More questions. Until finally, they left the three of you in the quarantine room- one sterile space, no outside contact, and cameras in every corner.
You wanted to apologize. This had been your mistake. But Buckyâs expression was pure storm as he continued to pace like a tiger in a zoo. Steveâs face was unreadable- steely, distant, controlled. So you kept your mouth shut and tried not to scratch at your skin like you desperately wanted.
Soft static crackled, and then Tonyâs voice filled the room over the speaker. "Itâs biochemical bonding serum," he said. "Looks like it's engineered to push subjects into a state of hyperarousal and submission, designed to override inhibition and drive instinctual behaviors."
Your stomach dropped. What kind of mess had you landed yourself in?
"How long?" Bucky snapped, voice sharp.
"We'll have to check back on the decay and metabolic rate, and we- "
"What Bruce means is- we don't know," Tony cut in. "For you guys, it might be a matter of hours. Little Miss Curiosity might be stuck with it in her system a little longer."
You flinched and shied away from the speaker, burying your face in your hands.
"We're working on it, don't stress. It shouldn't kill you," Tony added casually.
"Big fucking whoop," Bucky growled, pressing a fist into the wall. Steve shot him a look of disproval.Â
"Buck.." His tone warning.Â
"Just, try and stay calm, guys," Bruce said, trying to sound optimistic. "It'll be alright."
"Donât make a mess," Tony said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Weâll keep you posted."
And just like that, you were cut off again.
Biochemical- engineered arousal.
"Well, you heard him," Steve sighed, leaning back against the wall, scrubbing a hand over his face. "We just have to keep our heads. It canât last forever."
That was easy for him to say. Both Steve and Bucky had super soldier serum in their veins- enhanced bodies that could regulate, adapt, maybe even resist. You⊠you were human. And you could already feel your body reacting in ways that made your skin itch and your blood feel like it was boiling.
You didn't say anything. Just shifted your weight, trying not to squirm. The heat beneath your skin pulsed steadily now, like it was alive.
"This is fucked," Bucky muttered, pacing again. "They just dumped us in here like weâre some kind of experiment."
"Theyâre doing what they can," Steve said, tone calm but tight. "We donât know enough yet. Getting worked up wonât help."
You glanced between them, heart racing. The tension in the room was building again, only this time it wasnât from anger- it was something heavier. Thicker. Clinging to the air like smoke.
And under it all, that hum beneath your skin only grew louder.Â
Hours had passed.
You'd started pacing a little while ago, unable to sit still. Movement helped. Not much- but it was something. You were going through the water they'd left in the room like you were dying of thirst. You were hot, sticky, your tank damp and clinging to your body, and you were doing everything you could to ignore the throbbing pulse between your legs.
You kept moving. Pacing. Trying to shake it off.
Steve watched from the far cot, jaw tight. His shirt was damp, his breath shallow, but he was sitting like he was trying to pretend everything was normal.
Bucky was pacing again, eyes locked on you more often than not, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack. âShe smells different,â he muttered. âFuck.â
His words made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The rough, raw sound of his voice made your head twitch like it was a physical thing pulling at you.
"Gonna try and sleep," you muttered, not looking at either of them.
Maybe you'd be able to sleep through the worst of it. Maybe if you were lucky, your body would calm down. You slipped behind the thin curtain, stepping into the tiny corner of privacy around your cot. Laying down, the heat of your body only seemed to intensify. Your skin felt suffocated, and with a frustrated sigh, you peeled your tank top over your head, leaving you in just your bra, hoping the exposure would help you breathe easier.
It didnât.
You curled onto your side, arms around your stomach, thighs pressed tight together. The ache between your legs was a constant, heavy throb now. Maybe⊠maybe you could just handle your own needs. Just enough to take the edge off. Anything to ease the ache.
Your hands trembled as you pulled the thin blanket around you and lay on the cot. There was a small curtain for privacy, but it did nothing to muffle the sounds when your fingers slipped beneath your waistband.
You tried to be quiet. Tried to hold your breath. But your body was on fire, and even the gentlest brush of your fingers sent you bucking.
A whimper escaped, broken and desperate.
And then you heard it- Steveâs voice. Low. Strained.
âDonât- donât do that.â
You froze. âI- I canât- â
Still, you didnât stop. You rubbed faster, then slower, your fingers diving inside of you, pressing deeper, trying every angle- but nothing worked. Every shift of your hand sent sparks across your nerves, your breath hitching with each pulse of pressure, but the fire wouldnât break. Your legs trembled, your toes curled, but it all stayed out of reach.
You changed angles, tried circling your clit with trembling fingers while your other hand held onto the edge of the cot like it could ground you. You rocked your hips up, whispered pleas into the dark, but it wasnât enough. Not even close. You needed more- needed them- but all you had were your own shaking hands and the unbearable ache growing between your legs.
Your breath hitched again as frustration bloomed hot and frantic in your chest. You were soaking, your thighs slick, the air sticky with the scent of your arousal. Your skin was flushed and clammy, your body locked in this endless loop of need- and yet you still couldnât fall over that edge. Not like this. Not alone.
"You gonna keep pretending you donât want her?" Bucky asked, voice low and rough, growling on the other side of the curtain.
Steve didnât move at first, but his voice followed, strained. "I can smell her arousal from here, Buck. You think Iâm not affected?"
"Sheâs whimpering, Steve. Sounds like music to me."
"Weâre not doing this. We canât- "
"Fuck this. She needs someone."
"Donât you fucking touch her," Steve snapped.
"Then you do something," Bucky fired back.
Silence followed. You pressed your fingers deeper, hips rocking, but it wasnât working. You were going to explode- your body was wound so tight it hurt.
Your fingers werenât enough. You begged, voice cracking, desperate and broken.
"Please... please someone- "
Someone pulled the curtain back.
Buckyâs eyes were dark. Blown wide. He didnât speak.
It hurt. âI canâtâŠâ you whimpered, barely able to speak. âItâs not workingâŠâ
Your hips shifted again instinctively, your fingers still caught between your thighs, but the tension was unbearable. You were so wet, so swollen with need, it was maddening- and yet release stayed just out of reach. Your body craved more than your own touch could give.
They both appeared, stepping past the curtain without a word. You could see it in their faces- this was affecting them just as much. Steveâs eyes were dark, jaw clenched. Bucky looked wrecked, barely human with how sharp and hungry his expression had become.
You writhed again on the cot, body shaking, and Steve moved first- his weight shifting over you as he pressed your shoulders down into the mattress with steady, unyielding hands.
"Stay still," he said, voice gravel-thick.
At the same time, Bucky grabbed your wrist and gently pulled your hand away from you.
You whined, hips arched up, as Buckyâs gaze dropped to your slick fingers. He looked transfixed. Obsessed. His mouth parted before he dragged his tongue along your digits, groaning low in his chest at the taste.
Then- without breaking eye contact- he brought your hand to Steve.
"Tell me again we shouldnât do this," Bucky said, voice rough and knowing.
Steve hesitated, staring at your hand, your eyes, then your body.
"...Steve?" you pleaded, chest heaving. A bead of sweat slid down your ribs, slicking your skin as the heat inside you pulsed like a second heartbeat. "Help... please."
Steveâs jaw flexed. His eyes raked over your flushed, trembling body, lingering where your bra had ridden up from the way you were squirming, the curve of your thighs glistening in the low light.
Bucky didnât speak. He just stood there beside him, wild-eyed and rigid, chest rising and falling with short, shallow breaths. The scent of you filled the air. Thick. Sweet. Desperate.
Steve exhaled through his nose, heavy and slow like he was trying to exhale restraint. It didnât work.
"Youâre going to regret begging so pretty, sweetheart," he murmured, finally moving closer, the promise behind his words like thunder rolling through your veins.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
They were both on you.
You didnât know who moved first- Steveâs hand slid up your thigh, firm and sure, while Buckyâs mouth was suddenly at your neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin just below your ear. The tension shattered. Clothing came off in frantic tugs- your joggers peeled away, your bra unclasped and discarded. Steveâs tank was tossed aside. Buckyâs sweats hit the floor with a low rustle.
Heat and skin and breath surrounded you. Their bodies pressed in, solid and hot and overwhelming. Steve's chest pinned you down as he kissed you- hard and consuming- his tongue sliding against yours as he groaned into your mouth. His hands cupped your jaw, fingers splayed, tilting your head how he wanted it.
Bucky moved lower, lips trailing down your throat, teeth scraping along your collarbone. His hands gripped your hips, dragging you down the cot toward him with a roughness that made you moan. He kissed your stomach, your ribs, your inner thighs, worshipping each inch like it belonged to him.
You gasped, arching into the touch of both of them. Their mouths- wet and demanding. Their bodies- slick with sweat, grinding against you like they couldn't get close enough.
You'd all held out for so long. Now there was nothing but the letting go.
Every nerve ending in your body sparked like live wires with every touch- every graze of skin against skin sent jolts of unbearable sensation through you. It was impossible to stay still. Your limbs twitched, your hips rocked, your breath came in short, gasping pulls as your body tried to process too much, too fast.
âDonât move,â Steve growled, voice rough but laced with something gentler beneath. âToo sensitive? No. Youâre just not used to being handled right.â
Bucky pushed your legs open wider, guiding your knees apart until your calves hung off the edge of the cot, completely exposed, completely theirs.
âSheâs soaking,â Bucky breathed. âFucking hell- sheâs dripping down her thighs.â
The cool air kissed your slick folds and made you shiver. Then his hand slid between your thighs again, and fingers plunged into you- two, maybe three. You didnât even know whose they were anymore.
Steveâs mouth found your chest, teeth grazing over the top curve of your breast before his lips closed around your nipple. You sobbed, your body already arching upward from the overload.
The blonde growled against your skin, one hand gripping your jaw while the other tangled in your hair, yanking your head back just enough to bow your spine upward. You gasped, helpless, writhing between them, your body trembling from overstimulation.
âYouâre taking it so well,â Steve murmured, voice low and rough. âJust like that. Good girl.â
âLook at her,â Bucky snarled. âThatâs it, sweetheart- ride my hand. Come on. Take what you need.â
His fingers worked deep inside you, curling and thrusting, hitting that spot that made your legs twitch and your hips lift off the cot. His palm pressed against your clit with every motion, grinding you into the edge of bliss, holding you there with cruel precision. You could feel everything. Every ridge of his knuckles, every flex of his wrist. It was too much and not enough all at once.
You whimpered, your hands scrambling against the sheets, seeking something to hold onto as your body rocked with each relentless stroke. Steve bit gently at the underside of your jaw, his hand still twisted in your hair as he whispered praises that barely reached your ears over the rushing roar of need building inside you.
Steveâs mouth was on your chest again, sucking one nipple into the heat of his mouth while his hand massaged the other, groping you with a needy rhythm that only made it harder to breathe. His other hand had tangled itself in your hair again, gently tugging until your spine arched up off the cot, your body straining toward both of them.
Buckyâs metal thumb pressed into your clit, circling with just enough pressure to make your thighs jerk. Your breath hitched, head tipping back as you let out a broken moan.
"OH FUCK." you cried, fingers clawing at the side of the cot, knuckles white.
He didnât stop. His fingers pumped into you, slick and steady, coaxing the sound out of your throat again and again. You felt like you were vibrating- nerve endings lit up with fire, each touch sparking through you like electricity.
âYou hear that, punk?â Buckyâs voice dripped with ego. âThatâs the sound of my fingers making her cry.â
Steve shifted beside you, sitting up to watch, his eyes locked on where Bucky's fingers slid in and out of you. One of his hands moved down, low and out of sight, and you could see the tension in his jaw as he fought to keep control.
Bucky glanced back at him, grinning as he curled his fingers just right and made you cry out again.
"Look at her, Stevie," Bucky growled, his voice rough and ragged with arousal. He didnât even look up, just watched his fingers slide in and out of you like it was the most important thing in the world. "Sheâs writhing just from my fingers. What happens when I put my cock in?"
"Youâll wait," Steve snapped, voice sharp, strained with barely checked control. He was flushed, jaw tight, clearly fighting the same battle Bucky was already losing.
"God, look at her," Bucky muttered again, breath coming faster. "Fuck, I want her mouth. I want every part."
You couldnât answer. Your vision blurred. Every nerve in your body felt like it had snapped tight, vibrating with unbearable pressure.
And then it broke.
You came- hard.
Your whole body convulsed as the orgasm tore through you. Your legs kicked against the cot, arms flailing blindly for purchase. Steve had to hold you down, one hand braced across your chest, the other still tangled in your hair as your back arched and a strangled sob tore from your throat.
It didnât end quickly. The drug made it last- your climax dragging on and on, crashing over you in waves so powerful they left you gasping, wrecked.
You felt Buckyâs fingers slow inside you, easing off just enough to let you ride it out without breaking. But they didnât stop touching you. They didnât let you go.
And worst of all, the haze in your head didnât clear like you hoped it would.
You were still shaking. Still needy.
Still burning.
You were a panting mess, your skin still hot and your chest tight when one of them scooped you up and lay you out on the cool floor. The shock of it made you gasp, the chill a sudden relief against your fevered skin. You blinked your eyes open, dazed, limbs slack and breath ragged.
"Youâre such a mess for us, baby," Bucky murmured, crouched above you now. His voice was low, ruined with hunger. "That sweet little body of yours wasnât made to handle all this, was it?"
Your eyes found him- Bucky, kneeling near your face now, his cock hard and leaking, so close it blurred your thoughts. He looked feral, undone, lips parted like he was barely restraining himself.
Your tongue slipped out to lick your lips without thinking. The taste of your own sweat clung to your skin, but all you could focus on was him. The way his chest rose and fell, the way his fist clenched at his thigh.
Your mind narrowed to a single point of clarity.
You wanted him in your mouth.
You leaned forward slowly, licking the bead of precum off his tip before taking him in fully- hungry, needy, your lips stretching around the thick, velvet length of him. Buckyâs breath stuttered, and he let out a ragged groan as your mouth sealed around him.
âFuck, thatâs it,â he gasped, one hand flying to your hair, not to guide but to anchor himself. âSo fucking pretty like this- taking me so deep. Look at those lips- look at that mouth.â
You moaned around him, the vibrations making him hiss. He was hot, heavy, pulsing against your tongue, and you hollowed your cheeks to take him deeper, until your nose pressed against the base and he swore low under his breath.
âMessy little mouth,â Bucky panted. âSo eager. You needed this, didnât you? Needed something to suck while we ruin the rest of you.â
You were lost in it- the taste of him, the heat, the way he twitched when your tongue flicked just right. Spit gathered at the corners of your mouth as you worked him with sloppy desperation, gagging slightly as you bobbed your head in a steady rhythm.
Just then, you felt Steveâs hands at your hips, steady and sure. He shifted your lower body, pulling your legs open and up until you were spread out for him on the floor.
âYou liked Buck's fingers? Letâs see how you do on my cock,â Steve growled against your ear, his voice dark and thick with restraint.
You gasped around Buckyâs cock, the moan caught in your throat turning into a garbled sound of pleasure as Steve aligned himself behind you. His fingers dug into your thighs, holding you wide as his tip pressed against your entrance- already slick, fluttering, aching.
He pushed in slow, filling you inch by inch, and every nerve inside you lit up in electric spasms. Your muscles fluttered around him, clenching and pulsing as he stretched you open, the thick drag of him stealing your breath.
The pressure, the fullness, the stretch- it was overwhelming. You sobbed around Bucky, the vibration of your moan making him groan above you, his hips twitching as he fought not to thrust.
Steve bottomed out with a hiss, his hands gripping tighter like he needed the anchor. Inside you, he throbbed, deep and perfect. You felt stretched to the edge of your limits, your inner walls fluttering in frantic spasms around him, struggling to adjust and clench all at once. Your body didnât know what to do- pull him in deeper or push him out.
It was too much. It was everything. Your head was spinning.
They started to move- slow at first. Steve dragging back only to sink in again, deliberate, controlled, while Buckyâs cock bumped the back of your throat as he rocked forward with a groan. You gagged, whined, clung to them both with your mouth and body.
You were stuck in it now. The lust. The drug. The heat. There was no thought left, only sensation. Only how it felt to be stretched open in two directions, trembling and gasping.
They didnât talk to you anymore. They talked about you.
âSheâs so sensitive,â Bucky growled. âPoor thing doesnât know what to do with herself.â
Steve grunted, his pace picking up. âTight as hell. Sheâs pulsing like she doesnât know whether she wants to come or cry.â
You tried to moan but it came out a broken, garbled sound around Buckyâs cock. Your tongue dragged along the underside of him as he pushed deeper, your throat fluttering as you swallowed around the stretch. Spit dripped from the corners of your mouth, tears tracking down your cheeks, but you didnât stop. You couldnât.
Buckyâs hand tightened at the back of your head, not forcing, just holding you there, gazing down into your wet, dazed eyes. âThatâs it, baby,â he groaned. âFuck, look at you drooling all over me. You love it, donât you?â
Your hips rocked back into Steve without meaning to as he thrust forward again, harder this time, grinding deep. Your nerves fired like sparks, the friction of his cock dragging against hypersensitive flesh sending bursts of pressure low in your belly. Your insides coiled, pleasure building with every thick, deliberate thrust, your body wound so tight it felt like you might snap apart.
âYouâre doing so well for us,â Steve grunted, leaning down, his mouth hot at your ear. âSuch a good girl, letting us use you like this.â
He hooked one of your legs over his shoulder, changing the angle, driving in deeper. The stretch made you cry out around Buckyâs cock, throat flexing as your moan turned to a sob.
"That's it," Steve growled, pace quickening. "Fuck, so fucking wet and warm... you gonna cum, sweetheart? Gotta feel you squeeze me while you swallow Bucky."
Your body arched, heat crashing through your spine as Steve hit that perfect spot again and again, each thrust sending a jolt through your core. Your throat tightened around Bucky's cock, the vibration of your desperate moans making him curse under his breath.
âFuck- sheâs so close,â Steve panted, driving harder. âYou feel that? Sheâs fucking pulsing.â
You sobbed around Bucky, tears streaking your cheeks, the pressure in your belly a coil tightening with no escape.
âSheâs gonna lose it,â Bucky panted, watching the way you writhed. âLook at how sheâs trembling. She needs cock.â
And then it snapped.
Your climax hit like a bolt of lightning, seizing your body with white-hot tension as your inner walls clamped down around Steveâs cock. You wailed around Buckyâs length, the cry vibrating through him as he let out a guttural groan.
âFuck, that mouth- â Bucky growled, watching your teary eyes roll back. âIâm gonna- shit- â
He spilled down your throat with a grunt, his cock twitching between your lips, his hand holding you steady as you swallowed every drop of him while he pulsed.Â
The clenching spasms of your climax milked Steve mercilessly, dragging his own orgasm from him with a ragged curse. He slammed in deep, staying buried as he came hard, filling you with warmth that only made the pleasure burn hotter.
âTake it,â he groaned, his breath broken against your shoulder. âTake it all. Good fucking girl.â
Bucky sat back on his heels, pulling himself from your mouth with a wet pop, still hard, his cock glistening with your spit. â"Fuck... youâre unreal..." he panted, shaking his head like he couldnât believe what he was seeing..pupils blown as he looked down at you.
Steve finally pulled out with a groan, the loss of him sudden and jarring, making you whimper. His cum followed, warm and slick as it dripped from your stretched pussy, pooling between your thighs.
His gaze dropped between your legs, transfixed. His eyes went heavy-lidded as he watched it leak from you, dripping down to your slick, twitching rim. Slowly, his fingers moved to your core, smearing the mess down lower, spreading it deliberately to your other entrance.
You gasped, twitching from aftershocks, your body still sensitive everywhere. His fingertip teased your tight hole, rubbing softly, slicking it with a practiced ease. You whimpered, already overwhelmed, but the moan that spilled from you was pure need.
âDamn, Stevie- you didnât fuck her right if sheâs still aching like this,â Bucky drawled, voice hoarse and edged with a smirk, watching the way your hips shifted restlessly on the floor.
You whimpered, the heat still rolling inside you, every nerve ending alive and twitching. The aftershocks made your muscles flutter, your body too sensitive and still so hungry. Steve didnât bite back. He was too focused- his fingers slick with his own cum as he spread it lower, smearing it over your pussy and then circling your tight, twitching rim.
And then one thick finger pressed inward.
You gasped, whole body jolting, a broken sound catching in your throat as your body tried to clamp down instinctively. But Steve worked slowly, steadily, easing the finger deeper, the stretch sharp and slow as he began to work you open.
You felt your core clench around nothing as Steve worked his finger deeper. âI need- please, I need more, I canât- â you gasped, voice trembling. Your head was a mess, fogged with lust and the aftershocks still sparking under your skin. Steve kept up the slow pump of his finger, pushing in deeper, working more of his cum into your ass to keep you slick and open.
âHear that, Steve?â Bucky said, voice thick with amusement, already fisting his own cock in lazy, slow strokes. âShe wants more.â
Steveâs gaze didnât waver, his finger sinking deeper, curling. You whimpered again.
âCanât say no, can we?â Bucky added, grinning.
âOh, I think I know exactly what our girl needs...â Steve muttered, voice thick with heat and control, as his hand disappeared between your thighs.
Steve pulled his finger from your ass just as Bucky got down onto the floor, reaching out to haul you up into his lap. Steveâs arms hooking under yours, supporting your limp, boneless body as they moved you together like you weighed nothing.
âLetâs get you on Buck now...â Steve purred near your ear, voice thick and smooth, a slow heat curling down your spine.
Buckyâs cock was already there- thick, hard, and waiting. They guided you together, Steve steadying you from behind while Bucky angled his cock to your entrance.
As Steve lowered you, your legs wrapped weakly around Buckyâs hips, and you felt the first stretch as his tip slid inside. A guttural groan ripped from Buckyâs throat, his hands tightening on your thighs.
âFuck, baby,â he gritted out, voice rough and reverent. âYou always take me so damn good. Still so fucking tight- even after Steve blew you open? Shit.â
âThatâs a girl,â Steve murmured, voice low with praise. âNice and slow... Want you to feel every inch of him, donât you?â
You just whimpered and nodded, the need to be filled consuming, overwhelming, as the pair of them helped you sink down onto Buckyâs cock, inch by perfect inch.
Your head fell back against Steveâs shoulder as you settled fully onto Bucky, who thrust up into you with steady pressure. The heat and stretch made your whole body tremble. You could barely breathe, still twitching from your earlier climax. Then Bucky's hands gripped your hips tight.
âOh fuck,â he hissed, hips rolling upward as he began to move you, guiding you into a rhythm. âLook at you. Still aching. Like how I feel doll?â
The moan that spilled from your mouth didnât even sound like you anymore- wrecked, raw, and desperate.
You were unraveling under Buckyâs rhythm- the way he filled you had your mind slipping, your thoughts scattering with every deep, slow thrust, how every thrust hit deep, high inside, brushing against that spot that made you shudder. Your head lolled back onto Steveâs shoulder, eyes fluttering, lips parted around desperate little gasps.
âShe bites her lip when I go deep. You see that?â Bucky said with a rough chuckle, voice wrecked but smug. âShe likes my rhythm.â
You didnât even notice the way Steve bent you forward over Bucky, hands guiding your body like you were something precious and fragile and already ruined.
You didnât have time to think too much before you felt Buckyâs hands grip your ass, pulling you open as Steve shifted behind you. It wasnât until the thick, spongy head of his cock pressed against somewhere youâd never let anyone touch that your eyes snapped open in surprise.
The first inch pushed into your ass slowly, carefully, but it still stole your breath.
âItâs too much- I canât- wait- â you gasped, voice cracking with overwhelmed panic as your body instinctively tried to jerk away.
But Bucky rocked his hips upward, pushing deep into your pussy again, and the shockwave of pleasure was enough to paralyze your resistance.
âShh... itâs okay,â Steve murmured, arms wrapping around you from behind as he continued to press in. His voice was thick and coaxing, his control iron-tight. âIâve got you. Youâre doing so good for us.â
You sobbed, your whole body fluttering around them as Steve sank in deeper, the thin wall between your holes trembling with every inch he took. The two of them groaned in unison, voices rough and reverent as they filled you together.
You were caught between them now. Two super soldiers, all three of you lost in lust and need. Your face twisted with sensation as they held you there- one thick cock filling your pussy, the other spreading your ass open inch by inch. Both sunk to the hilt. You were impossibly full. You were shaking. Overwhelmed. Unable to process the stretch, the heat, the drag of their bodies inside you. It was too much. And you needed more.
âYouâre both so⊠big- Iâm gonna- fuck- â you sobbed. You couldnât believe how sensitive youâd become- how just being filled, just being stretched, could reduce you to this. You werenât even moving, yet your body was already bracing to come undone again. There was no going back. No holding on. Just surrender.
You came without moving, the sensation of fullness alone tipping you over. Your body seized in the middle, core clenching violently, squeezing down on both of them at once as pleasure ripped through you like a lightning bolt.
Your voice cracked into a scream. You were gone- shaking, convulsing, burning from the inside out as your orgasm dragged through you with devastating force.
Both of them groaned at the way your body squeezed them- tight and hot and trembling.
âFuck,â Bucky grunted, rocking his hips once more. âDidnât even have to move. Just had to be inside you.â
Steve chuckled darkly, voice low and wrecked in your ear. âSheâs that sensitive. That fucking perfect.â
You couldnât even answer. Your lips parted in a silent gasp as Steveâs hands slid up to cup your breasts, thumbs brushing across your stiff nipples as he started to move again. Slowly at first, easing back before pressing forward, dragging against that thin wall with every thick stroke.
Bucky's grip returned to your hips, steady and possessive, guiding you to rise and fall on his cock. Your body jolted with every motion, your moans soft and slurred.
âThatâs it,â Steve cooed, hips snapping gently. âWeâll start slowâŠâ
âI-I canât- â you whimpered, but your body was already moving, driven by instinct and need.
âI know you can take more,â he murmured. âLook how beautiful you are when you come apart. It'll feel better- just gotta keep going.â
And it did. It felt better than the denial. Better than the ache that came from holding back. The pleasure rolled through you like a drug, heavy and all-consuming.
Your hips started to move again, slowly grinding into Bucky as your walls fluttered around him. You didnât know if it was need or instinct- maybe both- but you couldnât stop. You were cock-drunk. Barely aware of anything except how good it felt to be filled this way.
âBreathe,â Steve whispered. âJust like that. Hold it- good girl.â
Then Steve pulled your hips back into him and pressed all the way in.
âYou think youâre fucking her deep?â Steve growled at Bucky, voice low and wild. âWatch this.â
Bucky shoved his hand flat to your lower stomach and lifted his hips with a brutal thrust. You cried out, the stretch making your eyes roll back as he ground up into you. It was obscene how deep he reached, how thick he felt. You pawed at his chest, clinging to him with trembling fingers.
â..fuck fuck fuck...â you gasped, the breath knocked out of you before he eased his hips again, smug and steady.
âTold ya,â Bucky muttered with a grin.
But it didnât stop there.
Bucky answered your gasps with harder thrusts. Steve listened for his name and answered with praise. His mouth latched to your neck, nipping and licking along your skin as he squeezed your breasts roughly, molding them in his palms.
âDid you hear that one? That was mine,â Steve muttered against your skin when you gasped his name.
Bucky answered with a sharp thrust that made your breath catch. âShe moaned louder for me, sweetheart. Donât get cocky.â
Each of them was locked into the game- testing reactions, adjusting pace, trying to claim the sounds that spilled from your lips. One made you cry out, the other drew a gasp. They used your body like a live wire for their competition, and you were helpless in the storm.
âShe whimpers when I kiss her right here,â he growled, biting just beneath your ear.
Buckyâs hands gripped your hips tighter, fucking up into you hard enough to rock you against Steveâs chest. âShe clenched around me when you said that,â he rasped. âBet sheâs trying to pick a favourite.â
You couldnât keep up. Couldnât think. You only managed to gasp whatever name escaped your lips first, and they both heard it- every time. And they responded with sharper thrusts, filthier praise.
âYouâre so cock-drunk, you donât even know whoâs making you come anymore, do you?â Bucky said, voice rough.
âSheâs beautiful like this,â Steve murmured, licking the sweat off your throat. âAll wrecked. All ours.â
Then Buckyâs metal hand slid between your thighs again. His fingers brushed your clit, the coolness of steel a shocking chill of metal against your heat made you jolt, gasping as sparks danced up your spine.
âOh- god - fuck- â you sobbed, trembling uncontrollably as sparks shot up your spine.
âBreathe,â Steve ordered again. âJust like that. Thatâs our girl.â
They started to move faster now- driving into you in sync, pistoning in perfect rhythm. The slap of skin echoed, the slick sounds of your soaked cunt and the obscene wet pressure of being filled from both ends breaking whatever was left of your mind.
âYou want to make her come, punk?â Bucky growled. âYou gotta fuck her harder than that.â
âShut up, jerk,â Steve snarled, thrusting harder. âWe donât need to break her. Just ruin her a little longer.â
âSheâs shaking so bad. You keep her steady, Steve- I wanna see her face when she comes again.â
Your next orgasm ripped through you with a small wail, your features contorting as your body locked up tight. You clawed at them both- gripping Steveâs forearm, Buckyâs shoulder- as your walls fluttered around their cocks, milking them, begging for more without a word.
They didnât stop. Didnât give you time to come down. Steve groaned, his thrusts picking up as he rolled your nipples between his fingers. Bucky cursed, gripping your hips tighter, lifting and dropping you into him with growing urgency.
You felt them both losing control- felt their restraint slipping with every second you squeezed around them, heat and slickness pouring down your thighs.
âFuck- fuck, sheâs doing it again,â Bucky grunted.
Steveâs voice was a low growl in your ear. âShe wants it. Sheâs not done. Not till we are.â
Then the pace shifted- harder, rougher, deeper. Their moans grew louder, matched only by the slap of skin on skin. Your head spun, your vision blurred.
And then they were coming again- Steve first, pulled tight to your back, his groan muffled in your shoulder. Then Bucky, buried deep beneath you, eyes locked on yours as he spilled inside you with a strangled moan.
You collapsed between them, limp and boneless, your body a trembling wreck held up only by their hands. You didnât even try to move. There was no fight left in you- only the slow hum of satisfaction and overstimulation. Somewhere in the haze of your mind, a flicker of disbelief passed through you- how had you endured that? How had you survived the storm of them inside you? But there was no room for shame or second thoughts. Only surrender. And the quiet, overwhelming hum of being utterly, deliciously wrecked.
You were too dazed to understand what was happening at first, the haze still thick behind your eyes. The humming under your skin hadnât stopped, but it had dulled- muted to a low thrum that echoed in your bones. They were careful, even if your overstimulated body didnât register it that way.
You whined, squirming, as they slowly pulled out of you. The stretch reversed, the heat slipping away, leaving you empty and raw. It wasnât pain, but your body protested the loss with soft whimpers.
Someone pressed a water bottle to your lips, coaxing you to sip. You obeyed without thought, the coolness trickling down your throat a small mercy.
Another set of hands gently wiped you down. A cold, damp cloth slid between your legs, easing away the slick mess with slow, tender strokes.
Then your head was lowered into someoneâs lap. Fingers carded through your hair.
âYou did so well,â Steve murmured. âLook at you- perfect.â
You blinked slowly. Steveâs voice again, closer now: âEasy, sweetheart. Just breathe. Iâve got you.â
Your limbs twitched weakly, still responding to phantom pleasure. A quiet laugh came from Bucky.
âStill twitching. Still fucking gorgeous.â
You felt him kissing up your leg, mouth trailing along your calf, your knee, your inner thigh.
Then your legs were being moved again- lifted, spread with a gentleness that contrasted starkly with the earlier frenzy. There was no rush now, no urgency- just the soft reverence of Bucky's hands as he cradled your thighs like something precious, something breakable, as though he hadnât just wrecked you minutes ago. You blinked, barely aware, as Bucky settled himself between them, laying flat, his breath hot against your oversensitive core.
He pressed a kiss there, soft and reverent, and your whole body jolted in response.
âAnd Iâm not done tasting her,â he muttered, voice thick with need.
âBuck- she needs to recover,â Steve warned again, but his voice had softened to something indulgent.
âIâll be gentleâŠâ Bucky promised, his mouth already lowering, tongue dragging slow and careful over your aching folds as your head lolled back into Steve lap, eyes fluttering closed, lost to the warmth and the wetness and the impossible pleasure building again
Hiii so just wanna start off of how i am so in love w ur fics, and uhm a request here lol, so if we got jealous reader- can we get more jealous severus? Like, to the point hes thinking of going harder (đ) that night just so in the morning, when resder is absent or limping, full of hickeys, wrong tie/something with serverus would wear daily (can be placed in their students era w reader same year as him or as professors), anyway- yapping again, hope you feel better! *not forcing on this ask lol*
I have to say I nearly had a mental break down writing and adding the finishing touches.
But well Here it is.
Jealous Severus and a huge dash of Possessive claiming. (It's filthy and I feel ashamed...đ)
Hope you like it and it actually makes sense!â€ïž
18+ Content ahead.
(contains: Bondage, overstimulation, overuse of 'mine', multiple orgasms, hard unprotected sex and excessive marking.)
Marked
You came to Hogwarts quietly, without fanfare. Madam Pomfrey had requested a qualified healer to assist her with the increasing number of magical injuries and long-term spell damage cases. You accepted eagerly. Working in the Hospital Wing seemed like a dream jobâpeaceful, stable, tucked inside ancient stone walls full of magic and history.
You met Severus Snape your second day on the job. He was... terse. Condescending. And painfully observant. At first, he only visited when students turned up in his class with cauldron burns or potion poisoning, muttering curses under his breath about dunderheads and incompetence. He never stayed long, and he barely acknowledged you.
But over time, something shifted.
He started lingering. Offering dry commentary while you worked. Leaving tea on your desk and pretending he hadnât. Watching you from the doorway longer than necessary.
He grew irritated whenever other professors spent too much time speaking with you. Whenever a visiting Auror complimented your potions work. Whenever a student dared to flirt. You saw it in the way his jaw would clench, how his voice would drop into a lethal calm, how he'd slide between you and the offender with just enough presence to make them shrink back.
Still, the two of you tiptoed around each other.
He never said anything. Neither did you.
You built something tentativeâquiet cups of tea after long shifts, shared books, shoulder brushes that lingered. The feelings between you became impossible to ignore, but neither of you dared speak them aloud. It was too uncertain. Too fragile.
Then one night, you laughed at a joke in the staff lounge. A visiting Curse Breaker had said something charming, and you laughed without thinking.
You didnât notice Severus approaching until his hand closed around your wrist and he pulled you into the nearest corridor.
You barely had time to ask what was wrong before he kissed you.
Now, years later, you live together in a tucked-away corner of the dungeons. Mornings begin with the scent of tea, the rustle of parchment, and Severus muttering darkly about dunderheads. You patch up his hands when he slices them during potion prep.
You bicker.
You laugh.
Your evenings end with his head on your shoulder as he reads in bed, your legs tangled beneath a thick wool blanket. There is comfort in the rhythm. In the quiet domesticity youâve built.
And through it all, Severus remains the same man: brilliant, broodingâand unmistakably, undeniably possessive.
Then Gilderoy Lockhart arrived.
He bursts into the Great Hall like he owns it, dressed in layered cerulean robes and a smile so white it looks enchanted. The man sparkles. Literally. His cuffs are dusted in shimmer, and his teeth catch the light like glass.
Your first interaction comes during breakfast. Youâre seated beside Poppy when he saunters over, balancing a plate of fruit and cheese.
"Ah, you must be the radiant healer everyoneâs been talking about," he says, voice syrupy smooth. He takes your hand in both of his. "And just as enchanting as I imagined."
You blink. "Excuse me?"
"Iâm Gilderoy Lockhart. Order of Merlin, Third Class, honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weeklyâs Most Charming Smile."
You gently tug your hand free. âAnd Iâm trying to eat my toast."
Undeterred, he laughs. "Witty, too! Marvelous."
From across the room, you feel Severusâs stareâsharp, unwavering, and heavy enough to press heat into your skin. You glance his way just in time to meet his eyes.
He doesnât blink. Doesnât look away. And as Lockhart continues his syrupy routine beside you, you and Severus share a glance so loaded with mutual what the actual fuck that it nearly makes you laugh.
But you donât. Because Severus isnât amused.
His jaw tightens, and you can see it: the silent calculus of which hex would leave a lasting enough impression on Lockhart without landing himself in front of the Headmaster.
You raise a brow, as if to say Don't do anything dramatic.
He raises one right back, eyes narrowing as if to say:
I promise nothing.
â
Over the next week, Lockhart makes a sport of haunting the Hospital Wing.Â
The first time, Lockhart stumbles into the Hospital Wing dramatically clutching his wrist.
âBroom mishap,â he explains with a wounded wince. âSuch a shame, really. Happened right as I was landingâa rather daring flip to impress a couple of second-years.â
You roll your eyes and gesture for him to sit. âYouâll live.â
As you wrap his wrist with precise, efficient movements, he leans in, placing a hand on your thigh and murmurs, âYou have the hands of an artist, did you know that?â
âIf you touch my thigh again, youâll be dealing with broken fingers.â You reply dryly while tightening the bandage.
He winces dramatically removing his hand. âAhâdelicate and commanding. Youâre an enchantress.â
You step away and snap your gloves off. âYou're bandaged. Don't sprain the other one fishing for compliments.â
He chuckles. âYouâre delightfully fierce. Itâs very flattering.â
â
The second time, he arrives cradling his side and groaning.
âCursed quill,â he announces. âExploded mid-sentence while I was autographing a fan letter. Nasty thing. You wouldnât believe the magical backlash.â
âSounds harrowing,â you mutter, inspecting the small burn that easily could have healed on its own.
You turn before getting the burn salve.
âI think your touch alone could heal me.â He winks.
You grit your teeth trying not to smack the grin off his face. âI am trying to do my work here.â
âNo oneâs ever looked at me like that while applying burn salve,â he says, tone heavy with faux intimacy.
âGet. out.â
â
The third time, you hear him before you see him.
âSlipped on a stair,â Lockhart exclaims, limping dramatically into the Hospital Wing. âRight foot caught the edge, spun me aroundânearly cracked my spine!â
You glance up from your logbook. âYou walked in here just fine.â
âI have a high tolerance for pain,â he says with a wink. âWouldnât want to cause a fuss, especially not when it means I get to see you.â
You sigh and rise. âLet me check your back.â
He sits on the edge of the bed and, with unnecessary flair, peels his outer robes off his shoulders. âRight here,â he says, tapping between his shoulder blades. âMight need a healing salve... or a massage.â
You donât dignify that with a response. Instead, you pull out your wand, cast a diagnostic charm, and mutter, âNothingâs bruised. Not even strained.â
He grins over his shoulder. âYour presence alone must be curing me.â
You deadpan, âIâm giving you five seconds to get off this bed before I summon Peeves and tell him youâre hiding lemon drops in your pockets.â
â
The fourth time, he walked in the Hospital wing.
You were with Severus. He had come to restock the Potions cabinet that was tucked in the corner of the Hospital Wing. You had just finished when he pulled you close and kissed you.
Slow. Lovingly.
That's when the door slammed open.Â
Gilderoyâs voice boomed, carrying cheerfully through the space. "Iâve been meaning to stop by all morning, Iâve had the strangest cramp in my shoulder after breakfastâcould be a sign of magical strain, perhaps even a touch of curse residue. Thought Iâd get it looked at by Hogwartsâ finest."
You and Severus froze mid-kiss, mouths still close, breath mingling. Together, you turn your heads and fix him with identical, unimpressed stares.
Gilderoy was stepping into the ward, grinning like a fool, a stack of autographed portraits tucked under one arm and his wand waving vaguely in the other.
You and Severus exchanged a slow, deadly glance.
Yours said: Is this man serious?
His said: I will kill him.
Severusâs hand flexed where it rested on your hip.
You exhaled sharply. âUnless that shoulder pain is fatal, turn around and leave.âÂ
He stepped into the corner and hesitated when he saw Severus. "Oh, apologies, was I interrupting a... discussion?"
"A discussion," Severus said flatly, not moving, one hand still on your waist, the other clenched behind your back. His voice was taut silkâthe kind you could strangle someone with. "Is that what it looks like?"
Lockhart blinked, glancing between you both. Finally, recognition flickered in his eyes.Â
For a moment, he looked at Severus. Then at you. Then back again. His grin faltered slightly.Â
âOf course. Right. Message received.â
He gave a theatrical bow and backed toward the door, nearly bumping into a supply trolley as he turned.Â
The door clicked shut behind him a moment later.
He didnât get the message.
One afternoon in the staff lounge a few days later, Lockhart corners you with tea and pastries.
"You know, Iâve been meaning to askâhave you ever considered modeling for a book cover? The way you carry yourselfâitâs spellbinding. We could use a healer heroine. Youâd be perfect."
"Absolutely not," you say.
"You mean now, of course," he smiles. "You just havenât seen the right concept yet."
Youâre saved only when Severus enters, eyes flicking between you and Lockhart with lethal calm before making his way over to you with slow, calculated steps.
"Ah, Professor Snape!" Gilderoy beams. "I was just telling your charming Woman about how she would be perfect modeling for a book. I do believe sheâs intrigued."
Severus stares. "I am certain she isn't."
You try not to laugh leaning against Severus. He looks down at you his gaze softening slightly before pressing a kiss to your head.
Gilderoy watches the interaction an almost sly grin appearing on his face.
âSeverus I was meant to ask," Lockhart says. "You and I. We could perhaps do a duel demonstration for the students? of course if you dare to take it up against me.â
You sent Severus a warning look but he ignores it and gives Gilderoy a pointed glare.
"When and Where."
The dueling demonstration is announced two days later. The Great Hall is transformed: long tables replaced with open space, a raised platform, students gathered at every corner.
Lockhart appears on the dueling platform in absurdly shiny periwinkle robes embroidered with gold runes and rhinestones. His cape flares dramatically as he turns, soaking in the applause like a rock star on tour. He bows onceâtwiceâthrice, flashing a grin so bright it has to be charmed.
Across from him, Severus stands stone still. Cloaked in his usual severe black.
You stand just off to the side of the dueling platform, flanked by Minerva, Pomona, Poppy, and Filius. The student body buzzes with excitement around you, but the staff area is noticeably more tense.
Minervaâs arms are crossed, her eyes narrowed. âWhy do I feel like Iâm about to witness a homicide?â she mutters under her breath.
âBecause you might,â Poppy says flatly, glancing toward Severus, who stands utterly stillâarms crossed, wand already in hand, gaze locked on Lockhart like a predator waiting for the excuse to pounce.
âHe looks... extra broody today,â Pomona offers carefully, sipping her tea with both hands. âMore than usual.â
âHe didnât speak once in the lounge this morning,â Filius adds quietly, peering over his spectacles. âJust glared at Lockhart like he was calculating how to vanish a body without leaving magical residue.â
Minerva snorts. âHe probably was.â
You cross your arms, staring toward Severusâshoulders tense, jaw clenched.
âIâm worried he wonât hold back,â you say.
Minerva hums. âIâm worried heâll hold back too little.â
Filius sighs. âAt least weâve got four trained magical adults here in case something explodes.â
âOr in case we need to restrain Severus,â Pomona adds brightly.
You all go silent as Lockhart calls out, voice booming across the hall. âLadies and gentlemen! Today, you will witness an elegant display of defensive magic. A Duel in style, precision, and power! Of course, Iâve agreed to duel our own Professor Snapeâthough he insists on no applause until after he gets up.â
You exhale slowly. âMerlin help him.â
Minerva mutters, âHeâs going to need more than Merlin.â
Severus doesnât react to Lockhart's taunt.
He simply raises his wandâslow, controlled, deliberate. His dark gaze locks onto Lockhart with the kind of intensity that makes the hair on your neck rise.
Lockhart grins wider, clearly mistaking Severusâs restraint for hesitation. âNow, students, observe closely. This is what a seasoned professional looks like in a duel. Grace under pressure. Style with strengthââ
A sharp flick of Severusâs wrist sends a shimmering blue arc of magic whipping across the space. It hits Lockhart square in the chest.
He stumbles back, robes flaring, nearly tripping over his own feet. The charm doesnât harmâitâs designed not toâbut itâs enough to rattle him. He straightens, laugh loud and forced.
âAh! A bold opening move from Professor Snape! Very clever. I let him have that one, of course. All part of the show!â
Severus's eyes narrow. His wand twitches again.
This time the jinx is faster. Tighter. It whistles through the air, forcing Lockhart into a desperate duck and roll. He hits the platform hard with a theatrical âoofâ.
Still, he tries to play it off, scrambling upright with a lopsided grin. âAh, testing my agility! Thatâs right. Stay limber, students!â
Severus says nothing. His movements are surgical. Controlled. He steps forward once, casts a nonverbal binding charm that winds toward Lockhart like a silver ribbon.
Lockhart jerks back, barely blocking it with a flamboyant pirouette and a muttered counterspell that shouldnât have worked.
Your brow furrows.
That spell shouldâve locked him down.
You glance at Severus.
Heâs already clocked it.
A heartbeat later, Lockhart pulls something small and glittering from the cuff of his robeâquick, subtle, but not subtle enough. A charm crystal, preloaded with a burst spell.
He mutters an incantation under his breath and slams it to the ground at Severusâs feet.
The explosion of light blinds the front row of students.
Gasps erupt. Several stumble back.
Severus staggers back shielding his eyes. When the glow fades, heâs still standing, unharmedâbut his expression has shifted.
Cold. Flat. Lethal.
âCheating,â Minerva mutters under her breath from beside you. âDear Merlin, he actually tried to cheat.â
The next spell from Severus is not theatrical. Itâs not for show.
Itâs fast. Itâs sharp. It knocks Lockhart backward with enough force to drop him to one knee.
Lockhart wheezes, trying to mask his panic with another grin. âAha! Professor Snape keeping me on my toes! Justâtesting reflexes! No need to worry!â
But his eyes flick toward you.
And winks at you before blowing a kiss.
An actual kiss.
You close your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose, taking deep breaths and shaking your head in disbelief.
âOh dear,â Minerva mutters softly beside you.
âThat was stupid even for him,â Pomona says into her hand.
Filius doesnât speak. He just shakes his head once with a sigh like heâs mentally preparing for a funeral.
Poppy, seated just behind you, whispers, âIs he suicidal?â
Severus hasnât cast again. Not yet. But the shift in his posture is clear: his stance tighter, one foot forward, jaw locked. His grip on his wand has gone white-knuckled.
You know what it means.
Thatâs the moment right before he stops pretending to care about consequences.
You barely have time to process before Severus casts again.
This one slices the hem of Lockhartâs cloak and splits the air with a snap loud enough to make the students flinch.
You step forward just as he is about to cast again.
His eyes snap to yours. The fury in his gaze waversânot gone, but caged. For now.
You donât break eye contact with him as you give him a shake of your head and you keep holding it until you see his shoulders drop by half an inch.
His next spell is slower. Measured. A soft, almost lazy disarming charm.
Lockhartâs wand flies from his hand and clatters across the platform.
He stares at it, red-faced and panting. Thereâs a long, stretching silence.
Then Gilderoy forces a chuckle and turns to the crowd of wide-eyed students.
âAnd that, children, is why you must always stay alert in a duel! Quick reflexes, good postureânever underestimate your opponent!â He laughs as if he hadnât tried to cheat mid duel and lost anyway.
You glance at Severus. He lowers his wand, but his shoulders are still tense. His eyesâwhen they flick toward youâare burning.
Thereâs a beat of silence before cheering erupts from the students.
You exhale, watching how Severus descends from the dueling platform in measured strides, cloak billowing behind him, expression cold enough to freeze stone. His eyes are fixed on youânot in anger, but in singular, furious purpose.
You don't hesitate and move instinctively toward him.
Lockhart hops down from the platform, dusting off his robes as if he'd done more than stumble through the duel. He cuts across the floor with a speed that doesnât match his usual saunter, clearly determined to reach you first.
âThat was quite the Duel wasnât it?â he says breathlessly, inserting himself between you and Severus like heâs the hero of this story.
He flashes that ridiculous smile, eyes still glimmering with self-congratulation. âYou looked a little anxious back there. But I assure you, I had a dozen counters lined upâjust didnât want to overshadow Severus too badly.â
You arch a brow. âYou barley stayed on your feet at all.â
âI had everything under control, of course. Just a few... strategic slips.â He steps closer to you.
You stare at him, expression flat. âYou cheated.â
He laughs, waving it off. âMisdirection! Classic dueling technique. Very advanced. Donât worry, Iâm absolutely fine. No need to fuss over meâthough I wouldnât say no to a quick evaluation later, if your hands arenât too full.â
Thenâlike he hasnât just lost a duel, cheated, and nearly earned himself a coffinâhe reaches for your hand.
Minerva, standing nearby with her arms crossed, mutters, "Donât do it, Gilderoy."
But he does it anyway.
Before you can pull away, he is bowing theatrically to kiss your knuckles.
Severus moves instantly. Heâs beside you in two steps, hand shooting out to grab Lockhartâs wrist. Hard.
The entire Hall goes quiet.
Severus leans in, voice low and lethal. âTouch her again and you wonât have a hand left to sign your fan mail.â
Lockhart swallows.
You can feel the tension pulsing off Severusâs body like magic ready to snap free.
You gently lay your hand on Severusâs armânot to stop him, just to remind him youâre still here. You donât pull him back. You just anchor him with touch, not command.
He releases Lockhartâs wrist and storms out of the Hall, cloak snapping like a thunderclap behind him.
The silence he leaves in his wake is heavier than any spell.
Minerva exhales quietly, glancing toward you. âWell,â she says dryly, âthatâll be a storm in the dungeons.â
The other Professors just nod in agreement as you make your way to follow Severus.
â
The last straw came on a late afternoon in the staff lounge. Sunlight slants through the tall windows, casting warm gold across the old rugs and worn armchairs.Â
Minerva is knitting with sharp precision in one of the armchairs, Filius reading the Daily Prophet at the table, while Pomona sipping tea with a warm biscuit in hand. Youâre flipping through a medical journal in relative peace when the door bursts open.
Lockhart enters with his usual flourish, arms full of what appear to be newly printed photographs of himself mid-duel.
"Ah! There you are," he says, striding toward you, ignoring the eyes that flick his way with mild disdain. "Iâve wanted to come back to you about a proposal I made not long ago. Youâd be perfect for one of my upcoming book covers."
"No," you reply without even looking up.
"Come now, donât be so quick to dismiss it again," he insists, dropping into the seat beside you. "Itâs a series on famous magical duelsâwhat better face for the healing heroine than yours? Poised, intelligent, alluring. Readers will fall in love with you by the end of the introduction."
You exhale slowly and close the journal.Â
"Lockhart, I am not interested in being on any of your books. Or being near you. and if you truly believe that I would then you are more delusional than your Fanclub."
He winks. "Youâre funny when youâre flustered. Very photogenic, too. Iâll have to talk to my publisherâ"
"Donât," you cut in, voice like steel. âJust leave. I was trying to enjoy the quiet afternoon."
Flitwick doesnât look up from the Daily Prophet. "And we were enjoying the quiet too, before you arrived."
Gilderoy grins, undeterred, and sits far too close, leaning in. "Just five minutes of your time. I thought perhaps we could schedule a photoshoot? We could try a few posesâmaybe something by the lake? Windswept hair, dramatic expression, healer robes slightly openâ"
âI said Iâm not interested."
"Oh, come now. Youâre far too stunning not to be on a cover. I thought perhaps we could chat about it over tea? Or dinner? I simply meant to say I admire youâand Iâd love to get to know you better. Properly, I mean."
From the corner of the lounge, Minerva speaks up her tone a warning, "Gilderoy. You know sheâs with Severus.â
"Yes, yes, of course. But canât blame me for trying. If he truly cared, heâd be here, wouldnât he?"
"He is," comes a voice low and venomous from the doorway.
The room stills.
He crosses the lounge in slow, lethal strides. Before Lockhart can retreat, Severus grabs him by the collar and yanks him away from you.
"Don't you know to keep your hands off what doesnât belong to you?" Severus snarls, each word laced with fury.
Lockhart stammers, cheeks pale. "S-Severus, it was just a bit of harmless funâ"
"You will not touch her. You will not look at her. You will not speak her name. She is mine."
No one in the lounge moves. Minerva lowers her knitting slightly, watching but not interfering. Flitwick raises an eyebrow slowly folding the newspaper. Pomona sips her tea completely unbothered.
Severus releases Lockhart with a shove and turns to you, expression still thunderous. He takes your hand and, with that same silent authority, he pulls you up from your chair and out of the lounge, fingers laced tightly with yours, cloak billowing as you disappear down the corridor together.
Severus doesnât speak a word as he leads you into your quarters. His grip is ironcladâunyielding, uncompromising. You watch him closely knowing that whatever is going to come from him, he needs it.
The door clicks shut behind you, and something in Severus breaks.
No words. No warning.
He grabs your face and kisses you like heâs drowningâlike the only way to breathe is through your mouth. His hands are bruising on your jaw, his tongue insistent, almost violent. Itâs needâsharp, feral, possessive.
You moan into the kiss, dizzy from the force of it, from the way he moves like heâs starved. Your fingers knot in his robes as he backs you into the wall with relentless purpose. His hands are everywhere at onceâgripping your waist, sliding up under your blouse.Â
His mouth trails to your throat, the bite he sinks into your skin is sharp, punishing. You gaspâand then his tongue follows, softening the sting, marking you with care wrapped in cruelty.
âMine,â he snarls, voice wrecked and dangerous against your neck. âHe looks at you like he has a right. Like youâre something he can claim.â
Your breath stutters, but your answer is instant, sure. âI donât want him. I want you. Only you.â
He lifts you into his arms and carries you to the bed like a man who can't bear a second of space between you.Â
Clothes are ripped, not removed. His fingers tear through fabric with a purpose that borders on cruel. Youâre bare in seconds, and he doesnât give you time to shiver. He mutters a spell and with a flick of his wand, silken ropes snake from under the bed, coiling around your wrists and ankles, binding you spread wide to the four corners of the mattress.
And then he stares. Drinks you in like youâre the last thing keeping him sane.
âFucking perfect,â he rasps, crawling onto the bed between your legs. âTied open for me. Nothing you can hide. Nowhere to run.â
He leans down, lips brushing your ear.
âEverything Iâm about to do to youâheâll see it on you tomorrow.â
You shiver at the sight of him above youâhis eyes black with hunger, the furious flush in his cheekbones, the way his chest rises like heâs trying not to tear you apart too fast.
âYouâre mine,â he growls, crawling over you like a predator. âSay it.â
âIâm yours, Severus. Only yours. Body, soulâeverything.â you whisper, your voice shaking with need.
His mouth crashes into your neck and he bitesâhard enough to bruise. You cry out, but it turns into a moan as his tongue follows, licking and sucking, leaving hot, dark hickeys blooming across your collarbone, your breasts, your stomach. Â
His mouth works you like heâs stamping every inch of you with his claim. And youâre panting for him, back arching, tugging helplessly at the restraints as heat coils hard in your belly.
His hand moves between your thighs sliding two fingers through your slick folds.
âAlready dripping,â he growls, voice low and dark with satisfaction. âAnd Iâve barely started. All this because you know youâre mine.â
He circles your clitâslow and tightânever breaking eye contact as he watches you squirm, moan, beg. He builds you up with cruel precision, rubbing you faster, harder, until your hips are bucking, legs trembling.Â
âDonât even think about holding back,â he says. âYouâll come when I say. And youâll keep coming until I say stop.â
You gasp, thighs trembling. âPleaseââ
âNow.â
It hits like fire.
Your back arches off the bed, wrists yanking against silk that doesnât give. You scream his name as your orgasm tears through you, long and sharp and blinding.
But he doesnât stop. He doesnât even pause.
He leans down, mouth sealing around your clit, tongue flicking with devastating force while his fingers plunge into youâfucking your soaking cunt through the aftershocks, dragging them higher.
He fucks you on his fingers until you come againâlouder this time, hoarse and wrecked and trembling uncontrollably.
âLike a Goddess,â he croons, voice gone dark with lust. âSo greedy. So desperate. Taking everything I give you.â
He pulls back. Your body limp and completely undone. Standing above you, he stripsâpiece by piece. His outer robe hits the floor, followed by his frock, then his shirtâeach movement slow, calculated, deliberate. Heâs peeling away the layers, the armor, everything thatâs ever separated you from the storm of him.
And then you see himâstripped bare, cock in hand, already thick and leaking. The hunger in his eyes is savage.
âBeg for it. Beg for me.â
âPlease, Severus, IâI need itâneed youâmake me yours.â
He groans like heâs breaking.
âGood girl.â
He climbs back between your thighs, presses the head of his cock to your entranceâand slams into you with one brutal thrust.
You cry out and your back arches hard off the bed, wrists pulling helplessly against the silk restraints. Youâre wide open and trembling beneath him, every inch of you laid bare.
He hears the sound of your bindings stretchingâyour desperate, futile attempts to escape the unbearable pleasureâand it only spurs him on.Â
âFuck,â he hisses. âYou feel like heaven. So tight. So perfect. You were made for me.â
Severus watches your face twist in pleasure, in helplessness, in surrender. And it breaks something in him. He braces himself above you, elbows on either side of your head, nose brushing yours, his cock driving deeper. Every muscle in his body screams to be closer, to bury himself inside you so thoroughly that you forget anyone else ever existed.
The only thing you can do is take it. Youâre nothing but sound and sensationâbound, open, filled again and again until your thoughts scatter like ash and youâve never felt more wanted.
âYou can feel it, canât you?â he growls into your ear. âHow much I want you. How much I need you. My sweet treasure... all tied up, helpless, aching for me.â
Another thrust, brutal and precise, leaves you sobbing into the sheets.
âMine.â
âYours!â you cry, barely coherent. âIâm yours, Iâm yoursââ
He kisses you thenârough and possessive, swallowing your words as he pounds into you harder, the bed rocking beneath you with the force of it.Â
âThatâs it,â he growls, leaning down to bite at your breast, sucking hard until another hickey darkens your skin. âGive yourself to me. You want thisâevery thrust, every inch. You want what my bodyâs doing to you.â
You sob his name, already feeling how yet another orgasm builds. Severus watches every reaction. Every twitch, every sob, every gasp fuels the heat surging through him.
âYouâre mine,â he snarls against your neck. âYou love this. Love the way I make you feel. Youâre so needy. So vulnerable. Only for me. I own you. Every fucking part.â
You canât answer. All you can do is cry out as he slams into you, over and over. Your head turns to the side, mouth slack, eyes glassy. Every thrust punches a sound from your lips. Your wrists pull at the ropes again, but youâre not trying to escapeâyouâre trying to survive the pleasure.
âYouâre taking it so well,â he breathes, almost reverently. âSo fucking well.â
He leans down and grabs your chin, turning your face toward him. âLook at me.â
You doâbarelyâand he kisses you again before thrusting harder, deeper, rougher. One hand slides between your thighs and finds your clit.
You cry out, shaking.
âYes. That's it,â he murmurs. âYouâre so close. Let me feel it. Come for me. Again.â
Your third orgasm hits like a lightning strikeâyour legs shake violently, hips jerking as you sob his name. Your body clenches around him, back arching off the mattress so hard the ropes creak.Â
But thereâs no relief. No mercy. Severus doesnât stopâdoesnât slow. He fucks you through it, harder than before, every thrust deep and punishing, pulling gasps and sobs from your throat.
âThatâs three,â he groans. âStill not done my love. Youâll be too sore to walk tomorrow. Heâll see what Iâve done to you. Youâll wear me like a damn medal all over your skin.âÂ
He licks a stripe up your neck, sucks just below your jaw until the bruise blooms like a signature.
You canât speak. Youâre shaking, every nerve lit up, too sensitive and too needy all at once.
He shifts just enough to get closer, to press more of himself onto youâhis forearms bracketing your head, sweat dripping from his brow onto your chest. His hips never stop, cock slamming into you with feral rhythm, thick and hot and insistent.
His voice drops to a hoarse whisper. âLook at you. Youâre shaking for me. Writhing. Crying. And youâre still taking me.â
You moanâa broken, pleading soundâas his hand slides back down your stomach, between your thighs.
âTooâmuchâcanât,â you whimper, your body twisting against the ropes.
âYes,â he hisses. âYou can. You will.â
His fingers return to your clitâmerciless. The contact makes your whole body jerk, overwhelmed, desperate, breath stuttering in your throat. You canât pull away. Canât run. Canât do anything but take it.
âYouâll give me every drop of yourself,â he growls. âUntil you canât think. Until all you know is me. Until your body forgets anything but the way I own it.â
You scream. The pressure is building againâimpossibly fast, impossibly much. You thrash your head against the pillow, tears streaking your cheeks, your hands white-knuckling the ropes.
Severus leans down, mouth at your ear, voice low and cruel.
âI want you ruined. Fucked so deep into this bed you forget what itâs like to walk. I want my cock to be the only thing you remember. You can take it. Youâre my good girl. Youâll give it to me.â
âIâI canâtââ you sob.
âYes,â he snarls. âYou fucking can.â
His thrusts turn brutal, his cock slamming deep over and over. The rhythm is punishing, his grip on your hips bruising, grounding you as he takes every inch of you.
âYouâre mine,â he growls, his mouth dragging down your neck. âThis cunt is mine. Your cries are mine. Your fucking soulâmine.â
Your fourth orgasm rips through you like a goddamn detonationâviolent, unbearable, unholy. You scream, full-throated and raw. Your vision whites out, your back bows off the bed, ropes straining with the force of your bodyâs helpless reaction.
Severus groans loudly as you clench around him, his own body starting to unravel.
âFuckâyes, thatâs it, thatâs itââ His voice is hoarse, falling apart. âYouâre so fucking perfectâso tightâtaking me so wellâmineâfucking mine!â
He slams in one last time, deep and rough and final, with a growl so raw it sounds like a roar.
His cock pulses deep inside you, spilling heat in long, desperate bursts. He doesnât move. Doesnât pull out. Just presses deep and stays there, shaking with the force of it, his hands gripping your thighs like anchors.
Youâre shaking violently, tears streaking your cheeks, body twitching from the aftershocks. Sweat slicks your body, and your skin is painted with his marks.Â
You feel owned. You feel loved. You feel his.
Severus doesnât move right away. He slumps over you, panting hard, his body shielding yours like a second skin and his forehead pressed to yours.
His voice is hoarse, ruined. âMine,â he whispers. âMy good girl. My perfect, ruined girl.â
Youâre trembling, boneless beneath him. With a whispered word from him, the ropes loosen.
He presses a kiss to your temple, then your cheek, then your swollen lips.
âHe will never dare touching you again,â he breathes and holds you tighter. âYou own my heart and life."
His lips brush your cheek, your jaw, the tip of your nose. His hands cradle your face.
You try to say his name, but your throat catchesâraw from moaning, from screaming, from sobbing out every piece of yourself for him.
His hand cups your cheek instantly. âShh.â he whispers, voice wrecked but warm. âDonât move. Let me take care of you.â
He slowly eases himself from your body with care that borders on reverence. You whimper at the loss, at the sensitivity, at the way your body clenches instinctively in protest.
âI know,â he whispers. âI know. My love I got you.â
Severus slips from the bed, and for a moment you feel coldâemptyâbut then heâs back, cradling you in his arms. He lifts you like you weigh nothing, holding you close and carries you to the bathroom.
He murmurs soft spells as the tub fills with warm, jasmine-scented water. Candlelight flickers to life around the room, casting everything in gold. Eventually sinking into the tub with you in his lap, your back against his chest, arms around your middle.
You can barely keep your eyes open, but you feel him everywhere.
He reaches for a soft cloth and begins to gently wash youâbetween your legs, down your thighs, over every bruise heâs left behind. Each touch is careful, like heâs trying to kiss the soreness from your skin through his hands.
âMy gorgeous love,â he whispers, cloth gliding over your stomach. âI love you. I love you like Iâve never loved anything in this world.â
He tilts your head back against his shoulder and kisses your temple. âIâm yours, You own me, love. Completely. Youâre my everything. Youâre my peace.â
When heâs rinsed you off, he lifts you againâdrying you with the fluffiest towel youâve ever felt, dabbing between your legs with exaggerated gentleness. He doesn't miss a mark. Not one. He kisses your rope-burned wrists, your bruised thighs, your shoulder.
Then he whispers a warming charm into the fabric of one of his old and worn shirts and slips it over your head. His hands glide down your arms, smoothing the material like heâs wrapping a gift.
Youâre almost asleep when he carries you back to bed, tucks you under the sheets, and climbs in beside you. He curls himself around you, chest to your back, arms tight around your waist.
âI meant it,â he says, voice low, full of weight. âYou are my peace.â
You murmur his name, voice slurred from exhaustion.
He nuzzles into your neck. âYou gave me everything. Now rest my love I will watch over you.â
He kisses your shoulder one more time.
Then your jaw.
Then your cheek.
Then your lips.
Over. And over. And over.
Until your breath slows. Until your eyes finally close. Until sleep takes you again in the safest place you know.
His arms.
â
You are very late the next morning.
The staff room door creaks open and you step insideâslowly, carefully, like every step sends another jolt of soreness through your thighs. Severus is right beside you, his stride perfectly composed, while you walk with a limp thatâs impossible to disguise. Your face is unreadable, but your eyes flick sideways, shooting him a glare that he pointedly ignores.
He looks smugâobscenely so.
You, however, are doing your best to maintain dignity, clutching a book against your chest and pretending your body isnât on fire. Youâre dressed in one of Severusâs black button-downs, oversized on you, falling just to mid-thigh, and hangs off one shoulder as if even fabric knows it shouldnât try to contain you today. The collar is wide, stretched, slipping low to reveal your throat and collarbone.
Your neck is an unapologetic canvas of possession. The hickeys are bold and brutalâangry red and dark violet, the kind of bruises left by a man who needed the world to know you were his. Some are sharp, singular bites of color just beneath your jawline; others are sprawling, almost violent in their spread, traveling in a map of passion from your throat to your collarbone and disappearing beneath the parted buttons of Severusâs shirt. Theyâre layeredâsome overlappingâproof that he returned to the same spots again and again. Thereâs no mistaking what they are. And thereâs absolutely no effort to hide them.
Every head in the room turns. Thereâs a ripple of quiet laughter. Not cruel. Not mocking. Just amused. A little impressed. And entirely unsurprised.
Your voice is hoarse, wrecked. "Donât. Just... donât ask."
Severus peels off and moves toward the corner, his robes sweeping behind him. With casual precision, he starts preparing tea with an unmistakably smug gleam in his eyes.
Minerva hums, her eyes meeting yours, and one finely arched brow rises in dry, wicked amusement. "Oh, I wouldnât dream of it, dear. We all know Severus."
Poppy looks you up and down with practiced healer eyes, noting every limp and mark with a knowing smirk. "Honestly, darling," she says, half amused, half teasing, "you should take the day off. Merlin knows you've earned some bed rest."
Pomona chuckles warmly behind her teacup. "Well, that explains the noise ward I noticed around the dungeons last night."
Filius nearly chokes on his own tea, coughing into his sleeve with suspiciously twinkling eyes.
Then the door opens.
Gilderoy Lockhart strolls in, humming as if he owns the place and sees you from behind.
"Ah, there you are! I was looking for you last nightâwanted to clear up that little misunderstanding. Surely we can start freshâ"
You turn around to face him.
He stops mid-step and eyes widen at the sight of you.
Before you can speak, Severus does.
"She was busy," he says simply, not even looking up from preparing tea.
You shoot Severus another glare as you limp toward your usual seat. You lower yourself into your chair with a soft hiss. He meets it like a man wholly satisfied and just calmly pours another cup of tea, adding a potion from his robes and sets it down on the table in front of you. He stays standing right beside you.
Gilderoy blinks. "Right. Yes. Of course.â
His eyes flick from your neck to Severusâs faceâand linger. Thereâs a beat of tension. A challenge unspoken.
Severus meets his stare, cold and unreadable. He doesnât say a word. Doesnât need to. His gaze alone says it clearly:Â
Try, and see what happens.
For a second, Gilderoy almost looks like he might. His mouth opens, the glimmer of a smirk starting to formâas if he thinks this is a game.
You cut him off with a hoarse voice sharp enough to slice.
"If you try to flirt with me again after everything thatâs painfully obvious right now, youâre even dumber than your smile suggests."
The smirk dies. Gilderoyâs mouth snaps shut.
"Iâm with Severus, and I donât want anyone else so whatever fantasy youâre clinging toâkill it. Publicly, if possible."
Minerva lets out a quiet, impressed hum, the corners of her mouth twitching despite her best effort to appear composed. Filius hides a cough behind his hand that sounds suspiciously like a poorly suppressed laugh, his shoulders shaking with barely-contained mirth.Â
Pomona lifts her teacup in a silent toast of amusement, while even Poppy lets out a snort.
Severus lifts his teacup to his lips, slow and deliberate, smug eyes still locked on Lockhart.
Gilderoy backs away with a forced smile and a muttered, "Quite right. Understood. Perfectly clear.â
He turns sharply and leaves without looking back.
Laughter bubbles again around the roomâquiet but no more hidden.
You sip your tea letting the potion in your tea soothe your raw throat, and allow yourself one small, smug smile as you lean your head against Severusâs side.
He leans down pressing a gentle kiss to your head.
SUMMARY: You get stood up by your boyfriend on Valentine's Day. Thankfully, your best friend George is ready to give you the Valentine's you deserve.
CW: MDNI 18+, smut, hurt/comfort, cheating on shitty boyfriends, idiots to lovers, petty!George, dirty talk, oral, piv, dom!George, all the Valentine's fluff
AN: happy valentines day!!!! you all have my heart đ«¶
masterlist
Your hurried footsteps echoed along the empty corridor, dampened by the screaming rain pouring from the thick blanket of clouds over the castle.
Fucking perfect, you thought, bitterly wiping tears and splattered rain from your cheeks. It was like the universe was taunting you.
Stood up by your boyfriend on Valentine's Day? Forced to walk back to Hogwarts in shame? Here, have some torrential downpour to really set the mood.
You still couldn't believe Jack stood you up. Left you looking like an idiot in the Three Broomsticks, alone and glowering into your fruity red drink, surrounded by pink streamers and heart balloons larger than your head. Completely humiliating.
Of all the shitty things he'd done to you over the last six months, this took the cake. And bizarrely, you felt like you deserved it for putting up with his bullshit for so long. You should have seen this coming from a mile away.
But you were too native, too stupid to see the red flags right under your nose. Well, that wasn't true. You saw them. You were just too scared to do anything about it.
Too scared to be alone. Too proud to admit you were wrong about him.
Merlin, George was going to be so fucking smug.
Your best friend, George Weasley, hated Jack. He hated Jack more than you'd ever seen him hate anyone. George had never had a problem with your past partners, albeit there was only two. But something about Jack brought out a side of George youâd never seen: vindictive, petty, mean.
Never directed towards you, of course, Jack and his friends bore the brunt of his wrath. It was enough that Jack steered clear of both George and his twin, who always matched his energy.
You knew George was just looking out for you, trying to protect you from, well, this. What you were feeling now. But you'd be damned if you gave him the satisfaction of being right.
Finally, the Fat Lady greeted you with a warm smile as you reached the top of the stairs. âNot out celebrating, lovey? Look at you, you're soaked!â
You sighed, looking down at your new dress, a babydoll in your favorite shade of pink, the fabric mottled with water and clinging to your skin. âMen suck,â you said.
The Fat Lady laughed. âThey certainly do! What's the password, dear?â
You gave it to her, and she swung open, a waft of thumping music and the week of alcohol washed over you.
Shit. You'd completely forgotten about the Valentine's party tonight. While a drink sounded lovely, a drunken grind-fest was the last thing you wanted to participate in.
You pushed your way through the crowd, trying to make a beeline towards the girls dormitory. The crowd was thick, pushing and shoving, while music thumped loudly in your brain. Red hearts and cupids and streamers, were everywhere, a sheen of pink glitter starting to collect on your still-damp skin. Everywhere you looked, couples were all over each other, making out of dancing to the music, cuddled up on every available surface.
Tears burned behind your eyes again, and you tried pushing through with a little more force.
You popped out into a quieter area by the roaring fire, a circle of chairs occupied by the Quidditch team and a few others, which meantâ
âY/n?â
You looked up from your feet and locked eyes with George, who was hurriedly shifting a girl off his lap, ignoring her whine of protest while she grabbed at his white shirt.
The knife of hurt inexplicably twisted deeper in your gut, and you turned your back to him, pushing the other way through the crowd.
âHeyâwait!â
You made it to the stairs, but there was no outrunning those long legsâa lesson you'd learned countless times.
George snagged your wrist, turning you back towards him. âWhat happened?â The furrow between his brows deepened when he took in your tearful, soaked form. âWhy are you wet? And where's the bilge-rat you call a boyfriend?â
You yanked your hand out of his hold. âFuck if I know,â you snapped, trudging up the stairs, George on your heels.
âWhat do you mean? Didn't you have a date?â He asked, his tone getting angrier by the second.
You didn't respond, opening the door to your dorm and trying to slam it in George's face, but he caught it and pushed in behind you.
âFuck, will you just tell me what happened? Are you okay?â He made an effort to soften his voice, catching your purse when you flung it at him.
âNo, I'm not okay!â You cried, finally facing him, tears rolling down your cheeks. âJack stood me up. He left me at the bar andââ emotion pinched your throat, cutting off your words.
You watched George cycle through the five stages of grief, frozen in the middle of the room. Thenâ
âDo you want me to find him?â He asked, voice a carefully measured calm.
âAnd do what?â You wiped at your cheeks, beyond frustrated. You couldn't decide if you wanted him to fuck off, or give you one of those big bear hugs he was so good at.
âBreak his teeth in? Throw him in the lake? Set his hair on fireââ
âStop it, George,â you muttered, sounding more defeated than angry.
He crossed the room to you, taking your trembling hands. âHow can I fix it, love?â he asked, peering down at your pitiful, makeup smudged face.
You shook your head, avoiding his perceptive gaze. âUnless you have a time-turner to make me less of an idiotââ
âOi.â George squeezed your hands, shaking you. âDon't talk about my girl that way. You did nothing wrong.â
You jerked your hands away, pushing past him and stalking over towards you vanity. âPlease. You wanted me to leave him before we even got together. You made it abundantly clear how much you hated him.â
âOf course I did. Heâs a prickââ
âSo, clearly, you think I did something wrong by staying with him.â You angrily tugged your hair out of its style, wet strands tangled and getting frizzy, and started scrubbing off your makeup with a towelette. âCongratu-fucking-lations, you were right. You got what you wanted. Are you happy now?â
George looked like you'd struck him, hovering behind you in the mirror. You hated that he looked so handsome tonight in his white button down and dark wash jeans, his copper hair messy and flecked with glitter and heart-shaped confetti. It made it so much harder to be angry with him.
âYou think this is what I wanted?â He asked. âThe last thing I want is to see you hurting. Of course I'm not fucking happy that you're heartbroken. Even if it is over some limp-dick weasel.â
You scoffed, though you knew that was true, but it was easier to be angry right now. Easier to push him away than let him in.
George pressed on. âI'd like to hang him by the bollocks from the Whomping Willow for leaving you out in that storm, for all the shit he's done to youââ
âJustâgo back to your party, George. I'm sure that doe-eyed girl is still waiting for you,â you hissed. It was a low blow, but you just wanted him gone so you could wallow in self-pity alone.
Suddenly, he was moving. His hands griped your waist, spinning your around and pressing you back into the vanity. His expression was severe. âDon't fucking do that,â he bit. âDon't act like I'm the bad guy when all I've wantedââ his voice caught in his throat, and he turned his head away, like he couldn't look at you.
His hands were burning through the thin fabric of your dress, his grip tight enough to ache, and you felt a long-suppressed heat kindle in your belly. George had manhandled you plenty of times: throwing you over his shoulder, dragging you by the hand through the halls, lifting you to retrieve a book from a high shelf. But this feltâŠdifferent. Charged in a way you'd spent years trying to ignore for the sake of your friendship.
âWhat, George?â You asked, gripping the edge of the vanity so you didn't reach out to touch him.
He sighed. âWhen all I've wanted is to make you happy.â He looked at you again, his dark eyes filled with hurt and something warm, honeyed, that you refused to acknowledge.
Your anger crumbled into guilt. âI-I should have listened,â you croaked, tears rising once again. âI'm sorry, Iââ
âNo, no. None of that,â he shushed, bundling you into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around your shoulders. âYou have nothing to apologize for.â
âI just feel soâŠso stupid,â you whimpered, crying into the safety of his chest, enveloped in the spiced, slightly sweet smell of his cologne.
âYou aren't stupid, love. Far from it,â he soothed, hand smoothing up and down your spine. âThis is on him, not you. You don't deserve to be treated like this.â He rocked you gently while you cried, cooing softly in your ear and keeping you grounded with his touch, until finally, your sobs ebbed to sniffles, and you drew a full, shaky breath. âThere you go,â he said. âTake another oneâthatâs it. I've got you.â
âThanks, Georgie,â you sniffled into his shirt.
âNo need to thank me. I'm sorry that your Valentine's was ruined,â he murmured into your hair.
âI'm sorry yours was ruined too,â you mumbled, your fists tightening in the soft fabric of his shirt, pulling him a fraction closer, unwilling to part just yet.
âRuined?â He chuckled. âGot my Valentine right here.â He squeezed you a little tighter, the air wheezing for your lungs until you laughed.
âSince when am I your Valentine?â You asked, pulling back to look up at him, a traitorous stab of affection making your heart skip. Shit, you should not be feeling these things for your best friend. It was just your hurt feelings, the holidayânothing more.
âSince second year when I gave you that heart-shaped box of chocolates,â he said, pretending to be offended that you didn't remember.
âThe one that exploded pink powder all over my face?â
George grimaced. âI forgot it did thatâŠsorry, by the way.â
You smiled, pinching his freckled cheek. âYou're forgiven.â
He grinned back, glancing down at your wet dress. âCâmon, get out of this wet cupcake and meet me in my dorm, I have something for you.â
âCupcake?â You rolled your eyes, finally stepping out of his arms, though his hand lingered on your waist until you were fully out of arms reach. âIt's a dress!â
âIf you say so,â he teased, perusing your legs as you walked away. âI prefer your bunny pajamas, butââ
You chucked your shoe at him. âFuck off, I'll see you in a second.â
He held his hands up in surrender and slipped out the door, closing it softly behind him.
What on earth could he have for you? Probably his usual box of chocolates, you mused as you peeled off the soggy fabric. Hopefully the non-explosive variety.
You riffled through your trunk, searching for something oversized and comfortable. But to your dismay, nearly everything large enough was your boyfriends, and you absolutely refused to wear something of his.
But at the very bottom of your trunk, something familiar caught your eye. You pulled it out, unveiling an old Quidditch hoodie, the letters faded and fabric soft from countless washes. George had lent it to you before a particularly cold match, and Gryffindor won in a landslide. It became a good luck charm of sorts, one you wore to every game there after.
But when you started dating Jack, he'd gotten pissed at you for wearing it, and you'd hidden it at the bottom of your trunk, never quite ready to give it back to George.
It smelled of green grass and open sky, and you tugged it over your head, letting it's warmth envelop you. Then, you put on a pair of sleep shorts and fuzzy socks, and padded out of the room towards George's, knocking twice before letting yourself in.
Fred and George were standing by the window, arguing in hushed voices, and straightened abruptly when you walked in.
âHey, gorgeous!â Fred said, crossing the room and pulling you into a back-breaking hug. He reeked of beer. âHow are we?â
âPeachy,â you replied tightly, glancing at George over Fredâs shoulder. He was scratching the back of his head, looking sheepish.
âNaughty girl, lying to me.â Fred winked, and you swatted his shoulder. âBut don't worry, love. The boys are on it!â
âThe boys? WaitâFred!â But he was already gone, the door swinging shut behind him. You glared at George, and he held his hands up.
âThey were worried about you!â He said defensively. âWe care about you, yâknowâŠâ his voice trailed off when his eyes landed on your hoodie. âYou still have that?â
Heat creeped up your neck. ââCourse I do.â
âI thought shit-for-brains made youââ
âHe tried,â you replied, tension coiling around the two of you once again.
A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. âMy good luck charm,â he chuckled, and your heart leapt into your throat.
âSo, what do you have for me?â You asked, sitting on the edge of his bed like you always did. But something in his eyes flashed, making your lower belly heat.
What was going on with him?
He pushed himself from the wall and walked towards his trunk, just to the left of you. He rummaged around, withdrawing a pink gift bag with heart-covered tissue paper sticking out from the top.
âOh, GeorgeâŠyou didn't have to do this,â you said when he sat beside you.
âI wanted to.â He shrugged, setting the bag on your lap.
Heart pounding in your chest, you carefully removed the tissue paper, finding a pile of candy: chocolates and gummy lips and heart-shaped lollipops. There were also a few sachets of your favorite tea, pilfered from the kitchen, you imagined, and a copy of the book you'd been eyeballing your last trip to Hogsmeade with him and Fred.
Your heart was so full you feared it may burst. âGeorgie, this is so sweet, thank youââ
âThere's one more thing,â he said, gently taking the bag from you. He stuck his hand all the way to the bottom, and withdrew a small, pink-wrapped box with a ribbon tied around it.
The air was sucked from your lungs, ears ringing with shock as you gingerly took the box from him. He fidgeted beside you as you slowly unwrapped the paper, fingers trembling. The energy was taught around you, practically humming with tension.
A velvet box fell into your palm, the most gorgeous shade of burgundy with a delicate golden latch.
You almost didn't want to open it, terrified of what this meant, but so giddy you could sing. George, the poor guy, looked ready to burst out of his skin with impatience.
Carefully, you opened the lid. Inside was a gorgeous chain bracelet, the metal polished to perfection, with two charms resting against the velvet pillow. A tiny heart with your initial etched onto it, and a small fox, George's favorite mischievous, red-haired critter.
You pressed a hand to your mouth, tears pooling on your lower lashes. It was the most thoughtful gift you'd ever received. âGeorge, Iââ
âAnd you can get more charms, there's a shop in Hogsmeade with loads, books and birds and stars--â
You flung your arms around his neck, cutting off his nervous rambling. âI love it, Georgie, thank you,â you murmured into the crook of his neck.
He relaxed, his arms looping around your waist. âOf course,â he replied.
You pulled back, wiping at your cheeks with the back of your hand, inspecting the little fox. It crossed your mind that if Jack saw this, he'd be livid, probably go so far as to threaten George, break off the precious little fox, and your smile fell.
âHey, what happened?â George asked, shifting to kneel in front of you as you curled inward. âYou don't like the fox?â
âNo, noââ you tried to suppress the tears forcing their way up. âI love the fox. I justââ
George's expression hardened. âJack won't like it,â he said, an edge to his voice. âYou're not going to stay with him, are you?â
You shook your head. âNo, I'm not. But we're technically still togetherââ
âThat's bullshit,â George snarled, pushing to his feet and stalking away from you. âHe fucking forfeited his right when he left you alone like that. You could have gotten hurt. He just fucking abandoned you and is probably off with some other birdââ
A sob broke free from your chest, and he halted his tirade, shoulders sagging.
âDo you want him?â George asked, crouching in front of you again.
You shook your head. âNo, I donât,â you admitted.
George reached out to cradle your face, catching your tears with his thumbs. His eyes were so sweet, so sincere, it made your teeth ache. âDo you want me?â he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, but the words still felt like a punch through your chest.
Your mind was reeling. Of course, a part of you always wanted more with him, but⊠âI do, of course I doâŠbut what if that ruins everything?â Your fingers curled into his shirt. âI don't want to lose youââ
âNever,â he said, shaking you so you met his eyes. âNever.â
âRelationships are different, though. What if we don't work likeâŠthat?â
His hands moved down to hold your neck, his touch gentle but insistent, your pulse thundering under his fingertips. âIâm still me, and you're still you. Are you going to look me in the eyes and tell me you haven't thought about it? That you haven't felt the pull?â
You don't reply, averting your eyes from his face.
âNot even when you're all alone, and Jackâs left you half-loved, tangled in your sheetsâŠyou don't think about me coming in there and taking care of you?â
Heat scorched your cheeks, your thighs clenching at the low purr of his voice, a pitch you hadn't heard before.
âBecause I think about it all the time.â
You pussy throbbed and you gasped, shocked by the way your body was reacting to his words alone, your mind scrambling to keep up with this new reality you've stumbled into.
âKnowing I could treat you better, love you betterâit keeps me up at night, baby. Imagining all the ways I could take care of you, make you happy, make you mineââ
Unable to stand it any longer, you yanked him forward and connected your mouth with his, cutting him off. He groaned, surging up to tackle you back onto his mattress, his lips hungry and rough against yours. Your whole body felt like it was on fire, his lips, his touch, his heat, burning you from the inside out.
No one has ever kissed you like that before, desperate, ravenous. With an eagerness that was palpable, his heart thundering against yours as he pressed impossibly closer to you.
He pried open your lips with his, his tongue plunging into your mouth with fervid strokes. One of his hands slid under your hoodie, caressing the bare skin of your hip and up your side, leaving tingles in the wake of his calloused palm. His other hand found the crook of your knee, lifting it up to hug his waist, opening your legs so he could press closer, harderâŠ
âGeorge!â You gasped when he rolled his hips against yours, the hard ridge of his cock straining against his jeans, your tiny shorts offering next to no barrier.
âFuck, I've wanted to hear that for so long,â he panted, burying his face into your neck to kiss and lick at the sensitive skin. âSound so pretty, baby.â He rolled his hips again, and your whole body arched closer to him, desperate for more as a weak whine spilled from your lips. The seam of his jeans caught your swelling clit just right, making your entire body hum with desire.
âMerlinâs fuckâwhat are you doing to me?â You keened, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, starving for the feel of his skin against yours.
âThe bare minimum,â he teased, nipping at your earlobe. âYou make it so easy to love you.â His hands squeezed at your flesh, his breath hot against your neck as he continued rocking your hips together. âSo fucking sexy, so responsive. I knew you'd be perfectââ he grunted when you thrust your hips back up against him.
You finally managed to get his shirt off, pushing it over his shoulders and he tossed it onto the floor. The pale stretch of freckled skin on his chest made your mouth water, but you didn't get to admire him for long. He tugged your hoodie over your head, casting it across the room, and revealing the near see-through lacy red thing you'd selected for the evening and didn't bother changing out of.
A broken sound hissed through his teeth. Jealousy bloomed in his eyes, his jaw feathering with irritation.
You reached up to caress his cheek, drawing his eyes to your face. âHe never got to see it,â you cooed, petting the hard line of his jaw and coaxing him to relax. âAll yours now, yeah? No one else's.â
His eyes searched your face, anger melting into scalding desire. âSay it again,â he rasped.
âAll yours,â you hummed, pecking his lips.
His hand spread across your collarbones, long fingers stretching nearly shoulder to shoulder, and he shoved you roughly back onto the bed. The next moment, his mouth was on your chest, hot and warm through the thin lace as he smeared open-mouthed kisses along your skin. His tongue lashed one peaked nipple, drawing a cry from your lips as he sucked the bud and fabric between his teeth.
Your hands flew into his hair, tugging and guiding his mouth where you wanted him, and he went willingly, eager for any and all contact, quick to repeat the tricks that made your breath hitch.
His hand slid down your stomach, beneath he waist band of your shorts, and he dragged his middle finger through your dripping slit, a high-pitched moaning making him smile against your chest.
âMerlin, you're soaked,â he purred, kissing up your neck and capturing your lips in a messy, top-lip kiss. His finger swirled around your puffy clit, applying just enough pressure to have pleasure radiating through your body. âYou get this wet for him, baby?â He whispered, dipping his fingertips into your entrance, once, twice, before sinking down to the knuckle. âLittle cunt sucking me right in. She was ready for me, hm?â
âG-George,â his name was a fractured whimper on your tongue, your mind going fuzzy when he curled his finger up, hitting a spot that you'd never felt before.
âOh, you poor thing,â George cooed, adding a second finger and stroking the same spot again, your whole body hitching up the bed at the intensity of it. But his body weight held you down, his mouth painting gentle kisses along your skin to try and soothe you. âHe never touch you like this? Never found that spotâfuck, right there, baby? That's it?â
You bobbled your head like an idiot, grinding your hips back into his hand as he started fucking his fingers into you more deliberately, the lewd, gooey smack of your pussy filling the dorm.
âGood girl,â he praised, propping himself up to peer down at you, eyes blown wide with lust as he took in your trembling, sweat-kissed skin. âHow did I get so fucking lucky?â He asked, leaning down to kiss you again, all softness and affection, so different than the relentless way he was dominating your cunt.
You pawed at his jeans, tugging at his belt. âMmph, pleaseâneed you,â you whined against his mouth, and he groaned.
âFuck, you're killing me, love,â he grated, his hips bucking into your hand. âYou want my cock that bad?â
You nodded, still struggling with his belt.
He pushed off of you and undid his belt, removing his jeans and shoes in record time, his flushed cock slapping up against his stomach. He grabbed you by the ankle and tugged you to the edge of the bed.
âYou've got a slutty little thong under here, don't you?â He asked, toying with the waistband of your shorts.
âMaybe,â you said, half-distracted by his cock jumping at the sound of your voice, the tip slick with precum.
He glanced down, following your gaze, and chuckled. âMy eyes are up here, pretty girl,â he chastised with a light slap to your inner thigh. He pushed your shorts down your legs, followed by the red thong your wore underneath. He tossed the thong onto his bedside table, instead of the floor with the rest of the clothes.
You raised an eyebrow at him, about to make some teasing remark, when he dragged his cockhead through your messy slit, and all thoughts tumbled right out of your brain, dripping from between your legs.
âFor later, yeah?â He said, smirking when your eyes rolled back when he tapped your clit with the head. âSo next time I see that fucker, I can show him exactly what he lost.â
âGeorgeââ you started to chastise him for being cruel when he notched at your entrance, sinking halfway into your willing pussy, and you both cried out. The fullness, the stretch, was mind-melting. Better than anything you'd felt in your life.
George braced his hand beside your head, sagging forward as he hissed a curse under his breath. âFucking shit, love,â he panted, his muscles locked up so tight he was practically vibrating. âM'done for if you keep squeezinâ me like that.â
You moaned, lifting your hips to take him a little deeper, needing more even though you felt like he was ripping you apart at the seams. âPlease, Georgie,â you whimpered, clawing at his skin. âWant all of you.â
âI know, honey. I know. Just give me a second.â He leaned further down, peppering kisses across your cheeks and jaw. âDon't wanna hurt you, gotta relax fâme.â
You took a few breaths, trying to get your muscles to relax as his lips moved over your fevered skin. You felt him slide a bit deeper, the stretch not quite as intense.
âGood girl, that's it. Just a little further,â he praised, his hand gripping the flesh of your hip as he started rocking into you, slow, rolling thrusts that got incrementally longer each time, until his pelvis met yours and you were a moaning mess, writhing beneath him, desperate for more.
George straightened, his hand on the bed shifting to your shoulder, and he snapped his hips forward, forcing a cry from your lips as pleasure struck you like lightning. He set a rough pace, fucking you deep and hard, his grip on your body keeping you locked in place.
You were lost in it, helpless to the pitch and roll of his ocean, completely adrift in the pleasure he was pulling from your body. You tried to fuck back against him, but your body refused to cooperate, dumb and boneless and cockdrunk.
âSo fucking pretty like this. Tell me how pretty you are, baby,â he said, his hand leaving your hip to rub tight circles over your clit.
âMmphâfuck, so pretty,â you managed, voice throttled with lust and desperation.
âYeah, you are.â He grinned. âMy pretty girl takinâ this cock so well. He fuck you like this? Have you a drooling mess for him?â
You shook your head, nails biting into his thighs as your release prowled closer, coiling tight in your belly. âNo, never,â you keened, when ratcheted up the pace sensing your looming orgasm.
âThat's right, all mine. Who does this pussy belong to? Who has your heart?â
âYou, you! Fuck, George, Iâmââ
âGo on, love. Come for me, I'm right there with you. Come on.â His thrusts grew rougher and sloppier as his own release approached, and with a final, punishing snap of his hips, you both went flying over the edge and into white hot bliss.
You screamed and he caught the sound with a kiss, fucked you through it as your pussy clamped around him. Wringing every bit of pleasure from you both until he sagged forward, his head falling into the crook of your neck as you both gasped for breath.
He kissed along the damp column of your throat, making his way to your lips, his hands rubbing soothing circles on your trembling thighs. âDid so good,â he murmured between lazy pecks. âI'm proud of you.â
You giggled, feeling almost giddy to have George in your arms, kissing you and praising you so sweetly. âThat was amazing,â you breathed, and he smiled, giving one last thrust before withdrawing and using magic to clean you both up.
âYou were amazing,â he corrected. âLike I said, you're easy to love.â
Butterflies rioted in your stomach. âSo are you.â
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your forehead before handing you your hoodie and shorts. You both got semi-dressed and snuggled into his bed, his bare chest under your ear, heart thumping steadily.
You grabbed the gift bag and took out the bracelet. âWill you put it on me?â
âOf course,â he beamed, carefully taking the the jewelry and clasping it around your wrist, kissing the tender skin of your pulse before releasing you. âLooks perfect on you,â he said, looking down at your smiling face as you turned your wrist this way and that.
âI love it, Georgie. Thank you.â You snuggled closer into his side.
âAlways.â He dropped a kiss on top of your head, then grabbed the gift back from you, pulling out a handful of candy and popping one of the lollipops into his mouth. âNot as sweet as your pussy, butâŠâ
You rolled your eyes and placed a chocolate truffle on your tongue, letting the deliciousness fill your mouth.
Bang! There was a fumbling outside of the door and George quickly yanked the curtain shut, just before what sounded like several people came tumbling into the room.
âGet the fuck off of me, Weasleyââ Jack.
âAbsolutely not, you're going to apologize,â Fred replied, his voice a little too chipper for the current situation.
George was up in a blink, his chest littered with the marks you gave you him, and pushed through the curtain. âWell, well. Seems you aren't dead, or maimedâŠso what exactly is your excuse for standing up my girl on Valentine's Day?â George asked.
âI donât have to explain myself to you, Iâyour girl?â Jack hissed. âShe's mine.â
George chuckled. âLove, would you like to come out here and set the record straight?â
âWhat?â Jack barked. âShe's not hereââ
You slipped out of bed and tried to right yourself before stepping out of the curtain and into the room. Fred and Lee had Jack by arms, dressed only in his boxers. Harry and Ron stood off to the side, watching everything unfold with mild amusement.
George was leaning against the bed frame, lollipop in his cheek, a triumphant smirk on his face.
âWe're done, Jack,â you said, getting it over with. But strangely, you didn't feel any of the guilt from before. And you shouldn't. Jack was a prick, and didn't deserve your tears or empathy.
âI miss one date and you shack up with fucking Weasley?â Jack spit, and George's eyes darkened. âFucking whoreââ
Fred and Lee shook him roughly, yelling at him to watch his mouth, and you recoiled a bit. George seemed to stay surprisingly calm, until you saw him reach for his Beater bat beside the bed.
âGeorge, waitââ
George jabbed the tip of the bat into Jack's sternum, and the boy went pale. âIf I hear you running your fucking mouth about her again, I will smash your jaw to splinters. Clear?â
Your heart lost its rhythm. You'd never seen George like this, and you loved it. Loved being his.
Jack bobbed his head yes, trembling in Fred and Lee's hold.
Lee snickered. âPrick looks like he might piss himself.â
âNow get the fuck out,â George ordered.
âWait, one more thing,â you said, and the boys all turned their attention to you. You sauntered up to Jack, and you saw a flicker of hope in his eyes.
Fucking idiot.
You thrust your knee up, nailing him right in the bollocks, and he howled so loud the other boys dropped him into a heap on the floor.
âFuck you,â you spit, turning on your heel and stepping into George's open arms.
âThat's my girl,â George cooed, taking the lollipop of his mouth to kiss you properly, the strawberry flavor sweet on his tongue. He waved at the others over your head as he deepened the kiss, and you heard them all file out, laughing and jeering as they dragged Jack behind them, the door swinging shut and locking.
âHe deserved it,â you mumbled between kisses, giggling when George lifted you into the air, your legs wrapping around his waist.
âAnd now it's time you get what you deserve,â he smirked, laying you back down on the mattress and shifting down between your legs. âAnd I get my reward for absolutely crushing Valentine's Day.â
You burst out laughing, the sound shifting to moan as he licked a stripe through your slit. âYou're right, best Valentine's Day ever.â
Y/N knew something was wrong but knowing Spencer he was not going to share it. His feelings are something he did not wish to share with the group, and Y/N had grown to accept that part of him. But the tension that crossed his features was something that struck a chord in Y/N. Â
Since Y/N had joined the BAU, Spencer and her had become thick as thieves. From the moment he saw her copy of The Odyssey, they were glued together. But these moments of tension and unease were new to their friendship. It was something that started happening after prison. Y/N knew he was trying to find his way back, to still be the same Spencer even though things are ever changing.Â
Y/Nâs shoulder grazed his softly as she looked over the case file, this case came in late Friday night and the team had been working nonstop since. The tension was high with everyone trying to solve this case, but even more so the tension in Spencer was off the charts.Â
"I can see you, are you okay?" she murmured leaning into his personal space. The gentle concern clear in her tone.Â
His dark eyes met Y/Nâs, like he was trying to figure out what to say, or more so how not to say what was going on. He knew whether he gave a straight answer, she would be able to read him like a book, she had always had that ability. Â
âIâm fineâ he murmured continuing to read the case file in front of him. The one thing she knew is the man who sat in front of her was not fine. In the years she had known him, she saw him through everything. Maeve, to the depression after her death, to his mom and her disease, but the biggest thing was prison.Â
The more she visited him, the more he filled her heart. Without a shred of doubt, she loved that man day in and day out. Y/N vividly remembers going with JJ and Penelope to pick him up. The way his face lit up when he saw her standing there, tears filling her eyes as he held her close. The way he held her like she was going to disappear. The way she thought he loved her too.Â
A graze of her arm brought her back to reality, âyou, okay?â Spencer murmured as he sat another cup of coffee in front of her as her eyes re-fixated on the case in front of her. One thing he understood about her was her need for coffee was just as bad as his- with less sugar.Â
A small thank you passed her lips as she took a sip, before turning back to him. âI can see you; something is going on. I know you donât like to talk but Iâm here if you need anythingâ Â
He just watched you as you spoke, giving you a swift nod as he returned to his work. A sign escaped your lips as you got up, setting down her coffee. You just needed a minute, because if you sat there with him any longer you were going to explode and demand to know what is wrong.Â
Y/N rounded the corner out of the conference room, running into JJ.Â
Her eyebrow arched when she saw the frustration that crossed her face, even more so evident in her furrowed brows. Â
âAre you okay?â JJ asked, looking at Y/N and then through the window of the conference room.Â
The same frustrated look was crossing Spencerâs face as he tried focusing on the case file in hand. Â
She gave her a knowing look, inciting her to spill.Â
If anyone knew her better than Spencer, it was JJ. She could read every emotion that crossed Y/Nâs face, never needing to speak a word.Â
âI just... I donât want him to feel alone. I can see that something is going on. I... I just want him to talk to me. I know he doesnât want to talk, but I can see it and I donât know what to doâ she said, tears beginning to cloud her vision.Â
âHey, heâs gonna be okay. Itâs Spencerâ JJ murmured pulling Y/N into a hug. Tears streamed down her face. âItâs because he is Spencer, that I know he is not okayâÂ
Wiping her cheeks as she pulls away, she spoke softly, âI just need a break, I am going to run back to the hotel for a quick napâ Â
JJ gave you a brief nod, âI will let Hotch know. Take it easy, okay?âÂ
Y/N briefly nodded before throwing on her coat and grabbing her purse off the desk.Â
On the short walk back to the hotel, she thought of all the moments of Spencer and her over the years. Like how she camped outside his apartment with Penelopeâs gift baskets after Maeve. Knowing he shouldnât be alone, but didnât want to bother his bubble of grief. She had sat outside his door for 2 days before he opened, not wanting to be alone anymore. Â
She laughed when she remembered going to a Doctor Who convention with him, she only went with him because she didnât want him to go alone. Low and behold the both of them ran into Rossi outside the convention center. Y/N would never forget the look on Rossiâs face that day.Â
Tears filled her eyes when she remembered his Dilaudid addiction after being kidnapped on a case. How she would crash on his couch for weeks on end if he had the urge to use. The nights where he would wander out in the middle of the night, to make sure he wasnât alone. The way he would curl up on the couch with you, just so he didnât feel so lost. Â
She reached her hotel in no time, spending the whole time with Spencer playing in her mind. The door creaked as she pushed it open, just sitting down on the bed. Â
A sigh escaped her lips as she laid back. Her phone dinged multiple times.Â
Spencer: Where did you go?Â
Spencer: Why did you leave? JJ told me.Â
Of course she did. Â
Spencer: I am on my way.Â
Another sigh left her lips, dreading the inevitable. Spencer knew her just as well as she knew herself. She was concerned about him, and now he was concerned about her.Â
A soft knock came at the door. She carefully got up and opened it.  Â
There stood Spencer, running his hand through his longer hair, âCan I come in?âÂ
She stood to the side, opening the door more so he could step into the room. Sunlight bled through the curtains, lighting the room with the evening sun. Silence fell over the room, as she stared at her feet. Â
âWhy did you leave?â He murmured softly standing in front of her, bringing his hand to run down her arm. Electricity pierced her skin as he touched her softly.Â
Her eyes met his, trying to read his features. âI can see you. Something is going on; I left so I didnât explode on you. I know you donât want to talk to meâÂ
He sighed, with a hand running down his face. âItâs not that I donât want to talk. I just donât know how to do thisâÂ
A confused expression crossed her features, âDo what? Spence itâs me. I have been by your side for years and now you canât talk to me? What is going on?âÂ
Tears began clouding her vision, as her mind raced trying to find the words, trying to find what he didnât want her to know.Â
He stepped closer, wiping the tears that began to fall onto her cheeks. This isnât how he wanted this conversation to go-Â
âFuck... no I just- You are my best friendâ the words fell out of his mouth piercing her heart instantly. Best friend, nothing more.Â
âNo- fuck I am messing this up. We both know getting out of prison has been a hard adjustment for me. I just- I have found it hard falling back in the routine of my every day outside of a place that was hell, a world of solitude. Yes, there is something going on, and you see it because you know me. And you- you see me as a person. Not odd, not an outcast. Me. You see every part of me and embrace me no matter what the day brings. And- ah fuck. I love you. I love you so much my heart aches. You are hands down the most beautiful person I have ever met. You make the world brighter, the way it just radiates off of you. It brings the whole world into a different perspective. You make me want to be better even on my best days. You are my entire world, and I just need you to know this because I know you can see something is wrong. I love you so much, my heart is physically going to explode- not literally because thatâs not possible but you understand what I mean-â Â
Her lips cut him off as he started rambling, it took him a minute, but he began kissing her back softly. His hands cupping her face, and he tasted the saltiness of her tears. Â
She pulled back, âYou. Spencer Reid. I love you with everything that I am.â A soft smile of adoration crossed her face, as she pulled him into another kiss.Â
The kiss was soft but intense, every kiss leading into the unknown ahead. But it was worth every boundary broken.Â
She broke the kiss, leading him to the bed. Pushing him down, straddling him gently. He kissed her intensely as she began to rock his hips against his. She could feel his stiff cock with every roll of her hips. His hands roamed her body, bringing her close to him while taking the time to admire every piece of her. Â
He stood up flipping them, her pink cheeks catching his attention as he leaned into her ear. âCan I?â Â
She briefly nodded, feeling his hands travel down to her waist. His hands quickly undoing the button of her pants, slowly pulling them down her legs. A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt his breath on her cunt. The wet spot on her underwear made her squirm.Â
âStop movingâ He murmured, fingers starting to loop around her underwear, pulling them down. âMake meâ she murmured back as she felt his fingers trail up towards her cunt.Â
He chuckled, sending her a look that could make one see stars. His breath was hot; she moaned as she felt his tongue brush against her clit. Her body squirming at the intrusion. Â
His arm came up and held her hips down to prevent squirming. âI told you to stop movingâÂ
He settled his body in between her spread thighs; his tongue tracing circles around her clit. Â
âOh godâ she breathed out, feeling the butterfly feeling in her stomach starting to build. Â
His fingers made their way into your opening, pushing two thick fingers inside. Milking an oncoming orgasm while his tongue picked up pace. He could feel her body reacting to his movements.Â
Her hips gently thrusted up into his face, trying to reach her peak. The room was buzzing with the feeling between the two of them. A connection that they havenât been able to reach until right now. Â
Her hand reached down weaving her fingers through his hair and pulling as she exploded on his tongue. He continued licking every bit of her orgasm as she came down. Â
A dorky smile crossed his features as he crawled up her body, kissing her softly as her hands found their way into his hair. She pulled away staring at him, before speaking softly. Â
âI think you are wearing too many clothesâÂ
He smirked before getting off the bed, eagerly shedding his clothes. First his top, gently pulling it over his head. Exposing his chest, she watched him with a dopey look on her face. Smiling as her eyes followed his chest hair all the way down to wear it met his pants. Â
He carefully un-did his pants, taking his boxers with them. His cock was thick and hard, felt heavy in her hand as she reached out to grasp it. Wanting nothing more than to be choking on it, as her eyes watered. Â
He gently grabbed her hand, murmuring ânext timeâ.Â
She shot him a smile, âOh, youâre expecting a next time?âÂ
He shot her a smirk, pushing her back on the bed and pushing his cock deep into her. A gasp escaped her lips as her nails created a pattern on his back. Â
He buried his head in her neck as his hips began to snap into her.Â
âI couldnât waitâ He moaned. Knowing you both needed this kind of release. The pace he began setting was out of this world. Moans escaping the both of them as they both felt orgasms building. Â
âGod youâre so tight Y/Nâ he moaned, the sound of his hips meeting hers filling the room. Her cunt tightening around him as he kept a steady pace. Â
Her eyes went wide, âIâm gonna....â she moaned, her cunt spasming as her orgasm took over all her features. She squeezed his cock hard. He moaned loudly as his hips started to stutter and lose rhythm. Â
His grip on her hips began to tighten as he filled her. His warm seed flooding into her as he continued to fuck her. He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing deeply. Â
Before she let out a laugh, he gave her a look of confusion.Â
Her hand reached up and caressed his face, âI told you I can see you, next time just talk to meâÂ
He chuckled, âWell I can see you too, and I think we found a new way of talkingâÂ
personal assistant rules: donât crush on bucky barnes. definitely donât misinterpret a flower purchase and spiral into silent heartbreak, and absolutely never ever get stuck alone with him in an elevator.
Warnings: 18+ content minors dni, smut, oral (f receiving), public (ish) sex?, wall sex (?), okay they fuck in an elevator guys, kissing, angst, miscommunication (not badly), hurt/comfort, there's some plot if you squint, insecure/self-conscious reader undertones, reader is an overthinker, reader is horny lol, no use of y/n, lmk if i've missed anything
Word Count: 9.1k
A/N: hi, hopefully this will keep you all fed while i work on part five to lessons in lovemaking. finally getting around to some of these requests in my inbox. this one is based off this request, but i changed it up so the reader is a PA instead of an avenger. lmk your thoughts thanx for reading <3 sorry for any typos - not proof read.
main masterlist
Youâd never pegged Natasha as the type who enjoyed flowers.
No, she struck you more as the encrypted-flash-drive-on-a-park-bench type, the kind of woman who appreciated mysteries with teeth. A custom leather jacket, stitched with the same precision she used to dismantle a glock. One of those sleek, low motorcycles. Not daisies. Not peonies. And definitely not whatever soft, pastel nonsense Bucky was currently handing over cash for.
You stood a few feet away, halfway hidden behind a sidewalk sign advertising oat milk lattes and gluten-free muffins, clutching a cardboard drink tray and a bag full of vegan pastries in a death grip. The barista had spelt âBruceâ as âBrooseâ again, and under any other circumstance, that would've made you laugh, but now it felt like the most irrelevant thing in the world.
You liked Natasha. You respected her. You just didnât think she had it in her to giggle over roses like the girls in those sappy rom-coms Clint insisted he hated (right before he would watch three in a row, a beer in each hand). But there Bucky was, brushing pollen off a bouquet of pale pink ranunculus, face soft in a way youâd never seen during mission briefings or sparring sessions.
And suddenly, you were building a list in your head of all the things you were sure Natasha Romanoff would rather receive as a romantic gesture: a knife, balanced perfectly for throwing, an expensive bottle of vodka, a vintage chess set with hand-carved pieces, a bottle of expensive ink and a fountain pen with a sharp nib, cookiesâmessy onesâoverloaded with chocolate chips, or simply just black coffee, straight from the pot, no sugar, no cream. Yet, as Bucky handed it over to the redhead, she smiled. Smiled. And suddenly you felt like you were witnessing a scene you were not welcome to.Â
Truthfully, it stung. Maybe it stung a little more than what was appropriate. Youâd been harbouring a quiet crush on the dark-haired, sullen supersoldier from the moment he joined the team. Fresh out of Wakanda, new vibranium arm in tow, and god, he was handsome. Not in the polished, television commercial way Steve was, but in a way that made your pulse skip and your thoughts stall mid-sentence. He had the kind of face you didnât know how to look at for too long, sharpened jaw, stormy-blue eyes, and a mouth that always looked on the verge of saying something heâd regret.
There was something electric about his stillness. Like if you leaned in close enough, youâd hear the hum of danger beneath his skin. He walked like a man who never quite trusted, drifting through the tower like he expected a fight around every corner. He barely spoke, but when he did, his voice was low and gravel-worn, something that settled right in your gut and made its home there.
He never smiled. Not really. But sometimesâsometimesâyouâd catch a flicker of it when Sam teased him, or when Steve nudged him just right, and it was devastating.
And yeah, maybe you had a soft spot for broken things trying to heal.
As the Avengersâ personal assistant, it was your job to keep everyone comfortable, informed, and running like clockwork. You were a one-person organisational machine, constantly juggling the chaos that came with managing a tower full of enhanced individuals with the emotional range of a brick wall to a nuclear reactor. Your days were a blur of colour-coded schedules, back-to-back briefings, and the never-ending group chats.
You coordinated mission debriefs, booked international flights with military clearance, and handled press requests that would make most people cry. You endured complaints when Thor overloaded the power grid again, trying to make toast, and even replaced the mugs he shattered before anyone noticed. You wrangled Clintâs kids when they came to visit, sourced obscure snacks from remote parts of the world because Sam liked those protein bars, not the other ones, and Steve wouldnât touch anything processed. You replaced a record number of coffee machines, hunted down whatever special detergent could get oil out of Tonyâs designer shirts. You knew which brand of muscle balm Banner preferred and how to order it without triggering a random Homeland Security check.
And then there was Bucky.
With him, it was always a little extra, whether he noticed or not. His schedule came first in your Monday morning rounds. You made sure the pantry was stocked with the Eastern European tea he liked but never asked for, and remembered the exact setting he preferred on the towerâs training room temperature controls. You adjusted group plans so heâd be paired with Steve or Sam, just in case the crowds and questions became overwhelming. When he disappeared for a few hours, you didnât ask questions, but you made sure no one came looking. You even swapped out the scratchy tags in his mission gear with soft ones, because he never complained, but you noticed the way he fidgeted with them.
Every day, youâd beam at him like some hopelessly love-struck idiot when you handed over his usual coffeeâblack, two brown sugars, just the way he liked itâand in return, heâd offer little more than a grunt. A low, barely-there sound that most people wouldnât even register as a greeting. But you did. Somehow, that grunt became the highlight of your day.
So yeah, maybe seeing him hand over flowers to Natasha broke something in you. Not just a hairline fracture, but a quiet, splintering break that left your chest aching in places you didnât know could hurt. Still, you understood. Natasha belonged to his world, effortlessly cool, all smoke, shadows and secrets. Yet she was kind. Not cold or unapproachable, just⊠carved from something rarer than you. The kind of woman who didnât need to try to be extraordinary, she just was.
And you? You were the sweet, well-meaning assistant who made people laugh in the kitchen, who fetched dry cleaning and remembered everyoneâs birthdays. You were the one who labelled tupperware and chased down Clintâs kids with bandaids. You were an afterthought, the background noise in the buzzing hive which was the Avengers Tower.Â
So maybe you could justify feeling jealous, but angry? No. Not really. They didnât know. They couldnât know. And it wasnât their fault that youâd let yourself hope.
â
Two weeks later, and you timed it perfectly, like you always did.
Just as the door to Buckyâs apartment clicked open, you rounded the cornerâfolder in hand, clipboard tucked tight to your side. The hallway was quiet, save for the low hum of ventilation and the soft thud of your heels against the carpet. Bucky stepped out, his gym bag slung over his shoulder, hair tied back, and his hoodie sleeves shoved up just enough to show the gleam of vibranium. Predictable. It was routine, every morning just before six he would meet with Steve in the gym. On Mondays, youâd catch him just as he exited his apartment, unload the details for the week, a freshly printed schedule and all.Â
âMorning,â you said lightly, handing him the weekâs itinerary. His reply was his usual, a grunt. Not annoyed. Not grateful. Just Bucky. That gruff, barely-there sound that once felt like a small victory. The kind of grunt that used to warm your chest when he followed it with a question, even if you knew the answer was printed in the folder youâd triple-checked. You always answered anyway. You liked having his attention, even just for a few seconds.
You used to dress the folders up with care, multicoloured sticky notes marking key tasks (blue for meetings, yellow for reminders, red for anything urgent and green for personal events). Youâd highlight sections like traffic lights, add stickers you thought might make him smile, sometimes even scribble little crooked cartoons in the margins with cheesy encouragementsâseize the day!Â
The folder looked rather sad today, just a plain manila folder packed with stapled papers. No colours. No stickers. No effort. Just the essentials. You didnât let your fingers dawdle when he took it. Didnât smile like you used to. Just handed it over and kept your gaze somewhere past his shoulder.
Bucky took it slowly, eyes flicking down at the cover like he was trying to spot something that wasnât there. His brow pinched, barely, but enough for you to notice. His fingers lingered on the edge of the folder, like he thought maybe heâd missed a note tucked inside.
You nodded and turned to leave, forcing yourself to shift your mind to your next chore mentally, restocking med supplies in the Quinjet, cross-checking Clintâs revised travel forms, hunting down the coffee machine Tony had threatened to ârepurpose as target practiceâ. Youâd have to order a replacement before the morning debrief. Double-check everyoneâs dietary preferences. Update Steve on the tech room schedule. Get maintenance to repaint the lines in the training room because someone (probably Thor) had scuffed them again.
You stayed busy. It helped. Kind of.
But the guilt still trailed you like a shadow.
It was probably obvious how abruptly you changed. The way your voice had lost its warmth. The way your gaze dodged his like it might burn you. You wondered if he noticed, if he thought you'd simply grown tired of him. Maybe he had. That was better than the truth that you couldnât stand to be near him, not when every glance felt like pressing fingers to a bruise youâd caused yourself.Â
You had made your choice, professionalism. The kind of cool, curated detachment you admired in Natasha, only it felt all wrong on you, like an ill-fitting coat. You knew it was for the better, not mixing up work and matters of the heart. Youâd already let your little crush spiral too far, thinking maybeâjust maybeâif you tried hard enough, youâd earn more than a grunt. That he might see you as something more than the charming assistant with her clipboard and her stupid stickers. But he didnât. And he wouldnât. And that was fine. It had to be.
You couldnât afford to fall apart over a man who had no idea heâd broken your heart.
But it was Buckyâs voice, soft and unsure, that startled you from your thoughts. âHey.â
You paused mid-step and turned, forcing a tight smile that didnât quite meet your eyes as your fingers curled against the clipboard. âWhatâs up?â
He shifted his weight, clearly caught off guard by the fact that you stopped walking at all. He was rather devastating to look at when he grew all shy and unsure, fingers fidgeting against the edge of the folder like he didnât know what to do with them. He didnât quite meet your eye as his weight shifted nervously, like he hadnât thought before he called out.Â
âUh. Nothinâ. Justââ He raised the folder slightly, an awkward gesture. âYou usually give me the rundown. Yâknow⊠what everyoneâs doing. Whoâs where. Who Iâm stuck with.â
You swallowed. Of course, heâd noticed. Of course, heâd grown used to your chatter about meetings and mission rosters, about who was off-world and who was due back, like it was the weather. The casual, effortless way you used to tell him what movie was playing, who cheated at Monopoly the night before, or which team member had stolen the last protein bar. Youâd always done it to help, keep him grounded, and make him feel like part of the team, like he belonged.Â
But after what youâd seen two weeks ago, you were sure he didnât need that from you anymore. Natasha would look out for him now. Sheâd keep him balanced, keep him fed, keep him from slipping through the cracks.
âNothing interestingâs happening,â you shrugged. âJust the usual.â
He didnât move. âWell⊠thereâs that dinner. On Friday.â
You gave a curt nod, tone clipped. âYes.â
âWandaâs dinner,â he added, as if you hadnât already acknowledged it.
âCorrect.â
He hesitated again, brows drawing together in a faint crease of worry. You could see him floundering, stuck in some internal scramble. It made your chest ache because you knew that look. Youâd helped talk him down from that look more times than anyone else in the tower probably realised.
You sighed quietly through your nose, against your better judgment, against every wall youâd tried to build in the past week, you caved. He looked five seconds away from spiralling.
âItâs in there,â you offered gently, nodding toward the folder. âOn your schedule.â
âRight. Itâs just⊠for me, you usuallyâŠâ His voice trailed off, frustration and uncertainty knotting in his brow. âSorry. Youâre probably busyââ
That felt like a punch to the gut.Â
You shook your head and, before your pride could stop you, your feet were already moving back toward him. His eyes dropped as you reached into your pocket for a pen, scribbling âWandaâs Dinner â Fridayâ on a green sticky note. Green for personal events, always. You hesitated, then added a smiley face underneath. You peeled it off and stuck it neatly onto the folder in Buckyâs hands.Â
His eyes dropped to it, finger brushing over the paper like he didnât quite understand why it mattered so much. âThanks.â
You just nodded, already stepping back, spine straight, pretending your heart wasnât hammering in your throat.
âShe saidâŠâ Bucky cleared his throat, clearly not done with the conversation. âWanda said sheâs going to do curry.â
You paused, unsure what to do with the information. Why was he telling you that? Why was he still talking?
âThatâs nice,â you said carefully, not sure what to do with this strange, lingering version of him.
âAre you going?â he asked suddenly, and you frowned.
âI wasnât invitedââ You began, already covering from the invasive thoughts, already working to mask the sting. You didnât want to imagine them next to each other over curry, leaning close, whispering in the way people did when they thought no one else was watching. It would only make the crack in your chest worse.
âYou should go,â Bucky said quickly, cutting across your thoughts. âIâll tell Wanda youâre coming.â
âThatâs not necessary. Iâll be busy that night anywayâŠâ You lied through your teeth, heart thumping hard against your breastbone as Buckyâs face crumpled a bit. You cut in before he could argue any further. âYouâre going to be late. For the gym. Itâs nearly six.â
âRight, shit, yeah. Sorry, I justâŠâ He trailed off again, rubbing the back of his neck. âThanks. Iâll⊠Iâll see you around.â
You raised an eyebrow at him, unsure if you were more confused or stunned by his sudden jitters.
â
Before the whole flowers incident, you made it your unofficial mission to âaccidentallyâ bump into Bucky as many times as humanly possible in a day. Now? It was the opposite. Every hallway was a trap to avoid, every room a potential ambush. Navigating the Tower had turned into something between a tactical stealth op and a personal game of hide-and-seek.
Unfortunately, your strategy for quiet withdrawal hadnât gone unnoticed.
In fact, Bucky had picked up on your sudden cold shoulder almost immediately. The folder debacle had only been the first of many increasingly awkward run-ins.
There was the time youâd practically sprinted away from the elevator when the doors slid open to reveal him standing inside, a brow raised and coffee in hand. Or when you turned a corner too fast and walked straight into him, muttering a rushed apology before disappearing again like you were being hunted. Then there was the silent, painful breakfast youâd shared at the communal kitchen counter, where you busied yourself with peeling an orange for ten minutes straight while he sat beside you, occasionally glancing over like he wanted to say something but didnât know how to begin.
Youâd even pretended to be asleep on the common room couch when he walked in one evening, piles of paperwork scattered, laptop still open, only for him to drape a throw blanket over you before quietly leaving again.
And yet, instead of giving you space like youâd expected and hoped for, he seemed to find any excuse to be around you. He trailed after you like some misplaced puppy whenever he wasnât buried in a mission or holed up in a meeting.
Youâd assumed that the moment you stepped back, heâd naturally gravitate toward spending more time with Natasha. It made sense. Why wouldnât he want to be around her? They were obviously dating, even if they hadnât made it official yet. Maybe it was one of those quiet, close things kept just between friends, like Steve and Sam. Who were you to come barreling in and expose their secret entanglement? You expected Bucky to be relieved to no longer be on the receiving end of your babbling, your perfectly-timed coffee deliveries, or the not-so-subtle gifts you littered around.Â
But if anything, Bucky seemed determined to figure you out. Like your sudden shift had become his new pet project, and he was personally committed to cracking the case.
Youâd taken the back hallway, the long, winding route that steered well clear of the gym on your way to the shared office. High-traffic areas were too risky nowâtoo many chances to run into him. But clearly, Bucky had caught onto your little detours, because as you turned the corner, there he was, headed straight toward you.
You froze for half a second, pulse quickening. Turning around would be too obvious. Suspicious. Heâd know exactly what you were doing, and then your carefully-constructed avoidance strategy would unravel entirely. If he suspected anything now, you were one panicked backpedal away from confirming it.
It was a nightmare. And a daydream.
A part of you, some soft, hopelessly romantic piece, ached at the sight of him, at the quiet way he seemed to look for you, worry always etched into his brow like you were some puzzle he couldnât quite solve. But the rational part of your mind, the part that had dragged you into this self-imposed emotional lockdown, screamed that letting him get closer again would only undo all the fragile healing youâd managed to piece together.
So you steeled yourself.
Shoulders squared. Laptop and paperwork clutched like a lifeline. Eyes locked on an imaginary point just past his shoulder. If you kept walking and moved quickly, calmly, maybe heâd let you go. Perhaps heâd pretend not to notice how your pace picked up and your gaze carefully avoided his.
You nearly made it.
But of course, he noticed.
âHey, waitââ
His voice was hesitant, just enough pressure to pull you to a stop. Your footsteps faded into the hush of the corridor, your spine straightening instinctively as you turned. Bucky stood a few paces behind, one hand lifted halfway between reaching and retreating, like heâd almost grabbed your arm but lost the nerve.Â
He looked sheepish. Timid, even. It killed you.
You swallowed. âYeah?â
He scratched the back of his neck, boots scuffing lightly against the floor. âDid I⊠forget to grab my coffee this morning? Or⊠did you not bring it?â
A pause. Too long. You could feel the beat of your pulse behind your sternum as you forced a casual shake of your head.
âNo, sorry. Thatâs on me. Slipped my mind.â
The lie didnât sit well in your mouth.
It hadnât slipped your mind, in fact, it was still sitting on the corner of your desk, cooling beside a stack of unfinished paperwork. Youâd brewed it, as always. Even used the brown sugar he liked. But then youâd walked away from it, deliberately, like some idiotic breadcrumb trail you hoped he might follow.
God, you were pathetic.
Your stupid fucking brain couldnât even decide what it wanted anymore. One half of you was charting escape routes through the tower to avoid him, the other was fantasising about him pinning you to the nearest wall. From the way your thighs pressed together now, breath catching as his voice brushed over you, maybe the answer wasnât distance at all. Perhaps you just wanted to taste himâ
He didnât move. Just stood there, one brow lifted, faint worry creasing the edge of his expression.
âYouâre usually down by the gym by nine,â he said, his voice low. âItâs eleven.â
âIâm running a bit behind today.â
âYou usually text me if youâre running behind.â
âWell,â you said, shrugging like it didnât matter, âI didnât this time.â
He paused, the silence between you laced with something dangerously close to concern. âIs everything alright?â
You forced a small laugh, trying to shake off how his low, worried voice made heat pool in your gut. âYeah. Why?â
âYou seem off.â
There it was. Soft, plain and far too knowing. He said it in that maddeningly sincere way that only he could manage. Like he actually gave a damn. Like this wasnât unravelling you by the day.
Your shoulders tensed. âOff?â
âYeah,â he said gently. âJust⊠I dunno. Youâve been quiet lately.â
He didnât know. He couldnât know about the hours you spent spinning in your head like a lunatic, trying to compartmentalise this crush until it shrank into something survivable. About the way youâd stared blankly at Tinder profiles, your phone clutched in your hand, wondering why no one else ever came close, why none of them were him.
Why you couldnât stop thinking that if youâd just told himâconfessed that stupid crush before Natasha didâmaybe you wouldnât be standing here now like some stray mutt, sniffing around for scraps of attention.
Maybe then heâd be yours.
Maybe then you wouldnât be fantasising about quitting just to put yourself out of your own misery like some lame racehorse.
His brows furrowed further. âThatâs not good.â
âIâll survive.â
Would you, though?
Would you survive the heat that flared low in your stomach every time he got too close? Would you survive the ache that gnawed behind your ribs every time he glanced over at Natasha like you didnât exist? Would you survive the constant, desperate craving to be touched by him? To be looked at like she was looked at?
He didnât speak for a second, and for a moment, you were sure he could smell the reek of desperation on you.
âThe oranges in the fridge are gone.â
You blinked. âWhat?â
âAnd the tea. The fancy one,â he added. âThe one with the dried raspberries in it. Youâre the one who always restocks them, arenât you?â
You looked down, fingers clenching around your folder. âIâll add it to the list.â
âI didnât mean it like that,â he said quickly, stepping forward a half-inch, enough to make your breath hitch. âI just⊠I didnât realise it was you. Doing all of that.â
Of course, he hadnât because youâd made it invisible. Seamless. That was the kind of care you practisedâsilent, anticipatory, never asked for, never returned. You had cared for him with a thousand tiny efforts, but he never noticed until you stopped.
You looked up, and the hallway felt suddenly too narrow. His face was open in a way you hadnât seen in a long time. Gentle, confused, like he was trying to work you out and couldnât quite bear not knowing.
You dropped your gaze. âI said Iâll do it.â
He paused. You could feel him thinking again.
Then, to your disappointment, he slowly nodded. âOkay.â
But he didnât move. Not right away. He lingered like someone who hadnât yet decided if leaving was the right call, like he was caught between concern and curiosity.Â
âIâll leave you to it, I guess.â
You didnât answer. Couldnât. You just nodded and turned, walking away quickly before he could see your face fall, before he could catch the naked want in your expression, the way your heart was clawing against your ribs, screaming for you to turn around and ruin everything.
â
If time travel were an option, you'd gladly launch yourself into a wormhole and strangle your past self for being stupidâno, lovesickâenough to organise this little errand. You deserve it, really. A swift kick to the gut from future-you for being this hopeless.
Youâd spent weeks wrangling Avengers into fitting appointments, helping them choose fabrics and cuts, managing last-minute alterations and tracking shipments. It was exhausting but under controlâŠuntil the catch. The aggravating, absurdly attractive, brooding catch currently sitting across from you in the tailorâs waiting room, his knee bounced like it was transmitting a detailed morse code manifesto on every possible way he planned to ruin your day.
The plan had been simple: grab an Uber, pick up the garments, pressed, stitched, and boxed to perfection and head back to the tower. But then you got the call. The one that told you Bucky Barnes had missed his final fitting, and that his suit needed some last-minute adjustments...
Of course he did.
Of all your perfectly laid plans, it only took one missed appointment to bring it all crashing down. Now here you were, stuck waiting beside the man who occupied far too much of your brain lately, silently praying the tailor would finish quickly so you could escape before your sanity, or your dignity, completely unravelled.
âI really am sorry,â Bucky said for what felt like the fiftieth time.
Between the brooding and the nervous leg tapping, heâd spent the last five minutes watching the side of your face with an expression so guilty it was practically carved into him.
âLike I said, itâs fine.â You replied, though it came out a little too tight, a little too forced, like you were speaking through clenched teeth. Which, maybe you were. Not that it mattered. Not when you could smell his cologne from how damn close he was sitting. God, you wanted to lean over and bury your face in his chest and just inhaleâ
You straightened abruptly, shoulders stiffening as the tailor entered the room, and mentally reacquainted yourself with the concept of boundaries.
It had been an hourâsixty minutes of waiting while Buckyâs suit got its final adjustments. An hour of you trying to distract yourself with work emails and unanswered texts, pretending the man beside you wasnât single-handedly causing your emotional stability to nosedive. At least when heâd stepped away to get re-measured, you could breathe without risking spontaneous emotional combustion.
âWould you like to try it on before we package it up for travel?â the tailor asked, her voice gentle. A measuring tape hung loosely around her neck, her pinned bun fraying slightly at the edges.
Bucky looked at you again, eyes flicking toward yours like he needed permission. You swallowed what was left of your pride and gave him a slight, strained nod.
âItâs okay,â you said quietly. âGo on.â
âIâm sorryâagainâthis is probably eating into your whole afternoon, I know how busy you areââ
âItâs fine. Really. Just go.â
He offered a sheepish smile before disappearing behind the velvet curtain, tugging it closed with a rustle. You pressed your fingers to your temples, let your head drop into your hands, and exhaled through your nose like it might stop your heart from trying to break out of your chest.
Across the counter, the tailor glanced up at you with a sympathetic look as she readied the boxes for the other garments. âLong day?â she asked gently.
You lifted your head, managing a tight smile that didnât quite reach your eyes.
âOnly going to get longer.â
You were still nursing the tail end of your sigh when the velvet curtain swished open again.
And then your brain stopped working.
Bucky stepped out in full formal attire, sharp navy suit, tailored within an inch of its life. The cut of it hugged his frame perfectly. Broad shoulders, tapered waist, long legs. A deep navy waistcoat peeked out beneath the jacket, the subtle sheen of the fabric catching the light just enough to look expensive without being flashy. His tie was already perfectly knotted, like heâd done this a hundred times, and the sleeves of his shirt revealed just enough of the polished metal edge of his vibranium arm to make your mouth dry.
He cleared his throat softly, tugging at one cuff. âHowâs it look?â
You blinked. Opened your mouth. Closed it again.
Words? No. Words were gone. Your vocabulary had packed up and left the building.
Bucky shifted his weight, clearly mistaking your slack-jawed silence for disapproval. âItâs weird, right? The waistcoat maybe doesnât work, I told her I wasnât sure about itââ
âNo,â you said quicklyâtoo quickly. âNo, itâs⊠Itâs perfect. You look⊠great. Seriously.â
His brows lifted slightly, a flicker of something you couldnât quite place crossing his face. Relief, maybe?Â
âYeah?â he said, glancing down at himself, tugging slightly at the jacket hem. âI feel better about it now. The sleeves fit properly this time. Thanks for waiting.â
The tailor beamed from behind the counter, clearly proud of her work. âWonderful. Iâll box it up immediately once youâre out of it.â
Bucky nodded, but the tailor turned to you with a friendly smile before he could disappear again.
âAnd for you, would you like to try your gown on as well before I pack it away?â
You blinked, suddenly snapped out of your holy-shit-Bucky-hot-hot-hot haze. âMy what?â
She gestured toward the row of garment bags. âMr. Stark sent over your measurements earlier this month. Thereâs a gown here for you.â
You frowned. âThat must be a mistake. Iâm just the assistant. None of those are for me.â
The tailor hesitated. âI donât think so⊠He was very clear. Your name was attached to the order.â
Before you could argue, Bucky cut in smoothly, like heâd seen this train coming and stepped in to redirect it.
âTony probably just wanted you to look the part, too,â he said, voice low and casual. âYouâve done all the work, he probably figured you deserved to enjoy the night a little. Might as well try it on, just in case.â
You glanced at him, but he didnât look smug or teasing. Just⊠earnest. Calm. Like he meant it. Which made it all the harder to protest.
âFine.â You sighed, scrubbing a hand down your face. âJust to check it fits.â
The tailor clapped her hands together. âWonderful. Itâs a beautiful gown, I promise.â
You gave Bucky one last side-eye before following her toward the changing rooms, the fabric bag already in her hands.
From behind, you could hear him chuckle under his breath.
âJust wait 'til you see her,â the tailor murmured to herself, and you werenât sure whether to be flattered or deeply, deeply nervous.
The gown was heavier than you expected. Luxurious fabric slipped off the hanger like water, pooling in your arms as she handed it over with the kind of reverence usually reserved for wedding dresses.
âIâll give you a minute,â she smiled, disappearing to finish boxing up the suits.
Left alone in the changing room, you peeled out of your clothes, letting the gown slide on over your hips, your waist, up past your ribs. It clung like it had been sewn directly onto your body, the bodice snug, the neckline just daring enough to make you blush.Â
You twisted to try to reach the zipper at the back, fingers fumbling and straining, but the angle was impossible. You spent the better part of five minutes twisting in the mirror like a lunatic, trying to reach the zipper that refused to budge. Your arms ached. The corset bodice was half-fastened. You were flushed, annoyed, and far too aware of the sliver of bare spine still exposed.
You were about to peek your head out and ask the tailor for help when a low voice cut in behind the curtain.
âNeed a hand?â
You flinched, fabric clutched to your chest. âJesus, Bucky! Donât sneak up on me like that!â
âDidnât mean to scare you.â His voice was rougher than usual, like heâd just cleared his throat. âHeard you cursing. Tailor said sheâd be a minute out back.â
You hesitated, and your voice came out thin. âYeah. IâI canât get it up.â
âOkay,â he replied, oddly determined. âTurn around.â
You cracked the curtain open a pinch. He ducked inside, too broad for the narrow space, his frame practically filling it. He was careful not to look at you directly, at least at first.
You turned slowly, presenting your back. âJust the zipper,â you murmured, barely trusting your own voice.
âSure,â
A single fingertip, cold metal, dragged up from the base of your spine to the dip between your shoulder blades. It barely touched the skin, but you shuddered from the sensation. Bucky wasnât even fastening yet, just tracing the line the zipper would follow. The sound you made was too soft to catch.Â
The zipper came up slowly. Agonisingly. His knuckles brushed your skin every inch of the way, not by accident. No, this was too slow, too precise, to be innocent.
He was savouring it.
His other hand steadied you, palm ghosting just over your hip. His breath fanned warm against your shoulder.
âYouâre trembling,â he commented.
You swallowed hard, unable to muster a response.Â
When he reached the top, his hand didnât fall away. Instead, he swept your hair off your shoulder completely, fingertips grazing the line of your throat as he let it fall over one side.
He leaned in. Not touching, but close. Mouth just behind your ear. The heat of his breath against your neck.Â
âShouldâve let me help sooner,â he whispered, voice like a purr. âWouldâve had you dressed in seconds.â
You didnât answer. You couldnât. Your lips parted slightly, breath caught somewhere halfway as your lungs deflated in shock. And maybe it was the gown. Or the silence. Or the way your thighs pressed together of their own accord, but you didnât move. You didnât step away.
You leaned in.
Only a fraction. Just enough.
He noticed.
You could feel it in the slight shift of his stance. The faint sound of him exhaling a chuckle through his nose. The way his hand brushed ever-so-slightly along the small of your back before falling away.
And then he was gone.
He stepped back like nothing had happened. Like the tension wasnât choking the air between you. You turned toward the mirror in a daze.
The dress shimmered in the soft light. Deep, elegant, form-fitting. The neckline exposed the curve of your breasts, the slit at your thigh scandalous enough to make you self-conscious.
You caught his reflection in the mirror. He was watching you, but not with the restrained professionalism you were used to. It was only the sudden reentrance of the tailor that made him hesitate in whatever words were forming on his tongue. He stepped aside, finally giving you space to exit. And you didâlegs shaky, palms sweatingâlike a deer walking straight back into the forest fire, pretending it wasnât about to burn.
You'd been so laser-focused on your tasks that you'd almost managed not to think about Bucky in that goddamn changing room. His fingers ghosting up your bare spine like a spark setting fire to dry kindling. Youâd folded instantly. Your body betrayed you instantly while your brain screamed to keep it together. Pathetic.
The moral implications of whatever that moment had been were filed away for another day. Were you the other woman? Was Natasha going to slit your throat in your sleep? What was Bucky doing, touching you like thatâin a public changing room, no lessâwhen he had a bombshell redhead waiting for him back at the Tower?
You pressed the elevator button with your elbow and exhaled as the doors slid open.
Drop off the food. Grab a free drink. Drown your Bucky-related sorrows. Maybe, just maybe, keep the beast between your legs from waking at the mere sight of him.
The doors began to close. You shifted your weight, careful with the boxes balanced in your armsâ
Then someone slipped through at the last second.
Him.
Bucky fucking Barnes.
Tall and devastating as usual in his dark navy suit, his tie loosened just enough to suggest mischief, or maybe carelessness. You werenât sure which one made you feel worse.
Your breath hitched. Instinctively, your gaze dropped to the floor, feigning sudden, all-consuming interest in the stability of your precarious tower of hors d'oeuvres. But teetering stacks of overpriced finger food or not, Bucky didnât seem inclined to play along with your avoidance act. Not now. Not when the elevator doors had sealed you in together, finally, and you were without escape.
You winced at the sound of his sharp inhale, the question already pressing past his lips before the elevator even jolted into motion.
âDid I do something to piss you off?â
You didnât look up. Eyes fixed firmly on the floor, you muttered, âWhat?â
âI justâŠâ His voice was rough. Tired. âIt feels like youâve been avoiding me.â
Shit.
He stepped forward slightly. Not enough to be invasive. Just enough to make your stomach flip.
âYou hardly talk to me anymore,â he continued. âWonât even look at me unless itâs about work. And even then, itâs like youâre somewhere else. Did I do something to offend you? Hurt you? Just tell me what I did so I can fix it.â
The elevator hummed to life beneath your feet, gliding upward smoothly. You shifted your weight, bracing against the cool metal rail, eyes stubbornly fixed on the buttons, anywhere but his maddeningly perfect face.
âYou havenât done anything,â you said quietly, the words tasting sour the second they left your mouth.
âThen why are you doing it now?â he asked, eyes searching yours. âWhy wonât you even look at me?â
âBuckyâŠâ
âPlease. Just tell me.â
You hesitated. His hand twitched like he meant to reach for your arm, then faltered, falling back to his side. Your grip tightened on the containers, your fingers slick with sweat. âItâs not you,â you murmured. âItâs me⊠I justâŠâ
He didnât move. Didnât even blink.
âPlease,â he said again, quieter now. âTell me the truth.â
âOkay,â you said, breath hitching as a nervous laugh bubbled out, half-bitter, half-resigned. âYou want the truth? Fine. Youâre going to think Iâve completely lost it.â
He stayed quiet, letting you spiral.
âThis is so stupid,â you muttered. âI like you, Bucky. There. I said it. I like you. And it was fineâmanageableâuntil it wasnât. Until I started imagining things. Thinking maybe⊠maybe you liked me too.â
His eyebrows lifted, surprised but unreadable.
âIâve had this massive, embarrassing crush on you since the moment I met you. And I know itâs weird, and probably unprofessional because youâre kinda my boss, but not. Technically, Tonyâs my boss, but I basically manage everything around here, andâugh, Iâm rambling.â You squeezed your eyes shut. âI like you. And Iâve been avoiding you because it was getting out of hand. I couldnât stop thinking about you. And it felt wrong. Especially since youâre dating Natasha, which just made everything worseââ
âWhat?â he interrupted, voice sharp. âIâm not dating Natasha.â
Your eyes snapped open. âThatâs what you took from all of that?â
âNo, Iâwait. You think Iâm dating Natasha?â
âYes!â you burst out, cheeks flaming. âI saw you! At the Sunday market about a month ago with the flowersââ
His brow furrowed. âWhat flowers?â
âThe bouquet you gave her.â
âI didnât give Natasha flowers.â
You let out a dry, disbelieving laugh. âI saw you. It was that dumb little market Tony makes me go to for those overpriced vegan pastries Pepper lovesââ
Bucky stared at you, confused. And then, slowly, understanding clicked into place. His face contorted like heâd just remembered heâd left his stove on.
âOh my god,â he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. âThe flowers. Those werenât for Natasha. They were for Wanda.â
Your heart stuttered. âWhat?â
âVision,â Bucky groaned. âIt was their anniversary. He was stuck on the phone trying to get a fancy reservation and begged me to pick them up. Natasha tagged along because she was hunting for jewellery for Mariaâs birthday. Thatâs all it was.â
You blinked at him. âYouâre joking.â
âIâm not,â Bucky replied earnestly. âI didnât know you thought that. I swear, Iâm not with Natasha. I never was.â
Your stomach dropped. âOh god.â
âHeyââ
âNo. No-no-no.â You squeezed your eyes shut, wanting to sink straight through the floor. âThis is mortifying. I literally thought you were in a secret relationship. Iâve been avoiding you like the plague. Iâve been thinking about moving cities. I googled how hard it is to change your name legally.â
He snorted. âYouâre not serious.â
You opened your eyes, and the horror must have been plain on your face because Buckyâs expression melted into something far too amused. âOh, you are.â
âI might never recover from this,â you mumbled.Â
âHey, câmon. Itâs not that bad.â
âI confessed my undying crush and accused you of being in love with someone else in the span of like, sixty seconds.â
His mouth twitched, lips threatening a smile. âYouâre kind of adorable when youâre spiralling.â
âIâm going to chuck these hors d'oeuvres at your head.â
As if mocking your attempt at dignity, the elevator gave a slight mechanical whirr, nearly at the top floor. The distant hum of the party pulsed just beyond those sleek doors.
You straightened suddenly, panic creeping into your chest. âOkay, Iâm going to deliver these and then Iâm leaving. Possibly forever. Please never speak to me again.â
But Bucky, ever faster than you, stepped in.
And before you could react, he pressed the emergency stop button.
The elevator jolted to a halt. The tower of overpriced hors d'oeuvres wobbled dangerously in your arms. âOh my god,â you gasped, teetering.
Bucky was already moving, steady hands catching the top box before it could topple, plucking the rest from your shaking grasp. He crouched to stack them on the floor carefully, then rose slowly, smirking as you stood frozen, mouth agape in pure horrified disbelief.
âBucky, what the hell are you doing?â
âNo more running,â he said simply, as if that explained everything.
You could barely breathe. âYou stopped the elevator?â
âDidnât want to risk the doors opening and you disappearing into the night,â he said, a little too pleased with himself.
âI hate you,â you whispered, eyes wide.
He leaned in, just close enough for you to feel his breath. âNo, you donât.â
You were going to die right here in a metal box. With your dignity in ruins and the man of your dumb, desperate daydreams giving you that look.
And somehow, somehow, you didnât even want to stop him.
âIâm serious,â he said, stepping closer. âDonât shut down. Please.â
You glanced up at him, finally meeting his eyes and immediately wished you hadnât. They were dark. Hungry. That gaze alone could melt you to the floor.
He stepped closer again. And again. Until his frame caged in you, his arms braced on either side of your head, the heat of his body swallowing you whole.
âI like you too,â he said, low, rough, like it was pulled from deep inside. âChrist, I was so blind. I didnât see it. It didnât click until that day at the tailor, until I saw you in this damn dress.â
Your breath hitched.
âI canât stop thinking about you,â he murmured. âIâve been looking for excuses just to be near you. I keep the notes you leave me with the stupid little drawings. I like looking at them. Thinking about you.â
Your heart felt like it might crack your ribs.
âI smelled every shampoo at the store one day,â he confessed, almost sheepish, almost proud. âHoped Iâd find the one you use. Because you smell so fucking good. Itâs been driving me crazy.â
âBuckyâŠâ
âI donât know. You make me feel special. Seen. Like Iâm not some monster, like Iâm normal. And then one day you were just⊠gone. I didnât realise all the little things you did for me that I never noticed.â He groaned, somehow pressing closer. âI missed the sound of your voice⊠and it made it hurt even more⊠I lie awake at night, every night, thinking about you and how much I want to kiss youââ
âBucky.â You interrupted, and he looked back at you with a barely contained hunger. âAre you going to kiss me or not?â
And then his mouth was on yours.
Hot. Messy. Desperate.
You gasped into it, and he swallowed it whole, groaning as he pressed harder, deeper, hands sliding down to your thighs as he grabbed one and hitched it up around his waist. You clung to his shoulders, lips parted as he slotted himself between your legs, guiding you up until your ass was perched on the elevatorâs handrail bar.
âFuck,â he breathed against your mouth. âTell me that you want this, tell me that you want me.â
Your head fell back against the wall, lips swollen, breath shaking. His mouth travelled to your jaw, your throat, hands digging into your hips.
It was dizzying. Chaotic. Perfect.Â
âI want you, Bucky.â You panted.
âFuck,â Bucky muttered again, but this time it was different, lower. Hungrier.
His hand slid along your thigh, fingertips brushing beneath the hem of your dress. You panted as he kissed across your collarbone, his breath hot against your skin. His hands settled on your knees, then slowly, deliberately, he spread them apart.
âBuckyââ your voice was barely more than a whisper, a tremble of anticipation and disbelief.
But he didnât answer. He dropped to his knees.
Right there. In the goddamn elevator.
You almost came on the spot at the sight, lips swollen and slick with saliva, pupils blown, the slight smudge of your lipstick on his chin. His hands slid up the back of your calves, kneading into the flesh like he was savouring the shape of you. Your dress inched upwards, his mouth suddenly pressing a kiss to the inside of your knee.
Your breath hitched. Your hands shot to the railing behind you, clutching tight.
âYou have no idea,â he said, voice wrecked with want, âhow long Iâve thought about this.â
His eyes flicked up to yours, dark with something dangerous. Devotion, desire, something molten and drowning. Then his mouth moved higher.
Another kiss. Inner thigh this time. Then another, and another, slow, lingering, like he was memorising you. He disappeared until the fabric of your skirt, only the back of his head, dark locks messy peaking out from between the slit.Â
You moaned, soft and involuntary, your hips twitching at the heat of his breath through the thin fabric of your panties. He nuzzled in close, his nose brushing against you, and his hands pressed firmly to your thighs to keep you spread.
âIâve thought about how youâd taste,â he muttered, lips grazing the soaked lace. âHow youâd sound.â
You whimpered.
And then, he peeled your panties to the side.
The groan that tore from him was obscene.
âJesus,â he hissed, voice muffled. âYouâre fucking perfect.â
And then, his mouth was on you.
Hot. Wet. Relentless. You cried out, one hand flying to his hair, tangling in it as his tongue licked into you with precision, with hunger, with something close to worship. He devoured you like he was starving. Slow circles, then quick flicks, his mouth dragging across your clit with maddening rhythm. You writhed against the rail, your leg still wrapped around his shoulder, the other trembling against the elevator wall.
âOh my godâBuckyâfuckââ
Your words slurred together, breath coming in ragged gasps as he groaned into you, the vibration shooting straight through your core. One of his arms snaked around your thigh, pinning you in place, as if he thought you might try to escape. As if heâd let you.
His tongue slid down, dipping into you, then back up, his mouth latching onto your clit with a filthy, wet sound that made your spine arch. You were unravelling, fast, dizzy, overwhelmed.
He pulled back just enough to pant. âI could stay here all night.â
His mouth was merciless. His grip was unrelenting on your thighs, mouth working you over like a man possessedâ
Bzzzzt.
A shrill, sudden buzz sounded from the elevatorâs emergency panel, followed by a crackling voice.
âHello? This is Tower Maintenance. Weâre registering an emergency stop on lift three. Is there an issue?â
You froze. Every muscle in your body went rigid, as if someone had cracked open your spine and poured ice water down it. Dread spread like frost through your veins. Your heart thudded painfully in your throat, threatening to climb up and out entirely.
You could barely breathe. Could barely think.
This was it. This was how you diedâlegs spread, Bucky between them, and Tower Maintenance on the fucking line.
Bucky, in sharp contrast, did not freeze.
He groaned softly with wicked glee, his mouth still very much between your legs. The sound vibrated against the most sinful part of you, and then he doubled down. Mouth and hands working with infuriating, diabolical precision, like heâd just taken the intercom as a challenge.
You clamped a hand over your mouth, the other shaking as you reached blindly for the emergency call button, trying not to sound like you were seconds away from being ruined.
Your voice came out like a panicked squeak. âHi! Uhâh-hi, yes, sorry! Mustâve been aâa small electrical fault. Iâm fine! Everythingâs⊠fine!â
Bucky nipped at your thigh in response.
There was a pause. You could feel the suspicion through the line.
âMaâam, weâre not showing any electrical inconsistencies in that shaft. Did you press the stop button?â
You shot a wide-eyed glare down at the man currently devouring you.
Another wave of pleasure threatened to knock the air from your lungs. You were barely holding it together, every nerve ending aflame, skin flushed, thighs shaking. The cool metal of the elevator wall against your spine did little to ground you.
You cleared your throat, struggling to piece together somethingâanythingâresembling human speech. âOh. Oh, thatâum, I mustâve bumped it. With my elbow. While holding a tray. Itâs, uhâcrowded. In here.â
Bucky chose that exact moment to suck hard, and you slapped your hand over your mouth to muffle the helpless sound that nearly escaped.
A longer pause. You could practically hear them frowning.
ââŠRight. Well, weâre releasing the stop now. Please remain calm.â
The line disconnected.
The elevator jolted slightly as it roared back to life.
Bucky gave a dark chuckle. âCrowded, huh?â Thenâwith zero mercyâhe sped up.
âBucky,â you gasped, head falling back against the wall, âIâmâIâm gonnaââ
You shattered.
It hit hard, hot and blinding. You cried out, thighs clamping tight around his head as he groaned against you, mouth not stopping for a second, drawing it out, milking every twitch, every whimper. You barely had time to breathe, let alone moan, your hands flying to steady yourself just as the elevator dinged cheerily and the doors slid open.
Right into the penthouse. Packed full of people, who by some miracle, were utterly oblivious to your predicament.Â
âEvening,â he greeted a passing staff member, utterly unbothered.
You were glowing crimson, pupils blown, lips parted, trying hard to fix your face. Bucky guided you forward, his hand warm on your back, keeping you between him and the crowd as your legs trembled. You barely managed to set the tray on the nearest table before someone whistled.
âWell, damn,â came Samâs voice from the drinks bar. He gave you both a once-over, a wicked grin spreading. âBuck, next time youâre gonna eat face in the elevator, maybe wipe the lipstick off your chin first.â
Bucky only smirked and licked his bottom lip slow, on purpose, you were sure of it.
You nearly combusted on the spot.
âBathroom?â he murmured into your ear, low and gravelly.
You nodded quickly and wordlessly.
He guided you with all the smugness of a man who had no regrets, his hand just a little too low on your back to be innocent.
---
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